Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2025 i Tractor & Machinery

Euro Auctions will be hosting an offsite disposal sale at the headquarters of Buckingham Plant Hire, next to Silverstone Circuit, on February 27th. This one-day event will see the sale of an exceptional inventory including 72 heavy Volvo and Caterpillar machines. Renowned for operating one of the smartest fleets in the plant hire industry, Buckingham Plant Hire offers a catalogue of late-model machines with impeccable service records. Euro Auctions’ David Betts said: “We’re excited to announce this single-source dispersal sale, which marks the company’s shift from its traditional focus on heavy plant equipment, to concentrate on its lighter side and sustainable EV fleet through the ACE Plant brand. We anticipate substantial interest in the impressive range of machines being offered.” Full details of the machines being sold are available from…

January 9th, 2005 Most of the County machines featured in this sale were in original, unrestored, ‘off-farm’ condition, and came from a collection based at Witharen, in the north-west of The Netherlands. The only restored machine at this Troostnijk Auction-managed sale was a County SDL50, complete with County long Swamp Tracks. It was said to be a 1959 model but, as it was based on a Fordson Super Major, I’d say it was more likely made in 1962. It went on to sell for £5,861. In fact, most of the dates quoted were dubious. For instance, a County Super-6 was claimed to date from 1970, but I put it at a year earlier than that. It wasn’t a runner, was missing its exhaust but the skid unit had been painted.…

As spring approaches it’s great to see the winter-sown crops beginning to wake up from their cold weather slumber. But it’s also often apparent that a lot of the arable fields you see out in the countryside aren’t always in the best of health, with water sitting on top, especially if the winter has been a wet one. Of course, given the vagaries of the British weather, this is a relatively common situation although, as far as I can gauge, it seems to be getting worse with every passing year. I might be old fashioned, but I can’t help thinking that a lot of the flooding issues could have been avoided if modern agriculture hadn’t relied so much on a minimal-plough approach; using a plough more often – as had…

BRADLEY’S CHARITY ROAD RUN, 15TH DECEMBER, 2024 This event attracted about 120 tractors of all ages, plus other interesting vehicles, all of which assembled at the South of England Showground, Ardingly, in Sussex. It was the fifth running of Bradley Woodward’s fund-raiser, this time in aid of St Peter & James Hospice and Kangaroos Learning Disability Charity. After a breakfast roll, the runners headed off through Ardingly, Lindfield, Haywards Heath and Cuckfield, with good crowds attracted to the spectacle in each place. “This is what it’s all about, bringing people together and raising money for charity,” Bradley said. Everyone was safely back to the showground by 2pm, where the organiser thanked participants, helpers, those who donated and spectators alike. Photography: Colin Anton, Allan Bedford and Gordon Carson Hastings Christmas Lights…

Following on from last month’s introduction to this new project, and my initial investigations into the overall condition of this 1969 model, now it’s time to start delving a little deeper. Having drained the fuel the next job was to remove the empty tank to provide better access to the top of the diesel engine. It’s secured by a couple of bolts at the rear, and a pair of spring-loaded nuts at the front, so was straightforward to free off and lift clear. I was surprised by how clean the top of the engine was; typically they’re plastered with oil from a leaking rocker cover, but not in this case. To begin the engine strip-down I removed the three fuel injectors. Their unions had to be undone first, followed by…

DECEMBER 7TH, 2024 The final vintage sale of the year for HJ Pugh provided a fitting end to the season and, beginning with the implements, an original Ferguson crane sold for £3,000, a Ferguson S-LE-20 low-volume sprayer raised £3,800, a Ferguson dump skip R-JE20 made £2,500, then an MF Duple cab door changed hands for a good £550. The highlights of John Farnworth’s literature collection included 55 MF American tillage brochures that sold for £320, 22 brochures on cane harvesting and planting machinery made £300 and £420 was paid for 70 MF brochures on seed drills and planters. In addition, 49 plough brochures fetched £460, 118 MF 200 Series tractor brochures raised £350, £700 was paid for 65 MF 500 Series brochures and the 14 MF articulated tractor brochures made…

