B - hand start-how reliable?

[Eriklane]

I have a shot at a nice B, 1939-194? Owner not sure the year-I haven't even driven to see it but pics look nice. Has sickle bar mower. $1000. How are these to start in summer for mowing? That's all I'd use it for. I suppose it depends on compression and of course, I'm assuming all is in decent working order...Just don't want to buy an unreliable hard starting tractor...but for $1000, seems decent. Has great rubber and paint.
 

[Zachary Hoyt]

I had a C for the summer and fall of 2009 and mostly started it by
hand since the charging system did not work. It was pretty easy to
start but it did kick back fairly regularly. Just don't put your thumb
around the handle or get your body in the path of the handle and
only turn the engine 1/4 turn at a time and you should be okay.
Zach
 

[Harvey 2]

Our first tractor on the farm was a worn out B Allis
and I got blue in the face many a time trying to
start it by hand. Dad wouldn't keep the battery
terminals clean and I being only 11 years old didn't
know how to maintain the battery. In 1955 we bought
a new John Deere 40s, that was a step up like going
from a model T Ford to a Caddilac.
 

[thebigyellowtruck]

My buddy has a B that he can only hand start. he's
had it for over 20 years and it always starts.
summer or winter and within 5-6 cranks and the old
girls starts up every time. His dad is 75 and still
starts it by hand.
 

[Eriklane]

Sweetness. I think I'll grab it, and, I do remember my Grandpa mentioning the thumb thing...thanks for the tips.
 

[old]

I learned to hate the B my dad had. Sent me to the hospital once and I had my thumb as I should have. But it was also the first tractor engine I ever rebuilt and it did well till some one stole it or was that borrow it when I was not home due to the fact they got stuck and they left it in the creek just to have it covered with water. Never ran right after that
 

[Rex in Australia]

My 18yr old daughter starts hers regularly, it is crank handle only and she is not a big girl.

Fuel on
One or two compressions with the choke on and magneto earthed out (depending how cold)
Then choke off, give it a heave and it starts right up.
When she's at a show and playing games etc it nearly always starts with one pull on the crank.
Go on, get it and enjoy it!
Rex
 

[Eriklane]

When facing the front of the tractor, which way do you turn it?
 

[dej(Jed)]

[Eriklane]

Does it have enough power to pull a 9' cultipacker? That's all I'd use it for, and mowing of course...I think the packer is 600# or so...
 

[Ted J]

[old]

A hand crank only works one way so you can not turn the engine over back wards. The part that the hand crank goes in to is set up so you can only turn the engine over in the correct direction if it was not you would go to the hospital every time you started it because it would brake your hand due to the handle flipping around when the engine started and that would hammer you hand. As for HP the NEB. test says it has 22HP
 

[Eriklane]

Yeh, I remember now after thinking about the hand made crank for my 8N, given to me by a mechanic, likely for use turning them over during work, not for starting. The flanges keep u safe.

Just saw a Youtube of a guy starting a Farmall H. Effortless. Took a couple of turns on it gently, then hit it once and it fired right up.
 

[old]

Yep if every thing is set just right they can be easy to start but if one little thing is not just right they can be a pain to start in more then one way. Had a B hand start years ago that got me one day when it kicked back on me. Yes I had the hand crank held correctly but it still kicked back and sent me to the hospital with a bad sprain
 

[Eriklane]

Can someone measure the width of a B so I can tell if it'll fit on my trailer? Tx.