Best way to store a tractor?

[JohnV2000]

If anyone has been sort of following my search for an antique tractor, I will give an update. I am going to test drive the tractor next week and hopefully, if all goes well, I will have the tractor at my house by the end of January.

Anyway, when I do get my tractor home, I have a question about how to store it. It is a Farmall H, and it will not fit in my garage (not that my parents would let me park it there anyways), and I do not have a barn or shed.

My question is, how should I store it? Should I just put a big tarp over it, or would a little makeshift canopy system be better?

Thanks,

John

 

[Philip d]

Anything to keep it out of the elements will be better than left
outside in the open. Keep in mind if it?s nicely painted a tarp
will scratch the daylights out of it.

 

[Dave BN]

Be sure to put a soup can or some such over the exhaust to keep water
out.

 

[fixerupper]

A roof of any kind is better than sitting in the open. Four or six poles with a leak free roof Is all you need. I sometimes think parking a tractor under an open sided roof is better than storing inside a cold closed metal building.

 

[JohnV2000]

Thanks everyone! I think I will put up a couple poles and a tarp and park the tractor under it.

 

[grandpa Love]

Find a friend that's moving to
Idaho, he will give you all kinds
of free materials!! Lol.
<img
src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto9758.jpg">

 

[casecollectorsc]

Buy a rain cap that fits the muffler. That way you don't have to remember to put the soup can on it. You have to keep the rain out.

 

[rustred]

as said the most important thing is to keep the exhaust pipe covered when not in use. rain cap or can. I am in a habit as soon as I shut down the tractor the can goes on, even if I will be using it next day. every pipe is covered on all tractors even on the ones in the shed. storage... like how long? if its for a year or so good idea to remove spark plugs and squirt some oil in the cyl's. its extra insurance. as for sitting outside well many of these 60-70 year old tractors have never seen a building. plus throw some covering on the tires as constant direct sun is hard on tires.

 

[chucksoliver77]

John, After you park the tractor turn gas off at the sediment bowl and let the tractor run until it shuts itself off and the turn off the ignition switch. Check and make sure the antifreeze is good. I would also but some Stable in the gas tank. You should bring the battery inside If it gets real cold where you live.

 

[Steve A W]

JohnV2000 said " (not that my parents would let me park it there anyways),"

I've still got a 1966 Jeep in my dad's garage.
He uses it for shelving.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Without a cover it will be difficult to keep water out of anywhere it doesn't belong. It can find it's way into the most unimaginable places.

If you can come up with some type of shed, a carport, any way to get a roof over it is the best. Sometimes a kit type carport will come up on Craigs List. They are easy to disassemble, move, and modify to take the extra height.

There have been many engines ruined from trusting a rain cap or can to keep water out of the stack. It can track down the side of the muffler through a seam, down around the threads into the manifold, pool beside the manifold and seep into the head ports...

Not just the engine, but the transmission/differential housings can get water inside. It gets in around the shifter, any other place it can find. It's just better to protect the entire tractor from rain and sun if at all possible.

Tarps are only good for temporary storage. They can not be trusted not to tear or blow off. They are also excellent rodent incubators!

 

[SDE]

A Farmall H was donated to our rifle club. It sat out during the winter. By spring the was engine was locked solid. It was sold as scrap. The sun had melted the snow that was on the muffler, and the water ran down and into the the manifold.

 

[SDE]

A Farmall H was donated to our rifle club. It sat out during the winter. By spring the engine was locked solid. It was sold as scrap. The sun had melted the snow that was on the muffler, and the water ran down and into the the manifold.

