Looking at a WD45, have questions

The WD45 is one of the best tractors AC ever made.  The only week spot might be the transmission jumping out of gear if it was abused.  After buying it, I would do the following things to ensure trouble free operation:  change all the oils, flush the rad and fill with new coolant, clean the entire fuel system (carb, tank and strainer), check out the starter, generator and wiring for proper operation and potential issues and do an ignition tune up - plugs, wires, cap, rotor, points.  Might not hurt to do a compression test first though.

I do have some questions about how you plan to use the tractor:  Is your post pounder operated by hydraulic hoses?  If so, the 45 is not the best tractor since it has a low volume hydraulic pump (1.5 gpm).  You would need a newer tractor (d17 series IV) to get the higher volume hydraulics. 
I would also like to know how you break down stone walls between fields.  You have to remember that tractors are not bulldozers and should not be used as such!
When used properly, a WD45 will do pretty much everything you want without costing a lot of money.  Parts are easy to come by and they are easy to fix as well.

already having the 3-point conversion is a plus as it will allow the tractor to be connected to more modern equipment and the wide front end is also good. At one time dad's only tractor for a 200 acre farm was the WD45. it has good power and is sized to do most tasks. Good luck and show us some pictures if you buy her. Also be sure to get both an operators and a service manual for it.

Also the hydraulic system is a high pressure system. If memory serves me right they put out about 1000 lbs more psi than everything else did back then. Someone else that knows for sure please post back if this is wrong.

The pto on the wd and wd45 is independent of the rear axle. You can run it while sitting still. With the hand clutch, if you are moving and get into thick stuff, the pto can continue running full speed while you creep along.

Rpm of the pto is 540.

One very common problem with the WD/WD-45 that no one has mentioned is the (curved on WD-45) gear shift lever. They tend to wear with age and the lower end will come out of the rails in the transmission. The shift lever will flop around and the transmission can't be shifted until you get the shifter back in the rails.

It's quite easy to get the shifter back in the rails by sliding the shifter boot up, removing the seal and snap ring and lifting the shift lever out. Align the shift rails, which shifts the transmission into neutral (make sure the tractor won't roll), and replace the shift lever.

To permanently repair it there are a few options:

1. You can buy oversize aftermarket pins (that go in the shift tower and hold the shift lever).

2.Buy an aftermarket shift lever.

3.Build the shift lever up with weld and machine it down to original size.

Edited by WF owner - 26 May 2016 at 2:10pm

cs641 wrote: It appears the tractor found a new home before I could ever see it in person. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for the d14/15 or d17 tractor.

Please consider a D19.  It has the power to push heavy snow around along with knocking down a stone wall, and can handle much much more than a D17.  In upstate NY where we get lake affect snow, the D19 can go where the D17 can only dream of.