What can you tell me about a Massey Ferguson 1250?

[Rod in Forfar]

Today I looked at a very low-hours MF 1250 at a local dealer. He had taken it and another Massey Ferguson in on a trade. I like the idea of having a cab with heater and defrosters and wipers front and back for snow blowing. There is no A/C but the windows fold out and the doors come off. The 16 speed shuttle shift provides four reverse gears for snow blowing, as opposed to two on my TAFE 351DI. The loader looks to be a good deal worse than the one on my 2WD TAFE, though. It leaps up and down surprisingly in response to my inputs. The TAFE's tiny pump likely smooths out my inputs, but this one looks as though it could use some adjustment. At 670 hours, it shows evidence of some care, though the doors don't fit the cab all that well.

What attracted me to a winter tractor at this time of year is my fondness for my 1980 Bolens G174, a 17 hp, 4WD, 2 cylinder Iseki. Iseki also built the 1250. Quirky, expensive, with lots of gears and levers. Sounds good running, unlike my Kubota B series hydro.

But my Bolens becomes a shop queen when the weather gets cold.

1. Does anybody have experience starting a MF 1250 or comparable Iseki diesel in sub zero F weather?
2. I didn't see a block heater. Can one be fitted on the Iseki 1.5 litre three cylinder diesel? There is no space on my G174.
3. I had to ship a head gasket from somewhere in the United States to my dealer for the G174, but it's a 1980. The dealer claims this one is a 1998. Would parts be a problem with it?
4. Occasionally I have lifted heavy logs onto a portable saw mill with my TAFE. I would really like to know if this thing can handle a substantial log safely.
5. Anything else which I should know before negotiating a trade between my low-hours TAFE and the MF 1250?

Thanks,

Rod Croskery

Leeds County, Ontario
Pruner of trees, and grower of black walnuts