Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2022 i Tractor & Farming Heritage

The Smallholding & Countryside Festival takes place from May 21-22 this year. The weekend-long event is a celebration of rural life and country living with smallholding pursuits at its heart. With a full packed programme of livestock and equine competitions, displays and activities, there is something for everyone to enjoy. The festival is a showcase of the real diversity of the Welsh countryside and a great day out for young families, countryside dwellers and anyone with an interest in the great outdoors. Whether you’re looking for some inspiration for your garden, to gain insight for a new business venture, or are hoping to improve your skills and knowledge of smallholding life, the festival is the place to be. The Smallholders Centre will be the main port of call for those…

In 1957, Ford proclaimed the Major got a new workmate in the shape of the Fordson Dexta. There was much talk of the new stylish tractor with its latest first-class engineering and modern layout. It was positioned to attack the two-furrow tractor marketplace, filling a gap left by the much more powerful Fordson Major. It was up against stiff competition too, with Massey Ferguson announcing the new MF 65 at much the same time. Investment However, behind the scenes, Ford was gearing up its production of the new Fordson Dexta. A massive investment of resources included tooling up costs for the new tractor of £41 million, and to support the Dagenham plant a £7 million new foundry. It was a gigantic operation concentrating all the latest production methods and machinery…

Orry Mitchell of the Southern Vintage Engine and Tractor Club (SVETC) on the Isle of Man has told us that their main event for 2022 has moved. He says: “The Club’s Vintage Rally is now a two-day event and unfortunately we have had to move the event from the ‘T T Mad Sunday’ because of several members who are T T circuit marshalls and won’t be able to help set up the venue.” The SVETC Vintage Rally takes place from Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 from 10am to 5pm at Belle Abbey Farm, Colby, Isle of Man, IM9 4AB. On the A7 Ballasalla to Port Erin Road. Courtesy of the Walker Family and their tenant. There will be displays of vintage/classic tractors, vintage farm machinery, stationary engines, vintage/classic…

Some well-known friends invited me in early January to inspect something I had forgotten that they had. My family were agricultural, car and commercial body builders at Ledgers, Paddock Wood, Kent, from the late 1880s until 1956, when the three brothers involved retired. Besides making horse-drawn farm wagons and carts in the early days, they went on to make the bodywork for Canterbury’s first motorised fire engine and bodies for Ford Model Ts. Some were used in their taxi and coach business as well. Their lorry bodies were for Leyland, AEC, Albion, International, Bedford and the locally made at Maidstone, Tillings Stevens beside Vulcan. However, they continued to make pneumatic tyred trailers in various sizes as their ‘bread and butter’ stock. The trailer I was looking at is a 30cwt…

The largest crowd to be seen at the Somerset Vintage Tractor Show sale held on Saturday, January 29 at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet staged, of course, by H J Pugh. The stock offered was similar to what goes on at this event over the years and featured some 1300 lots. If you wanted a vintage cider press, there was one here for you to pick up at £720. There were some 17 tractors offered and the first one was the Adrian and Jennifer Pickford, Lymington, Hampshire 1916 International Titan 10-20. A genuine British tractor that ran but needed re-restoring and had been with the current owner for some 18 years and was got away for a good £16,600 to Chris and Kathryn Astell, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Chris is…

HJ Pugh’s started his tractor season off at Oswestry, Shropshire on Saturday, January 22. Here they disposed of a deceased estate collection, which featured International, Allis-Chalmers, Massey Ferguson and Fordson tractors. There were two highlights with the International 10/20 no. KC214482 in running condition, buff logbook (grade 4.4) selling for £4400. The big one was the 1972 Massey Ferguson 135, MEP25K with Flexi cab and power steering plus a genuine 1152 hours on the clock and current V5c. The ex-Newton College tractor in ⅔ condition sold for an excellent £8,500. Other results were: IHC W30 steel wheels no. WB30662 ⅔ £1800, Allis-Chalmers unstyled WF no.1629 4.4 £2700, Allis-Chalmers U HAB831, V5c 2 £1,820, Allis-Chalmers U under restoration 2/4 £1900, IHC W30 steel conversions local tractor 2 £2800, MF 165 with…

The plough is an ancient part of agriculture and probably has its roots in the very origins of farming. Its beginnings were perhaps a simple stick or stone drawn through the soil before more complicated wooden ploughs were used behind oxen to make life easier for the ploughmen. Steel ploughs really allowed the plough to come into its own with stronger wearing parts shaped for maximum efficiency for turning over the soil. Used behind horses, these ploughs made of wood and iron, and then just iron, became universally used behind teams of horses to bury the crop residue, manure, and green cover crops. This helped keep the soil’s fertility at a maximum as well as provide the ideal growing medium for the planting of a following crop. Mechanisation With the…

