6 to 12 volt

I might be all wet on this one but unless you want to farm at night with lights that is a hole different game. The need to convert to 12 volts is it just masking the real problem. Hard starts to poor compression bad tune up worn out fuel system and things like that. I had an 8n Ford
( which I regret at times for selling) however it was a hard stater in the cold and at other times. I bit the bullet rebuilt the engine had the genny gone threw and put all new wiring harness and switches and all . That was the end of my hard staring problems . I wound up selling it to some one who had to have it and bought a John Deere 950 4x4 TLB . That is 4 time the tractor the 8 n was on it's best day . I know they are not apples to apples I know.

North East puller

NEP1, Unless you are at the lowest levels of pulling for sure you already know that 6 volts will not cut it for most "stock" tractors. While on the farm we had a 39 Dc Case which an M&W kit rendered the 6 volt system totally useless, Even M&W realized that as they made gear reduction units to modify existing starters. Fast forward to today where 260 cid tractors are now 360 cube machines built with custom rods, pistons, cams etc. C/R's pushing 13:1 have even 12V into a 6V starter at the limits. People who use old tractors on a daily basis like the security of having the engine turn on a cold morning, besides an Alternator conversion with an internal regulator is worlds ahead of the generator/ regulator combination in reliability. My favorite is the Delco 10 SI with an AC regulator which is a special regulator available that uses battery voltage to start the charge, when the alt turns , its charging, not after revving the engine as other 1 wire systems. mEl

Yes in most cases converting to 12 volts can be a cover up for other problems.
But some look at it not as a quick fix but rather a final fix.
If you convert to 12 volts you can often keep going when minor problems arise but if you stay 6 volts you are constently tinkering with something because everything needs to be right for it to work.

Now if you want to dig deeper we can discuss how modern alternators are better in start stop homestead situation.
We can also talk about how all modern equiptment such as sprayers work on 12 volts.

Every old 6v tractor I own is still six volt and they start well, except for the Oliver 88. Six volts on that girl just doesn't cut it. Maybe six was enough when it came from the factory with the stock bore, but now with the S88 pistons the starter had to be souped up with 12V. Jim

ALT. also hold up better in the heat and dirt.

Biggest problem on most of them is that the battery cables have been replaced over the years with the small 12 volt cables. With 6 volts,you loose 2/3s of your AMPERAGE with those small cables. You still have 6 volts,but no cranking amps to speak of. As for the Oliver 88 that fixerupper speaks of,they had an inherant problem that would start to show up when those tractors were just a couple of years old. They were grounded up under the dash and would start to rust between the cowl and frame so you lost ground. Run 2.0 guage cables on those and make the ground long enough to reach one of the starter bolts at the bell housing and you won't believe how they'll spin with 6 volts.

In many ways you are correct but for some one like me who does in fact use there tractors a lot switching them to 12 volts make it easier to maintain the charging systems and makes them far more reliable. Plus like me I don't have enough battery's so switching them around as needed is also easier
Hobby farm

That is my point Fixeruper you are on the mark . Unless you are doing some thing different from factory ( pulling making hp or working at night with the lights on)) going to 12 volt only mass the true problems. When you convert to 12 volt for hard starting problems several years down the road you are right back to square one needing to fix the real problem . So why not fix it right the first time and get all the hidden benefits of the rebuild or replacement of wires and such,

North east puller 1

I don't know anyone who converted one to cover hard starting problems. I do know of some that are converted to abolish the stupid old generator and actually get a charging system that works reliably. There's as many 12V systems around here that were converted to Delco alt's as there are 6V systems. It's just a matter of practicality...
You can bugger with somethign constantly to keep it working or you can slap an alternator on it and go to work with it.

Rod

NEP1, I don't care how big a cable, how many amp hour battery or how many times you rebuild the starter and how tip top the generator/ regulator setup is (and you always qualify about useing the lights,which I can do with my Delco modified 12v DC) if the 6 volt system was good you wouldn't have to qualify. A M&W kit was an over the counter product. No one is trying to MASK problems by converting to 12 V we are SOLVING them. A stock DC Case's starting was marginal with everything in perfect condition and towing it around at -20 because it wouldn't grunt at 6 V is not my idea of quality time, but the manure needed to be spread nevertheless. The others are right on point, way increased starting capacity, way more reliable, lower rpm charging, ideal for low rpm tractor engines incidently. If you are willing to sacrifice these obvious advantages to stay obsolete 6V , by all means do so, But for 47 years I have been solving customers problems in a Modern tractor shop and the advent of alternators has made my job easier and made me many happy customers, My job is solving problems, not MASKING them by repairing (woefully inadequate by modern standards) generators/ regulators. If someone is insistent on stock parts I am happy to oblige them as long as the money is green, but for those who want the best--------------- Its not even really a debate, even Fixerupper understands the problem !! mEl

Theirs no way a 6v system can compete with the reliability of a correctly converted 12V system in any way are form,,, some 6v nutz came up with the statement that your tractor is junk and converting to 12v is a cover up,,, somehow it makes them feel good (only argument they can come up with),,, we re talk'n old chit that has meet its life expectancy,,, it don't figger to keep patching a system that was at the most just enuff when it was new,,, all my tractors but 2 are 12V,,, just waiting for the battery to die in the other 2 so i can convert'em with standard off the shelf parts that are extremely reliable and cost effective,,, most of the conversions that give problems are front mount dist. Fords,,, the front mount dist was a P.O.S. to start off with so not much help fer'em,,, if your tractor uses a round can coil you are one of the lucky ones,,, 12V conversions are the way 2 go...

Hobo, they won't let you get away with that very easy on the "N" board. If everything is up to snuff, 6V works fine. When things get outta whack, that's when they give problems. I switched my tractors to 12V so I have enough power to run more lights, keep my cell phone charged on long rides, and have a radio to listen to.