FEBRUARY 22ND-23RD, 2025 With Tractor World just a couple of weeks away as this issue hits the shops, the excitement among tractor enthusiasts is palpable! The show, taking place at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, on February 22nd-23rd, is all set to be a record-breaker. The venue is now officially full in terms of tractors being exhibited and club displays, so the event is sure to provide an amazing spectacle. This show always presents a varied and fascinating selection of trade stands, and this year will be no exception. So, if you’re after tools, garage equipment, tyres, workwear, other clothing, books, gifts or toys, you’ll find it all at Tractor World, with many vendors offering unique and unmissable price deals for show visitors. Saturday’s HJ Pugh-managed auction is sure…

WINTER SAFETY Witham Group, a leading UK manufacturer of lubricants, paints and workplace essentials, is urging drivers to prioritise vehicle cleanliness this winter to ensure safe and efficient travel. “Cleanliness is crucial for both driver safety and vehicle performance, especially during the winter months,” says Nigel Bottom, MD of Witham Group. “Accumulated grime can obstruct visibility, while salt and grit can damage paintwork and affect vehicle handling.” Winter driving data confirms that more severe road accidents happen in winter and, on average over the past five years, there’s been a 25% increase in motoring-related insurance claims in November, compared with April. Common winter mistakes to avoid include using hot water for de-icing (glass cracking risk) and failing to clear ice or snow from screens before the journey starts (driving with…

ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS The UK’s hydrogen industry has been given a transformative boost with the formation of HyKit, a joint venture that will produce agile infrastructure to move, store and utilise green hydrogen. The venture has been formed by JCB, investment company HYCAP and green pioneer HydraB Group, to manufacture key products for the clean economy. Starting this year from a state-of-the-art unit in Oxfordshire, HyKit will build a suite of products to assist hydrogen distribution, including mobile compressors, storage solutions and refuelling systems. Developed in tandem with JCB’s hydrogen engineering division, the products will provide vital infrastructure for operators of hydrogen-fuelled machinery and vehicles in the construction, agricultural and transportation sectors.…

While we cover plenty of tractor restoration stories in this magazine, few of them feature machines that are as ‘young’ as this 1987 John Deere 4350. For many owners, tractors of this vintage are still working machines and, as such, haven’t yet fallen into the ‘cherished vehicle’ cohort. There are always exceptions, of course; cases where enthusiastic owners sit a little ahead of the curve in terms of the tractor they choose to cherish and nurture. Chris and Oliver Collingham are a perfect case in point, as the machine they’ve just about finished renovating doesn’t sit obviously among the usual crop of classic restoration favourites. But, then again, this probably isn’t surprising as they didn’t buy their JD 4350 with restoration in mind. It arrived on the family farm 10…

Send your drawings to: ‘Whizz Kids!’, Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL Or, scan and then email them to: tm.ed@kelsey.co.uk Summer’s day on the farm This is a picture of my favourite Ford tractor working with a square baler. Annabelle Stoneley (7), Sheffield Out in the field This is my drawing of a tractor and a barn. Lucia Kane (7), via email My dream tractor This is my drawing of a Ford TW-35. I would really like one of these tractors when I’m older. Blaize O’Sullivan (8), Waterville, Eire Love the lorries! I love the magazine and the lorries advertised in the back. Here are some I’ve drawn for you to see. Johnny Hanafin (7), via email ‘Pick of the crop’ wins a tractor!*…

North Wales used to be a mining heartland, and was also an area that played an important part in the industrial revolution. Coal, iron, lead and zinc were major industries in the area, and tractors played their part, too. Brian Owen has lived near Wrexham all his life, and has been involved in the family haulage business since he left school. “My father started the family firm in 1955, when I was four-years old,” he explained to me. “He’d been a bus driver for a local company but, after being made redundant for health reasons, he decided to start his own business. I was the eldest of five sons, and joined the firm as soon as I left school.” DRIVING BUSINESS Brian soon found himself working across Cheshire, Shropshire and…

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“It was growing up next to a farm that first got me interested in tractors. I also had relations with a farm in Kent, and some of my earliest memories are of being plonked on the seat of that farm’s old Fordson E27N as a toddler, and I suppose the die was cast from that moment onwards. “When I was a young teenager, a friend had a Fordson Standard that he used to take to local shows. It always had starting problems and I used to help him fix it. Then, when I was 15, I decided I needed a tractor of my own and, fortunately, there were still two on the family farm. One was the E27N I used to sit in – by then languishing in the remains…

