Old tractor

Started by Possum, November 12, 2018, 06:20:36 AM

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Possum

Throwing out a question , my dads old (30year) Massey Ferguson tractor burned up. I caught it on a game camera, at 4pm
sat. smoke showed up, by 6 pm flames were showing and by sundown it was fully in flames. Nobody around, calm day, sunshine.
I had used the tractor about 8 days before to do shredding around the stock tank and parked it under the pecan trees. Glad I did not park it in the barn. Any idea what could have caused it? I'm guessing rats, there are only 2 fuses on the electrical system that I know about so the odds of chewing a wire not on a fuse would be pretty good, but I have never heard of 12 volts being enough to start a fire. No diesel leaks, but there was grease build ups in various locations.

Solar

Quote from: s3779m on November 12, 2018, 06:20:36 AM
Throwing out a question , my dads old (30year) Massey Ferguson tractor burned up. I caught it on a game camera, at 4pm
sat. smoke showed up, by 6 pm flames were showing and by sundown it was fully in flames. Nobody around, calm day, sunshine.
I had used the tractor about 8 days before to do shredding around the stock tank and parked it under the pecan trees. Glad I did not park it in the barn. Any idea what could have caused it? I'm guessing rats, there are only 2 fuses on the electrical system that I know about so the odds of chewing a wire not on a fuse would be pretty good, but I have never heard of 12 volts being enough to start a fire. No diesel leaks, but there was grease build ups in various locations.
I'd surmise that is a good guess as to rodents.
As to 12V, it's not the voltage, rather the amperage that started the fire. Even their piss excrement and piss could have played a part in causing a dead short to start a fire.
I have a Massey 4x4, I love that tractor, best damned workhorse ever.
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Possum

Quote from: Solar on November 12, 2018, 06:42:24 AM
I'd surmise that is a good guess as to rodents.
As to 12V, it's not the voltage, rather the amperage that started the fire. Even their piss excrement and piss could have played a part in causing a dead short to start a fire.
I have a Massey 4x4, I love that tractor, best damned workhorse ever.
Hated to see it, but it could have been worse. Thanks for the response. Massey is not that common around here and we never had them growing up, but I am impressed with how long they last. This one lost its pretty a long time ago and after 30 years was not worth much, needed hydrophilic work,  but it ran great.  I have a couple of old trucks that I keep around the place, I keep a small bowl of anti freeze under the hood just for the rats in case they get thirsty looking for wires to chew, should have kept one on the tractor too. :laugh:

Solar

Quote from: s3779m on November 12, 2018, 06:56:20 AM
Hated to see it, but it could have been worse. Thanks for the response. Massey is not that common around here and we never had them growing up, but I am impressed with how long they last. This one lost its pretty a long time ago and after 30 years was not worth much, needed hydrophilic work,  but it ran great.  I have a couple of old trucks that I keep around the place, I keep a small bowl of anti freeze under the hood just for the rats in case they get thirsty looking for wires to chew, should have kept one on the tractor too. :laugh:
Well, then maybe it was a gift in disguise, now you don't have to put out a bunch of money to fix it?
Yeah, same out here, everyone owns a John Deer, but after owning several brands, from Allis Chalmers, to Kubota, I must say, I am far more impressed with the Massey, be it ease of use or the large platform and comfort after hours in the seat, the power and stability will keep me going back and buying another.

I live on extremely steep terrain, rolled a Kubota, Dozer and a few other implements of destruction down into the canyon, but not that damn Massey, it holds the ground far better and I've only tipped it twice, both times hitting rotted out stumps.
But aside from driver screw ups, it's never given me one issue in the ten years it's been working for me nearly everyday, be it blown tires or battery replacement, all my fault, the machine is really well built, in fact, neighbors have the same class in tractor, 32 horse, Kubota and Deer, both always call me to get them out of a bind, knowing I won't get stuck when pulling them out.
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