Innehållsförteckning för December 2022 från Tractor & Machinery

Ransomes Sims & Jefferies Ltd. (RSJ) is synonymous with ploughs, particularly conventional models, but it produced a range of different implements to suit various tasks over the years, including disc harrows. One of the first mounted models was the HR 20 – a disc harrow designed for tractors like the Fordson E27N and Nuffield Universal models – with a working width of 6ft 6in and weighing in at 8cwt. This model featured a guide disc in the centre of the harrow to counteract side draft forces acting on the tractor. This type of machine would later give way to the FR range, which included the HR 31 variants – of which the implement featured here is an example of. Five mounted models were joined in the FR disc harrow range…

The Mackey family has been farming at Killealy since Andrew’s great-grandfather bought a 52-acre holding at the beginning of the 20th century, with early enterprises including a dairy herd, pigs, sheep, poultry, and cereals. In 1942, Andrew’s grandfather, William Mackey, bought a green Fordson N with narrow mudguards through the War Ag, which controlled the drive to increase the nation’s agricultural output. This was the farm’s sole tractor until the arrival of a 1959, four-cylinder Massey Ferguson 35, fitted with a loader. The farm expanded and soon the dairy herd grew to 32 cows milked in the byre by an Alfa Laval milking plant with three bucket units. William Mackey also shared a Nuffield Universal Four with a local lime-spreading contractor, adding more power to the tractor line-up. On 1…

In the last issue we featured the first of seven new, 1:32 releases from Britains and this time we bring you the remaining three. First up is a Massey Ferguson 6290 playset. The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that the cultivator is based on the Glencoe-White version that Britains produced many years ago, complete with folding ‘wings’. It’s a robust combination, but if there is one element we don’t like, it’s the tractor’s white wheels. We expect the set to retail around the £35 mark. Next is something a little more old skool. The Valtra Valmet 8950 is an updated version of the model that Britains produced some years back and it comes complete with removeable cab. It’s a fans’ choice, limited edition model and you can expect to…

LIFE OUTSIDE THE FARM Our next instalment of Kim Parks’ nostalgic look back at farming life during the 1970s sees him visit his neighbours, ploughing matches, and rallies in the early 1970s. PLOUGHING PROWESS James Connolly heads to Seaforde, Co. Down, to marvel at the sight of County tractors doing what they do best – turning the fields brown with big ploughs! Note: Planned features in T&M may be subject to alteration, due to circumstances beyond our control. PLUS Junior, Machinery milestones, Model corner, News, Readers’ gallery, Tractor Mart, Workshop & more… Find the perfect gift for a tractor lover this Christmas. Visit: shop.kelsey.co.uk/christmas-gift-ideas…

It has been hectic since the end of the summer when it comes to the sales scene. More so than usual, in fact, with several farmers retiring and giving up tenancies in addition to other auctions that have been occurring. All of the major auction companies have been kept very busy and prices have been above average in places, particularly for relatively modern machinery. Nearly all these sales have featured one or two older machines along the way, and Cheffins hit the jackpot at the Golder Manor Farm sale in Oxfordshire, on Tuesday 27 September, when a lovely, original 1992 JD 4755 sold for £40,000 +VAT. Despite this, prices have certainly softened for the more common vintage lines by the looks of things, but we should have further indications of…

PART F-I 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,…

I was delighted to meet Thomas Harnden and his distinctive 1967 Dutra four-wheel drive tractor, at the Three Counties Showground, earlier this year. I was even more intrigued to learn that Thomas uses his Dutra every day for tree surgery and woodland contracting, nearby in the Malvern Hills. “I've had the Dutra D4K-B for just over two years,” explained Thomas. “I first started doing tree surgery and woodland contracting with a Land Rover, after training as a tree surgeon about seven years ago. My first tractor was a Fordson Diesel Major, which I bought four years ago, and I used it for running a woodchipper and hauling a three-ton trailer. “The Fordson Major was the first tractor I have ever driven; I had no experience with tractors and using them.…

One of the highlights of the 2022 Tractors & Trains event, at Yeovil Railway Centre, was a 1960 Massey Ferguson 35 owned by Sam Jarvis from Yeovil. It has an interesting history and is particularly special as it marks this young man’s first foray into tractor restoration. “I became interested in tractors through the collection of Ivor and Barry James and family, from West Dorset,” Sam explained. “The James family are regular exhibitors at Somerset rallies, like Abbey Hill and Yesterday’s Farming, often providing the tractor parade commentary. Their Fordson Major and Massey Ferguson 100 Series examples are noted as an inspiration to others, especially as they try and have a new restoration at the start of each season. “My other source of encouragement was my granddad, as he has…

The David Brown story began in 1936, when the company teamed up with Harry Ferguson to build the Ferguson-Brown tractor. This machine soon gained popularity because of its revolutionary three-point linkage. Although the collaboration between the two parties would end up being short lived, it spurred David Brown into making tractors to its own design. Production was put on hold during WW2, but by the late 1940s tractors like the Cropmaster were making a name for themselves. In 1955, David Brown bought out implement manufacturer Harrison McGregor and Guest Ltd., while the factory at Meltham concentrated on tractor production. Exports boomed over the next few years, attracting the attention of American giant Tenneco Inc. Tenneco eventually acquired the company in 1972 and decided to merge it with another famous name…

