Innehållsförteckning för Spring 2021 från Tractor & Machinery

I write this following the Prime Minister’s announcement regarding the easing of lockdown restrictions, and I have to say that what he told the population was music to the ears! It may be the case that we will be into summer before we can get back to some sort of normality and that many of this year’s events will still be postponed or cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but that light at the end of the tunnel is becoming increasingly larger. Following this pleasing news, it is sad that I have to acknowledge the passing of one of the stalwarts of the preservation scene – Robert E Crawford. To many he was simply ‘Mr Field-Marshall’, but his command of all things agricultural was astounding and he will be sorely…

Father Christmas & his David Brown Dear T&M, With 2020 being so different to other years, a project came to mind. When little Wilfred, my great-nephew aged two-and-ahalf, came to see his Uncle Ivor in the summer months he was only allowed to play outside in the garden, but before he went home he always had to have a sit in the cab of my restored David Brown 990. When the second lockdown started, two months before Christmas, and with me being on furlough, my wife, Linda, came up with the idea of making Wilfred a wooden tractor to play in. With some useful boards, that came in a skip load of firewood, big, plastic drainpipes for wheels and a green sheet for the top of the cab, to make…

In just 83 years the pea harvesting process has progressed from a rather strange-looking wooden box structure, located in canning factories the length and breadth of the eastern side of the country, to state-of-the-art, mobile pieces of equipment that do pretty much the same job, but much more efficiently, and actually in the same field as the crop is grown. The demand for garden peas on our plate – each of us consumes 6,000 peas a year on average – has driven the development of a quicker, more efficient and more cost-effective means of harvesting the garden pea crop. This is the story of that journey, and also that of a man that has had connections with the pea-harvesting industry for most of his life. Martin Dickinson was a 17-year…

PICK OF THE CROP STUCK IN THE MUD With sunshine like that, you’ll be out in no time! Dear Junior, I hope you like my tractor. It is stuck in the mud, but the sun is shining on it so I hope it will be able to drive out soon! Ioan Kirkman (aged 5) I LOVE TRACTORS It’s a pleasure to include your drawing. Dear Junior, I love tractors and I love to look at your magazine. I have sent the picture I have drawn for you and hope it can be in the magazine. Thank you. Alfie (aged 6), Co. Wexford SHOW OF F YOUR SKILLS Send your drawings to: ‘Junior’, Kelsey Publishing Ltd., The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL or, if you’re a whizz-kid…

I purchased my Ford 3600, in Cornwall, 10 years ago – primarily to run a firewood processor and occasionally top some fields. It was well maintained and serviced regularly, always starting easily and running all day without missing a beat. Out of the blue (no pun intended), whilst topping a field, a tinny clanking sound began emanating from the engine and at first I thought the fan had begun knocking against the cowling. Then I noticed that the oil pressure light was tentatively lighting up, which is when I started to realise things were probably a lot more serious! Without warning, the engine suddenly stopped, so I went for my lunch and let her cool down. I was about half a mile from my workshop. On my return, after an…

This job has certainly dragged on a bit! The original intention was to replace the worn lower link mounting pins, but it turned into something of much greater magnitude when a broken casting was discovered! A replacement casting from a scrap industrial Massey Ferguson was obtained before Christmas and given a good clean up in preparation for fitting to the tractor. The axle housings were removed, along with the studs from the broken casting and the hydraulic pump and PTO shaft, leaving the bare casting to be removed and the replacement fitted. This is as far as the job progressed before the weather turned to perpetual rain and temperatures just above freezing point – not conditions in which I want to work, so the job has been on hold. A…

The executors of J M Hall called in Northallerton Mart to conduct a sale at Burdon Grange Farm, Darlington, Co. Durham, on Friday 15 January. This was really the first classic sale of the year and would have originally been held in person but, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was solely an online auction. It was an eclectic mix of working classic tractors and very much for Massey Ferguson and International Harvester fans. The stock was in relatively good condition, with hours that were not that high on some tractors. If more people had known about the sale we are sure that the prices achieved for the lots would have been higher. The Case IH stock impressed, with two 1056XLs selling for £11,400 and £10,800 respectively, which was particularly…

