Innehållsförteckning för July 2023 från Tractor & Machinery

Hello, and welcome to the July issue of T&M. People often ask me what tractor they should buy, and I always give the same answer: “It depends on what you want to do with it!” Controversially, nine times out of 10, irrespective of their explanation, I will say: “Well, you can’t go wrong with a Massey Ferguson.” Cue the barrage of abuse from Ford fans! Regular readers will know that I’m an International Harvester/Case IH man at heart, but I still champion Massey Ferguson to those that don’t prefer a particular marque. The vast majority of the MF models built in the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s will do a job and do it well. With solid transmissions mated to dependable Perkins engines, and – when it comes to the three-point…

ON 6 FEBRUARY THE DECOURCEY VINTAGE CLUB held its first event of the year, reports Bill Chambers. The annual tillage day is an opportunity for members to get out and enjoy an informal gathering before the main club events of the year. This year the day started out with a vintage run from Ballinadee to Garrettstown. A nice selection of cars, jeeps and tractors gathered at Ballinadee Church car park just after midday. After a chat and some photographs, they departed and headed south. The tractors took a direct route, leaving Ballinadee and travelling via Chrois Na Leanamh. The cars took a different route, travelling first to Barrells Cross and then via Garrylucas strand and Garrettstown, before arriving at the field overlooking the sea. Shortly afterward the tractors arrived in…

DEVON & CORNWALL POLICE HAS REVEALED AN USUAL NEW MEMBER of its South Devon Rural team – a John Deere 6110M tractor decked out in distinctive police livery. The tractor has been loaned to the force free of charge until the end of September by local agricultural and turf dealership Masons Kings, and will be soon seen across the region at agricultural shows and other summer events. The Rural Affairs Team will use the tractor to raise awareness of the support the police can give to those who are concerned about, or affected by, issues such as theft of machinery and GPS equipment, or livestock rustling and worrying. The new addition is part of a wider effort from across the force to increase community messaging within the rural areas of…

One of the best events to kick off the season of outdoor events, the NVTEC East Anglia branch’s Stradsett Vintage Rally, took place this year on Sunday 30 April and Monday 1 May, writes Peter Love. Unfortunately, the event, near Downham Market in Norfolk, had to be closed to the public on the Monday morning owing to heavy rain overnight. This led to most of the exhibitors having to be towed off the site with tractors. Despite this, the event must be classed as a success, as a large crowd attended on the Sunday to enjoy, amongst a plethora of exhibits, a huge display of Allis-Chalmers tractors. It included more than 30 Model Bs, of which many paraded. That must be some kind of record! The event is now in…

DIFFICULTY RATING PART FOUR I was now at the stage where I could remove the piston and conrod assemblies, which were one of the main parts of the engine. Getting a piston out would give me a further glimpse of the condition of this engine. To remove the piston, the big end nuts needed to be removed – which are located at the bottom of the engine, hence why I previously removed the sump. Once the nuts had been removed, I gave the cap a gentle tap, which freed it off the bolts. Now I would get a first glance of the shell bearings, which were slightly scored with a few light grooves. I immediately flicked the bearing out of the cap and looked at the underside. Looking at the…

Huge Caterpillar auction Home Farm, Ossington, Nottinghamshire, was an amazing place to be as A R Wilson Agricultural Ltd.’s collection went under Cheffins’ hammer on 19-20 May. The collection was the culmination of a lifetime’s work by the late Alan and Robert Wilson and the auction was the last and biggest of the three sales held since last October. It featured 240-plus machines, mostly Caterpillars, and the three auctions were certainly the largest of their type of this century, and may never be repeated in the UK again. The father-and-son combination saved so many Caterpillars, and imported them year after year, using them on the farm. They also restored them, supplied parts, and helped the Caterpillar fraternity across Europe. The only rally they genuinely supported for decades was Arthur Hinch’s…

Spring Tractor Run The Tractor Boys of Aberthin recently held a Spring Tractor Run from Arthur John & Co.’s in Cowbridge, writes Basil George. Around 30 tractors took part. Tea and rolls were supplied and the route took the tractors through the Vale of Glamorgan. Groups form alliance Fram Farmers Ltd., Woldmarsh Producers Ltd., and AF Group Ltd. have announced a new collaborative procurement initiative – Agri Procurement Alliance Ltd (APA). This exciting new initiative aims to secure better value to the farmer and landowner memberships of the three largest cooperative buying groups, by leveraging the strength and influence of their combined 6,000 members. All three groups, each with their own unique operational methods, have a common purpose – to improve margins for their members and build stronger relationships with…

