Using big old tractors for farm work

yellow50HX

Any of ye vintage lads out there use old tractors as work horse's. By that i mean do you keep an old tractor just because you like it but still use it for a few jobs around the farm?

Was over with a friend over the week end his dad was always into vintage tractors and has had a few dexta's, majors and fergies. My friend is the same but not so much the older machines.

They have a fairly new new holland for doing most of the farm work but have a few older tractors too.
Rather then buying a another new tractor they use their beloved vintages for farm work still, not massive hours but still have work for them, like turning hay, or cleaning the yard or just and extra tractor for re-seeding.

They are currently looking at getting a massey 1200. when I asked them what they were planning to use it for they said it'll be ideal for spreading slurry as they plan to get a bigger tank.

The thought stuck me that maybe there is method in their madness, if you have a number of older tractors that are in perfect working order then why not use them. ok they wont be putting up massive hours but they probably wont need to.

Just wondering if there are other people that have a tractor that only does one job on the farm or that maybe only works a few days a year but is kept for sentimental value. I know i'd luv to have a big TW or a county. wholly impractical for my place as i'd say the only farm work I'd have for it would be driving a rotovator for the bit of tillage i have, or to pull a slurry tank, but i'd luv to have one just to feel like i was 10 again.

grazeaway

Lad next door has two old yokes that are in nice nick, one belonged to his late father and the other to his late uncle. Would never sell them. Uses them for yard work.

One of my dads friends has only ever traded one tractor in about 40 years. Has about 8 tractors ranging from the 60's. They are all used at some stage during the year.

6480

i have a fiat 880 dt5 tractor bought new in 1983 and it runs a diet feeder and mixes all the slurry and very easy on diesel , i am on the look out for 2 110-90 s

f140

i nearly use the old tractor more than my newer ones. i have a ford 5000 1975, fiat 110-90 1992 and fiat f140- 1996.
Use the 5000 for spreading the fertilizer and spreading the dung, drawing silage, sparying any small work such as running pto power washer haybob etc
f140 spreads the slurry and any roadwork, draws silage, plough.
110-90- draws silage, mows silage, topping, agitates the slurry, rolling, power harrow
terex 860- does all the loader work and puts up the silage.

both fiats are in excellent condition but i put that dont too them never spreading fert or dung as them jobs really rot the tractor so just use the old one for that. the fiats get all the clean jobs. very happy with the fiats although its massey i would go for next time just because it was agro power i bought them off and will stick with the cork farm branch.

often though of buying an old freguson 20 or something to run the power washer or hay bob or transport box with the price of diesel now. i would see it as an investment as it will never eally depreciate compared to new tractors.

yellow50HX

One of my cousins has a roadless that our granduncle bought by in the 70's. was given to him for his 21st and he spent a bit doing it up. It has a fertiliser spreader on it most of the year. I'd say he will never sell it.

nashmach

Probably fits our philosophy very well here too.

Have two older 3 cylinder Fords for transport box, rolling barley, flat rolling, spreading fertilizer, spraying, drilling, tossing and a bit of trailer work.

Both will more than likely now be kept for sentimental reasons and I like fixing the older one up to a more respectable standard than before - lift works perfectly now for the 1st time in 30 years.

bbam

Our "new" tractor is 1986, 4WD Case-Int 885. :eek::eek:
For all winter feeding and yard work we use a 1974 DB996 with a loader. If the weather is very good and the 4WD isnt required then I'd use the 996 for topping and fert spreading.. The father bought it in 1980, handy ran compared to larger newer tractors..

grazeaway

my dad has an old dexta that we have been talking about fixing up for years. At the moment its just rusting away in a corner, would be very handy for light yard work and sparying. The 7840 can be a bit aquward around the yard, have had a few close scrapes with walls and gates

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

we have a MF 4245, and a MF35 which has been fully restored. the 35 has only been back in action since april, but was very handy pulling the bale trailer to the wrapper last summer, although it was hard on it with land conditions. the 35 will be doing all our haybob work, and possibly power washer. however the 4245 doesnt burn much diesel on the power washer as we use the 1000 pto (at low revs)

yellow50HX

coincidently this came up in conversation in work last night. one of the lads was saying that his dad bought a fiat 1500 during the summer. he said its so old its not even a fiatagri and has the old light brown paint work. was bought a few years ago as a restoration project the lads doing it ran out of time and money and it was just sitting in a shed with the wheels and bits and pieces. he reckons his dad picked it up for about 5k.

mechanically perfect but they had to put on the body work and wheels them selves. lights and things still need to be done but its running perfectly. was bought mainly to do two jobs on the farm, spread slurry and ploughing about 20 acres in the spring, plus the odd bit of trailer work.

