Buying Advice - MF135 or AC 5020

Birdhunter1 · Jun 18, 2004

i do't know about the AC 5020 but all the AC's I have ever been around have been reliable. As for the 135 it is a great tractor, I currently have one. There are two things I would look over real well. (1) Which engine does it have, you said it was a gas which means it could be a Continental Z-145ci engine or a 134ci. If it is a deluxe model and has multipower then it has the Z-145 engine which is a great running engine. The 134 is too but it doesn't have as much power as the 145. Both will power a 6 ft. BH and will handle the same loads but the 145 will do it with slightly less strain. (2) Check the hydraulic system over real well. If it has multipower and has a high amount of hours on it then you may have hydraulic problems in the future related to the multipower system that the easy fix for is to take of the multipower system ($400-. $500 to take off or else $2000+ to repair correctly). I have had this problem on mine and now the multipower is coming off, I mainly use it for mowing now and will not justify the extra expense just to have it. Keep in mind though that my 135 has had a lot of use (close to 4000 hours) and the hydraulic system and multipower have been heavily used although the machine as a whole has been taken care of well it has been used.

To20Chris · Jun 18, 2004

My TO20 and my Dad's MF35 pre-date the MF135 and the multipower thing - I have heard it mentioned a couple of times, but I don't know what it is. Can you give a description?

Woodbeef · Jun 19, 2004

Multipower is what Massey called their two speed powershift. It is basically a hydraulic hi-lo type of clutchless shift. One of the problems with it is that there is no engine braking on the low side,only in high.

Birdhunter1 · Jun 19, 2004

Woodbeef was right, the problem is that the low side of the multipower doesn't have any engine braking. But I mainly only use the low side when bogged down or crossing a ditch. Whenever I have been going downhill and I needed engine braking but needed to slow down, (crossing a ditch or so) I have always just idled the tractor down which still keeps your engine revs up enough to power say a mower or something. It s nice havnig the low to shift to on the move when you get bogged in too thick grass or are pulling a disk or are going up a steep hill in road gear and need to shift down for that last little bit without having to clutch and drop a gear, or in parades.

SteveM · Jun 21, 2004

The AC 5020 is japanes, made by Toyosha Hinimoto - now out of business. Parts are easy to find if you have mind powers /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif They also have a tendency to break in half when heavily used with front loader.

On the positive, they are tough dependable tractors. But really, I would go with the Massey - loads of help, easy to sell, anyone can fix.