Innehållsförteckning för March 2023 från Tractor & Machinery

The Ford Motor Company built its reputation on mass producing vehicles; be it cars, trucks, vans, or tractors. This meant that even vehicles that did not sell in as vast quantities as the more popular models were still constructed in large numbers. Therefore, finding a Ford tractor, for example, that is not as common as the rest is perhaps not as easy as with some other manufacturers’ products. In 1975 Ford was forced to launch a new range of models, to replace its main 37-98hp series of tractors, without their biggest new feature yet ready to go into production. The result was what Ford called the 7A1 range – and every single model in that range is rarer than the later versions produced from the middle of 1976. One of…

After a three-year break, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was with great pleasure that I was able to travel to Maple Lodge Farm, near Lusk, to view Michael Hoey’s extensive tractor collection once again. The event took place on the weekend of 26-27 November 2022 and several changes had been made since the 2019 event – not only to the display, but also how the event was run. The Hoey family had limited the number of attendees and introduced a ticket-only admission policy. These decisions were not taken lightly, but for health and safety concerns they were necessary, due to the large number of attendees in previous years, and especially in 2019. By introducing these changes, the family is confident that it will be able to allow tractor enthusiasts…

Kim Parks, farmer, and photographer, was often away from his family farm in Rotherfield, East Sussex, as he photographed tractors working in the area during the 1970s. He also visited several events, such as the local Crowborough and District Ploughing Match, and, occasionally, travelled further afield. This is evidenced by the time he photographed brand-new tractors on demonstration at the 1977 British National Ploughing Championships, held near Maidstone in Kent, and it is these, as well as those seen at smaller ploughing matches, that make for an excellent time travel experience! Throughout this time Kim was still using his original Kodak Instamatic camera, which used a film cartridge from which prints were made when sent away for processing. However, when he got to the late 1970s, he was increasingly having…

It was good to be back in Norfolk for the largest Boxing Day tractor road run, which started at The Angel Inn, Larling, not far from Attleborough and Thetford, and held in glorious weather, says Peter Love. I had not been at the event since 2018, when Gavin and Jack Stammers took over from former National High Cut Champion Shaun Garrod and family, who ran the event for several years and were present in 2022. The creators of the event, David Boggia and David Kidd, were also enjoying the atmosphere as the crowds and tractors packed in beside the booking area opposite The Angel Inn, which was serving breakfast to those that had arrived early for the run, which totalled more than 20 miles. When this event started in 2003,…

DIFFICULTY  RATING PART FIVE I had now completed Tim Edwards’ Massey Ferguson 135 MkIII, and it was good being able to drive it outside to see it in the daylight for the first time. Even though it was narrow, it wasn't too tricky to get on – as that extra section in the gearbox lengthened the area between the dash and the seat enough to easily swing my leg over. I had originally advised that this tractor should be put back to its narrowest setting, which now it was complete I was pleased I had. Viewing it from the front I couldn't believe how narrow it was. The front was largely the same as is its British counterpart, with the most visual change being the adoption of an all-black grille.…

20 Series to be sold Dave Hiscock’s John Deere 20 Series tractors were the stars wherever they were shown, restored to a high standard more than 20 years by the former motorcycle man. With the help of the late Don Macmillan, Dave sourced a raft of tractors that he and his friends took on the National Vintage Tractor Road Run and to other events – such as Tractor World Spring – where he was lucky enough to win awards. Since Dave’s passing, his daughters have looked after the tractors well, and in the last few years they have been rallied in Hampshire. They have now decided to sell them at the Cheffins Vintage Collective on 21-22 April, with the tractors being sold on 22 April. The lots include a 3020,…

Whilst travelling in Cheshire recently I came across a pair of clean tractors that will be good investments for the future, as well as having the opportunity to enjoy them at the same time. The first is a 1956 Ferguson TE-F 20 with V5C that’s very clean and goes as well as it looks, while the second is an FE 35 that was painted in MF colours during its life but is a 1956/57 grey and gold model. It’s on the button, and the axle, transmission, and engine all match. For more details, call 07989 866251.…

Aumann Auctions held a very interesting sale at Perry, Georgia, at the beginning of December, containing 180 tractors. The stars were in the first day of the auction, which featured restored John Deere row-crop models, with full lift implements, from the 1950s. It started with a 330S at £8,499, a 330U at £10,903, a 420V at £13,908, and a 320 at £11,761. In the larger line, an LPG-powered 60, the subject of a stunning restoration, sold for £13,135. A pair of rare Ford 5000 hi-clears was included too – one of which had been restored and left outside, giving it flat and faded paintwork. It was in running order and sold for £7,125, while the rough example with wrong bonnet reached £3,176. This is an area of the USA where…

