My 1966 Massey 135 Tractor (Pics)

[MasseyWV]

Here are pictures of my (new to me) 1966 Massey Ferguson 135 tractor with a Continental Z-145 4 cylinder gas engine and a 3 speed (high/low) transmission. Aside from a few minor dents in the sheet metal, the tractor runs good, and is in reasonably good condition overall. The hydraulics and PTO work flawlessly, but it does have some minor issues I need to address.

Yesterday, I purchased the tractor and a new 6ft heavy duty box blade with removable curved blades from a local dealer for $3800 out the door w/free delivery.

This morning, I did a wet/dry compression test on all 4 cylinders to get a better idea of the internal condition of the engine. All 4 cylinders tested close to the same which means it was either well cared for or was rebuilt at some point in the past. Given the hours (2820.1) showing on the working tach, I tend to believe that it's all original as it appears to be, including the hours. The compression readings are as follows. Number 1 is at the front of the tractor and number 4 is closer to the rear. Accuracy = +/- 3 PSI.

Dry Compression:
1. 155
2. 155
3. 155
4. 155

Wet Compression (2 squirts of oil):
1. 160
2. 165
3. 165
4. 160

[dex3361]

Those old Massey tractors are classics. They are almost indestructible. Does it have an oil bath air filter? If so check it they work well but must be serviced. Does it have differential lock and power steering? Nice find

[MasseyWV]

Does it have an oil bath air filter? If so check it they work well but must be serviced. Does it have differential lock and power steering? Nice find

It has a standard dry air filter but I plan to change all the filters and fluids very soon. It doesn't have a differential lock or power steering but the steering is so smooth you'd think it did have power steering.

[Dieseltech]

I think you found a real jem, hours and rear tire wear are nice for year of tractor. Don't see too many in IN without power steering, but steered OK without a loader though. When I worked at MF dealer years ago most every 135 sold had a loader on it. Sounds like engine has been well cared for too, enjoy your new toy.

[MasseyWV]

I think you found a real jem, hours and rear tire wear are nice for year of tractor. Don't see too many in IN without power steering, but steered OK without a loader though. When I worked at MF dealer years ago most every 135 sold had a loader on it. Sounds like engine has been well cared for too, enjoy your new toy.

It's difficult to see in the pictures, but the rear tires are actually new, or very close to it. Unfortunately, the rear rims will need to be replaced soon due to heavy corrosion around the valve stems, but I can live with buying new rims and having the tires moved to them. The new rear rims will cost around $140 each and I don't imagine that it would cost more than $200 to have them changed over.

Sure, it will cost me close to $500 for new rims, etc... but I think the condition of the rest of the tractor more than justifies it, especially considering that I plan to eventually do a full (or near full) restoration on the tractor.

Another small problem is that there is some minor play in the steering wheel, which I've narrowed down to the steering box. The steering box does have an adjustment screw but I'm not sure if it would help, and I could even make it worse, so I'm leaving it as is for now. It should be a simple fix after the service manual I ordered arrives in a few days. The rest of the steering mechanism, tie rods, etc... are tight.

Other things it needs are just basic maintenance items like plug wires, points, filters, motor oil, etc... Fortunately, the hydraulic oil is very clean so it won't need to be changed for a while. In fact, the hydraulics work perfectly.

[okmurdog]

Nice...

I also have a MF135 that is nearly identical to yours - it works well!

[Bob77064]

Congrats, looks good.

[MasseyWV]

The rear tires are loaded with calcium so when the time comes to take the rear wheels off and have the rims changed, I'd like to pump the calcium out and store it in some 55 gallon plastic barrels I have, then reverse the process after putting the rear wheels back on. This should make the process of moving the wheels much easier, and cheaper to have the rims changed without loaded tires.

Does anyone know where I can buy a hose to valve stem adapter and a small pump suitable for the task? For example, here are two air liquid adapters I found at Gemplers:

Air/Liquid Adapter Kit - GEMPLER'S

Quick Fill Tractor Tire Attachment - GEMPLER'S

[bsbrum]

Nice!! Congrats buddy, that's a great tractor!

[MasseyWV]

Today I put the old girl through her paces and she performed very well. I started at about 10 AM this morning and didn't stop until about an hour ago.

First, I graded my gravel driveway using the box blade and it's now smoother than it's been in years. After dropping the rippers and making a few passes, I was able to pull up so much gravel that I won't have to have gravel delivered as soon as I had originally thought. As many on TBN have said, the key to using a box blade on a gravel driveway is adjusting the top link. Tighten the top link for the rippers and loosen it for the blade, or somewhere in between, depending on the task desired. It's easy as pie, once you get the hang of it.

Next, I completed a large part of my earth moving project in the back yard. Again, the box blade was extremely handy to have, and that thing can move some dirt. The trick is to use the rippers to break up the packed soil and sod, then use the blade to move the soil.

It's been a long but productive day. I am wore out.