MCCORMICK-DEERING 10-20

[sidpost]

1: What can you tell me about owning and running one of these tractors?
2: What should one expect to pay for one on rubber?
3: Do they run on anything other than Kerosene?

TIA,
Sid

This post was edited by sidpost on 03/12/2023 at 12:20 pm.

 

[Red Dave]

I have only limited experience with a 10-20, but I'll try to help as much as I can.

Q1/ I've never owned one, but I have run a few. They are heavy and clumsy and do not have power steering, they are started with a hand crank so it pays to have the ignition system and carburetor in good shape. Easiest to operate where you have some room to maneuver (see above re: power steering), make a wonderful sound when they are running good and under load, like pulling a plow.

Q2/ I haven't seen one sold in some years, so I don't know what the current market for them is. If it has good rubber that's a good thing, if you need to buy rubber it is expensive.

Q3/ Some ran on Kerosene or Distillate back in the day. Nobody I know runs them on kerosene or distillate anymore. All I have ever run have been on gasoline. Kero was fine if you were going to work them all day, but until you get the engine good and warm, you want gas. You don't want to stall one with a carburetor full of kerosene.

There is sometimes a poster on here called Moll, he is very knowledgeable on those older tractors.
Sorry I can't help more.

 

[rustred]

and if you need more info i have a nice one on factory rubber 1938. been around them all my life. my brother is selling his.

 

[sidpost]

(quoted from post at 13:51:04 03/12/23) I have only limited experience with a 10-20, but I'll try to help as much as I can.

Thanks! This post is helpful to me.

(quoted from post at 13:51:04 03/12/23) Q1/ I've never owned one, but I have run a few. They are heavy and clumsy and do not have power steering, they are started with a hand crank so it pays to have the ignition system and carburetor in good shape. Easiest to operate where you have some room to maneuver (see above re: power steering), make a wonderful sound when they are running good and under load, like pulling a plow.

Yes, hand crank and manual steering. I don't have much hand crank experience but, I'm familiar with manual steering the drawbacks. In a tractor in this weight class, manual steering shouldn't be too bad unless you are in tight confines. I really love the Rumely and old John Deere 2-cylinder sounds and grew up on a JD 730LP. I need a "parade" tractor that is lighter weight and a bit more unique. I really like the older Deering models and still look for a W-4 too but, stumbled upon this one to scratch the pre-WWII itch. Plus, in Texas these are pretty rare tractors so, a bit better for me than something like a JD GP.

(quoted from post at 13:51:04 03/12/23) Q2/ I haven't seen one sold in some years, so I don't know what the current market for them is. If it has good rubber that's a good thing, if you need to buy rubber it is expensive.

Yes, tractor tires these days are really expensive! For parade duty, finding one on rubber is important to me. Plus steel is hard on my trailer flooring.

(quoted from post at 13:51:04 03/12/23) Q3/ Some ran on Kerosene or Distillate back in the day. Nobody I know runs them on kerosene or distillate anymore. All I have ever run have been on gasoline. Kero was fine if you were going to work them all day, but until you get the engine good and warm, you want gas. You don't want to stall one with a carburetor full of kerosene.

Hmm, gasoline will wash the cylinder walls down won't it? It also runs hotter so, burned to the valves and piston tops would be a concern. I guess this is balanced some by not using it to pull a plow.

This is helpful to me, especially since you have actually run one! Thanks again!

This post was edited by sidpost on 03/12/2023 at 03:43 pm.

 

[sidpost]

(quoted from post at 14:01:23 03/12/23) and if you need more info i have a nice one on factory rubber 1938. been around them all my life. my brother is selling his.

Looks like you are in Canada. If I wasn't in Texas, it might be worth it to see your brothers tractor.

For whatever reason, when I look at past sales and auctions, it seems like most of these and similar tractors like the W-4's are in Canada.

 

[rustred]

you have nothing to worry about them running on gas as most did pulling a load. running around the yard and parades the tractor hardly gets
warmed up.. no thermostat's either in these old ones. its all thermosyphon, hot water rises, goes through the rad and cools and falls to the
bottom and back into the engine. no water pump either. your not going to hurt them big heavy pistons. but valve guides will definity be a
problem as they are oiled manually and most everyone i have seen are worn right out. head work and parts is my biggest concern on these old
units. i got my first 10-20 tractor 50 years ago when i started collecting. guess u better by mine ,.. its factory rubber and still has one
original firestone tire on the rear from new. its in very good condition. was starting with one pull on the crank.

 

[sidpost]

PM's seem to be disabled for some reason.

Shoot me an email to my username at Gee male, please. Interested in your tractor.