By the time the Fordson E27N was introduced, in March of 1945, the Ford Motor Company had already experienced the advantages of the Ferguson System in the form of the Ford 9N and 2N tractors produced in Detroit and imported to the UK in limited numbers during WW2. By the end of hostilities, Ford in the UK had been developing what became known as the Fordson Major to replace the ageing Model N that had been in production at Dagenham since the early 1930s. The Fordson Major was designed to pull a three-furrow plough and featured a redesigned rear end with more efficient power transmission than the old worm and worm wheel design of the Model N, despite using the same basic side-valve, petrol/TVO engine carried over from the N,…

The rain that fell on the afternoon of Friday 7 October may have caused problems the following morning at the entrance to the site for the 71st British National Ploughing Championships, but it proved to be a godsend to the 244 ploughmen and women that took part, says Peter Love. The event was held on the Chatsworth Estate at Glapwell, Derbyshire, owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, and run by the Society of Ploughmen. The condition of the ploughing fields was near perfect over the weekend, and with a decent road network around the site, the soft areas were to be a less of a hinderance to all in the end. In fact, the sun was so bright across the site that several competitors wore sunglasses to lessen…

BIT SET FOR CORDLESS TOOLS £29.57 inc. VAT each Laser Tools Tel: 01926 815000 lasertools.co.uk New from Laser Tools is this convenient bit set that is designed for the cordless power tool user. The set (part number 8424) comprises 22 bits together with a magnetic bit holder. Supplied in a folding plastic storage case (complete with belt clip), that can be easily unfolded and laid flat on the bench or hung up on the workshop wall. The bits are suitable for use with any cordless drill or electric screwdriver and are ideal for use as part of a portable tool kit or for when storage space is limited. The bits are manufactured from S2 shock-resisting, impact-grade steel and include Phillips, Flat, PzDrive, Hex and Star profiles: 16x ¼in shank bits…

As an American muscle car and hot rod enthusiast, there is nothing I enjoy more than the sound of these cars and trucks firing up and listening to the burble of a V8 engine. Whether they are stock engines or ones that have been heavily worked on, nothing can beat the sound of these huge engines rumbling along on the open road. Most engines used are of American origin, although here in the UK we had the Rover V8, which was a firm favourite amongst hot rodders. If you’re wondering what this has got to do with tractors, it just so happens that Cornish farmer Tom Harris decided that his Massey Ferguson 590 needed a bit of revamping and duly decided to whack a V8 in there. When I was…

PRODUCTION On sale from the mid 1980s to the mid ’90s, John Deere’s European-built 50 Series offered something for most requirements – from pint-sized three-cylinder models to turbocharged, six-cylinder prime movers. One of the smallest tractors in the Series, and the mid-range three-cylinder model, was the 1750 and it was this that effectively replaced the 1040 – a model available in both two- and four-wheel drive forms with an OPU cab. As a tractor with a minimal power output, the 1750 was the ideal go-to model for smallholdings and the like, as well as a popular machine with livestock farmers – where its compact dimensions were an advantage in cattle yards, and in and around low buildings. ENGINE Like the other three-cylinder models in the range, the 1750 was powered…

It felt good to be back at The Great Dorset Steam Fair, the largest show of its type in the world, writes Peter Love. The tractor section was superb and bolstered by the various club stands – including the Case IH Club UK, Ford & Fordson Association, International Harvester Club of Great Britain, and The Nuffield Leyland Marshall stands. Among the popular exhibits was Martin Eady’s IH 434 ‘tandem’ – taking inspiration from the Doe Dual Drive – which debuted at Tractor World Spring in May. Some were disappointed that it did not parade on the Friday, but it was good to see all the same. Although there were many red tractors, a couple of interlopers caught my eye. Doug Palmer’s 1938 Case C was being driven by a lady…

Ferguson TE-A 20 Q I own a 1948 Ferguson TE-A 20 that has recently blown its head gasket. Upon removal I found, not one, but three head gaskets and two metal spacers. I understand this was done to make the tractor able to run on TVO. The engine block has a plate on the side saying, ‘factory rebuilt 1954’, but I'm not sure if this is when the conversion took place or not. My question is, if I refit three head gaskets would the head need to be torqued down the same amount as just fitting one gasket, or would it differ, and by how much? I did toy with the idea of just fitting one gasket but would then need shorter push rods, which are as common as hens’ teeth!…

Keith Hustings, of Dorset, writes: “Here’s my two-year old grandson, Rupert, loving my Tractor & Machinery magazine.” Neil Burnside writes: “Here is a picture of my nephew, Ralph Patterson, on my 1965 BMC Mini tractor. At only five years old he has already had a ‘drive’ and has now well and truly got the tractor bug. He would be over the moon to appear in your magazine!” Richard Britton writes: “Would it be possible to have this picture of my daughter printed in the Readers’ Gallery section of Tractor & Machinery, please? My daughter, Kia, recently passed her tractor test in the family’s classic Ford 6610, first time. She managed to master the column-change manual gearbox, as opposed to the more modern Varios that I suspect most pass their tests in these days!”…