Apioneering project, which will see the creation of the world’s first ‘fugitive liquid’, methane-powered, off-road, heavy-duty tractor, is to be supported with an Eminox emissions reduction solution. The £15.6m project led by CNH Industrial, Eminox, along with other consortium members Bennamann Ltd. and European Thermodynamics Ltd., forms part of the £73m Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) UK funding, which has been award to five different automotive projects to develop clean transport technology. “This is a truly innovative project, and we are delighted to be part of the team that will develop a pioneering and game changing, net-zero alternative for the agricultural sector,” said Stefano Tumolo, Sales and Marketing Director, Eminox. “The heavy-duty agricultural vehicle will harness the potential of methane, produced by livestock, and utilise it as a renewable fuel solution.”…

STAR LETTER MF 1200 Dear T&M, I read with great interest your recent article in the January edition of T&M on 50 years of the MF 1200. There is no doubt about it that this tractor was a great advancement in tractor design and, coupled to the right implement, it was an excellent performer for many different tasks. Chris Clack, one of the demonstrators of the tractor, gives an interesting insight into his experiences while giving the various demonstrations. One demonstration that I remember taking place was on a hill farm just outside of Moffat, in Dumfries & Galloway, on the A708 road to Selkirk. The farm was called Sailfoot, and the hill was being ploughed so that it could be planted with trees. I was not at the actual…

PART ONE Deutz-Fahr’s DX range of tractors remains a mystery to many – numerous models that are perhaps admired, but not fully understood. At the time of their production, some suggest that their build quality was on a par with that of Fendt, but we’ll let you judge that for yourselves! Launched in 1978, with the span of tractors covering 80-200hp, the DX range replaced the big ‘06’ models and initially comprised the DX 85, DX 90, and DX 110, but would go on to encompass models from 80-200hp. These remained in production until 1983, when the DX 4 and DX 6 ranges were introduced, followed by the launch of DX 3 at the Smithfield Show the following year. First impressions would suggest that the nomenclature of each range was…

EUROPEAN ICON Produced in various sizes, from the early ’70s to the early ’90s, there are few tractors that captivate the imagination like the MB-trac. We look back fondly. Note: Planned features in T&M may be subject to alteration, due to circumstances beyond our control. NO STONE UNTURNED! Anyone that closely inspected the Fordson E27N with Roadless DG4 half-track equipment at the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show will have appreciated the quality of the restoration. Peter Love has the story. HIDDEN GEMS If you farmed in the United Kingdom in the early ’90s, your local Case IH dealer would not have offered you a 40 Series model, but these Doncaster-built tractors had plenty to offer. PLUS Junior, Machinery milestones, Model corner, News, Readers’ gallery, Tractor Mart, Workshop & more……

As I write we have already had several sales take place. The stock offered has not been very exciting, and in most cases this has been reflected in the prices achieved, but I am sure that things are on the move. My annual review of market trends across the previous year’s auction season is due to start in our Spring issue, following this one, and with hundreds of sales already announced for 2023 there will be lots to go for over the forthcoming months. Tractor World Spring and the Classic Commercial Show, at Malvern’s Three Counties Showground, takes place on 11-12 March 2023 and will see H J Pugh & Co. conduct an auction on the Saturday, containing around 2,000 lots. The auction will see approximately 100 tractors of all…

Besides its monthly sales, three vintage collectives at Sutton, Cambridgeshire, and one at Harrogate in August, this year Cheffins has announced a glut of other sales that it will be conducting at various locations, with more set to be added. Thursday 16 February, Lancashire: Auction of 23 tractors, seven forage harvesters, four self-propelled mowers, four loading shovels, grassland machinery, and implements. Wednesday 1 March, Hertfordshire: Auction of tractors, implements, and machinery. Tuesday 14 March, Lancashire: Auction of tractors, forage harvester, implements, and machinery. Wednesday 22 March, Lancashire: Auction of tractors, forage harvester, implements, and machinery. Saturday 25 March, Kent: Auction of classic and vintage tractors, implements, and machinery. Friday 19 & Saturday 20 May, Nottinghamshire: Auction of 100s of Caterpillar, Holt and Best crawler tractors, implements and spares. Thursday 25…

