Excellence In Power And Performance
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast|September - October 2017

A classic view of a farm at work prompted Alan Barnes to look into the story of the MF 65

Excellence In Power And Performance

Intrigued by the sight of an ageing Massey Ferguson 65 being driven along a country road a few miles from the Northumberland town of Wooler, my curiosity overcame any thoughts of immediately filling the lengthy list of shopping given to me by my good lady.

This Massey was by no means a restored machine on its way to a show, but a working tractor which was towing an equally ageing harvester and was heading for a nearby field of “baigies”. The Massey was in the company of an International 684 and I spent a while watching the two old tractors in action as they harvested the field.

While its baby brother the MF 35 has become an iconic British tractor it arguably rather overshadowed the 65, but this was also a very successful model with in excess of 100,000 machines being built in the UK. The design of the tractor stemmed from development work to produce a more powerful version of the TE-20 and by 1948 designs had been prepared and prototype machines had been built for testing and evaluation. Both diesel engine and petrol engine versions were built and the result was a final specification being drawn up for a new 56hp tractor to be designated the TE-60.

The prototype machines had been designated the LTX and in the summer of 1953 one of the LTX machines successfully completed a series of demonstrations, being put up against a Massey-Harris 744. The new tractor out-performed the Massey-Harris but it would seem that internal politics came into play as the LTX, or the TE-60, did not enter production in the USA. For a time the possibility of producing the TE-60 at the Banner Lane factory was also considered, but by this time their production was geared up for the new FE-35.

Esta historia es de la edición September - October 2017 de Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición September - October 2017 de Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE CLASSIC MASSEY & FERGUSON ENTHUSIASTVer todo
The (Dodgy) Italian Job
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast

The (Dodgy) Italian Job

Dan Harris guides us through buying a tractor which is rare enough to turn heads but shares something unwanted with an 1980s Alfa Romeo 

time-read
7 minutos  |
September - October 2017
Straight To The Point
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast

Straight To The Point

With hard ground and difficulty in getting his plough to penetrate, Andrew Hall sets about fitting some new points

time-read
3 minutos  |
September - October 2017
MF Ploughman Comes Out On Top
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast

MF Ploughman Comes Out On Top

The 2017 British National Ploughing Championships returned to a previous site as good weather, good ploughing and a good crowd were enjoyed.

time-read
2 minutos  |
January - February 2018
Diamonds Are For Ever?
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast

Diamonds Are For Ever?

Here’s some good news from the editor for those wanting to give their restorations that special final touch

time-read
3 minutos  |
January - February 2018
Original Is Best!
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast

Original Is Best!

Peter Love travelled to Shropshire to take in a very original Massey Ferguson 65 Mk2 that its owner purchased some 15 years ago. Yet it is only now that he has got it out of the shed and taken it to a couple of events. At Tractor World Autumn at Newbury Showground in October, it took 'Best Exhibit in Show' and quite rightly so, writes Peter. We find out the best way to clean up a tractor like this and get the best out of it, at the same time keeping the original look

time-read
8 minutos  |
January - February 2018
Back to Life After 30 Years
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast

Back to Life After 30 Years

It is thought the MF 35 was used as a shunter in Belfast International Airport.Chris McCullough finds an industrial tractor that once towed aircraft round an international airport and then ended up in a shed

time-read
2 minutos  |
March - April 2017
Putting Right Neglect
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast

Putting Right Neglect

The tractor as Russell bought it, with industrial tyres.Russell McNab reports on how he restored an MF 135 and kept his wife happy in the process – until she discovered his other plan

time-read
3 minutos  |
March - April 2017
French Classics Are Continental
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast

French Classics Are Continental

Mention Massey Ferguson to enthusiast Tom French and a smile immediately lights up his face. Bob Weir went to Cumnock in East Ayrshire, to see the recent additions to his superb collection

time-read
6 minutos  |
March - April 2017
Excellence In Power And Performance
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast

Excellence In Power And Performance

A classic view of a farm at work prompted Alan Barnes to look into the story of the MF 65

time-read
5 minutos  |
September - October 2017
George Likes His Chips
Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast

George Likes His Chips

Massey Ferguson’s 3000 Series is an array of cult classic models and one of the first ranges to use microchip technology. George Cook from Kelso owns a superb example of a 3070 – Bob Weir went along to take a look.

time-read
5 minutos  |
September - October 2017