Young guy here wanting to get into Tractor Pulling
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=137400
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Topic: Young guy here wanting to get into Tractor Pulling
Posted By: Bama67
Subject: Young guy here wanting to get into Tractor Pulling
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 2:03am
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Hello all, I've always been into vintage tractors, but never had one and never had much exposure to them. Growing up in the late 80's and 90's in the woods of Alabama, no one in my family farmed, and my Daddy's tractors were just 70's models of whatever was cheap and ran decent. We recently moved to a small mountain town in Colorado and we have some land and my kids are getting into showing rabbits, and goats pretty soon. So I was thinking the vintage tractor thing was something I could get into since they have vintage tractor pulls and shows and stuff at the same places they would be showing rabbits or whatever. (and it is just a good excuse to go to fairs and ride rides and eat funnel cakes and other junk foods) I've always been a gear head, into muscle cars and motorcycles (Guzzis). I'm still into bikes but with 3 small kids it's not something we can all enjoy safely as a family just yet. I was poking around online the last couple weeks (I'm on a ship off Africa at the moment with a lot of free time) and noticed there are a couple vintage tractor pulling clubs near here. I was shocked at how reasonable restored vintage tractors are after being conditioned to the crazy high muscle car and vintage bike prices, so I can actually afford to get a decent old tractor and go to one of these events. Long story short, if going by the results on the local clubs websites is any indication, it looks like everyone here is pulling old Deeres, Oliver 77s, and Cockshutts, with a couple Farmalls and Masseys thrown in. I always like to be a little different so Allis Chalmers hit me as a great option and I always liked them anyway. The local club states the tractors have to be 1959 or newer, with most of them pulling in the 1939-1952 class. After some research it looks like I need/want a WD, or WD45. I don't mind one that needs a little cosmetic work but want something running well as I am just not that mechanically familiar with them yet. Anything else a young guy needs to be aware of with these, or where to look for more information other than the forums here? I understand hot-rodding anything isn't cheap so will be staying stock/near stock and I think local club rules require that anyway. Do ya'll know of anyone with a good squared away tractor for sale near central Colorado? Everything I find is 1,000 miles away or more it seems. Thanks! Adam Walton |
Replies:
Posted By: Bama67
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 2:07am
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Oh, also if I get into vintage tractors it gives me a valid excuse for the wife for why I need an Allis Chalmers G model. :) I know they only built those goofy little tractors in Alabama and I've always wanted one, but never had any use or reason for doing so. Now it can be for "shows" haha |
Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 2:55am
| Look thru the guys on here and you will find several who live in Co who might be able to help you. |
Posted By: Hubert (Ga)engine7
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 7:26am
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Adam, welcome to the Forum. You will find lots of good advice on here and hopefully someone in Colorado will be able to help you locate a good tractor for pulling. There is also a pulling forum section on here. If you go to the shops, varmints and trucks section be careful, there are some varmints that hang out there but I won't mention any names. LOL ------------- Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God. |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 7:31am
| I resemble that remark Lou! |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 7:33am
| oh...wait....you must be talkin bouts Ted or Les or Joe or Thad or Tyler or Cody or Darrel or his other brother Darrell! and a few others? |
Posted By: Bama67
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 7:37am
| I work on an offshore drilling rig, I doubt there is anything posted here that would offend me! |
Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 7:38am
| HeeHeeHee |
Posted By: lowell66dart
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 7:48am
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Be carefull. I drag raced for 15 years and also had a Harley then I bought my first tractor. It was an Allis B. The Harley's gone and the race car is for sale. Tractors are dirt cheap compared to cars. They are easy to work on and I can paint well enough for a tractor paint job as all mine are working tractors. There is awesome help here to get you through any problems you encounter. I am sorta glad we don't have any tractor pulling near me as I am pretty sure I would be neck deep into it if there was. ------------- AC 6080 (8030,7060,200,175,D-17HC, 6040,160,6140 all gone) Farmall 1066 & 656 Hi-Clear (for sale), White 2-62 High Clearance, JD 4255 Hi Clear. |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 8:28am
| The sport of tractor pulling is always evolving, once you get a "tractor" to pull with. Each Winter you will find yourself wanting to change something to make it a little more competitive. You may find yourself starting with a 43 HP tractor with 28 inch rear wheels and then changing to wider or taller 38 inch tires. Then, you discover that 43 HP isn't really enough sometimes with the larger rear rubber, so now the engine gets worked on.......and on..... and on. At some point, if the tractor must be used for actual farm work, there has to be a line drawn as to what you are not going to do. I set up a good friend 30 yrs ago with a One-Eighty diesel tractor. He already had it turbocharged and at 90 HP for farm use. I built him an injection pump and injectors that he would take 4 hrs to swap out when pulling season came around. This got him up to 200+ HP. He had larger cut rear tires and wheels with no fluid, a special drawbar, weight brackets, etc that he also changed to make it ready to compete. After about 10 yrs of this, he finally went to a different tractor dedicated only to be a "puller" and is now at 1200 HP. DECIDE HOW FAR YOU'RE WILLING TO GO. |
Posted By: Bama67
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 9:16am
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Lol. Thanks for the responses guys. Ain't that always how it goes? Sounds like me when I buy an old bike, I tell myself "it's only a 200cc, just gonna enjoy it like it is." Then three months later I'm looking at jetting it and big bore kits. |
Posted By: DougG
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 12:14pm
| My opinion is stick to a limit of HOT FARM max,,, it's fun blowing smoke, running a couple gears higher,, most 190,s 200,s you can still farm with,, a G is an interesting tractor , but not made for pulling, but hey if it's you want to do, go forit |
Posted By: Albert
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 1:45pm
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I have a cousin in the Pueblo aria that plays with old tractors, If you are close to there and want contact information send me a PM. |
Posted By: Brampton 02 gt
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 1:54pm
| My advice is to determine what weight classes you want to go in. You should cater your purchase on the class. Also find out the class rules and how non stock the stock tractors are in the classes. I enjoy all of the pulls I go to, but enjoy pulling best when I am at least competitive. Tractor shows with no prize money tend to bring out stock tractors and are allot of fun. I can get multiple hooks in the day which make the effort going worth it. |
Posted By: Dick L
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 4:21pm
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If your a gear head what you need to do is get the rules from every where you might go to pull. Study all the details so the modifications you make does not get you DQ'd at any of them.