They have upped their cattle numbers over the last few years so have more slurry to spread. It was too costly for them to change the main tractor to pull a bigger tank. have gone from a 1300 tank to a 2000 tank and were very thankful for it this year. The tanker has been on the fiat since july and they have been able to get a few loads out when ever there was a break in the weather. The smaller tanker would have had the other tractor going the whole time.

bogman_bass

I'd love an old muirhill or an MB trac but they'd be whole unsuitable for what I'd want them for.

But if you had the work for them and they were in good nick they would do rightly

reilig

1955 Mf-35 here. It puts in all the bales in winter (The bales are wilted and it has front weights). It is used in summer for moving the creep feeders. It works the power washer. It pulls the bale trailer with bales to the wrapper or sometimes it is used to unload bales off the trailer and line them up for the wrapper. 15 gallons of diesel will put in 3 or 4 bales per day for 6 months.

1970 MF168. Has transport box on it most of the time. Used for general stuff. It works the haybob in summer, loads bales etc. etc. easy on Fuel.

Have a New Holland 4wd which is used for mowing, agitating, slurry, hedge cutting, wrapping etc. About 500 hours per year.

jimmy G M

reilig wrote: »

1955 Mf-35 here. It puts in all the bales in winter (The bales are wilted and it has front weights). It is used in summer for moving the creep feeders. It works the power washer. It pulls the bale trailer with bales to the wrapper or sometimes it is used to unload bales off the trailer and line them up for the wrapper. 15 gallons of diesel will put in 3 or 4 bales per day for 6 month.

Jez relig your working that mf 35 pretty hard there. Agree with you on fuel economy being an increasingly important cost to control.

There's a lot of big tractors flying around under worked just burning fuel. We do a bit of it ourselves tbh but consciously trying to reduce it. It's difficult to safely transport round bales front & rear with anything less than 80 - 90hp though.

grazeaway

Yeah the old 3 pots are good on juice. Dad used to say that he ran out of diesel in the deaxta a few time cos he forgot when he last topped it up. Used to do a full summer on one tank, and that was for turning hay, sparying and doing general farm work.

Dont be daft

Wouldnt have any use for them but would love a restored MF135, a JD2650, or MB1100.
Just iconic tractors, have lots of memories in all three.
But like I said, shag all use for them.
If vintage tractors was to become a hobby if mine in the future then maybe stick the 26 on the diet feeder, the 135 on a scraper and the MB on a trailer for fast road work.
Then let on in me own head that their saving me money:rolleyes:

.......sure a man can dream:D

yellow50HX

Dont be daft wrote: »

Wouldnt have any use for them but would love a restored MF135, a JD2650, or MB1100.
Just iconic tractors, have lots of memories in all three.
But like I said, shag all use for them.
If vintage tractors was to become a hobby if mine in the future then maybe stick the 26 on the diet feeder, the 135 on a scraper and the MB on a trailer for fast road work.
Then let on in me own head that their saving me money:rolleyes:

.......sure a man can dream:D

it woul dbe like a child in a sweet chop.

i know a fella that bought an MB trac a few years ago, was on a big tillage farm up the county. has spent more time on tractor runs then farming i'd say but he just loves it. I think the only thig he has used it for on the farm is trailer work and pulling a harrow. Saw his dad drawing bales with it during the summer alright. It gets pride of place in the shed while the farm tractor could be out in the rain

JohnBoy

I have a serious hankering for a TW15, no idea what use I'd make of it, but I'd like to have one sitting in the shed all the same.

maybe just hop up and make brum brum noises every now and then

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

JohnBoy wrote: »

I have a serious hankering for a TW15, no idea what use I'd make of it, but I'd like to have one sitting in the shed all the same.

maybe just hop up and make brum brum noises every now and then

after spending a few weeks driving a TW15, I fell out of love with it very fast!

coolshannagh28

A 185 for the yard ,seriously handy, easy on juice and virtually indestructible . A 3040 for mowing ,topping etc and I just have a big smile on my face every time I get on her ,that big six makes a great noise .

yellow50HX

JohnBoy wrote: »

I have a serious hankering for a TW15, no idea what use I'd make of it, but I'd like to have one sitting in the shed all the same.

maybe just hop up and make brum brum noises every now and then

I'd be the same, would probably be the same just spending ages bouncing on the seat and growling noises. Love the sound those big 6 pots made.

