Innehållsförteckning för Spring 2024 från Tractor & Machinery

Hello and welcome to the Spring issue of T&M. Those of you that follow our social media channels will have seen that progress has been made on the Massey Ferguson 165 MkII that I co-own with my brother and, more importantly, I have made good on my New Year’s resolution! Due to the fact that the A4.212 engine had no oil pressure, Plan A was to change the oil pump and see if it made any difference. We had already discounted the oil pressure gauge being at fault, by screwing a test gauge (a known quantity) into the block and still getting a reading of 0psi. It was clear that the engine had not been well maintained, but we decided to change the oil pump and then decide what to…

THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE VINTAGE & COUNTRY EXTRAVAGANZA makes a return to South Cerney Airfield, near Cirencester, on 2-4 August 2024 (10.00am-5.00pm). The show has grown considerably from its humble beginnings in 1975, on a football field in Stonehouse, and is now among the largest events of its kind in the country run entirely by volunteers. Now, after nearly 50 years, it’s regarded as one of the biggest and best steam, vintage, and countryside events in the UK, celebrating all modes of vintage transport. Rally Chairman Martyn Slater said: “The Stroud Vintage Transport & Engine Club is proud that, apart from enforced cancellation due to the Covid pandemic, the event has been an annual fixture in the rally calendar since the 1970s. Whilst it’s evolved over the decades, the mission remains the…

Today, John Deere has dominated the sales league for tractors in the UK for many years, but 60 years ago this was certainly not the case. Then, in 1964, the company launched the 4020 model into Britain and, thanks to its smooth six-cylinder engine, ruggedness, reliability, and the advanced nature of its two transmission options, it quickly became something of a legend. Six decades after its introduction, it is an icon! John Deere was already a wellestablished farm equipment manufacturer before it entered the tractor business by acquiring the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company, based in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1918. This resulted in the company selling the Waterloo Boy Model N and R tractors that were amongst the early pioneers of the farm tractor and were built around components placed on…

Many loader innovations were developed by third party companies along with County. These started on County crawlers, and then Fourdrives, and went on to both equal-wheel and 004 Series, and were a major application for County products in several ways. Many are well known and widely used, even today. This might be considered to include loading cranes, but this is a subject in its own right and not part of this article. Clearly, there is a major impact on the tractor when a loader is fitted, so it is important to get it right. The likes of Bray, Leeford, Bomford, Grays, and Farmhand were some of the better known companies that produced loaders for County models, as well as companies overseas, and many were sold. Sometimes, County would hold a…

On Saturday 27 January, the Co. Down Young Farmers Clubs, in association with Seaforde Working Vintage Club, held a tractor pulling day, writes James Connolly. The event took place on land owned by Noel Kane, in the townland of Drumgooland, near Clough, Co. Down. The weather was cold and overcast, but fortunately it remained dry for the entire day. The ground conditions were sticky underfoot and not exactly perfect for tractor pulling. This was not surprising, bearing in mind the rainfall that was experienced during the winter months of 2023. There was an excellent turnout of tractors at the event – mostly modern four-wheel drive machines with a sprinkling of classic two- and fourwheel drive tractors from the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s. At the start of proceedings, the pull…

At the end of the last part of this series I was just about to remove the brake drum, to overhaul the mechanism and its associated components. Once I had the drum off, the first thing I noticed was cobwebs – hardly surprising, as I expect they hadn't been used in a while, and it’s a great place for spiders to lurk. There was also a coating of dust from the sandblasting process. I knew this area would be worked on, so I didn't bother to cover the gaps. With all this dust about I made sure I had a face mask on while I doused the lot down with some brake cleaner. Just before I did, I noticed a common problem. The spring by the adjuster was in the…