The prices are based on tractors sold at sales, on the Internet, privately and in some overseas markets too. Naturally, prices change as time progresses and it’s not always an upward trend, but you will get a good indication of what’s going on with the current market by referring to our guide. Here are a few pointers on buying a tractor to help you. If you are looking for a tractor to buy for restoration, or work, there’s a vast choice. However, if you are looking for something specific, do weigh up your options first, particularly if you have a limited budget. If it’s a popular model, then it’s not always to your advantage to go for the first one you see. Whatever is wrong with the tractor, make sure…

The UK’s largest telehandler hirer is expanding its fleet further – by placing an order for £26 million-worth of JCB Loadall models. Ardent Hire Solutions is adding 525 new JCB Loadall telescopic handlers to its fleet as the UK construction hire equipment market rebounds strongly from the Covid-19 pandemic. The order spans the compact 525-60 to the 540-200 models, which have reaches of between six and 20 metres. The machines – supplied by dealer Watling JCB – have already started rolling off the production line at JCB’s World HQ in Rocester, Staffordshire, along with 25 3CX backhoe loaders, which are also part of the massive deal. If follows a deal in 2019 from Ardent for £75 million worth of JCB machines. JCB Group Managing Director for Global Major Accounts Steve…

Stephen Lennon from Loughbrickland, Co. Down, is the owner of a shortwheelbase County 1184 TW tractor. He has always had a keen interest in tractors (especially County and Ford) and he took on the task of fully restoring this tractor six years ago. Mechanically, it is in first-class order and to Stephens’ credit it has been restored to a very high standard. Stephen carried out the restoration work in his spare time, in the evenings and at weekends, as he was working in the building trade at this time. He has enjoyed taking it to many road runs and working days in the past six years. He also owns a two-wheel drive Ford 7710 Force II that he restored along with a New Holland 717 precision-chop forage harvester that he…

Firstly, thanks to those of you that have been sending in your thoughts on this series. It has achieved what we set out to do, which is generate a talking point – so we have definitely met our goal! We aim to be as objective as possible and do not let personal preferences cloud our judgement, despite owning some of the tractors that we write about. The head-to-head between the IH B-414 and MF 35X proved particularly controversial, with some of you suggesting that we were too harsh on the Bradford-built tractor! Please continue to comment on this series, as your thoughts are appreciated. You can e-mail the editor at tm.ed@kelsey.co.uk The two tractors we’ve chosen this time were both prime movers in their heyday – big tractors for large-acreage…

I bought my Fordson Dexta, registration number OPV 287, in 2003. The last shown owner, from Little Blakenham in Suffolk, was registered in 1984 and it had passed through other hands since. Recently, somewhat belatedly, I decided to try to contact that registered owner and find out any previous history, as the DVLA (due to data protection) will no longer give out this sort of information. This, however, is where it gets interesting. Enquiries in that area This is my Ferguson TE-20, fitted with a Perkins engine P3. It had been sitting outside for around 13 years. Amazingly, upon checking the serial number it’s TE190 – built August 1946 – one of the first made! It’s now currently running and looking a lot better, with an engine rebuild planned. Niall…

DIFFICULTY RATING During the winter months my old Nuffield has been dozing ready for its next task, writes Andrew Hall. Having several tractors in similar circumstances, I have a routine of recharging their batteries on a regular basis using my Cetek intelligent battery charger. It certainly works, as I can’t remember when I last needed to replace any tractor batteries. After giving the Nuffield a session on the charger I decided to give it a run up, to warm it through. I commenced cranking it and it began with it turning over well until, suddenly, the starter ground to a halt – with no life from it at all! The Lucas M45G starter motor is a robust, reliable unit and was fitted to many of our popular tractors during production.…

