Do Hand Cranks exist for the TO30?

Took a length of 5/8" rod (originals were 11/16" , so I was close), added the studs on the end, used the torch to heat up the rod and bend it into the right shape.

5/8" steel rod from the hardware store, 3'long. Drill a 1/4" hole crosswise about 5/8" from the end. Insert a 1" piece of 1/4" rod into the cross-hole, and choose your favorite method to secure it. I tack-welded it in place with my welding torch.

Now you've got a a rod with the two pins on one end. 1/4" is a good size to engage into the crank nut teeth (you could probably use a chunk from a long 1/4" bolt too). I ground away the pins on the back-side, that is, the side that should slide out against the nut once the engine fires. This probably isn't necessary, but I see the later cranks were machined this way, so...

Fit this rod into the front of the tractor. You might need to trim the pin just a bit to fit through everything. I have one of the old front bumpers that's curved down to clear the crank hole. It's got a trailer ball in the front of that, so I heated the rod and bent it down at a point that would clear the bumper. Heat again about 8" down and bend back up for the handle.

The entire job took about an hour. The 3' length was long enough, though I could trim off an inch or two at the end. Now I'll wire wheel it, prime and paint. Still looking for a place to store it on the tractor....

You could put the starting handle vertically through this bracket, and then rest the 'drop' to the handle across the top of the gearbox, where there is a convenient channel between the bolts and the split. This then left the handle pointing vertically up just under the front of the seat.

If interested I can send you a drawing so you can fabricate a copy. It's a typically neat Ferguson solution.

Is there anywhere in the manuals which speaks about the hand crank?

Phil F

Well, my dad told me he could make a hand crank that would make our tractor start. I was skeptical, but sure enough, he made one, and it worked fine. I took a pic of it for you. This link will take you to my PictureTrail album, and the crank pic I added is at the bottom. If you need any details about specs, let me know.
Link

Ken

Joe