Pete Marquis auction On Saturday 23 March 2024, at 10.00am, 65 lots will go under Cheffins’ hammer from Peter Marquis’ collection in Preston, Lancashire. The sale is also online and should prove extremely popular. The stock includes; Ford: 7000, 5000, 4000, 3000, 2000, 1000, 8730, 8700, 8210 (x3), 7910, 7810 (x2), 7610, 6810, 6610, 6600, and 6410. Massey Ferguson: 1505, 3680, 3095, 3080, 3070, 2725 (2,782 hours), 2680 (x2), 2640 (x2), 2620 (x2), 1080, 699, 690 (x2), 590, 575, 550, 398, 390T, 390, 290, 188 4WD, 178, 175, 165, 135, and 35. John Deere: 4240S, 3040, and 2140 (x2). David Brown: 1210, 996, 995, and 885. IH/Case IH: 5120, 4240XL Pro, 956XL, and 434. Muir-Hill 121, Fendt Favorit 610LS, Ransomes 801 combine, Same Frutteto, Zetor 3011, Garner Light Tractor, Ford/County…

MARCH 7th-17th March Online Timed Auction of Tractors, Vehicles & Diggers, Farm Machinery, Livestock & General Equipment. Stags. stags.co.uk 8th March Online Plant & Machinery Auction. Brightwells. brightwells.com 8th March Lee White John Deere Parts & Implement Reduction Auction. Online Bidding. 11965 Gary Redus Drive, Tanner, AL, USA. Aumann Auctions. aumannvintagepower.com 9th March Monthly Live & Online Machinery Sale. Holsworthy Livestock Market, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7FA. Kivells. Tel: 01409 253253. 9th March Machinery/Sundries Sale. Chevin Lodge, Leeds Road, Otley LS21 3BD. Wharfedale Farmers Auction Mart Ltd. Tel: 01943 462172. 11th March Auction of Tractors, Quad Bikes, Commercial Vehicles, Implements, Machinery, Small Tools & Equipment. Longtown Mart, Townfoot, Longtown, Carlisle CA6 5LY. Cumberland & Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart. Tel: 01278 791215. 11th March Auction of Oliver & MM Tractor Collection. Online Bidding.…

ORDER TODAY! APRIL 2023 COVER STORY 1980s power focus INSIDE Roadless DG4 E27N, IH hydraulics, Ford Series TW MkII, Tractor World report MAY 2023 COVER STORY IH anecdotes & Vary-Touch INSIDE Restored Ford 7810, restored JD 3650, MF implements, six-cylinder MB-trac JUNE 2023 COVER STORY One-owner Ford 7000 INSIDE Restored IH 634 AWD, contractor’s Ford Series 10 duo, tractor values in 2023 JULY 2023 COVER STORY MF 200 Series focus INSIDE Restored Marshall 302, hay mowers, pre-production DB 1212, Allis-Chalmers focus AUGUST 2023 COVER STORY Classic silage machinery INSIDE MF 575 guide, County collection, Tractor Fest report, restored RAF Fordson N SEPTEMBER 2023 COVER STORY Leyland ‘1302’ conversion INSIDE County 1174 in the woods, IH 424, dropside trailer guide, high-hour MF 290 OCTOBER 2023 COVER STORY Anniversaries celebrated INSIDE Classic…

GOT A STORY? THEN WRITE TO THE EDITOR: Scott Lambert, Kelsey Publishing Ltd., The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL  EMAIL: tm.ed@kelsey.co.uk IN BRIEF Isle of Man The Southern Vintage Engine and Tractor Club’s main event this year is its two-day Vintage Show on 15-16 June 2024 (9.30am-5.00pm). The event takes place, courtesy of the Gawne family, at The Doctor’s Meadow, near S100 Clubhouse, Castletown Bypass, Castletown, Isle of Man IM9 1HB. There will be displays of vintage and classic tractors and farm machinery, stationary engines, vintage and classic cars, and motorcycles. Ticket prices are as follows: adults £3, children (aged 4-14) £1. For all enquiries, please contact Orry Mitchell on 07624 496870. Donation total A total of 130 tractors took part in the 2024 Somerset Tractor…

G T BUNNING AND SONS SHOWED A NEW FOUR-MODEL TRAILER RANGE AT LAMMA 2024, with the company returning to trailer manufacturing 13 years since building its last one. The new trailers will be built at Bunning’s factory at Gressenhall in Norfolk, with the company having a proven track record of building high-quality trailers that began in the 1960s. The reintroduction of the trailer line has been driven through increased customer demand, and will maximise the 6,840m2 factory expansion that has been completed over the past two years. The new range is based on the old design but has been improved and modernised in certain areas and features a completely new tailboard. Four models will initially be available in 14, 16, 18, and 20-tonne formats. Each will feature dual ADR axles…