Following on from ‘Last word’ in the March issue, I’d like to clarify the state of play regarding post-Brexit movement of vehicles. I have had conversations with Cheffins, Bonhams and Berrybrook Steam & Classic, for which I thank them, and given their thoughts on various post-Brexit matters I can offer some clarification. Q If bringing a vehicle into the UK from the EU for display purposes, or for private entry in a rally or road run (particularly GDSF, Tractor World, Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show), will you be expected to pay VAT to enter the UK? A If a vehicle is brought in by the owner, then no import tax is due if it is for private use and not for sale etc. If not brought in by the…

Saturday 24 April will see Cheffins hold what is normally the largest vintage collective of the year in the UK. Lots are being consigned and more than 2,000 entries are expected before registration closes. They will include veteran, vintage and classic tractors, parts, literature and ephemera, stationary engines, models, fullsize and miniature steam engines, commercial vehicles and parts. Two of the stand-out entries for this sale include a four-wheel drive, Perkinspowered Fordson E27N and an MF with just under 1,000 hours on the clock. A good selection of Roadless and County machines will feature, including a low-hour, exairport County 1174. We’ll have more on this sale in the next issue.…

Auctioneers Hassell Brothers are keen classic tractor users on their farm and use an MF 35, Ford 3000, 4000, 4600, 5610, 6610 Super-Q and 7810 regularly. In January the company started a monthly online auction on the second Wednesday of the month where there is no entry fee and it’s a ‘no sale, no fee’ policy. Commission is 1.5 per cent, Dan Hassle explained. The January sale saw 113 lots entered with a 72 per cent clearance rate and 459 potential bidders registering. This created plenty of bidding activity for the lots offered. Bidders came from Cornwall, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Ayrshire and, closer to home; Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Flintshire, making it a sale with national appeal. Lot 40, a Ferguson sprayer, was a lovely barn find and sold with…

Tell us about yourself… I was a farmer in the Cumnock area of Ayrshire until about 1990. I always looked after my tractors and machinery myself, doing welding, joinery work, building sheds and the like. That was until I had to move to another farm about 10 miles away, because of development. I spent about 15 years after, mostly full-time, as a joiner/house renovator. After retiring from that, I got into vintage tractors. Maybe it was a blast from the past, but I had to do something! I got hooked on the tractors and the restoration job and then into the Ayrshire Vintage Tractor & Machinery Club where, in early 2007, I took over editing and publishing the club’s newsletter. I never found out how long the job was supposed…

West Grassland Services, run by Willie West, is based in northwest Dumfries and provides a grassland management and hay-making service in the area aimed predominantly at the equestrian market, but also caters for smaller farms between Annan, in the east of the county, and Castle Douglas in the west. Willie had a desire to get into the agricultural industry from a young age and having left school at 16 he worked on a local farm to gain experience and pass his tractor-driving test. “This achieved, I moved on to work with a local contractor who specialised in round baling and wrapping,” Willie explained. “I worked there through the 1990s before moving on to work for a larger-scale contractor, in 2001, that ran multiple silage teams and combines, as well as…

When production of the bulk of Massey Ferguson’s 100 Series came to an end and the 500 Series took over, in 1976, the popularity of the 135 remained and it was clear that there was still a market for tractors without the bells and whistles of a fully integrated ‘Q’ cab. The ‘5’ and ‘8’ line tractors had built up an enviable reputation and although a flexible-clad safety cab was clearly no longer an option for the British market, given the new legislation surrounding noise levels at the driver’s ear, there was still clearly a market for a ‘basic’ range of tractors overseas. Despite larger implements and a need for more power in the UK, a desire for smaller tractors was still very much prevalent, and so the first of…

Renowned restorer David Aylward has, as always, plenty of projects to keep him occupied and amongst the various ongoing restorations for customers is the oldest known Nuffield tractor in the world: an M4 with the serial number NT 502. I paid him a visit last year, when Covid-19 restrictions allowed. “I would not be taking on this tractor if I hadn’t had 50-plus years of experience working on these tractors, as this is the worst one I have ever come across!” he told me. “If it wasn’t for the fact that this tractor is the oldest known of the breed, I am sure it would have been scrapped long ago.” As many of you will know, after some ‘spirited’ bidding, Pam and Graham Towndrow, of The Nuffield and Leyland Tractor…

