Hooking up an hourmeter on a tractor

[waterinthefuel]

Ok please don't yell at me that this isn't about a boat. I don't have anywhere else to go, no other forum that I'm a member of has an electrical section. It would be the same on a boat as a tractor anyway, I think. If the mods feel this should be in the "non boating technical topics" then feel free to move it. Anyway....

I have this old tractor someone gave me. It's probably got 2-3k hours on it, but I don't care. I want to keep track of the hours from here on out. The tractor never had an hour meter on it. I'll be installing the new meter in a hole that is now occupied by a no-longer-used amp meter. Here is my question. The hour meter I ordered only has 2 prongs sticking out, positive and negative. It's for anything from 8 to 80 volts, so it should be fine for a 12v tractor. The problem is, this tractor doesn't have an ignition start switch. The guy who had it before me took off the old key switch and put an ignition toggle on-off switch and a push button for start. I don't know how to wire up an hour meter so it works right. I'd prefer it only when the engine is running, but that isn't mandatory. If its only when the ignition switch is on that's fine too. I just don't understand what is going on when I flip the ignition switch to "on." Is there 12 volts going through that switch? Isn't it energizing the coil and to do so it must be 12 volts, right? I'm so confused! I never owned a tractor before.

Please someone help me, a certified airplane mechanic and I am LOST!!!

 

[John_S]

Re: Hooking up an hourmeter on a tractor

Here is a good tractor site: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/

Do you have an oil pressure switch? If that closes when pressure is sufficient, and it has enough current carring capacity to drive your hour meter. Otherwise, the toggle switch, which can be misleading when you inadvertantly leave it on.

 

[sasto]

Re: Hooking up an hourmeter on a tractor

If you want to hook it up to the on/off switch the supply wire would come from the jumper of that switch to your momentary start button. Like John says though, If you leave the on/off switch on while engine not running you will accumulate hours.

 

[mla2ofus]

Re: Hooking up an hourmeter on a tractor

The first thing you need to find out is if the on-off switch has 12 v to it or if it is only grounding the mag to kill the engine. If the latter, you could install a double pole double throw toggle switch wired so that when the mag grounding circuit is open the hour meter circuit is closed.
Mike

 

[sasto]

Re: Hooking up an hourmeter on a tractor

Just guessing....2 to 3k hrs...diesel?

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Hooking up an hourmeter on a tractor

Thanks for the help guys, this is the info I needed.

And no, it's not a diesel, it's a little 16hp industrial Briggs. It's a 1974 model Speedex 1631 that the guy bought brand new in 1975. He guessed that it had about 2000 hours at least, as they used it all the time. It runs like a champ. I'll post a video on youtube of it after I finish it.

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Hooking up an hourmeter on a tractor

Are the wires there for the ammeter? If so you should be able to use one of those and ground the other side.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Hooking up an hourmeter on a tractor

It may be more of a problem than that, depending on the type of ignition on the B&S and whether it has an alternator....and whether that is working.
If it is just a magneto ignition you will have an issue pulling off power.

Really, this is probably not the appropriate forum for something this specific and not really boat-related.

My experience has been that there is almost always a dedicated forum for something like this, and for giggles I googled "Speedex tractor"...
Guess what...

=> http://speedextractorinformation.org/

And they have your owners and parts manuals if you don't.

You may get the answer you need in here....but I would bet the farm that you'll get it in there....and probably from someone who has actually done it real-time themselves.

** and I did not mean by "not the appropriate forum" that you shouldn't have tried in here ~ I have long since stopped being surprised by the expertise in here, just that you will probably have better luck on the Speedex enthusiasts site. Good luck.