The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Help required from the wealth of knowledge on this fantastic site again please.
I have been told that my 58 Dexta should be fitted with a seperate ignition switch and light switch and also the wiring diagram also shows these as seperate. I was told that the early Dextas were fitted with a combined switch but were changed to the seperate ones due to problems with water ingress.
Which style should be fitted as original?? Is it still possible to get Lucas replacement switches or good quality replacements?? My tractor had a bodge of wiring on it so I have a replacement loom and most of the switches etc were missing so trying to get it back to what it would have been like when it left the factory.

Your Dexta should have a combined light and ignition switch, it is the same switch as used on the Power and Super Majors until the end of production and there is the problem. Only the Super Dexta had two separate switches originally.

Most of the aftermarket switches come from one source in Ireland which uses letters as a company name but the "C" is missing from the word "rap" in their name.

I have bought switches from Old Twenty, Sparex and others to find them all the same, I bought a £40.00 so called metal one from Old Twenty thinking I had bought a top class switch but it came in the same bag as all the others and lasted two weeks.

The units fail very quickly as the key switch falls apart, will not switch on or seizes, on a diesel that is not too bad but on a petrol you need the switch to keep running or stop the engine, very embarrassing when it happens on your way up the ramps when loading.

I now check the manufacturer when I see a switch advertised but am still looking. I am coming around to the idea that I may have to go to the two switch set up on Dotty.

Brian,

Many thanks for the information. I purchased a combined switch which is a metal one a while ago when I purchased my heater button and horn switch so it will be interesting to see how long it lasts.
Have you had any success regarding any further information on my tractor being a prototype??

I converted my standard dexta to super. Bought an original super D light switch on ebay and fitted a separate Honeywell key 'ignition' switch on the RHS as per super. Works great, no electrical probs after 5yrs.