Looking for ignition switch recommendation

[MiCarl]

I have a 1944 Farmall H with battery ignition. I converted it to 12V. Since it's on loan to an educational farm it needed a proper keyed ignition switch so there wasn't any danger of someone leaving the ignition on if it stalled or some passer by walking off with it.

I used this switch that I bought from Rural King, but the same switch is sold in a lot of stores under a lot of brands.

The switch quit working after less than a year. I replaced it with the same switch that only lasted about six weeks. On disassembly I see that the contacts are steel with what appears to be a very thin coating of copper. The copper quickly wears through, the steel corrodes and the connection fails.

I need a quality switch that will survive outdoors. It needs to have an ignition terminal and a start terminal. Ideally it would also have an accessory position and terminal.

Any recommendations?

[SamsFarm]

Look into a company called Cole Hersee

[Bob McCarty]

Did you check with Brillman's?

[Gary Dotson]

The switch that you are having issues with, look very similar to the flee market switch that I have several of. I haven’t had problems with them but my equipment is parked inside. You might check with you NAPA store, see if they have an offering in the Echlin line. As Sam mentioned, Cole Hearse is also a good quality line.

[MiCarl]

The switch that you are having issues with, look very similar to the flee market switch that I have several of. I haven’t had problems with them but my equipment is parked inside. You might check with you NAPA store, see if they have an offering in the Echlin line. As Sam mentioned, Cole Hearse is also a good quality line.

Dorman makes one that is almost identical. Under $9 on Amazon as a Prime Day deal so I pulled the trigger. Hopefully the internal components are better quality as that's the only problem with the Rural King switch.

[SamsFarm]

I am just guessing, but betting Dorman is chinese garbage.

Probably made in the same factory as the rural king!

Pollak is another brand that made them for the OEMs

Hope you have better luck with your dorman.

[MiCarl]

I am just guessing, but betting Dorman is chinese garbage.

Probably made in the same factory as the rural king!

Maybe. Instead of the case having 3 tabs crimped over the plastic electrical body the Dorman case is rolled over the full circumference which to me looks like a little better quality. The only thing that would need to be different is if the contacts were solid copper or had thicker plating on them.

Anyhow, at $9 I don't have a lot to lose.

It's the battery (+) contact which is always hot that is corroding. The switch that's currently in the tractor I disassembled, removed the (+) contact, cleaned it up and refaced it with braze. It'll be interesting to see if it holds up. The Dorman will be a spare.

[MiCarl]

The Dorman switch came in. It is made in China. BUT the studs aren't magnetic and I can shave slices off them with a pocket knife so I think the contacts are solid copper. I'm optimistic about it.

[dlazyh]

You've probably already replaced the switch but I thought I'd throw in my experience. My 350 had a broken on/off key switch that i had to stick a small screw driver into the slot and also a push button start button that wore out and I replaced a couple of times in the last few years. So, I decided it was time to install a keyed switch. With a little bit of head scratching and wiring redo's, I now have a decent start system. $14 is what it cost me from a local auto parts store, and the switch has ACC, OFF, ON START positions.