There are just a few weeks left now before the National Vintage Tractor Road Run 2022 sets off from Llanilid Farm, Llanilid, Pencoed, CF35 5LA on Easter Sunday. The Glamorgan Vintage Tractor Club, hosts for this year’s event, has been busy confirming arrangements and finalising things to ensure that those who come to the National have a good run and an enjoyable stay at Llanilid Farm. They attended the North Somerset Sort Out just after Christmas and had several enquiries and issues from concerned people that had entered for the original run in 2020. There may be one or two anomalies so if you have heard nothing from them about your entry, please contact Anne Hughes on 07890 312136, or email a.e.hughes@ntlworld.com With successful visits to Shepton Mallet in January…

Doubled up Last year’s event at the Yeovil Railway Centre was such a success that the organisers are holding a two-day event this summer, on the weekend of July 30-31. Visitors will be taken by steam train to see the lineup, which includes tractors, Land Rovers and working stationary engines. Camping facilities and Saturday evening entertainment are available for exhibitors. Yeovil Railway Centre is at Yeovil Junction Station, Stoford, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 9UU. Visit www.yeovilrailway.freeservers.com or call John on 01297 32935. Gift cards Buying for the tools and machinery fanatic in your life can be tricky. Trying to work out what they need, or what they’ve already got, can be a real mystery. If you’re stuck for gift ideas this Easter, why not let them choose for themselves with a…

Bob Wardhaugh from the Scottish Borders owns a Model B with an interesting history. His yard near Melrose is full of old tractors and space is at a premium. Resto experience He says: “I’m an agricultural engineer to trade and served my time at the old Rutherfords tractor dealership in nearby Earlston. Rutherford’s had several branches in the Borders, and we used to deal with Nuffields and International tractors. The experience I gained was invaluable and means I can carry out my own restorations. “I started collecting back in the early Nineties. My first tractor was a three-wheel Farmall H, and I’ve been steadily adding to my collection ever since. Apart from restoring my own machines, I also help other enthusiasts in the area.” Ownership Bob’s 1944 Model B (BN…

If you lived in a region where there wasn’t a ready supply of stone suitable for sharpening, then putting an edge on your scythe blade when working out in the fields could be a problem. Portable tool Anvils and grindstones were available at farms and smithies for peening and sharpening. However, scythe blades must be sharpened at regular intervals whilst mowing, so a light, easily portable sharpening tool needed to be available to take out to the fields. For those without access to handheld whetstones, this might have been problematic if it wasn’t for the invention of the strickle. The strickle was a tool used for sharpening scythes and could easily be made from a block of wood. Strickles are something that we might find in a curiosity shop or…

Apprenticeship In late summer 1956, I began an apprenticeship at Massey-Harris-Ferguson Distributors, College Motors at Ashton Gate, Bristol, and the main tractor seller for us was the Ferguson TE-F20 until the gold and grey Ferguson FE 35 arrived. Throughout my apprenticeship and later, I worked on a large number of the TE-F20 tractors and most of my diesel engine skills relate to that venerable engine. Our workshop was involved in converting the CAV injector pump drive coupling to the overrunning type. This was because if the tractor’s engine revs were pulled right down, under load, with the original coupling, the engine could start to run in reverse direction. Because of the engine having a vacuum-operated speed governor, engine speed in this condition could not be governed. In fact, the intake…

You may well ask, “what is a wired edge” and what has it to do with tractors. Back in the day when cars and commercials and indeed tractors were hand-built, all the body panels were formed by hand on an English wheel and fitted individually to the vehicle. Nowadays most panels, if indeed they are made from metal, are formed on huge presses with robots welding them together or bonded with strong glue! The old way to finish the edge of a panel - wings and of course tractor wings - was with a wired edge. Th is not only gave a neat finish to the panel but also imparted more strength to it at the same time. Th is also reduced the weight as a thinner sheet could be…

Over March 24-26, Mecum Auctions are holding their gigantic Spring Classic at East Moline, US over three days, we look at just two of the tractors in the sale here. There are several early tractors in the sale, these include Justin Click’s totally rebuilt 1926 Bryan 20-70hp high pressure condensing steam tractor. There are five complete tractors existing today and were built in Peru, Indiana, where the company, even today, still builds similar style boilers, amazingly. It features a new boiler housing, tubes, burner pan, rebuilt water pump and fuel pump. The two-cylinder engine was totally overhauled, and the correct gauges fitted. All new panels and so much more, including the pipework, were replaced. The tractor burns kerosene, and these tractors were very successful in their way but were too…

