A weighty issue
 

Started taking my 1450 parts tractor apart today and wow is that front grill shell heavy. I assume that it's cast iron. I noticed that it is quite rough. Is that as cast or is it just from age? I intend to refinish it and don't want to make it smooth if it was originally rough. I once had a 1250 but never had occasion to remove the grill shell so the weight really surprised me. Now I know why these tractors last so long and why the newer ones probably won't

They are cast rough like that. I've seen a couple people smooth them out and didn't like the look of it at all. Takes the old well built iron look away.from it

Well then you should lift one off a narrow frame. To me they feel more heavy. I've got mine off the 125, tomorrow for the heck of it I'll throw it on the scale.

My son and I just last night removed the grill from a 102. Yes they are very heavy, rough cast, and built to last. The grill is at least half to two thirds as heavy as the engine which we also removed last night.

The early QL had CI lower grills and the later QL went to a alum casting.

I've seen a person smooth out the casting on a Farmall M and I didn't like the look of it at all. I'd say keep it as it is.

When I picked up the grill off my 147 it seemed like it had enough metal to form an entire modern rider/mower. :D Agree on leaving the rough cast look. I did go through mine and clean it up a bit, like removing flash off one of those old plastic model kit parts, but as far as the texture I left it original.

No wonder we love these old tanks so much.

I'll be careful to leave it rough......looks like I'll have to use stripper on it. Yeah, I look at my 2185, built in 94 and it looks like about 1/4 of it is some kind of plastic. Makes me wonder what it will look like when its 40, or if it will even last that long.

I completely forgot about weighing the grill shell, we are getting dumped on with snow, I'll try it tomorrow. Unless I forget again.