All About H's?

[Super A]

I am looking for a JD H. I"m a Farmall person but always have had a soft spot for the H"s. What are specific things you need to look at on a H when evaluating one to purchase? Are there parts that are hard to get or no longer available?

thanks,
Al

 

[Rusty wheel]

I just finished a 1945 H. Generators are very hard to find. Some governor parts are very expensive and The excentric bushing in the top of the steering box is no longer available from Deere. But, it's always fun to improvise. Some of the parts I needed I made.

 

[Pat Harmon]

I am currently re- doing my 41 H and so far I have located all the pieces I have needed. I have located several parts from members here the most. I want to get me some front cast wheels that my tractor had originally,but really haven't put that much effort into it as I still need other pieces first. I have never worked on big tractors much,but this H is pretty straight forward and basic. I would suggest the JDPubs website as well as getting the I&T manuals for them. They have saved me much trouble. Rusty Wheel above also seems like a good source for help as well...

 

[Mark Poss]

I reccomend getting one with good brakes. It is a major job putting new ones on.

 

[Pat Harmon]

The brakes can be a pain,but I thought the worst part of that was getting the hub off the axles. I did my own and for the first time ever since I have owned it (about 20 years),mine has right brakes. I replaced the seals as well as the brake springs inside and figured that saved me alot of later hassle.My biggest time consumer was cleaning it up. I have over 40 hours with spray nine and wire brushes as well as sandpaper.

 

[M.Hoffer]

I just finished restoring this early 1939 H this past summer. With a little effort and patience you can find all the parts needed to do a good job . Start with the JDH Pubs manuals and Restoration Guide. They are a wealth of information .
Good Luck M. H.

 

[RandyB(MI)]

What all the others have said...and my .02 is simply this...they are not that rare so don't just take the first "cheap project" that comes along. It's been said many times of tractors and classic cars... get the nicest one you can afford and it will end up being the best deal in the long run. Unless you would rather work on one than enjoy one. Probably depends on your age. Me at 60 , won't buy any more "projects" there's just too many semi-nice ones out there at a bargain (right now anyway)to buy a project. Right now is a good time to buy one if you are going to. Market is real "soft".

 

[Christopher S.]

Most parts are pretty easily found through the various vendors on the internet. Some of the options to consider on the H's were electric start, hydraulics, and p.t.o.

I don't believe H's were available with a wide front, only a High Wide front, so you are limited to just the two wheels closely spaced upfront. I personally prefer the sandcast wheels "kidney bean wheels" They can be swapped for the tin wheel and center on any of the H's.

As far as brakes, ours has new everything as far as brakes and I still am not overly impressed with them. The brake latches are also kind of hard to use, Pat Browning has a picture and narrative on his website of how to modify them to make them easier to use.

Just in case you didn't know H's are pretty slow, road gear is like 5.75mph, and if you step on the governor overide I think you can move along at about 7.5mph. So keep that in mind if you want to parade it.

 

[Kris A NC]

Out of curiosity, how early are you? I have 8783.

Kris A NC

 

[M.Hoffer]

Serial # 4311