Hand cranking

grandpa Love · Apr 24, 2020

Shot a video of the Allis B today.
Hand cranking 39 B

ramblineagle · Apr 24, 2020

If that motor ever kicks back someone will learn a painful lesson, broken arm, or missing teeth. Proper way to crank start a engine is to pull up on the crank. That way if motor kicks back it will push the crank handle down away from your body.

Janicholson · Apr 24, 2020

And keep all fingers and the thumb on the outside of the handle. Cupping the handle like it was holding water. I have seen worse ways to crank (like spinning it). Pull up, stay back. My rules from an F-20 Jim

David G · Apr 24, 2020

Only one I ever spun was my dad's JD LA, compression was so bad it would never kick back. I agree, a lot of people do not know how to crank safely, and most of them will never learn.

47fivewindow · Apr 24, 2020

That sure sounds sweet!

Ultradog MN · Apr 25, 2020

Fun video.
A lot of folks would rather wet their pants than hand crank an engine.
I always found it rather satisfying to start one that way. Our Allis B would never start on the battery so we usually hand cranked it.
Also hand started our DC3 Case with a crank many times.
Dad taught me to always pull up on the crank not pull down. Pulling up you're leaning back so less chance of getting clobbered if it backfires.

MJ in the UK · Apr 25, 2020

Here in the UK all the American tractors that were sent to us on the lease lend scheme during WW2 were hand cranks. The AC B and the Farmall A&B tractors you pulled the handle across the top of the engine. MJ

grandpa Love · Apr 25, 2020

Thumbs are not wrapped around the handle. I've had it kick back once or twice. It doesn't like to crank when it's hot!! Amazing how fast it snatched that handle out of my hands. Funny that little motor can kick back that hard! I haven't started it in a couple weeks. Just happened to be walking by yesterday and had my wife shoot the video. Not bad for ethanol mix gas that's been in there all winter

kito169 · Apr 25, 2020

In 1982 I had a neighbor that was 85 years old. He had 5 John Deere tractors. All were either A's or B's, don't remember how many of each only know there was a total of 5. He bought them new and farmed with them until he retired and they still looked brand new. He said he didn't like electric start tractors because they gave too much trouble and if a man was too lazy to start the tractor by hand he would not give you a full days work. I loved visiting with that man.

Russ from MN · Apr 25, 2020

My FIL gave me a Farmall A after I married his daughter, taught me to always pull up on the crank, worked well. I like to start our Farmall C with the crank, gives me mechanical confidence!

Texasmark1 · Apr 25, 2020

My first tractor, back in 1978-9 was a Farmall Super A or B forget which. Hand cranked. Never broke a wrist or dislocated a shoulder or anything of the sort but I liked electric starters better.

Billy NY · Apr 25, 2020

That one sure sounds good, must run very nice.

There is something satisfying about hand cranking, minus any risks with some of them. I used to marvel at the starting engine on my D7 crawler. In good tune, it fires easily. From there, you still need to use it to get the diesel running and it will do so to some very very cold temperatures. One thing that stands out is that I could tell when it was on the upcoming compression stroke and the way the crank system is made, I don't think it can grab ya, if it did, would send you over the hood, as it's on top. Older models were lower left side. They moved the location because if you stalled out in a cut or while stuck, can be awkward to get to the hand crank there. Moving up top made a big difference.

The ones I find even more interesting are like the old flywheel hand crank machines like the Caterpillar or earlier BEST SIXTY model tractor. Flywheel is machined for a bar to be inserted. I can imagine either being tossed by it, or that bar flying off, but there are plenty of you tube videos showing these being started, definitely not for the novice LOL !

Leroy · Apr 25, 2020

He must have been a strong person. I did not have the strength to hand crank our JD A

Jeff NWOH · Apr 25, 2020

Sounds Good. I had a C for a while. It would start cold with the hand crank about like yours, but not so much once it was warm.

DoubleR · Apr 25, 2020

I still have a screwed up shoulder from Cranking my Farmall C 7 years ago. My mistake was being in a hurry and not pushing the crank all the way in and the T on the end was in the slot in the frame when I gave the crank a hard jerk to start the tractor. I still hand crank the tractor but learned a good lesson the hard way.

Richard G. · Apr 25, 2020

Gonna drive my 103 year old Model T down one day and let you crank it. LOL.
Should not take me more than 2 days.
Richard

jddrawbar · Apr 25, 2020

You might think the A is a hand full, try my '45 D....501 cid. The tractor with the reputation of a arm breaker was the LA Case. You learn quick to disengage the crank all in one motion.....crank and pull out.

Rich'sToys · Apr 25, 2020

It's not bad as long as they start on the first or second pull. If it takes much more that that I'm about done for. Guess I'm getting too old and out of shape!!

Crazy Horse · Apr 25, 2020

Drawbar ..... I know next to nothing about JD model D's but you're referring to your D's flywheel start being tough right? So hand start and not hand crank start.

bud from bc · Apr 25, 2020

Most model d tractors have a spot in center of flywheel to put hand crank if set up properly very little effort needed to get her to pop

jddrawbar · Apr 25, 2020

Both....read the reply from bud from bc.

Leroy · Apr 26, 2020

I knew people that could pick up and carry 2 bags of a hundred pounds each of feed, one under each arm. me I could not drag one of those bags. He must have been one of those guys that could carry those 2 bags of feed. Fertilizer used to come in 80# bags, as soon as 50# was avaible that is what we bought and that was all either Dad or I wanted to handle. So strength would make a big difference in what was easy to do like cranking an engine. Several years ago I could not even crank a small chain saw to start it so gave it away.

Hand cranking

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