March 18 - Auction of Corgi, Matchbox & other Model Toys. Hazle Meadows Auction Centre, Ross Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2LP. H J Pugh & Co, tel: 01531 631122. 18-19 - Auction - Bidding by Telephone, Internet & Commission Bids only. Mathewsons, tel: 01751 474455 wwwmathewsons.co.uk 18-28 - National Online Timed Auction of Machinery, Straw & Forage. Brown & Co. 19 - On Farm Dispersal of Implements & Machinery on behalf of Ewbank Farming. Tarn Hill, Clifton Dykes, Penrith. Harrison & Hetherington, tel: 01228 406200. 19 - Collective Machinery Sale. Spalding, Lincs. Longstaff, tel: 01775 766766. 19 - Dispersal Sale of 5 Tractors, Farm Machinery & General Equipment. Lerwill Farm, Chittlehampton, Umberleigh EX37 9RL. Stags, tel: 01769 572042. 19 - Auction of Classic Cars, Land Rovers, Land Rover Spares &…

ARIAT WORKWEAR COLLECTION For a jacket that is unstoppable against any element, Ariat has just introduced the Rebar Cloud 9 Jacket in its all-new Workwear collection. It boasts an 8oz Ultrasonic welded water-repellent shell and stretch fleece panels. The company says that gone are the days of restrictive, uncomfortable workwear with Ariat’s finest Greater Durastretch elastic fibres woven into the fabric to prevent friction during use. This jacket also features abrasion-resistant panels at the shoulders and elbows, protecting the wearer from abrasive materials and ensuring the jacket maintains a striking aesthetic with prolonged daily use. The zippered hands and chest pockets also offer a practical space to keep valuables safe whilst hard at work, and Greater Arm Mobility (GAM) technology extends in seams in the garment, so shirt cuffs do…

The magazine for the growing smallholder community ▸ Inspiration and information for smallholders of all sizes – from large productive gardens to multi-acre holdings ▸ Regular features on sheep, chickens, pigs, goats and alpacas ▸ Articles on fruit and vegetable growing, land skills and rural craft s ▸ A section dedicated to rearing and caring for poultry SUBSCRIBE NOW! shop.kelsey.co.uk/SH8 Or call 01959 543 747 and quote SH8 *When you pay by direct debit. For full price options, visit the website. Savings are calculated on a full UK subscription rate.…

SETTING THE STANDARD 1948 was a pivotal year for Harry Ferguson, when he introduced the Standard engine for the model TE-20. We visit a fine example in original condition. THE GENERATION GAME Paddy, the Clydesdale horse provided the power when this enthusiast’s father farmed his modest holding in Co. Antrim. He remembers when it all changed with the arrival of the first tractor there. FAITHFUL NUFFIELD AND MORE… This family have a long history of working the land in their peaceful little corner of Wales. Farming and contracting work go back generations in the family, and this line of work still continues today. DELIVERED FREE TO YOUR DOOR You can order a single issue, post free, and get it delivered directly to your door post-free! Also, you only pay the…

This Massey Ferguson 65 belonging to Chris Price arrived at my workshop looking extremely sorry for itself. Bought brand new by the family in 1964-65 meant that this tractor had been a big part of their working and family life. In fact, Chris could clearly remember sitting on the tractor and having his photo taken as a young boy. Sorry sight Tractors always look worse with no tinwork fitted, so as this 65 turned up with just the rusty skid unit with four wheels fitted, it indeed looked worse than it was. The tractor started and ran well, but there was obviously a problem with the starter motor as it clicked. After some fiddling with the wires and connections, it managed to start the engine. The Perkins 4-203 engine that…

The industrial revolution had been fundamental to Britain’s prosperity and place in the world; the ability to utilise raw materials such as iron and steel, cotton, timber, and coal and just about everything in between was beyond comprehension. By 1900, Great Britain had become one of the most influential nations on earth. Free trade Whilst finished goods exited our ports, more raw materials arrived to be transported inland, and this exchange was largely tariff-free (or by free trade agreement). Between 1900 and 1914, agriculture limped along in a perilous state, and many people moved from rural villages to towns and cities for betterpaid jobs. At the turn of the century, most farmers were tenant farmers renting from large estates, but post-war many of these estates were becoming impoverished by higher…