MF colors

   / MF colors #1  

flusher

Super Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2005
Messages
7,538
Location
Sacramento
Tractor
Getting old. Sold the ranch. Sold the tractors. Moved back to the city.
I bought an MF-135 diesel deluxe with Multipower and power steering a few weeks ago. Unfortunately the tractor serial number is missing so the exact year of manufacture is presently unknown.

The seller said that it came with a generator and that later his Dad installed a replacement alternator. The MF parts manual for the 135 indicates that the alternator became standard equipment in the 1968 model year and that generators were no longer OEM parts. 135s were built from 1964-75, so mine was built in the 1964-67 period.

My tractor has the MF red paint on the sheet metal parts and the MF silver color (probably "silver mist grey") on the cast iron parts (engine block, tranny and hydraulics cases) and on the wheel rims.

I notice another color scheme on eBay where a lot of the 135s that are prettied up for sale there have the MF gray paint on the cast iron parts and the MF red on the sheet metal.

Question: is the paint scheme a way to pin down the year of manufacture?
 
   / MF colors #2  
flusher said:
I bought an MF-135 diesel deluxe with Multipower and power steering a few weeks ago. Unfortunately the tractor serial number is missing so the exact year of manufacture is presently unknown.

The seller said that it came with a generator and that later his Dad installed a replacement alternator. The MF parts manual for the 135 indicates that the alternator became standard equipment in the 1968 model year and that generators were no longer OEM parts. 135s were built from 1964-75, so mine was built in the 1964-67 period.

My tractor has the MF red paint on the sheet metal parts and the MF silver color (probably "silver mist grey") on the cast iron parts (engine block, tranny and hydraulics cases) and on the wheel rims.

I notice another color scheme on eBay where a lot of the 135s that are prettied up for sale there have the MF gray paint on the cast iron parts and the MF red on the sheet metal.

Question: is the paint scheme a way to pin down the year of manufacture?


The red is just MF red. The chassis on your MF SHOULD be what was called "Flint grey metalic". The silver mist grey is what you'll find on the rims and the grill.

New regs on paint make it very difficult to buy "over-the-counter" metalic paint. (be it spray bombs or bulk paint in cans) When some people go to paint a tractor, they're not prepared to search to the 4 corners of the earth to get the correct paint. It's becoming more common to see older Masseys painted with "Ferguson grey" rather than the Flint Grey Metalic.

AGCO was selling the correct color in spray or bulk. I bought the last 6 quarts my local dealer had in stock recently, then requested they order another case. That was in May. I haven't got my paint yet. That leads me to believe even AGCO will discontinue selling the metalic paint. Auto body shops can still get paints that us "hobbiest's" can't. Maybe you can get a friend in the business to buy it for you(????).

TISCO "Flint Grey Metalic" has been discontinued according to another dealer I use.

That might not be all there is to the story, but that's what I'm hearing.
 
   / MF colors #3  
Furher info;

There are numerous changes that were made to the 100 series Masseys during their production run. The parts on your tractor will by proccess of elimination, determine an approximate serial number grouping. In the next day or so, I'll try to forward some of the "indicators" that will help you narrow down the possibilities. We may be able to get you with-in a year or 2, possibly even the exact year.

For instance, there were 3 different part #'s for the hydraulic lift cover. (Big "plate" which the seat is mounted to.) There were changes in the sizes of the bolts that attach it. That will narrow things down considerably. Once we find that, we can go on to another part #/serial # break to narrow the gap even more.

If you'd like PM me to remind me. I'll be glad to help.

Finally, I saw a few pictures of your tractor. I couldn't help but notice yours has wheels from a later model tractor (200 series and later) It isn't uncommon to find 100 series with later wheels where an owner might have switched the power adjust wheels from their 100 series to a newer tractor, then install the newer wheels on their old steed. I'm working on a 135 of a friends that has that exact same setup.
 
   / MF colors #4  
Serial number missing? My HF TO-20 had the numbers cast under the seat.
 
   / MF colors #5  
Paddy said:
Serial number missing? My HF TO-20 had the numbers cast under the seat.


100 series Masseys had a metal plate on the dash panel that held the serial #. Any #'s found on the castings were casting #s.
 
 
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