Looking at Ferguson FE35 with 23c diesel

[logfarmer]

Hi Youall,
I found an FE35 at a local tractor dealer which has been advertised on Craigslist for two months for $2000 and still not sold. He is flexible on the price. The dealer tried to get it started yesterday but of course it was to cold, needs a new battery cable. It has a tool box mounted on it which contained a can of starter fluid, not a good sign?
If the compression is good on the engine and it drives out good, other than prejudice against the 23c would there be a good reason not to buy it.
Does the MF 135 have more and better features? One around here in about the same shape would be $3500 and up
This FE 35 has the two range 3 speed transmission, two stage clutch, a hydraulic port, tires are good and somewhat new, a new injector pump, but no power steering.
It has no loader but I do have one on my BX22, it will be used to run a brush hog (will it handle a 7' ok), post hole digger, back blade, pull a heavy steel beam around to level and fill fields, it's main purpose is to brush hog.
How big a pto chipper could it run? Valby 140? Wallenstien BX62S?
It seems to be in fairly good shape. I am trying to upload photos but they are comming in upside down or sideways and I don't see where to rotate them.
The photo below is of the worst of the two rims and is quite rusty. I took a rock and chipped off the rust to white metal it still seems to be solid. Is this a problem?
Thanks
Martin

 

[Jerry/MT]

Hi Youall,
I found an FE35 at a local tractor dealer which has been advertised on Craigslist for two months for $2000 and still not sold. He is flexible on the price. The dealer tried to get it started yesterday but of course it was to cold, needs a new battery cable. It has a tool box mounted on it which contained a can of starter fluid, not a good sign?
If the compression is good on the engine and it drives out good, other than prejudice against the 23c would there be a good reason not to buy it.
Does the MF 135 have more and better features? One around here in about the same shape would be $3500 and up
This FE 35 has the two range 3 speed transmission, two stage clutch, a hydraulic port, tires are good and somewhat new, a new injector pump, but no power steering.
It has no loader but I do have one on my BX22, it will be used to run a brush hog (will it handle a 7' ok), post hole digger, back blade, pull a heavy steel beam around to level and fill fields, it's main purpose is to brush hog.
How big a pto chipper could it run? Valby 140? Wallenstien BX62S?
It seems to be in fairly good shape. I am trying to upload photos but they are comming in upside down or sideways and I don't see where to rotate them.
The photo below is of the worst of the two rims and is quite rusty. I took a rock and chipped off the rust to white metal it still seems to be solid. Is this a problem?
Thanks
Martin

I like diesels because of their fuel efficiency and their simplicity. The FE-35 23c Diesel is a notorious "hard starter" and parts are hard to come by. And you live in country where they have real winter. Beware of a diesel that needs starter fluid to get it going. There can be ring and piston damage from using starting fluid improperly. Rims you can always find and you can knock the price down to account for that have so in my opinion that's a non issue.

Given a choice, in my opinion, the MF 135 is a better machine and it's easier to get parts for.

 

[logfarmer]

Thanks Jerry,
Other than the motor is the 135 much different than the fe 35. If I can get it cheap enough I think I can live with the parts availability issue as I'm retired and can wait for things to get here.
I have read that if you use two 6 volt batteries as originally intended, have the glow plugs functioning correctly by replacing with 12volt plugs, it is not hard to start.???

 

[ESBkevin]

It's not so much the parts, even when new these engines developed a reputation for being a hard starter especially in the cold. Ferguson only used them for about 2 years iirc.

If you can pull start it with your other tractor and don't have regular need of it in the depths of winter it may prove worthwhile as an additional tractor. Otherwise the 135 will be a better starter, easier to fix, and retain it's resale value.

The later FE35 diesel engine is fine though.

 

[WilliamBos]

We had a 1959 MF FE 35 with the 23c. Had a block heater, and an insulated blanket, started ok. Next step was adding a Thermo start.

It ran quieter, smoother, and used less fuel than Perkins 3.152.

The Perkins 3.A152 (indirect injected) came along in 1960, injector lines for the A are getting hard to come by. The 3.D152 (direct injected) in the 135/150 should not be an issue for parts.

If parts were not an issue, the 23C in a hesrtbeat.

 

[Agvg]

23c parts are no big problem, the engine are very sensitive to injection timing and many have worn timing chains that gives timing problems.
There are two different heads on this engine, a older one whit preheat and a newer with glow plugs on every cylinder and those starts better in the cold.

 

[logfarmer]

[QUOTE=Next step was adding a Thermo start.
Thanks Will,
What is a Thermo start?
Martin

 

[logfarmer]

This engine is the one with the individual glow plugs in each of the cylinders.
The dealer replaced the battery cables and says that it starts fine now, so when I get back from a trip I will get down there and drive to see how it is.
Martin

 

[Jerry/MT]

Thermostart is a an intake air heater that use fuel and a heated grid to light a small flame in the intake manifold to preheat the intake air. There is a special spot on the key switch that activates it before you turn on the starter and it stays active when the starter is running. When you release the key, the Thermostart is shut off. If you have one that is working,you cannot use starting fluid or it will ignite the starting fluid in the intake manifold.

 

[logfarmer]

Jerry thanks for the explanation about the thermostart.
This one has glow plugs which the dealer just repaired, and put on a new battery cable so it now will start. I drove it around a the lot and a field next door for quite a while. The engine does not smoke, it works in high and low range, all the gears and will go plenty slow for mowing. The two stage clutch works just fine, and the front wheel spindles and king pins are tight, going over gopher holes and bumps and ridges did not cause it to be loose or shimmy. The pto works the three point goes up and down, the dealer will hook something up to it to check the lift capacity of the three point.
It is leaking oil out of the pto and left axle or at least there is a lot of black dirt around those areas and the trans oil is barely on the dipstick.
If the compression checks out ok i will buy it for the $2,000 as it seems worth that
Martin.
Is there anything Im missing?