UK registrations The number of agricultural tractors registered in the UK during May fell below the level recorded a year before. However, registrations were unusually strong in May 2022 and this year’s figure was still above the recent average for the time of year. At 1,015 machines, registrations were 21 per cent lower than a year before, but three per cent above the seasonal average from the previous five years. The total number of machines logged in the year to date remains higher than in January to May 2022 and was the highest total for the opening months of the year since 2019. All change at Deere As part of its long-term plan, John Deere is appointing Deanna M Kovar as the future president of its Agricultural Machinery business, effective…

The David Brown 1212 was launched, together with the 995, in the autumn of 1972. With its ability to change four gears without the use of the clutch, Hydra-Shift was an improvement over the offering of clutch-less changing between two gears, as offered by a number of other manufacturers, but without the cost, complication, and potential unreliability of a full powershift transmission. David Brown’s experience in building such transmissions goes back further than many other tractor manufacturers, in that it was supplying the military with tank gearboxes incorporating such a system during WW2. With the introduction of the 990 Implematic, in 1961, an option of a powershift transmission, dubbed ‘Autodrive’, was announced – but due to several problems it never went into production. None of the prototypes are known to…

It was 1979 when the standard version of the Massey Ferguson 135 finally bowed out, leaving just the 135 MkIII vineyard to fly the flag for the model in the UK. This venerable little tractor had been in production since the mid ’60s, and almost half a million had been built at Banner Lane, in that time, but it was time for something ‘new’. The introduction of the 500 Series, in 1976, had meant that the 550 was the new, small tractor for those that wanted something with the power output of a 135, but it was evident that there was still a desire for something more basic. MF addressed this by launching the 200 Series, built at Banner Lane, Coventry, and Beauvais, France, for the European market. The company…

The year 1987 would see major changes to the MB-trac range produced by Daimler-Benz. The second model in the six-cylinder middleweight range was launched in the shape of the 1100, which joined the original 1000 model that had been produced since 1982. This gave a two-model line-up in the lighter weight, more compact class of six-cylinder tractor up to 110hp, a sector of the market that was gaining in popularity in the late ’80s. The heavyweight range was also given its first major update since 1980, with a new line-up featuring the use of a new engine across the new three-model range, the newcomers even gaining the 'turbo' name on the sides of the bonnet, as had been done with the smaller 900 model earlier. The original heavyweight MB-trac range…

The weather changed just in time for the 14th annual Ightham Mote Road Run, organised by the Broad family, writes Peter Love. There was a great atmosphere as everyone arrived at the farm near Sevenoaks, Kent, for a breakfast roll and tea, and after much socialising everyone was ready for the day ahead. Debs Broad explained that £23,574 had been raised from the previous road runs held, and then it was time for a quick briefing from Phil Broad before enjoying the countryside surrounding this idyllic site. Phil provided the group with details of the 13-mile route head, which headed towards Sevenoaks, Seal, Hildenborough, Fairlawne, and eventually back to Mote Farm for a late lunch at 1.30pm. Sadly, no off-road routes were incorporated in the run this year, as the…

PART F 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 write this at the beginning of June and although the sun is shining brightly, the wind here in East Sussex has lasted for weeks and makes one feel as though we are still in the winter. First of all, I thank all those of you I met at the Innishannon Steam & Vintage Rally, Co. Cork, Republic of Ireland, on Sunday 4 June. It was a wonderful pleasure to be asked to open the show and give some of the rally commentary during the day, as well as meeting and chatting to enthusiasts. I detect on both sides of the water that things are just about returning to pre-Covid levels. The crowd was excellent at Innishannon, as well as the previous weekend at the Strumpshaw and Carrington rallies, which…