MAY 24TH, 2025 With this year marking the 80th anniversary of the influential Fordson E27N, the organisers of the one-day Heathfield Show, which will be taking place on May 24th at Tottingworth Farm, Broad Oak, just outside Heathfield, in East Sussex, are planning a special display to celebrate the landmark. Sean Tompsett will be arranging the display, and he’s hoping it’ll feature a full range of E27N variants – everything from standard models and Perkins-engined machines to petrol/paraffin-powered versions and unusual half-tracks like the one illustrated above. For all the latest information about the Heathfield Show, and to take advantage of the ‘early bird’ ticket offer, visit: heathfieldshow.org…

NEW PRODUCT NEWS “The new Claydon NutriSeeder has been designed to allow farmers to establish cover crops quickly, accurately, reliably and economically,” says David Furber, Claydon sales manager UK and RoI. “It’s been proven on the Claydon family’s own arable farm and will be a popular addition to the company’s range given the increasing take-up of Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) schemes and cover crops.” Claydon will offer two versions of the NutriSeeder for its 7.5m Straw Harrow, a single, 200-litre hopper with a single metering mechanism, or twin-hopper design with dual metering systems. The latter, which allows two types of seed to be applied at the same time and mixed in the distribution head, provides higher seed capacity, more accurate metering and avoids seed separation in the hopper. Both NutriSeeder…

I was delighted to join a group of like-minded tractor enthusiasts on November 23rd to visit Maple Lodge Farm near Lusk, in County Dublin, to view the Michael Hoey collection. This, in my opinion, is one of the finest private tractor and machinery collections that exists today, so getting to view it first hand was a real treat. Admission was by ticket only, and these were released to the public on a first come, first served basis. This two-day event has become so popular that all the allocated tickets were snapped-up by enthusiasts within an hour of being made available online. Due to the high demand, ticket restrictions were implemented in 2022 to meet Health & Safety requirements, and this arrangement allows the event to be managed in an organised…

Enthusiasts collect rare and interesting tractors for all manner of reasons. Mostly, though, their passions are driven by a fascination with a particular make, a family connection to a specific model or nostalgic memories from happy, childhood days. But sometimes an interest can be fired by a random, ‘out of the blue’ action that stirs the emotions, and that’s exactly the sort of thing that piqued Mark Hellier’s interest. Mark runs Kent-based used agricultural and construction machinery specialist, Mark Hellier Tractors Ltd (tel: 07836 723944). He’s done so for the past 35 years and, in that time, has grown the company into one of the UK’s largest, independent tractor dealers. Today the business is proud to provide a premium service to buyers across the globe, with tractors being sent for…

One of the most important aspects of our demonstration of the FC1004 at Watts Blake & Bearne in Devon, was to highlight its ability to turn tightly within the confines of the clay quarry’s D Shed. This was actually achieved, albeit the driver was left unnervingly close to the drop over the opposite bunker, once the vehicle was positioned to dump the load. However, the FC1004’s impressive success in that demonstration prompted WBB to replace its existing fleet of County 1004s with – eventually – 20 of the forward control version, and that started in May 1974. For these, the Goose 10-ton dumpers were retained but, in the transition to the 1174 side cab FCs, the company switched to TBF Thompson dumpers, from Northern Ireland, and fitted each of the…

Send your questions to tm.ed@kelsey.co.uk (Pictures are only for illustration, unless indicated otherwise, and are not the tractors being written about) Clutch difficulties MF 135 PTO ENGAGEMENT ISSUES Q I’ve been experiencing some difficulties when operating my Massey Ferguson 135 recently. The problem I have is that the Power Take Off (PTO) won’t engage when I attempt to do so, and just grinds. There’s plenty of pedal free play and I can engage it with the engine turned off, but I’m afraid to run it like this, as I may not be able to disengage the PTO in an emergency. What’s likely to be wrong to give these symptoms? Any advice would be most welcome. Arthur Smith, via email. A You say that you have plenty of pedal free play, and this…

NOVEMBER 27TH, 2024 There was a good variety of classic Ford and Massey Ferguson tractors in the catalogue for the final Euro Actions sale of 2024, which took place at the company’s Leeds HQ. Starting things off was the most expensive Ford in the sale, a 1996 Ford 6635DT fitted with an Allied 594 loader and showing 7,860 hours on the clock. The grade 3 machine quickly sold for £11,250. In price terms, nothing else came close. A bid of £4,500 secured a grade 3 1984 Ford 8210 4WD with just 4,874 hours, while a clean, 1970 Ford 5000 with 8,671 hours, a front loader with bucket and a decent cab made the same money. Next came a Ford 6610 that looked good, ran well and sold for just £4,250,…