Generator vs alternator

when key is turned on lamp should light
when tractor is started the lamp will go out (my have to rev up engine some)

this is commonly know as an idiot light to some.

or the make a single wire alt. just put the bat.
wire on bat. terminal

steve

Often times at night with a light or two added over and above factory specs, and it will go to discharge even at full throttle. There is a reason why all those old tractors had place to carry the hand crank. It was part of the evolution. I don't even carry the hand crank on my tractors anymore. As I told a chap just yesterday, I thought you had to pay $100,000. for an unreliable tractor. At least that is the take I got couple years back. One of those 350 hp Deere's spent 48 hours parked with 48' cultivator spread.

I have three alternator tractors, a 6 volt Super A and 12 volt 130 and 140, and the SA and 130 have 15 years on them now with alternator, starting in Canadian winters. Not only was my SA the cheapest change over, it has been the most trouble free. bear in mind my tractors have been pretty much work tractors with much improve lighting for night operation. This added and brighter lights is where the generator falls down, just doesn't turn out enough amps to maintain the system.

Back in 1992 I decided to change my 130 to 12 volt as I had a metering attachment on vegetable seeding equipment with a 12 volt motor. I decided I'd keep the generator as a spare for the SA that I would keep 100% original. Within two weeks both generators went kaput. I landed at an auto electric shop, told him I have a new 6 volt battery and this has to be quick as I need this tractor fast. He replied, "Quick with that old generator will be two weeks as I don't have the parts, quick with a 6 volt alternator will be 5 minutes, as all I have to do is change the internal regulator in a Delco, same price as if it were 12 volt. About 45 min fabricating mounting and I had an operating tractor.

As I said that was 1992, basically these tractors have been trouble free electrically ever since. Those old generators cause far more problems than we ever believe. For me gone is that bananna box full of old regulators, caps, points, coils, etc., etc. I go once per year to CaseIH to pick up a supply of oil filters, points, condencers, rotors, caps, etc. Often times this happens when I'm out anyhow, thus I check my inventory from memory. Yesterday, I needed a sediment bowl screen and gasket, decided to go through my inventory. I have 7 sets of points-condencers, 5 rotors, 2 distributor caps, 5 screens and gaskets for bowl, numerous fuses, 6 oil filters, and a host of other items. My point being, electrical is the most predominant surplus item, and that clearly goes back to the generator days and buying these items tooooo often.

Cost is the single biggest factor in favour of the alternator, one can buy a new alternator off the shelf for $45., used at an auto recyclers for $15. and you could very easily sink a $150. rebuilding that old generator, and I'm betting it wouldn't be as reliable as the $15. used alternator.

Thanks.

Mark

Replies and responses and clarifications duly noted.

Now, if I can get the new greenhouse moved and set up before it gets truly, permanently blasted cold, then I can turn my attention to trying to get the JD M's electrical to actually be depndable!

Thanks again.

Mark

The type of alternator I used was the one with small plug on the side. I purchased a pigtail plugin for that, hooked one of those wires to main alternator terminal. The other initially I used just to scratch on housing of alternator to excite the alternator. Eventlually I ran that wire back to dash, installed a push button switch, hooked wire to one side and grounded other side. After I start the tractor I just give that button a push to excite the alternator. The push button is very important, as you cant afford to forget and leave that on. It will back feed on battery when tractor is not running. All it needs is a quick push on button to excite the alternator. I find this works well, one tends to watch the amp gauge as he pushes the button. I have this on all my tractors, it's simple, it's trouble free, initially my tractors go to heavy charge then drop back quite quickly. It's been 15 years, I'll have to go to tractor and get back to you on which of those wires go to main alternator terminal and which to button.

The biggest single advantage I've found, battery is always fully charged, better for the starter and all other components. I have O gauge battery cables on the SA and I got 13 years out of that new 6 volt battery that was in the tractor when I made the change. Once per year I take the cables off and clean all the terminals. I had never come close to that kind of battery life ever, I always thought 6-8 years was damn good.

I once got 8 years out of a set of 12 volt batteries in a 404 Deere. I thought that was good considering the Deere probably started 300 days of the year, Canadian winters included. I've always done annual cleaning of all my tractors battery cables, and if a cable is looking bad, I'll heave it and go with new. If I loose a battery before it's 5 years old, I consider I over looked something, or made a mistake.

I did the first ones on the advice of the guy that sold me the 6 volt alternator. What I'm seeing this afternoon, all 3 tractors is battery hooked to main alternator terminal. Terminal 2 is hooked into the main alternator terminal and terminal 1 is going to my push buttom switch. What I can't see without removing the battery and can't remember is where is the other side of that push button switch hooked. I remember once comparing this with Bob M's diagrams and it differs little. Can't remember for certain, however I think my push button basically replaces his small lamp. If we can't resolve this I'll remove SA battery in the morning, start following a few wires. I really like my 6 volt alternator, it even has an edge on my 12 volt systems.

Then it hit me, pull the plug from number 1 and 2 terminal, put a test light in number 1, the one going to the push button at the dash. I pushed the button, and sure enough, the test light came on. So, yes you are right, my push button is giving a charge from battery to number 1 terminal. Further to that, back the first day I installed this alternator, not having the push button switch on hand, I merely swiped the bare end of wire from terminal 1 across main terminal of alternator, coming from battery.

When it came to a switch for this, a neighbor told me he used a toggle switch, but ocasionally drained his battery forgetting to turn the switch off at the end of the day. Since I knew it only required the initial contact, I decided, why not a push button, one can't forget. What I like about the push button, alternators don't charge high amperage very long from starter use, if tractor starts quickly. I find myself looking at the amp gauge as I push the button, and if I didn't look within 10 seconds the amp gauge wouldn't tell me a lot. I could install a volt meter, but why, I've been getting along great with what I have. I do have a volt meter with aligator clips, and that serves me well as I can clip it onto any one of my 6 vehicles, anytime.

You are right, thankyou very much for bringing this up. When I installed these alternators 15 years ago, computers had not yet arrived at our house, thus there was no YT or diagrams of guys like Bob M. Never in my wildest dream did I think I'd ever be giving advice on how I did this. It was for my use only back in those days.

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