Construction and agriculture aftersales platform, PartsforMachines.com (PFM), is stepping up its offer to the communities it serves, with the expansion of its website to include a blog and forum. It is also pleased to welcome key new supplier partners to its expanding portfolio of top-flight brands. From the outset, one of the longer-term key aims for PartsforMachines has been to make the platform a ‘go-to’ place for various aspects of life for those in the agriculture and construction sectors. This interaction with its audience was increased dramatically with the recent introduction of its Gen-2 platform, which brought with it selection widgets across its product sectors, increased product comparison capabilities and a News section. “This process was never going to be something that kicked into place all in one go, at…

Derek Southouse’s MF 265 is one of the very last built and has been used on his farm as the ‘odd job’ tractor for decades. It has recently been ‘tidied up’, and I was pleased to be able to look over it and hear more about its working life. During my visit, Derek reminisced about his successful life, which is due to “damn hard work” and being able to think outside of the box. Farming life has always been in Derek’s blood, as in 1890 his grandfather, George Southouse, bought a 24-acre farm at Wartling – about eight miles from Eastbourne. In 1925, the family moved to a 42-acre dairy farm called Rocklands, near Boreham Street, with Derek’s father, George, now part of the operation. They were progressive farmers and…

In the April issue of T&M we highlighted our favourite 120hp-plus tractors, as part of our 1980s power focus. Since then, you have voted for your favourite from our selection on the Heritage Machines website, and we would like to thank you for taking the time do that. The winner was a surprise, as we had predicted that the Ford TW-35 Force II would take the spoils, and none of the team envisaged that the Zetor 16045 would make the top five – despite its formidable reputation! If there’s a tractor that you feel should have made the cut, or if there are other polls that you’d like us to feature in T&M, please get in touch with the editor: tm.ed@kelsey.co.uk 1st International 1455XL 2nd TW-35 Force II 3rd Massey Ferguson…

TRACTOR PAINTINGS 48x36in (1,200x900mm) Gouache on canvas Tel: 07773 255230 E-mail: stephen@stephenowen.com Welsh-born artist Stephen Owen started painting pictures of cars whilst still at school. From a young age he could recognise the sound of different cars and would run upstairs for a better view of the passing machines that would fuel his imagination. Stephen trained as an Artist Craftsman specialising in Fine Furniture Making and, throughout his prestigious career, his eye for detail has been constantly honed. One of the opportunities that came about during the lockdown of 2020 was a return to his passion of painting cars. With events curtailed, Stephen could keep his love of classic cars alive by painting them. Inspired by the Italian futurists of a century ago, with their obsession for speed, his latest…

SHOW OFF 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, scan them and e-mail them to: tm.ed@kelsey.co.uk MARVELLOUS MARSHALL The brighter the better! Dear Junior, Here’s a picture of daddy’s Field-Marshall Series 3A, which me and my brother love. I like the bright orange colour. Anna (aged 5) MAKING HAY The detail’s wonderful – well done! Dear Junior, This is my uncle’s tractor. He cuts hay and silage with it. Rian Whelan, Co. Tipperary BIG DEERE That’s a nice Deere! Dear Junior, I hope you like my drawing of my John Deere 7930 tractor. I’ve loved tractors since I was a baby, and love looking at your tractor magazine. Bradley (aged 7) FANTAS-TRAC!…

JUNE 30th June -5th July Timed Online Auction. York Auction Centre. ylc.co.uk JULY 1st July Monthly Live & Online Machinery Sale. Holsworthy Livestock Market, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7FA. Kivells. Tel: 01409 253253. 1st July Farm Auction. West Meon, Petersfield. Wellers Auctions. Tel: 01483 802280. 5th July Online Sale of Tractors, Machinery, Plant & Commercial Vehicles. Carlisle. Harrison & Hetherington. harrisonandhetherington.co.uk 6th July Auction of the Haugen JD Collection. Online Bidding, McLeod, NE, USA. Aumann Auctions. aumannvintagepower.com 7th July Wessex Machinery Sale. Salisbury Road, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8BT. Southern Counties Auctioneers. Tel: 07971 571612. 8th July Agri-Trader & Machinery Sale. Craven Cattle Marts, Lingfields, Gargrave Road, Skipton BD23 1UD. CCM Auctions. Tel: 01756 792375. 8th July Collective Machinery Sale. Upper Boddington, Nr Daventry, Northamptonshire. Howkins & Harrison. Tel: 01604 823456. 10th…