Tim Day farms along the Medway valley in Kent, and his enterprises include arable, hops and sheep. Regular readers may recall his farm-built tractor (T&M September 2015) that was produced from scratch using parts from many other machines, and has evolved over the last 50 years or so into an efficient machine, ready to give any modern mass-produced tractors a run for their money! It transpires that Tim’s tractor is not the only thing that he has built for use on his land, as I discovered that he has a novel way of handling small, conventional bales, when I visited the farm last summer. I met Tim’s tractor driver, Steve Stapely, in the field on one of the hottest days of 2020 to see how bale handling is undertaken on…

Massey Ferguson’s Multi-Power system, despite being introduced almost 60 years ago, remains one of the most recognisable features of any classic tractor today – setting the pulses of enthusiasts racing and providing a source of amusement for fans of rival marques! This ‘new concept in tractor transmission design’ first appeared in 1962 when Massey Ferguson’s British-built tractor models numbered just two, but it would soon become an option on many of the tractors available throughout the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. The Ferguson 35 improved upon the TE-20 with its all-new six-speed transmission, and the inclusion of Multi-Power effectively did this all over again by taking the six-speed gearbox of the MF 35 tractor and doubling it to 12 speeds, by splitting each of the six gears again. Massey Ferguson…

David Brown Cropmaster Q Back in the autumn I purchased a TVO-powered David Brown Cropmaster, with the idea that we’ll renovate it in the spring when the weather improves. It is in running order, and until the winter weather stopped us we were having some fun with it. As a precaution I drained the coolant, as I am aware that David Brown cylinder blocks are particularly vulnerable to frost damage. My questions to you are: do you think it is better to drain the cooling system when the tractor isn’t in use, or would it be better to use anti-freeze and keep it in all year round? Secondly, what type of antifreeze should I use – the traditional blue ethylene glycol anti-freeze or the more modern, pink OAT type? G…

Aumann Auctions staged another C H Wendel sale that concluded on 29 December 2020. As T&M hit the shelves there was yet another Aumann Auctions C H Wendel literature sale due to conclude. Wendel was the USA’s leading writer on vintage and veteran tractors and stationary engines from the ’70s until the early 2000s. His Crestline Series of books was the backbone of American agricultural machinery history and his individual marque books on IHC, Oliver, Allis-Chalmers et al, Nebraska Tests since 1920 book and his Encyclopaedia of American Farm Tractors were all standard works for their time. Based in the Amana Colonies, Iowa, ‘C H’ was an engineer and worked in the Oliver washing machine factory at one time, which is perhaps why he had great affection for the marque.…

The first Euro Auctions sale of the year at the company’s Leeds site, on 27-29 January, saw around 65 tractors go under the hammer in an auction dominated by plant items and online bidding, due to the continuing Covid-19 restrictions. Although there were some pretty new tractors on offer, most of the machines had been relatively well used during their lives, but still looked to be ready for further work. To add a bit of variety to proceedings, as is often the case, there were some vintage and classic machines to be bought too. There was no doubt as to which tractor was getting the most attention among the classic tractors and that was a grade 2/3 1976 County 1174 that featured a front-mounted blade and rear-mounted winch. It was…

LIFE’S A BEACH We take a trip along the Norfolk coast to see some of the classics that are battling the elements to bring in the daily catch. PATINA, NOT PAINT Keeping an original modern classic at its best requires hours of dedication, but is there more to it than meets the eye? We investigate. BUYING A 533 IHGB turned to the Continent to fill a gap in its line-up, choosing the 45hp 533 as the model to appeal to those looking for something small. What’s it like? APRIL 2021 issue on sale Friday 9 April PLUS Junior, Lost treasure, Machinery milestones, Model corner, News, Tractor Mart, Workshop & more……