Window Air Conditioner Saved Cost Of Repair

Window Air Conditioner Saved Cost Of Repair TRACTORS Cabs 30-3-20 When the factory air conditioner on his 1979 White 120 tractor became too expensive to maintain, Robert Bastin of Golden City, Mo., decided to replace it with a new Sears window air conditioner. "The compressor on the factory air conditioner kept failing and cost about $800 each time to replace. In the original design, one belt operated the tractor's fan and alternator and another belt operated the compressor. As a result whenever the compressor failed, it caused a significant decrease in tractor horsepower. The belt had to be removed in order to regain power, which left me with two choices - go without air conditioning, or spend a lot of money to replace the compressor," says Bastin. He paid $79 for a Sears 5,000 btu air conditioner and mounted it inside a metal frame that bolts to the tractor fender. The original glass window on one side of the cab was removed and replaced with plexiglass. A 1-in. wide metal frame installed all the way around the hole in the plexiglass holds the air conditioner securely in place. Foam weather stripping was added around the frame to seal the unit. A heavy duty inverter is used to operate the air conditioner off the tractor battery. The inverter bolts to the side of the cab, just below the air conditioner. The tractor's 72-amp alternator wasn't strong enough to power the air conditioner and keep the battery charged, so Bastin had a local shop "bump up" the alternator to 100 amps. "I've used it for three years and have replaced the air conditioner unit once, at a cost of $79. That's a lot less than the $800 per year I had been spending to replace the compressor every year," says Bastin. "I came up with the idea because my dad has allergies and can't stand a lot of heat at his age. During hot weather the cab, with its small windows open, would sometimes reach a temperature of 110 to 120 degrees. I spent $90 to beef up the alternator. My total cost was only $294." Bastin says he can plug other electric tools into the inverter. For example, he uses a small air compressor to blow up tires right in the field. He also uses the compressor to blow debris off the radiator screen to keep the tractor running cool. "I've even hooked up a black and white TV to the inverter, along with a DVD player. Makes the time go faster when I'm baling hay." It's important to use a heavy duty inverter in order to handle the startup of the air conditioner, says Bastin. "When the air conditioner kicks off, you don't want too many amps running or the tractor's light bulbs could burn out. I could have replaced the existing alternator with a new, heavier duty one, but it's not easy to find a heavy duty alternator that will work with an older tractor and have the same hookups," he notes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Robert Bastin, 931 S.E. 100 Lane, Golden City, Mo. 64748 (ph 417 537-8336).

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