I have my grandfathers Farmall 140, serial number 34779. I'm trying to determine if it is worth sinking any money into it to get it back into working condition for a small hobby farm/field maintenance. I know that it needs a new battery ( I believe it needs a 6 volt battery), and new front and rear tires. It has not been started in over 18 years and has been sitting with fuel and other liquids this whole time. any recommendations on if it's worth the investment or looking for a newer tractor would be much appreciated. Thank you!
Farmall 140 Restoration Advice
- Thread starter aesposito
- Start date
Board shortener Tom
Well-known member
I've got a 140 for exactly that reason! We will be using it on a small farm. I'm no expert on these tractors but there is a ton of knowledge in this group to help you. Does the motor turn over by hand? That it the first thing I would check. Even if it doesn't, all is not lost. I'm sure the fluids will all need to be changed and the fuel tank cleaned. I bought mine and replaced all 4 tires and tubes, rebuilt the carb, changed all the fluids, installed a new battery, plugs, wires, cap rotor and coil. Installed electronic ignition and replaced the generator with an alternator. I also installed a fast hitch and picked up a few implements for it.
When I started all of this, I looked into many older tractors and the 140 seemed to be the best for what I was needing. It's a pretty basic tractor, easy to work on and built pretty solid. Parts are not hard to find either.
Just my 2 cents. I'm sure you will get plenty of others offering answers to your questions.
When I started all of this, I looked into many older tractors and the 140 seemed to be the best for what I was needing. It's a pretty basic tractor, easy to work on and built pretty solid. Parts are not hard to find either.
Just my 2 cents. I'm sure you will get plenty of others offering answers to your questions.
staninlowerAL
501 Club
Yup, good advice Tom. It really depends on what the intended tasks are for it to do. It's not a modern tractor some things will be difficult or impossible or impracticable from a cost standpoint, IMO. On the other hand you have a "one of a kind" to you because it belonged to your grandfather. That's worth a lot to some people. I would see if it could be started with a reasonable effort and cost and then make a decision. JMHO Stan
I was a cub only person until there was a 130 for sale cheap rear by and I wanted to get my IH1000 off of a cub. Now I have the 130 and 2x 140s. The higher hp and larger size make it easier to do things. The parts are more expensive than a cub but things like the battery and ignition parts are the same. If is about the same in terms of being easy to work on.
I think it is worth a few hundred to try to get it running.
I think it is worth a few hundred to try to get it running.
Jordan Goodwin
Active member
Personally, if comparing apples to apples (comparing a similar size new 2wd) your 140 is a way better machine than any comparable modern one. Simpler, tons easier to work on, built to last, super-available parts, lots of support. You could even do a complete restoration, and probably still have less in it than a somewhat comparable new tractor. For the kind of work the 140 was designed to do, they are superb.
got a 140 here and its almost useless!!!!!!!!!!!! Reverse gear is 10 mph! ---- the only gear usable is first. second is 10 mph and I have no idea what high gear runs! no 3-point on them, no lpto, no power steering , carb never works,---still fighting mine. and the list goes on. They are a nice enough tractor but depends on what you want it for. Invest in something that has better transmission gearing, 3 pt, power steering, etc. would be my suggestion.
are you sure about the speeds? https://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/004/6/5/4657-farmall-140-transmission.html
Sonny exaggerated the speeds. On mine, reverse is a little faster than reverse is on my old A. Mine has fast hitch, and I love it for plowing and disking the garden, and the farm park our county park system let us put out a few crops there for their fall harvest celebration. Even my Champion horse drawn potato planter modified to single point FH by the previous owner.
She's not pretty, but will give you a full days work on a tank of gas or less, depending on how hard you work it.
getitrunning
Active member
in my area here at the edge of the smokies used tractors have gotten very expensive. I have a couple old super A's, basically the predecessor of the 100, 130 and 140, both of them has sat for about 20 years. I'm chipping away at one of them right now. I had to empty out the old stale gas with a 6.5 liter Vevor fluid extractor and fortunately the carburetor was ok just as it is to get it running. but I have to turn the gas valve off at gas tank to shut it down and keep gas from leaking out of carb. and disconnect the battery after engine quits. the wiring to everything on the panel is all messed up and mouse eaten. I will rebuild carb and redo the wiring after I get the bigger problems straightened out. what it took to get it going was a new battery and cleaned the metal contacts inside the distributor cap and end of rotor contact as well as the points the points with some fine sandpaper. folded in half for the pints and wrapped around the straight blade of a screwdriver for the distributor cap, I ran a new wire from battery to coil and another from coil to distributor next, possibly tomorrow ive got to put new bearings and seals into the pto and belt pulley shafts. when I fill up the trans fluid it just leaks out of the pto shaft seal. I put 2 new rear tires and tubes on it several months back. new 24" tires were $200 each from the local farmers coop.
being if was in your family and has value to you that way it is well worth whatever it costs for parts if your going to put your labor of love into fixing it up.
being if was in your family and has value to you that way it is well worth whatever it costs for parts if your going to put your labor of love into fixing it up.