Massey Ferguson 135 or 150

[MasseyWV]

Hello everyone.

I'm a typical homeowner with just under 3 acres of land in a very rural area of southern WV to maintain. Very soon (Spring/Early Summer) I will be in the market for an older used tractor which will be used to complete a number of earth moving projects and to maintain our gravel driveway which is about 1000 feet long. I'm no stranger to owning and maintaining machinery of virtually every kind so the additional work involved with purchasing "old iron" will not be a problem. In fact, I plan to eventually fully restore the tractor I purchase and have a very large garage with a nice flat concrete floor that is perfectly suited to the task.

Several years ago, I very nearly purchased a new Mahindra 3215 with a backhoe and FEL but couldn't qualify for financing because I tend to pay cash for everything. In hindsight, I am very glad that I did not purchase it because I was rather swept up in the desire to get a new tractor that would have amounted to little more than a very expensive toy. I could have paid cash rather than financing it but I had more important obligations at the time. That, and I was never very comfortable with the dealer, who seemed to be somewhat shady and the fact that Mahindra seems to think that something as simple as prices are top secret. In short, I despise haggling but I can hold my own and am not afraid to walk away if needed.

Transporting the tractor won't be a problem, as I now have an 06 F250 Superduty truck and a new 18 foot carhauler trailer with a 2 foot dovetail and dual #3500 axles, both of which were purchased with the money I saved by not buying the new Mahindra. Although I currently have the wooden deck of the carhauler trailer so I can paint the undercarriage before it rusts, since the manufacturer was too cheap to do so. Come to think of it, that's another reason I am choosing "old iron", because nothing is made like it used to be. Everything today seems to be slap and go for more profit.

After much consideration and deciding that "old iron" will do just fine, I believe I have settled on the Massey Ferguson 135 as the tractor that is right for my needs and budget. I'm also considering the Massey Ferguson 35 but heavily favor the 135. My understanding is that the Massey Ferguson 150 is very similar to the 135 except that it is a bit longer with a stronger front axle which is better if I ever get a FEL so I am considering those as well.

My research seems to indicate that a Massey Ferguson 135 can be bought for between $3000-$5000, depending on the condition, with the very rare possibility of finding one for between $1500-$2000. All things being equal, I believe I can eventually find one for a reasonable price, though I have seen many advertised as "restored" for more money than I would want to pay unless I had very clear documentation to back up the claims of the seller. More often than not, in my experience, "restored" simply means a new coat of paint to make it look pretty so I would much rather find one that shows it's age and do the restoration myself.

Lastly, my fuel preference is gas simply because gas is cheaper and more convenient for me, but I have read that the Perkins 3 cylinder diesel is one tough little engine so I wouldn't pass one up if it came my way.

Well, I think that covers everything, any advice or suggestions anyone can give are much appreciated.

 

[flusher]

I have a 1964 MF135 diesel deluxe with multipower. Bought it in Jul06 for $3600 with 4600 hours showing. It was in pretty rough shape, but running OK. It's a field tractor that's been modified with smaller 16" dia rear rims and shorter front axle spindles to make the tractor squat low for work in the previous owner's olive orchard.



I repainted and serviced the tractor



It's in my shop now with oil leaks around the engine and the rear pto shaft seal. Also the 2-stage clutch probably needs to be replaced, which means splitting the tractor.

The 135 gasser is also a good choice. You can work on that engine yourself. The injection pump on the diesel has to go to the shop if and when it needs repair.

Check out the clutch, the tranny gears, the 2-stage clutch, the 3pt hitch and the pto for proper operation when you're eyeballing a potential purchase. Don't be surprised if the steering feels stiff. The 135 is a heavy tractor with "power assisted" steering (not true power steering) and many of these old 135s have steering problems. My 135 steering is getting very stiff and will need to be serviced/repaired soon.

There are two weep holes on the bottom of the clutch housing that sometimes have the original cotter pins (loose fitting) still installed. Use a piece of small diameter wire or a small twist drill to ream the dirt out of these holes and check for oil leakage. A few drops is normal. Significantly larger leakage could mean the rear engine seal needs to be replaced.

Good luck.

