Newbie wanting to know YOUR favourite MF technical development since '58

RevMilo · Nov 27, 2007

Hi,
I am compiling a list of MF product developments in both engineering and service since 1958.
What are your recommended landmarks or flops that have happened over the last 50 years of MF?
Please be as personal or broad ranging as you dare!
Thanks
Milo

Farmwithjunk · Nov 27, 2007

I already got my chance to reply to this question on that "other site", but for those who don't go there....

My #1 favorite developement was without a doubt the "DX" series, (better known as 100 series utilities and 1000 series bigger row crops) They were simple to work on, stone reliable, economic to operate, and at the low end of the price spectrum compared to their competition. The improved "Ferguson System" draft control and position control was the best in the industry at that time. It's still a tough act to beat all these years later. A few individual models excelled. The 1100, 165, and 135 models were the stars of the show. The 135 being a true ledgend. Their star qualities still shine more than 40 years after their introduction as they STILL bring quite a nice price, and with the majority of them still in the field working every day. The 1971 MF 150 pictured in my avatar is, IMHO, one of the finest tractors ever built.

Also, the model 300 combine was a pioneer of sorts. In the late 1950's and on through the mid 60's, Massey Ferguson led the industry in combine sales. They sold more combines than Deere, IH, Gleaner (AC), Ford, Case, Oliver, ect. The model 300 was the reason why. It had a long list of "first's" that are now considered standard features on todays combines. Massey Harris was a leader in self propelled combine design. After the merger, Massey Ferguson took the ball and ran with it. Massey combines still have a great reputation to this day.

As far as "flops", the mid-60's saw "Pressure Control" being touted as "the way" to pull drawn type implements to give the same advantages as draft control and mounted implements. It simply never caught on.

Another bomb was the MF25/MF130. A small French built companion to the MF35/MF135, it had poor brakes, not enough power, terrible steering components, and never got the parts support of the rest of the Massey utilities of that era. For just a few bucks more than the cost of a 130, you could buy what was quite possibly the best tractor value EVER, the MF135.

WilliamTO-35 · Nov 27, 2007

Although you're asking about developments in the last 50 years, if you go back just a few years earlier you'd find features that I've come to consider the difference between great tractors and also- rans. Although I've run a couple of John Deeres too (a 1959 440I, and an early 70s 4330 for more serious work) my favorite is still my Ferguson TO-35. Occasionally, I'm asked why anyone would buy a TO-35 for more money than, say, a Ford 8N , or other small tractor. Besides the famed 3 point hitch, shared of course by the Fords, the Ferguson had an overhead valve gas engine ( Continental ) with more power. It has a longer wheelbase than the Fords, and has the excellent dual range 6 speed transmission with very low creeper gears, which is worth the price of admission by itself. It took Ford a long time to finally put a good transmission with good ratios into their small tractors, in my opinion. The PTO with engine speed and ground speed options , and the dual clutch were also nice touches. Add a Wagner front loader , and you've got an all-purpose workhorse for around your property. To get back to your question, the JD 4330 did have power shift and a lot of gearing choices, and of course tractors of later years tended to have the horsepower necessary for larger implements and larger farms. Later tractors had improved and higher capacity hydraulic systems, which made it easier to plug into the hydraulics for use on implements than earlier tractors; i.e. they had quick connects right at the rear of the tractor. Power steering, although not new, became standard on a lot of tractors. (On the negative side, that 4330 diesel would just barely start in cold weather,even on ether, so there were no improvements there. I did discover, though, that if I wiggled the steering wheel, it tended to reduce the drag of the power steering pump, and helped the engine to crank. Go figure.)