Willl said:
This tractor has been in the family for many years.
In it's early life, it towed a square bailer locally.
I think every teen male I was related to spent a few summers bailing with it, including myself.
It's last years were spent at my Dads place, dragging logs from the woods, and towing a utility trailer to the house with firewood.
About 2 years ago, he was having some tire problems and decided to put new rubber on all for corners. This also included new/used wheels due to massive rust eat through.
2 weeks later, pulling it out of the barn, its back broke.
Dad ended up getting a new JD, and says it time to part with the old Massey.
My job, is to find info and list it.
Any info/help in identifying would surely be appreciated.
(clickable thumbnails)
Plate
Broken back
That's a Massey Harris 50. When Massey Harris and Ferguson merged, There was a tractor already on the drawing board over at Ferguson. Actually 2 tractors were in the works. The venerable TO-35 was already in pre-production testing when the merger took place. Plans for a bigger tractor were brewing. That would have been known as the TO-65. It would have been a 50 HP range model. So the story goes, Harry Ferguson was opposed to building a bigger tractor. Sales and engineering people at Ferguson insisted they needed to keep pace with the horsepower war that was on in the industry. Ferguson wanted to stay with tractors the size of the 35. When the merger happened, plans changed. The TO-65 was put on simmer for a while. Some of it's components were canibalized and added to the 35 series, becoming the F-40 when sold at existing Ferguson dealers, and the Massey Harris 50 when sold at existing Massey Harris vendors. (Harry got his way to an extent with the F-40) The plan was at first to keep the dealers (and the tractors badging) seperate. They were sold that way in very late 1955 (as 1956 models) all of 1956, and early in to 1957, when the brands were combined in to one name. MASSEY FERGUSON. At that point, the Ferguson F-40 and the Massey Harris 50 both became the Massey Ferguson 50. Then the "65" was finally introduced as the Masssey Ferguson 65. (A side note, If the Ferguson/ Massey Harris badging would have continued, the Massey Harris rendition of the 65 would have been tagged the "Massey Harris 75".)
In the final overview, the F-40 (and its cousin MH50) became the last tractor design influenced by Harry Ferguson. He refused to have anything to do with the design of the 65.
The 40/50 was essentially the same power train as a 35. Same engine, same transmission, same rear end, same hydraulics. The difference was the front end and hood. The 40/50 used a row crop front axle that was intended for the 65. It used the 65's steering, cooling system, hood and fuel tank, and dash board. Those changes made the 40/50 about 400 lbs heavier (than the 35), about 10" longer, and enabled it to carry enough gas (diesel version wasn't available until MF 50) to stay in the field an entire work day without stopping to re-fuel. Power steering was an option on the 40/50.
The F-40 and the MH 50 were ALMOST the same tractor. Paint was different obviously. F-40's were beige and green, then beige and silver. MH 50's were bronze and red. When the MF 50 hit the dealers, it was then painted the familiar Flint grey metalic and red that Massey STILL uses today. That was mid-season, 1957. The F-40 had it's own sheet metal. Different grill and different hood. The MH 50 had it's own grill and hood. (They were very simular in appearance, but none the less different) When the MF 50 was introduced, the grill and hood took on a bit of each models design.
Mechanically, they are all about the same. Only real apprieciable difference will be the carb. F-40's MH 50's and VERY early MF 50's had a Carter carb that was replaced by 1958 with a MS carb. Kits for that early Carter carb are somewhat hard to get ahold of.
The F-40, MH 50, and MF 50 were available in "standard" (24" or 28" rear rubber), "high arch" (with 38" rear rubber) Some "high arch" models had narrow fronts, both single or double wheels. Sometime in 1958, the MF 50 became available with the Perkins AD3-152 3-cylinder diesel. That engine became legendary. Variants still roll off the line some 50 years later. All the early 40/50's had a Continental 4-cylinder gas engine that was/is about indestructable. Those gassers are rated at 32 PTO HP.
I've got a 1956 F-40 and a 1957 MF 50. (serial # on my MF 50 indicates it was probably built in first few days of their production. #43)
For some odd reason, the F-40 is a sought after collectors tractor, the MF 50 is still VERY popular, and the MH 50 is considered an oddity and not very valuable. I find that so odd because, like I've eluded to, IT'S THE SAME TRACTOR!
The F-40/MH 50/MF 50 series went on to become the MF 150 when the 100 series was introduced in 1965. I'm a firm believer that the 150, bigger brother to the immortal 135, was the best utility tractor EVER built. And it's roots are firmly planted in that MH 50.
Some day, when I'm finally done restoring the F-40 (bought new by my father) and the MF 50 (bought new by my uncle [dads brother]) I'd like to have a MH 50 to complete the set. I'm 98% done with restoration on my MF 150 I bought new in 1971.
You should be able to find a replacement "lift cover" for that MH 50. It will be the same as a TO-35, F-40, MH-50, MF 50, MF-35, and I believe the MF 65. A few $$$ will bring it back to the land of the living. In usable condition, that tractor brought here to Kentucky would snag between $2000 and $3500. In MINT condition, MAYBE $4500. You should be able to buy a lift cover for around $150 to $400 in good working order.
Hope this answers most of your questions.
That is a massey harris-ferguson 50hp