Part eight of this series covered the fitting of the replacement oil seal on the rotor shaft output from the chain case. The lower chain sprocket was also fitted and tightened, leaving the job of fitting the drive chain and top sprocket. The top sprocket is located at the end of the cross-shaft and is splined onto the shaft. The drive chain is extremely heavy and was left un-split when it was removed, as the link pins resisted being removed. As it wasn’t necessary to split the chain, it was removed as the top sprocket was slipped off the cross-shaft. The easiest way to refit it was to reverse the aforementioned procedure and to place the chain around the lower sprocket, followed by inserting the top sprocket and slipping the…

In this issue, I thought I would look back at Nick Baldwin’s life, as he was one of the first tractor preservation pioneers in the UK. I first came to know Nick through others, as he was originally part of the Old Motor team, which was the UK’s pioneer transport preservation magazine, starting in the 1960s. I was lucky to know Prince Marshall, its founder, through Bob Whitehead – who wrote mostly on steam matters in the magazine, and who edited the magazine when Prince became ill. Nick wrote on tractor and commercial vehicle topics in the magazine, and I started to correspond with him at this time. In the late 1970s I met Nick when I was the Kent social secretary for the Southern Counties Historic Vehicle Preservation Trust.…

A team of intrepid JCB cyclists is putting pedal power into action with a massive fundraising challenge to help enhance the lives of children and young people with cancer. The 42 JCB cyclists began a 42,000-kilometre, 80-day sponsored cycle challenge – the equivalent of riding around the world – on 12 February, with their sights set on a £100,000 target. The money is being raised for Hannah’s Hope, a fundraiser set up by JCB welding apprentice Hannah Roberts, 20, who was diagnosed with brain cancer just months after joining the company. Hannah, who will celebrate her 21st birthday on the final day of the JCB challenge, was given just 15 months to live in September 2022 when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Although she has undergone surgery to remove the…

I discovered Frank Bray’s 1991 Fendt 311 LSA at Somerset Traction Engine Club’s New Year’s Day Road Run. Frank’s father, Philip, started farming near Wellington on the family’s mixed farm with pigs, 50 dairy cows, 80 sheep, 1,000 head of poultry and 200 acres of wheat and barley. Philip was brought up there as a child in the 1960s with a Massey Ferguson 135, 165, and 506 combine harvester, and his father also owned a Nuffield. In 1987, Philip moved to a farm near Taunton. This was based on the need to have land in one location. Whereas the farm near Wellington had land scattered about, the farm near Taunton was all in one place and ring fenced. This is now encompassing 100 head of beef cattle and 100 acres…

Work has continued at a steady pace since the last issue of T&M, where I rebuilt one of the caster wheels using new bearings. With the mower back on all four wheels I have been able to attend to the sheared setscrews that secure the gearbox to the deck. There are three at the front of the gearbox bracket and a further three at the rear, and four of the six screws had sheared off at some point. Captive nuts The deck is made of 3mm-gauge steel with M10 nuts tack welded onto the underside, through which the setscrews are tightened to secure the gearbox unit. My first thought regarding the sheared screws was to grind them flat and centre punch them, in order to drill them out and re-tap…

The Massey Ferguson 135 is the most iconic model from the 100 Series, introduced in the mid 1960s to replace the previous MF 35 and 65 models. Over the years, many have escaped regular hard work, having found their way into the hands of collectors, and have benefitted from restoration and a sedate life. However, this hasn’t been the case for the subject of this two-part feature. This 135 dates from 1969 and is one of the last tractors to have the swept-back axle before the straight beam axle appeared. When new, it belonged to our local coal merchant/ground maintenance company and featured a Duple fibreglass cab and a front-end loader for loading sand, ballast, and other aggregates dealt with by the company. After a few years, the tractor was…

PART F The prices are based on tractors sold at sales, on the Internet, T 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…