Anything that does not change the look of the engine or runs over the clubs RPM limits goes where I pulled. Some pulls never checked RPM's but checked the sled speed. I pulled the light classes. I pulled the Allis B's in the 2000 pound class. the Allis C mostly in the 3000 pound class. The Farmall C in the 3000 pound class ,The Oliver 66 in the 3500 pound class. The Oliver 77 in the 4500 pound class and the Oliver 88 in the 6000 pound class. I had the most fun with the Allis C and the Oliver 77. I would take two or three of the above tractors to a pull. It depended on who I thought I would be pulling against and what I thought the track conditions would be as to what tractors I loaded. My wife wasn't into tractor pulling but did go and video one pull that I have shown many times on here but I will put the link on to help you get the bug. After over 10 years of it I had to give it up as I started to have health problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM4YbM8keMM" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM4YbM8keMM |
Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 6:11pm
Once you get it running good, and winning, put a chrome plated handle lever, somewhere on it, and move the lever, as you are pullin... THen watch the fireworks start...
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Posted By: Bama67
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 8:06pm
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I am definitely staying stock/near stock. It seems that is what everyone has here, most all prior to 1952 in the 3500-4500 weight class. That is why I was leaning to a WD. I just hope its fun and everyone isn't a bunch of old fuddy duddys, and hopefully not boring. lol Although the idea of basically a turbo'd diesel otherwise stock WD45 is very compelling and interesting to me, I don't know what I would do with it. From what I can tell everyone is either stock (appearing) or big money 1,000hp tractors. There doesn't look like much in between. Whatever I get is just for fun, not for farm work. I live at 9,200ft and there is no row-cropping or bush hogging needed here. Oh, and I only want a G model for fun around the farm and tinkering and pulling the kids with, not to pull sleds with. I don't have any idea what to look for other than the obvious when I go look at a tractor. |
Posted By: Bama67
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2017 at 9:35pm
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There is this WD45 about three hours away. The guy says it runs well, and it has been in his family since new but knows nothing else about it. He hasn't given me a price yet. What is it worth? Seems a restored one is not very expensive, so it might be worth going that route considering an engine and tranny rebuild could be a few thousand, right? 
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Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 16 Apr 2017 at 6:28am
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Reading your posts, I would personally look for an early WD (52 or earlier to get in your local 39-52 class). Look for an inexpensive tractor that you plan to rebuild the engine. After you get the engine, look for a WD-45, 4.5" stroke crankshaft (a D-17, 170 or 175 crank will need a different gear for the oil pump). If you are lucky enough to find a set of 8.25/1 compression pistons from a 175, buy them ($$$). If not, get a set of 4.125 (bore) 7.25 pistons and a governor spring from a D-17. Have a cam ground as close to 175 specs as possible. If your very handy, a little head porting and carb work and you have an engine that will run all day on pump gas and will be very competitive in the "stock" class. On the tractor, drop the hydraulic cylinders, rock shaft and rear platform. It will give you a great place for weight racks. Remove the belt pulley and replace it with a plug If you are planning to try to get into the 3500 lb. class, a narrow front end from a WC is a little lighter than the WD front end. Good luck!!! (... and it isn't as inexpensive as you might think!!!) |
Posted By: TimNearFortWorth
Date Posted: 16 Apr 2017 at 7:37am
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Picked up a CA in Wheatridge when I lived in Loveland, fun tractor and easy to trailer with a half ton pickup. Might be more economical to get started on and you can also use it to move snow, or maybe a model B. B is three speed and CA is four, parts are plentiful still for each. Plenty of good folks on here to assist with any questions. Are you on MEGI? Hess-Okume? Or another of the operators that have moved in? Take it your on a semi-sub or drill ship for exploration, or on one of the fixed platforms? I worked EG in 2007, don't miss the trips while rotating but stopping for a few days in Zurich on the way home was a nice break on the trip! |
Posted By: Bama67
Date Posted: 16 Apr 2017 at 8:13am
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Thanks for the replies guys, I'm learning alot. Oh, I'm on a drill ship. There is a nice 1939 B model close by, but it looked so tiny I didn't really consider it. I'll do some research on it and the WC,and WD. I guess I will drop the WD45 as everyone pulling is mainly running prior to 1952 stuff, and percentage pulls so I guess the small tractors won't be at such a disadvantage. |