 

[Mike476]

Love mine, Z134 Continental gas. Compression check showed one cylinder down about 10 pounds, like you intent is to rebuild it some day. Rebuilt the alternator, re-cored the rad, carb kit, had to adjust the 3 point lift mechanisms, replaced the exhaust, adjusted the clutch, put headlights and tail lights / rear working light on it, replaced the old pan seat, points / condensor / cap / spark plugs and wires, new right front tire and she was ready to go to work. After I replaced the rubber shift lever boots (cracked and allowing water into the hydraulics) and hyd fluid that is.

After it was all said and done felt the old girl deserved a little paint, good thing I took a picture two years ago after I painted it, not quite so "shiny and new" looking now. None of it terribly hard work or expensive, and now I know what I've got.

 

[MasseyWV]

Great looking tractors!

While it will be a month or two before I'm ready to purchase one, I've been taking the liberty to look around to get an idea of what is available in my area.

Aside from learning a lot about the Massey 135, my research seems to indicate that there don't appear to be many available within a reasonable driving distance for a decent price so it is looking like I will be in this for the long haul if I am to have any hope of finding one that will suit my needs.

I even went to look at a couple that were listed for sale in a local trader paper, just to get back into practice for when the time to purchase actually arrives. Two things were immediately apparant with the two that I looked at in person.

1. They were clearly abused.
2. They were priced too high.

Obviously pricing is very subjective but when there is evidence of serious abuse and/or a quick coat of paint that was applied over rust and dirt just to make it look better, I'm walking away.

Fortunately, I have a well used but not abused Massey 135 which belongs to my father-in-law to use as a point of comparison for my upcoming purchase. He has owned tractors all his life and is even willing to go with me for a final inspection when I finally locate one.

Tractor shopping is a relatively new experience for me. Can anyone tell me about their experiences when looking for an older model tractor, Massey or otherwise?

 

[flusher]

Evaluating old tractors:

1) Rear tires and rims--these are expensive to replace. Adjust your offer according to the condition of the rears. I've passed on making offers for old tractors with rotted rears.

2) Leaks--check the ground under the tractor and the underside of the tractor for evidence of leaking seals.

3) Smoke--start the engine cold and check the color of the smoke -- blue means the engine is burning oil (valve, ring problems), black means fuel system problem, white means water leak into the cylinder(s).

4) Check operation in all tranny gears forward and reverse.

5) Check 2-stage clutch operation to engage wheels and pto.

6) Check 3pt hitch operation preferably with a heavy implement attached.

7) Check steering performance (stiff? hard to steer?).

 

[MasseyWV]

Evaluating old tractors:

1) Rear tires and rims--these are expensive to replace. Adjust your offer according to the condition of the rears. I've passed on making offers for old tractors with rotted rears.

2) Leaks--check the ground under the tractor and the underside of the tractor for evidence of leaking seals.

3) Smoke--start the engine cold and check the color of the smoke -- blue means the engine is burning oil (valve, ring problems), black means fuel system problem, white means water leak into the cylinder(s).

4) Check operation in all tranny gears forward and reverse.

5) Check 2-stage clutch operation to engage wheels and pto.

6) Check 3pt hitch operation preferably with a heavy implement attached.

7) Check steering performance (stiff? hard to steer?).

All very good points, especially about the tires, transmission, and engine. Though, I may be somewhat forgiving of *minor* leaks because I eventually plan to do a full restoration.

With regard to the clutch, while I would like the tractor to be useable for about a year while I gather the necessary parts, including a new clutch, to do a restoration, if the right tractor came along, I might also be forgiving of a worn clutch as long as it works well enough to permit testing of the gears/PTO and is reflected in the price. Tough call really.

 

[droptop]

With only 3 acres, I'd go with the gasser. Although there is more to go wrong with a gasser, they are a lot easier to fix.

 

[TnWV]

My Father-in-law has a 135 and I have a 150. I'm 5'10 and feel cramped on the 135 and the lack of power steering is a PITA for me. Both are diesels and very reliable tractors. To me the 150 is much more comfortable and I can (and have many times) spend hours on it and not be to wore out, but a couple of hours on the 135 is all I can handle at once. Both tractors look great when restored and you definitely can't go wrong with the Perkins diesel, but I have no experience with the gas versions. Both seem to be plentiful so with a little searching you'll find one for sure. Good luck with the purchase.

 

[MasseyWV]

While looking at Massey tractor ads online, I came across this one on Craigslist. Can you spot whats wrong?

135 Massey Ferguson

 

[Mike476]

Would be nice to have somewhere to put your feet