 

[sms]

They make fogging oils you can spray in the carb to help keep internals
from rusting. Google for other brands and instructions if needed.
fogging oil

 

[OliverGuy]

Ever seen those 10x20? canopies for $200. Some really aren?t all that
bad. Just put yellow straps over the top to hold it down. Park on some
2x?s and strap it to those

 

[2510Paul]

Lots of good comments below but I need to add a few.
How long are you going to store it and do you want to access
it during storage?
What is the surface you are going to park it on? There needs
to be a vapor barrier on the dirt and maybe even concrete.
Otherwise moisture will come up and condense on the tractor,
everywhere, inside and out. My brother Ruined a Chevy
Blazer this way in a short time.
If you don?t have a roof for now put plastic over and then a
tarp. Secure well.
Put a heat lamp under the tarp to minimize condensation.
Put moth balls on the tractor in a few spots to keep the mice
out.
Leave the bottom foot or so open on the sides except by the
tires. You want that space to breath, again to fight moisture
and condensation. If done right the heat lamp will help a lot.
I have done this with several of my tractors and it worked well.
I also filled the fuel tank and put a battery minder on the
battery. When springcame they started right up and looked
good. Good Luck. Paul

 

[37chief]

The only thing that gets a covered shed around here is my 54 Chevy flat bed. Every thing from my 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee down sets outside. Not the way I want it , but that's how it is. I cover my tractors with a tarp. It's raining now, in a couple days things will be dried out. California weather. Stan

 

[D beatty]

I store mine in this 40X60 building. Tractors that set for long time are pickled and other get run or turned over every three weeks.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

John,
I think you might be getting the cart in front of the horse.
Get a place to park tractor out of the elements and get a
trailer to transport tractor before you buy one.

A shipping container might be large enough to park tractor
inside.

If you don't have a use for a tractor, you may want to think
again. Just collecting tractors and letting them sit around
isn't a good idea. They will rust out faster than they will
wear out. Look inside the gas tank of many old tractor and
you'll see what I'm talking, rust. Cylinder walls, carbs,
starters, generators will rust too.

 

[JohnV2000]

When I say store, I mean a place to park for a day or two at a time in between uses.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

You're better off leaving the tractor in the open than wasting money on a cheap plastic tarp, blue, green, silver, or brown. They just don't hold up. Wind whipping tears the grommets out in short order, and if the tarp is folded over any kind of edge, it wears right through.

Four poles and a tarp stretched between them... If your weather is good enough that such a structure wouldn't get torn to shreds in less than a week, the weather is good enough to leave the tractor sit out, at least for now. Just cover the muffler with a soup can and use a bungee cord to strap it down so it doesn't blow off.

Around here, four poles and a tarp would either get shredded from the wind, or collapse from rain collecting in the sag, or collapse from the weight of snow.

Harbor Freight has a 10x17 portable garage kit for under $200. If your weather is not too severe and you can hide it somewhere sheltered, like behind your parents' garage, and set it up correctly it will be much better than any tarp. But you can't let snow build up on it.

 

[ss55]

If it will be stored outside, I would find a spot close enough to a 120 volt outlet to power a battery charger and an air compressor. If possible, find a spot that does not fill with wind blown snow. A wind and weather proof can or bucket over the exhaust will be a necessity. Some people put a five gallon bucket over the gear shift to reduce the amount of water getting into the transmission. Some ignitions are sensitive to moisture, a plastic bag over the distributor or magneto can help. A wet seat pan is not pleasant, flip the seat up to reduce that. A tarp over the seat, steering wheel and platform would be my choice in winter, even better if it can cover the rear tires to protect them from the sun.

An operators manual will have a lot of great information for any first time owner. The guys on the YT IH forum may be able to help you with more specific recommendations for an H. An H should start in almost any Pennsylvania weather, but if it has been converted from 6 volts to 12 volts you will be able to easily jump start it from another vehicle and also swap batteries with another vehicle (new battery for mom's car, old battery for H).

If you won't need it in winter, I would not be in a big hurry to buy one yet.

 

[dr sportster]

You can get a few years out of one of those temp shelters from Northern Tool. Keep sap off the surface.

 

[showcrop]

Your H was built to be able to sit out in the weather. A few things that I will advise not to do is to lay a poly tarp over it. Even if it is secured it will still move and wear through your paint. Don't think that a roof or tarp will protect it from getting wet. When your air is cold and a warm front comes through you will have moisture all over it inside and out, even if it is indoors unless you have a dehumidifier running. A friend could not believe how bad his little Massey rusted in just two months under a clear tarp. Do not start it unless you are going to bring it up to temperature for 20 minutes. Water is a product of combustion.