Massey 135

[MasseyWV]

I found the following picture of a restored Massey 135 tractor online, but something didn't look quite right about it. Can you spot what's wrong?

 

[DaButcher]

Silver Mist all over and the decal is on backwards

 

[cmore]

I think u are to read the MF from your rear view mirror.

 

[MasseyWV]

It's not the decal. For comparison, here are a couple of pictures showing both sides of my Massey 135 tractor before I began restoring it.

 

[murphy1244]

Well the dizzy and such is switched around also there is a drunken mouse on the seat.

 

[uglyboywith11fingers]

mirror image pic... or it's made for the Japanese market:laughing:

 

[MasseyWV]

mirror image pic

Bingo.

I didn't catch it right away myself. In fact, I had saved the picture several months ago and only noticed it was backwards today as I was looking through pictures in preparation for painting my MF-135 tractor. Apparently, whoever edited the picture had flipped it horizontally. After I reversed the picture back to the way it should be, I did see that the radius rod appears to be slightly bent, but I only noticed it because I just finished priming the radius rods for my tractor.

Here is what it looks like after being flipped back again.

 

[murphy1244]

Bingo.

I didn't catch it right away myself. In fact, I had saved it several months ago and only noticed it was backwards today as I was looking through pictures in preparation for painting my MF-135 tractor. Apparently, whoever edited the picture had flipped it horizontally. Here is what it looks like after being flipped back again.

Some of those colors are wrong.

 

[MasseyWV]

Some of those colors are wrong.

Personally, I think it's hard to tell if the colors are correct because of the lighting (glare), but can say for certain that the fender mounting brackets are painted red when they should actually be flint grey metallic. In this case, I was mostly interested in the color of the starter since I will soon be rebuilding mine and wanted to see what it would look like painted black.

 

[murphy1244]

Well, the only silver should be front grill front hood supports and rims.

 

[MasseyWV]

Well, the only silver should be front grill front hood supports and rims.

I know, but pictures are often an unreliable indicator of the true color of something. Out of curiosity, I edited the original image, then increased the contrast and reduced the brightness to compensate for some of the glare. Here is the result, which looks about right to me.

 

[murphy1244]

Your right! Big difference.

 

[DaButcher]

I knew the decals were not backwards :laughing: By silver mist all over, the front wheels on the 135 I believe were solid red and to me the whole tractor appears to be lighter than flint gray.

Silver Mist all over and the decal is on backwards

 

[MasseyWV]

the front wheels on the 135 I believe were solid red

The front wheels on the MF-135 tractor were changed to solid red around mid 1967 to reduce production costs. Prior to that, the wheel center was red and the outer portion was silver mist.

Many indicators exist, but the air cleaner and the serial number are the biggest indicator of the cutoff date if the exact year of the tractor is unknown. Tractors having a horizontal air cleaner and a serial number with a 9A prefix should have all red front wheels, and tractors having a vertical air cleaner and a serial number with a 641 prefix should not.

MF-135 Serial Number Years:
1964: 641000001
1965: 641001909
1966: 641014871
1967: 9A10001
1968: 9A39836
1969: 9A63158
1970: 9A87325
1971: 9A107519
1972: 9A128141
1973: 9A152025
1974: 9A182761
1975: 9A207681

 

[murphy1244]

The front wheels on the MF-135 tractor were changed to solid red around mid 1967 to reduce production costs. Prior to that, the wheel center was red and the outer portion was silver mist.

Many indicators exist, but the air cleaner and the serial number are the biggest indicator of the cutoff date if the exact year of the tractor is unknown. Tractors having a horizontal air cleaner and a serial number with a 9A prefix should have all red front wheels, and tractors having a vertical air cleaner and a serial number with a 641 prefix should not.

MF-135 Serial Number Years:
1964: 641000001
1965: 641001909
1966: 641014871
1967: 9A10001
1968: 9A39836
1969: 9A63158
1970: 9A87325
1971: 9A107519
1972: 9A128141
1973: 9A152025
1974: 9A182761
1975: 9A207681

Mine is a 67 and has two tone rims. serial#9A22496, and I have a horizontal air cleaner

 

[MasseyWV]

Mine is a 67 and has two tone rims.

Since the cutoff date was in mid 1967, some MF-135's from that year will have two-tone rims, and some will have solid red front wheels. Does your tractor have the vertical air cleaner or the horizontal air cleaner?

 

[murphy1244]

Since the cutoff date was in mid 1967, some MF-135's from that year will have two-tone rims, and some will have solid red front wheels. Does your tractor have the vertical air cleaner or the horizontal air cleaner?

Just got done adding that Massey.

 

[murphy1244]

Sorry Massey, I do have all red rims except back rims are two tone.

 

[MasseyWV]

Sorry Massey, I do have all red rims except back rims are two tone.

That's a very nice looking MF-135 tractor! It appears to be all original, making it an ideal candidate for a restoration project. And it's a diesel too. If you ever want to sell it...

Looking at your pictures reminded me of something else that was different, at least between the one's with the Continental and Perkins engines... the hood opened on opposite sides.

 

[murphy1244]

That's a very nice looking MF-135 tractor! It appears to be all original, making it an ideal candidate for a restoration project. And it's a diesel too. If you ever want to sell it...

Looking at your pictures reminded me of something else that was different, at least between the one's with the Continental and Perkins engines... the hood opened on opposite sides.

I paid 2500.00 for it and its mine. power steering and 2 stage clutch.