 

[55 50 Ron]

I have many hours of running one on gasoline and it was a good unit. That was in North Dakota. It was used for plowing, press wheel grain drill, field cultivator, swather, dump style hay rake and have forgotten some uses. It has 3 forward speeds with 3rd being about 6 MPH. I have worked summerfallow with it pulling an 8 ft field cultivator in 3rd gear and the dirt flies. This was about 1953.

 

[sidpost]

So, with modern pump gas containing ethanol, the motor is fine and will pull a load without damage to valves, valve guides, etc.? Along with the different heat contents and flame profiles too?

I guess I'm being overly cautious and a neverous "Nellie" worring about motor damage with modern gasoline and a motor designed for Kerosene or Distillates?

 

[used red MN]

No one has mentioned that running gasoline is of a
minimal concern due to the very low compression of
these machines. The engine does not produce nearly
the maximum power it could with a higher compression
so with gasoline the cylinders combustion does not
create neatly the heat it could. And as far as ..washing
down the cylinder walls.. kerosene or distillate would
wash down the cylinders far worse than gasoline, but
they are fuels that have a higher lubricity than
gasoline. That is why they have level check cocks on
the oil pan. After a day of running distillate the oil level
would raise due to unburnt fuel would wash past the
rings and raise the oil level. At the end of the day then
oil would be drained down to the next lower level cock.
Then new oil would be added to maintain proper
lubricity of the oil for the recommended change
interval.

 

[sidpost]

So, Kerosene, Distillate, or Gasoline will wash the cylinders down due to low compression and won't overheat the pistons or head. And, you drain the oil down to the lower petcock and refill with some added oil to keep lubrication in the right range of what is needed to keep the motor healthy.

[b:21bf783940]Really helpful info! Thanks![/b:21bf783940]

 

[sidpost]

Any chance we can meet up at the next Western Minnesota Threshermen Show over Labor day at Rollag, MN?

Life member now and looking forward to some Volunteer action this year! Last year was awesome but, finding anyone outside of the Rumely and Prairie Steamer area was tough and out in the static displays I seemed to be the only one walking around.

 

[used red MN]

Actually, gasoline will have little to no wash down
because it is much more volatile and if the mixture and
timing is close enough it burns up almost completely.
No liquid to go anywhere. Probably will not be in
Rollag, have never been there. Not saying I do not want
to go sometime.

 

[rustred]

That sounds just like a post i typed out years ago.

 

[sidpost]

(quoted from post at 22:13:51 03/12/23) Actually, gasoline will have little to no wash down
because it is much more volatile and if the mixture and
timing is close enough it burns up almost completely.
No liquid to go anywhere. Probably will not be in
Rollag, have never been there. Not saying I do not want
to go sometime.

That is really encouraging for me and suggests pump gas is a good choice for this tractor and engine. I tend to think of Diesel and Kersosene being better generally for lubrication but, as noted they aren't as volatile so less likely to combust completely in a lower compression engine.

 

[sidpost]

(quoted from post at 22:13:51 03/12/23) Probably will not be in
Rollag, have never been there. Not saying I do not want
to go sometime.

For anyone up near the Canadian border in "fly over country", the Western Minnesota Thresherman Show around Labor Day in Rollag, MN is a real treat if you enjoy older tractors, horse drawn equipment, stationary equipment or, steam power! The train they run around the facility and construction equipment is nice too!

The "Spark Show" was a real treat last year too! Those steam shovels really put a lot of fireworks displays to shame!

 

[sidpost]

(quoted from post at 18:43:21 03/12/23) ...
your not going to hurt them big heavy pistons. but valve guides will definity be a problem as they are oiled manually and most everyone i have seen are worn right out. head work and parts is my biggest concern on these old
units...

When you say the valve guide are manually oiled, how is this done and how often? Is it a pre-start only process or something you do while running? Or is it just an oil pick-up in the motor that carries oil up to the valves?

In terms of repair after improper lubrication, is this something you can fix like automotive heads that need new valve seats due to use with E85 or Propane fuel?

 

[Fritz Maurer]

To oil the rocker arms there are two oiler caps that
you lift up and squirt oil into with an oil can. Under
the oil cups on the inside is a trough positioned over
the rockers with a strip of felt or filter media to
absorb the oil. The absorbent material keeps the
rockers moist by capillary action. Through long
periods of inactivity the oil would drain off and the
media would dry out. In normal every day usage the
crankcase vapor coming up around the push rods
kept the media damp, so oiling every week or so
was enough.

 

[sidpost]

Awesome! That is super helpful.

 

[rustred]

that is an old 1920's engine. if the plugs are firing and pistons going up and down u have nothing to worry about. dont even think
about modern situations here. things were built to last years back. them 10-20's and 15-30's opened up this country pulling one bottom
breaking plows. they were one top of the line tough old tractor.