MB Tracs

ntbrenna

bk1991 wrote: »

thats only a 40 k plus 22k for an 1982 ???????

Hi bk1991,

Just wondering if you ever bought something in the MB trac/JCB Fastrac range?

Seems like you got very little info from anyone on MB tracs in the thread above.

Just wondering as we've bought one (a 1300 model) just a couple of months back and I was wondering if you had any advice on them if you already have one or had one???

101sean

Hi ntbrenna

Not a good idea to dredge up a really old post so I've started a new one for you.
Best bet is to quote an old post as some of them can be very long. -
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055637938&page=2

bk1991 may no longer be looking in here, you could pm him but I think you need to have done 10 posts first,

Otherwise, anyone know much about MB Tracs, it's not something you see often?

ntbrenna

101sean wrote: »

Hi ntbrenna

Not a good idea to dredge up a really old post so I've started a new one for you.
Best bet is to quote an old post as some of them can be very long. -
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055637938&page=2

bk1991 may no longer be looking in here, you could pm him but I think you need to have done 10 posts first,

Otherwise, anyone know much about MB Tracs, it's not something you see often?

Thanks 101sean for starting the new thread; I think I need 25 posts before I can PM though, so it'll be a little while yet....!

ntbrenna

johnf2020

I was in Rockwell Agri College in 1990 and they had 3 of them that time.Suirhaul Commercials used to sell them who were quite local--they had a small 800, a mid sized 1000/1100 (cant remember which) and a 1500. They swore by them at the time. A couple of neg points though...Pick-up hitches were weak, gearboxes didnt take kindly to abuse.They used a pre-select system for gear changes and they actually rust....Parts are very expensive. Production ended in 1991 so the youngest is 20 years old...Remember that the initial outlay for one of these would have been huge compared to anything else, so they were bought to be used to their full value, so the chances of finding a low houred one would be almost zero....I have driven a number of 1100's over the years. Felt more like a truck..Start the engine, wait for air-pressure to build to release the brakes,nose rises as you move off, pre-select the next gear,----addictive stuff:D

I'd love an 800 as a classic!

101sean

Found one web site dedicated to them in German http://www.trac-technik.de/

Google also brings up some manuals download sites.

Fishtits

IMHO, Simple straighforward machine, good for spraying or other such.

Ford4000

Do everything you can to look after the gearbox, they can lose there high range and sure what have you then only an odd looking tractor with an average speed, at the first signs of gearbox trouble get it sorted regardless of cost !!!!! Keep gbox oils well maintained and as they say preselect carefully through the gears !

ntbrenna

johnf2020 wrote: »

I was in Rockwell Agri College in 1990 and they had 3 of them that time.Suirhaul Commercials used to sell them who were quite local--they had a small 800, a mid sized 1000/1100 (cant remember which) and a 1500. They swore by them at the time. A couple of neg points though...Pick-up hitches were weak, gearboxes didnt take kindly to abuse.They used a pre-select system for gear changes and they actually rust....Parts are very expensive. Production ended in 1991 so the youngest is 20 years old...Remember that the initial outlay for one of these would have been huge compared to anything else, so they were bought to be used to their full value, so the chances of finding a low houred one would be almost zero....I have driven a number of 1100's over the years. Felt more like a truck..Start the engine, wait for air-pressure to build to release the brakes,nose rises as you move off, pre-select the next gear,----addictive stuff:D

I'd love an 800 as a classic!

Hi johnf2020,

Sounds like a nice perk of going to agri college at Rockwell, to get to drive the expensive MB tracs! I wonder how much did they cost new back then; they must have been amongst the most expensive if not the most expensive tractors in their day.

I wonder where those three machines went when the college closed. (It closed around 2001 according to this article on RTE.ie:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2001/0904/rockwell.html).

Never heard complaints about the hitches before. But nearly every one I've seen down the years has a different hitch to the last - I don't know if that's because they've been replaced at some stage or because they were on the 'option' list when buying and the buyer decided what type of hitch was put on the machine...?

I definitely agree that they're addictive though. I've only got to drive our one a few times so far since we got it but I'm always looking forward to the next excuse to take her out!



P.S. If you really fancy an 800/small model as a xmas present to yourself; you can get an old-shape 900 turbo here but the price is a little...... 'prohibitive', if you ask me:
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/tractors/2804045

ntbrenna

101sean wrote: »

Found one web site dedicated to them in German http://www.trac-technik.de/

Google also brings up some manuals download sites.

Yeah, trac-technik.de is a great resource but you really need to visit it using the Google Chrome browser (instead of Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc) so you can get the benefits of Chrome's auto-translate functions which make most foreign-language websites navigable. I don't think any other browser is as handy to use in those circumstances.


On the manual download websites - do you know any reputable ones or ones that don't require you to sign in/register an account? I don't really trust the ones I've encountered so far because I couldn't find 3rd party forums or the like, where people have discussed them and thereby verified that they're not gonna install spyware or something like that on your PC....

ntbrenna

Fishtits wrote: »

IMHO, Simple straighforward machine, good for spraying or other such.

Greetings fishtits!

I think the smaller models are more optimised for spraying with fixed/demountable sprayers (particularly the medium sized 1000 and 1100 models - just enough weight, just enough power with a 6cyl engine instead of the 4cyl engines in the small models).

I think the bigger models would be wasted as a 'single-function' tractor when they are capable of much more, with 125/150hp and especially with the high top speed of 65kph.

ntbrenna

Ford4000 wrote: »

Do everything you can to look after the gearbox, they can lose there high range and sure what have you then only an odd looking tractor with an average speed, at the first signs of gearbox trouble get it sorted regardless of cost !!!!! Keep gbox oils well maintained and as they say preselect carefully through the gears !

Thanks for the advice ford4000,

Do you know much about the MB tracs in general; did you ever operate one or know anyone that had them?

Info and advice about them is pretty scarce so I ask everyone!

Had a look at your pics of making hay in Donegal; nice work. We haven't made hay ourselves in a good few years now. Summers of 2007-2010 in particular would've been downright impossible anyway :mad:

I was up in Donegal a couple of times in the last few years, near the cost as well, and I have to say the scenery up there is exceptional! The last place I visited was near Tory Island and you could see the island from where we were. I couldn't stop taking photos but I only had the camera phone with me and the pics wouldn't do the place justice by any means....