I bought this tractor because of the reputation of Massey Ferguson w/ the Perkins engine and because of its low price. I put 100 HARD hours on it and it did everything I asked of it. It had plenty of power, sipped fuel and was pretty much trouble free.

In spite of the good things, I DID NOT LIKE THIS TRACTOR. It was loud (the loudest diesel I have ever owned), it was very uncomfortable to get off/on because of the transmission hump and two shift levers
between your legs, it was hard to shift (especially while holding the brakes on a grade), the hydraulics are weak (4.4 gpm I have been told), the dry brakes were barely adequate and lastly it had a bad vibration
when pulling hard that the Massey dealer said was normal. DID I MENTION THAT I JUST DIDN'T LIKE IT?

I traded it in on a M4900 Kubota - shuttle shift, operator platform, strong hydraulics with remotes, quiet engine, oh so smooth operation. Somebody will get a good tractor at a good price with the 231S - I hope they like it half as much as I like the Kubota.

Date Purchased: 7/2000
Purchased: New
Price Paid: US$12300
Pros: Price, dependability, resale value, fit/finish
Cons: Loud, vibration, comfort, weak hydraulics
Rating: