Just bought a mf 135!

[flusher]

Again, excuse my ignorance.

If I was buying one of these tractors, what's the things I should focus on to determine quality of the tractor??

I'm wanting to purchase an older 2wd tractor in this size range and the Masseys are near the top of my list.

Diesel or gas engine? You can work on the fuel system of the gas engine tractor easier and cheaper than the diesel version.

There's a weep hole on the bottom of the clutch housing. It comes with a loose fitting cotter pin. However, this pin could be missing. Use a small diameter twist drill to clean the dirt out of the hole. A drop or two of fluid is normal. Any more fluid coming out of the hole could mean leaking engine or transmission seals.

The tractor should start right up without excessive starter cranking.

Watch the exhaust pipe on startup. There should be a puff of smoke. If the smoke continues after a few minutes of running, there could be a problem--white smoke may be a coolant leak into the engine cylinders, black smoke may be a fuel system problem, blue smoke generally means the engine is burning oil.

Remove the oil filler cap while the engine is running. If you detect exhaust flow then there's blowby caused by worn piston rings.

Make sure the tractor runs properly in all gears forward and reverse.

Make sure the pto and the 3 point hitch function properly.

I'd avoid a MF135 with Multipower. The MP on my 135 is stuck in the LOW range. I may fix it one of these days but it's not a high priority on my to-do list. The tractor works OK as is.

Good luck.

 

[ovrszd]

Thanks Flusher.

Until this thread I didn't know much about the Multi-Power. Didn't know if there were any other model specific problems that these tractors have. I understand the general condition issues.

 

[BIG PAPA]

Out of all the reading that I did about the 135 I only read a couple bad reviews. All the rest were very positive. All around good machines. Good size, good power, very reliable no matter what engine it has. Mine has a few issues. But only from neglect. For what I could afford I still got a decent tractor.

 

[ovrszd]

Out of all the reading that I did about the 135 I only read a couple bad reviews. All the rest were very positive. All around good machines. Good size, good power, very reliable no matter what engine it has. Mine has a few issues. But only from neglect. For what I could afford I still got a decent tractor.

I agree. I'm anxious to see you get it into use.

 

[redman135]

Hello and welcome to tbn. Firstly are you SURE the free wheeling problem really is the multipower?
I had a 135 multipower that was in permanant "low" multipower, BUT when the multipower unit was removed (dealer) there was nothing wrong with it, so it was put back in.
The REAL problem was the "nosecone" according to the mechanic. This mimicked perfectly the symptoms of a worn out or non-functioning multipower and fooled the professionals as well.
The "nosecone" was remanufactured and fitted and the tractor ran another 8 years before being sold.(no space to park)
You can "pin" a multipower clutch pack so you have a straight 6 (3x2) speed.
Lastly ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS, HIGH MULTIPOWER WHEN GOING DOWNHILL. no exceptions.
good luck and please let us know what the out come is.

 

[BIG PAPA]

Interesting! What exactly is the"nosecone" that they fixed? And do you know exactly how to pin the clutches?

 

[redman135]

Hello BIG PAPA ,I don't know what a nose cone is . I just know I got a $400 bill to remanufacture it and the gearbox worked perfectly after that.
I was told that you drill a hole through the multipower clutch-packs and insert a pin. How thick the pin is or how it is secured, I don't know.
Ididn't have time to work on a gearbox so the dealer did the job.
At $2500 all up it was quite a bit more than expected. I was told that the multipower is at the back and the only way in is from the front of the gearbox, so you need to gut the gearbox, and every component was determined to stay where it was.

 

[Al 2]

Well , if you are new here you may not have heard of Big Dean and his Massey site. He was a wealth of knowledge and made a CD about Massey maintenance and repairs. He passed on a while back but his CD lives on if you can track it down . There was a discussion on TBN last year about the CD. Search away.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=big+...hannel=sb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=o5V4U5LoKuKM8QfF2oHYCQ
Al

 

[vegaome]

Nice Tractor Big PaPa.

v/r

Mike

 

[klancf51]

Again, excuse my ignorance.

If I was buying one of these tractors, what's the things I should focus on to determine quality of the tractor??

I'm wanting to purchase an older 2wd tractor in this size range and the Masseys are near the top of my list.

In addition to normal mechanical inspection, here is a list I've used for MF:

Inspection Checklist when buying a MF tractor

1. Check the oil & coolant levels & be sure to check for coolant leaks or major oil leaks. On models with a clutch inspection plate, the plate is simple to remove and and can reveal both engine and transmission seal leakage.
2. Check the hydraulic fluid level using the dipstick. The level should be within range.
3. Check the color of the hydraulic fluid: if the fluid is white or light gray this means the fluid has water in it.
4. On the bottom of the bell housing there is a weep hole. It should have a cotter pin head sticking down: twist it around and check there for leaks. A little dampness around the weep hole is acceptable but there should not be a steady drip of oil. If the cotter pin head is not there, use a pointed tool (e.g. cotter pin, paper clip) to make sure the hole is open (i.e. move it around to make sure the hole is not plugged). A plugged weep hole can conceal very expensive transmission leaks.
5. Bring the tractor to normal operating temperature by letting it idle for a few minutes then speed it up about 1500 RPM. There should not be any blue smoke coming from the exhaust.
6. Place a load on the three-point (the heavier the better), raise it up and lower it. Fully raise the load and shut off the engine. It will probably come down slowly. This is normal but it shouldn't fall steadily. This check is best performed when the hydraulic oil at normal operation temperature (i.e. hot). Be sure test the 3-point using both the position & draft controls.
7. Shake the rear wheels sideways to check if the axles are tight. Also check for any signs of a leakage right behind the wheels.
8. With the engine running, disengage the clutch. "Feel" for pedal vibrations and listen for noise.
9. With live power the clutch should stop the tractor half way down and the PTO should still be turning. The PTO should stop when you push the clutch all the way down. With the independent PTO, it is best to get the transmission oil close to operating temperature. With something hooked to the PTO engage the PTO. It should start to turn immediately. If it hesitates that is a good sign the clutches or the seals are bad.
10. Check that the brakes have a good pedal and stop the tractor. If not, the repair parts could be costly.
11. For the following models: MF50, MF65, MF150 through MF180. the power steering cylinder is located behind the grill. If it hasn't been cleaned up it will be covered with oil and dirt. Look for any "clean" spots which are caused by leaks. There should not be any visible oil there.

Good luck!