Worth a look, MF 135 Gas

[Jeep Guy]

Hi

Still looking around for a 35-50 hp tractor for a rural home in Canada so snow blowing is a given, but also so driveway scraping/maintenance (gravel about 400 feet), garden ploughing every year about 40x40 feet and backfill, levelling, dragging some cut trees now and again. Came across an add for a Massey Fergeson 135 gas with the following description by the seller:

Only 1110 hrs on this tractor . 4 cyl gas Engine 42hp. Starts and runs great. Everything works comes with 5 ft LandPride Bushhog. Loader is a MF loader with trip dual purpose bucket

A big plus is an offer of free delivery up to 200 kms, I would be 145 kms from this address.

Not a lot to go on I know but ad just came up and read and heard really good things about the diesel motors on MF 135's but nothing really on the gas motors.

You think it's worth the 150 km drive to have a look?

Asking price is 4500.00 CAD which on today's market is pretty close to the same amount in USD not a huge difference anyway.

Think it's worth a look since its a long drive, any thoughts would be great to hear.

Steve

 

[bigbull338]

with 1100hrs on it id prolly go take a look at it.but the question will that tractor do everything you want it to.

 

[flusher]

Hi

Still looking around for a 35-50 hp tractor for a rural home in Canada so snow blowing is a given, but also so driveway scraping/maintenance (gravel about 400 feet), garden ploughing every year about 40x40 feet and backfill, levelling, dragging some cut trees now and again. Came across an add for a Massey Fergeson 135 gas with the following description by the seller:

Only 1110 hrs on this tractor . 4 cyl gas Engine 42hp. Starts and runs great. Everything works comes with 5 ft LandPride Bushhog. Loader is a MF loader with trip dual purpose bucket

A big plus is an offer of free delivery up to 200 kms, I would be 145 kms from this address.

Not a lot to go on I know but ad just came up and read and heard really good things about the diesel motors on MF 135's but nothing really on the gas motors.

You think it's worth the 150 km drive to have a look?

Asking price is 4500.00 CAD which on today's market is pretty close to the same amount in USD not a huge difference anyway.

Think it's worth a look since its a long drive, any thoughts would be great to hear.

Steve

135s were built from 1964-75 and the Continental gas engine was offered from 1964-68; so this one is 42-46 years old. So at 1110 hours, the usage rate is around 25 hours per year, which is so low as to be pretty unbelievable(unless it sat around unused for long periods of time)

I'd try to find out if the engine has been rebuilt, when the rebuild was done, and if the 1110 hours refers to the rebuilt engine. That's the first issue.

(When I bought my 1964 MF135 diesel in July06, it had 4650 hours on the clock and the engine had been rebuilt at 3100 hours (crankshaft cracked when running an auxiliary hydraulic pump off the front end of the engine)).

Next issue, check out that trip bucket to see if it will do the kind of work you need done.

I don't know much about the Continental gasser, but it should be easy to work on.
Be sure to check the tractor out thoroughly (no leaks, engine starts OK, no bad engine smoke, tranny works OK in every gear, hydraulics work OK).

Good luck.

 

[Soundguy]

it's a decent tractor in generaly. perhaps a lil high.. but then us economy is depressed and tractor prices.. at least inthe south are low right now.

soundguy

 

[sweettractors]

I am suspecious on those hours? A concern would be a cyl that was fouling out a plug. If it has new plugs installed recently, I would be cautious. Those hours would still have the original tires on it with about 1/2 tread still left. Ken Sweet

 

[Diamondpilot]

That tractor here would be $3000 to $3500 tops.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

i have a 55 ford 660 with original proofmeter as far as I can tell. it's still under 600 hours.

possible.. just hard to find..

soundguy

 

[sweettractors]

If you can verify those hours to be 100% correct, You will be fine at the stated price as long as the mechanics check out. Ken Sweet

 

[Jeep Guy]

Got a little more information from the seller on the phone, story is that this was an estate sale purchase, tractor was bought new and was only used for snow plowing the driveway which was an explanation for the low hours. Appearently all of the documentation and the original service manuals are on hand, tires are filled with calcium, has rear remotes, a live PTO so that must mean that it has the deluxe enginge? He has a MF 165 and said that its the same engine as that, that is in the 135 for sale. The only thing that the seller mentioned by way of issue was a leak at the fuel shut-off brass fitting which he was willing to fix.

Purchased it from an estate sale but his reason for selling is down-sizing. Haven't seen it but from the sellers description everything works. That really means nothing until you have a look at it yourself but at the price with a FEL and a 5ft LandPride Bushhog, don't really need that but could sell, along with free delivery to the door seems like its worth a look at least and warrants the drive there and back, if its not sold by the weekend.

Know that one thing to look for is leaking at the clutch housing, hydraullics, PTO, bearings on the front wheels, can get it into all of the gears, engine smoking and general condition, will look and see if it looks like new spark plugs or not. Any advice on other common things to look for on 135's?

 

[sweettractors]

Got a little more information from the seller on the phone, story is that this was an estate sale purchase, tractor was bought new and was only used for snow plowing the driveway which was an explanation for the low hours. Appearently all of the documentation and the original service manuals are on hand, tires are filled with calcium, has rear remotes, a live PTO so that must mean that it has the deluxe enginge? He has a MF 165 and said that its the same engine as that, that is in the 135 for sale. The only thing that the seller mentioned by way of issue was a leak at the fuel shut-off brass fitting which he was willing to fix.

Purchased it from an estate sale but his reason for selling is down-sizing. Haven't seen it but from the sellers description everything works. That really means nothing until you have a look at it yourself but at the price with a FEL and a 5ft LandPride Bushhog, don't really need that but could sell, along with free delivery to the door seems like its worth a look at least and warrants the drive there and back, if its not sold by the weekend.

Know that one thing to look for is leaking at the clutch housing, hydraullics, PTO, bearings on the front wheels, can get it into all of the gears, engine smoking and general condition, will look and see if it looks like new spark plugs or not. Any advice on other common things to look for on 135's?

Make sure the tach and hour meter are working, if they are not, there is no way to validate those low hours. All 4 tires should the original ones that came on it. Ken Sweet