hello all. Newbie here was wondering which tractor would be the most bang for the buck massey 35 or 135 . the 35 has three cylinder perkins the 135 has gas engine ,i,m new at this tractor stuff any help would be much appreciated
kind regards jag244.
The 135 is the successor to the 35. Both are good tractors. I had a 1964 MF135 diesel with the Multipower transmission. Without MP the transmission is 6F/2R. With MP 12F/4R.
You can fix the carb on the 135 yourself. On the 35 diesel you'll need to take the high pressure fuel injection pump to a shop if you need it serviced or rebuilt.
Don't buy one of them unless it's running. Check for leaks. Check the exhaust color at startup and while the engine is warming up. Black means a possible fuel system problem. White means possible coolant leak into the cylinders. Blue means the engine is burning oil.
Make sure the 3-pt hitch and pto work properly.
Check the rear tires for excessive wear, cracking, dry rot. If the rears are filled with liquid (water, calcium chloride, windshield washer antifreeze, Rimguard (beet juice)), check for rusting on the rims, especially around the valve stem. Rears are generally filled about 80% full of liquid for increased traction.
If these tractors are in good shape, expect to pay $2000-3000 for the 35 diesel and $2500-4000 for the 135 gasser.
Test drive any tractor you're considering for purchase. Make sure the steering is OK. It's unlikely that these tractors will have true power steering. My 135 had "power assist" steering but it still was a bear to steer. You'll get a good upper body workout maneuvering these old tractor around your fields.
Good luck