M35A2 pulling farm tractor

[dittle]

Took the deuce down to live on the family farm over the weekend and while I was down there we have an IH706 that is having issues due to lack of maintenance. Well since I'm 300 miles away from the farm and don't have the time to get down there to fix the tractor we decided to take it over to the neighbor's house who is an IH mechanic and let him fix it. Only way to get it over there without borrowing a trailer was to tow it over with my deuce.

I didn't even know the tractor was behind me for the most part. When we came to the creek crossing on the bottom the West side of the crossing was soft sand which is normal after the yearly floods. Kept an eye on the my tires to make sure I didn't wheel hop in 4x6 drive. When it did start to hop I looked back and saw the tractor front tires were locked over hard. I just put it in 6x6 and just plowed a furrow through the sand to the other side as it didn't make sense to straighten them in the deep sand just to have them lock over again. After that it was down the road at 15mph in 3rd gear to the neighbor's. Ran at about 165 degrees the entire time so I can't even count it as a work out for the deuce.

Pictures are from at the farm before we took off, didn't even think about getting a video of the drive on the way over as I wanted both hands for the steering wheel incase something went bad on the tow over.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Nice! What kind of guard do you have on your winch? Is there a thread I missed about it?

 

[nk14zp]

Nice! What kind of guard do you have on your winch? Is there a thread I missed about it?

 

[dittle]

Um, haven't posted a thread about the winch yet actually. Want to verify that it is fully functional beforehand. The set up works right now but during the trial test I found an issue with my hydraulics being used. I added some fixes over the weekend but ran out of time to test it. That shield is a "rain guard" and once you see what is underneath it you will understand. I will be back down to the truck at the beginning of October and I'll test/get pictures of the set up then.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I saw the roller fairlead and figured it was not stock.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Good Job

These machines were made to work and hardly break a sweat

 

[dittle]

I saw the roller fairlead and figured it was not stock.

Its actually a hydraulic Mile Marker winch like what they put on the older model of HMMWVs.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yeah, were going to have to have a thread on this. Get the bugs worked out and post up with lots of pics and tech info.

 

[Danger Ranger]

Get a Deere, they need fixed less.

I do like the look of that winch though, real clean looking. What is the capacity of it?

How far from Alexandria are you? I looked it up, and you are south of the Cities. ~4 hrs? I will be going by there occasionally, from ISU to Alex.

 

[bearboley]

I was thinking as I was reading that it wont steer or have brakes if not running then I noticed the tow bar. I like it

 

[dittle]

Get a Deere, they need fixed less.

I do like the look of that winch though, real clean looking. What is the capacity of it?

How far from Alexandria are you? I looked it up, and you are south of the Cities. ~4 hrs? I will be going by there occasionally, from ISU to Alex.

We never ran the green tractors, just their silage choppers. Our red tractors were never broken down while the neighbors always were repairing the green ones. Reason this one is down now is my Grandfather (who passed away a couple of months ago) couldn't physically keep up with the maintenance on the farm plus he developed Alzheimer's and dementia at the same time. This one has over 22,000 hours on the engine and when it doesn't overheat (thinking blown head gasket) runs very well. Plus it has canister filters like a stock deuce and has never ruined anything internally due to it which is an example of why I won't put spin-ons my deuce.

Winch capacity is 10,500 lbs. Like I said, once I get it working properly I'll put up a thread about it as there is no need to do the thread if I have to change hardware to make it go. I'm south of the cities straight west of Lakeville or just straight south of Eden Prairie on 169.

 

[dittle]

I was thinking as I was reading that it wont steer or have brakes if not running then I noticed the tow bar. I like it

Yeah, back in July after putting a new IP on this tractor (had been sitting since last fall when my brother put a new water pump on it) I was taking it from my mom's back to the family farm. Just turned onto the highway and was in the middle of shifting gears and the engine died due to overheating. Daughter was riding on the fender with me, 20' deep ditch on the right plus barb-wire fence. 10' deep on the left that sloped into a hayfield. No engine did equal no steering and brakes (both hydraulic) and since I was in-between gears I couldn't get it into gear (non-syncro). Thankfully the road tilted to the left and we coasted up into the neighbor's yard missing their 1000 gallon propane tank by about 10'. Stood up, spit the seat cushion out of my butt cheeks and let the tractor cool off. Ended up getting it towed by a pick up over to the farm with the engine just idling so I could steer/brake.

 

[dittle]

Not MV related, but this is the road that goes back to the farm.

 

[Danger Ranger]

Sorry to hear about your grandfather. I am a greeny, and we have always run Deere tractors, and New Holland hay equip. No Case here. Ours are all older though. Two-cylinders and a 4020.

22,000 is a lot of hours though.

 

[drgreg]

Geeze buy a new tractor, you tight-wad.

 

[Trailboss]

I've had my wife drive my Massey Ferguson tractor to pull-start me in an M818 with a bad starter, but never thought of doing it the other way if my MF dies. Thanks for the idea.

 

[andyindy]

Your 706, does it have the 282 or the german 310? I've had good luck w/ the 282, although a lot of people
don't like them.

 

[dittle]

Geeze buy a new tractor, you tight-wad.

I'm not a tight-wad, its my Grandparents. They were depression era children who could make a penny scream for all its worth. They fixed what needed fixed and re-used anything/everything possible. I'm putting in new barb-wire fencing for them (replacing 40 year old woven-wire fence) and Gma wants me to re-use some of the old fence. I don't think so.

Your 706, does it have the 282 or the german 310? I've had good luck w/ the 282, although a lot of people
don't like them.

This one has the 282 in it. We used to have a German one also, but traded it off on a 1086. I like the 282, need glow plugs to start it at 90 degrees or -30 degrees but it always starts. Could use a turbo but that age of tractor turbos were seen as an expensive extra. This one is a 1964.

Sorry to hear about your grandfather. I am a greeny, and we have always run Deere tractors, and New Holland hay equip. No Case here. Ours are all older though. Two-cylinders and a 4020.

22,000 is a lot of hours though.

Thanks for the condolences. They tried to run this tractor into the ground but it held up to them. The hydraulics on this tractor are so good that we left a 1800 lb bale of hay on the rear forks for about a month as a test and it still did not drop to the ground. The older tractors are much better than the new ones IMHO, red and green both. Nothing wrong with a 4020, another classic mainstay of the farms.

 

[Danger Ranger]

Yep, I am a little suprised on the bale thing, thats pretty good. And ya, the 4020 and other new Generation Deeres blew everyone out of the water for a couple years. They were just amazing at the time. I agree on the older is better theory, seems true everywhere almost.

 

[combat32]

I like those dust whitewalls on the deuce, reminds me of Graf!