Aumann Auctions’ Ed Larson retirement sale concluded online in mid-December, with the lots based near Milan, Kansas. Of interest to us was a 1975 Versatile 800 Series II in good, original condition, with 9,518 hours on the clock. It sold for £4,893. The Blanchat 12-18 plough, in good order, sold for £6,009 at the conclusion of the sale, which had created great interest across the world.…

Anna Griffiths, from Edinburgh, has restored a Fordson Dexta and painted it pink to raise awareness for Dementia UK. She has been fundraising for the last year and reached almost £500, but would like to reach £1,000 by the end of 2023. Having worked in a care home during the Covid-19 lockdowns, that specialised in end-of-life care and dementia cases, Anna’s attention was drawn to the plight of people suffering from this debilitating condition. According to the Dementia UK website: “Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of progressive conditions that affect the brain. Each type of dementia stops a person’s brain cells (neurones) working properly in specific areas, affecting their ability to remember, think and speak. “Doctors typically use the word ‘dementia’ to describe common symptoms – such…

THIS YEAR’S VINTAGE HORTICULTURAL & GARDEN MACHINERY WORKING DAY will be the 13th of its type and put together by the Norfolk Starting Handle Club, writes Steven Hall. Each year the aim is to make the event bigger and better, and this year there will be a large selection of working machinery from push hoes and rotavators to match ploughing, with classes for small walk behind, large walk behind and ride-ons, both vintage and compact. The new venue should provide the best ploughing conditions since the event started, and visitors can also expect to see working stationary engines, horses, a selection of static displays, as well as a ‘play pen’ for the smaller tillage machines and juniors. The event is sponsored by FTC Hire and Sales of Fakenham, which will…

The Tractor World Spring and Classic Commercial Show, the longest-established event of its kind, is celebrating moving to Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 March with even more exhibits, trade stands, displays and bargains than ever before. Welcoming exhibitors from across the UK and Ireland, as well as some from mainland Europe, the two-day extravaganza showcases veteran, vintage and classic tractors, trucks, miniature steam engines, model displays and much more, including a wide range of vintage and classic horticultural equipment. Making the most of the well-equipped Three Counties Showground, at the foot of the Malvern Hills, the indoor exhibits alone will fill three permanent exhibition halls plus link marquee, guaranteeing comfort whatever the weather. The outdoor displays include classic commercials, vans, Land Rovers, stationary engines, and miniature steam engines. MASSEY-HARRIS-FERGUSON There’ll…

Haulage contractor Mark Lerigo, from Newark in Nottinghamshire, has had a passion for International tractors all of his life has recently rebuilt a 1986 Case IH 1455XL to prize-winning standard. It’s set to be one of the stars at Tractor World Spring, on 11-12 March. Having driven an International 1455XL in the late ’80s, Mark knew when he started collecting IH machines that he needed to have one. After looking around for a while and noting that the price of these Neuss-built tractors was going up and up, he concluded that he needed to get in there before it was too late. He came across an example at J A Swinbank, Stockton-on-Tees, in September 2019, with 11,000 hours on the clock. It had originated in Spain and was a 1986…

Turner Yeoman of England Robin Simmons, from Diss in Norfolk, has been changing things around recently and has several tractors that he has deemed surplus to requirements. These include a lovely, clean 1937 John Deere B unstyled row-crop, with four new tyres. It’s an excellent runner and is available for only £3,350. A 1951 John Deere R, which was the first diesel model John Deere offered, has seen the main engine and donkey overhauled and the tractor runs very well. It’s in original condition with V5C and is for sale at £6,750. Robin also has a 1949 Fordson E27N with Perkins P6 engine. It’s a good starter with low-speed transmission and working hydraulics. The wiring loom is not on the tractor and will need replacing, hence the price of £5,500.…

Michigan sale Aumann Auctions held the Ken Gill disposal sale at Albion, Michigan, concluding on Monday 14 November. It was a sale that featured tractors from the 1930-60s in various conditions and reflected models of this fruit area in their day. The one they all wanted was a Massey-Harris 44 Diesel Hi-Clear Special, no. 53468A, said to be one of two survivors. In older restored condition it sold for a huge £44,544. Massey-Harris prices have not been very exciting recently, but this one turned that around. Next up was the 44 O (orchard), no. 801072, that featured on the cover of a C H Wendel Massey-Harris book decades ago. Looking reasonably clean it sold for £16,533. The second oldest tractor in the sale was a Massey-Harris GP 15-22 with the…

PART M-P 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,…