stanflt

would love to have my grandfathers tractor that is in some museum in dublin-

it has steel wheels and was one of the first tractors in the country- reputed to be the work of the devil by the locals

not sure what year it arrived but ill find out

yellow50HX

stanflt wrote: »

would love to have my grandfathers tractor that is in some museum in dublin-

it has steel wheels and was one of the first tractors in the country- reputed to be the work of the devil by the locals

not sure what year it arrived but ill find out

That sounds interesting wouldn't mind knowing a bit more.

stanflt

yellow50HX wrote: »

That sounds interesting wouldn't mind knowing a bit more.

wont have any info for bout 2weeks- auld pair are in new zealand

f140

yellow50HX wrote: »

coincidently this came up in conversation in work last night. one of the lads was saying that his dad bought a fiat 1500 during the summer. he said its so old its not even a fiatagri and has the old light brown paint work. was bought a few years ago as a restoration project the lads doing it ran out of time and money and it was just sitting in a shed with the wheels and bits and pieces. he reckons his dad picked it up for about 5k.

mechanically perfect but they had to put on the body work and wheels them selves. lights and things still need to be done but its running perfectly. was bought mainly to do two jobs on the farm, spread slurry and ploughing about 20 acres in the spring, plus the odd bit of trailer work.

They have upped their cattle numbers over the last few years so have more slurry to spread. It was too costly for them to change the main tractor to pull a bigger tank. have gone from a 1300 tank to a 2000 tank and were very thankful for it this year. The tanker has been on the fiat since july and they have been able to get a few loads out when ever there was a break in the weather. The smaller tanker would have had the other tractor going the whole time.

there never was a fiat 1500 as far as i know. there was a fiat 1300- the orange fiats and then the fiat 1580- brown

stanflt

yellow50HX wrote: »

That sounds interesting wouldn't mind knowing a bit more.

ill know that their is a picture of it when it arrived- and that it cost alot of money to get it taken. if i can get my hands on it and scan it ill post it on here

yellow50HX

f140 wrote: »

there never was a fiat 1500 as far as i know. there was a fiat 1300- the orange fiats and then the fiat 1580- brown

Contractor down this way had oe when I was a kid. Now that may have been a 1300 or an 1580.

http://www.mascus.co.uk/agriculture/used-tractors-140-199-hp/fiat-1500/0lrcxiqc.html

yellow50HX

stanflt wrote: »

ill know that their is a picture of it when it arrived- and that it cost alot of money to get it taken. if i can get my hands on it and scan it ill post it on here

Cool. I have a photo of a threshing machine working on a nearby farm from back in the 40's or 50's. it's like something out of the quite man. Have it framed and on the wall.

1chippy

i dont see the calling in tractors. i just see them as a tool thats needed to do certain jobs.

grazeaway

as a young fella did you not spend the wet days inside with a brittons toy massey pretending to be harvesting silage along the lines in the carpet???

there was a shop in midleton that stocked those brittons tractor toys and my mum would avoid it cos me and my cousins would just spend ages looking at the tractors. we went in there as a treat.

Odelay

grazeaway wrote: »

as a young fella did you not spend the wet days inside with a brittons toy massey pretending to be harvesting silage along the lines in the carpet???

there was a shop in midleton that stocked those brittons tractor toys and my mum would avoid it cos me and my cousins would just spend ages looking at the tractors. we went in there as a treat.

On our carpet the lines were the roads and the bits in between were the roads, many, many happy hours, jaysus that Renault did some work but never cost me a penny to run, some yoke:D. Still have 'em in a box, will never let them go, brittons were the best. Happy days..............

1chippy

had a few alright but spent most of my money on the animals, i found a shop in cavan where i bought all my bulls and some of the cows. i wonder even if it is still open . i had gathered 120 cows, half dairy, half suckler and remember the best christmas was a new 4 stall milking machine came from santa.
f*k im old.

Kovu

Have a MF 20 that does the rush licking and occasional transport box work.

MF135 that is used for everything when our usual Zetor is being bold.

Longford Copperbelly that is just a showpiece and moneywaster as well

Sam Kade

Evalyn Miniature Band-aid wrote: »

after spending a few weeks driving a TW15, I fell out of love with it very fast!

Was it because it was an alcoholic or that you didn't like driving it?

yellow50HX

Odelay wrote: »

On our carpet the lines were the roads and the bits in between were the roads, many, many happy hours, jaysus that Renault did some work but never cost me a penny to run, some yoke:D. Still have 'em in a box, will never let them go, brittons were the best. Happy days..............

My neighbours kids have great collection. All boys and they luv their tractors. Every time I go there I want to go on the floor and push them along the place going vroom vroom. That said their models are a lot bigger then the ones we had. I suppose they reflect the size of the tractors used nowadays.

agriking101

reilig wrote: »

1955 Mf-35 here. It puts in all the bales in winter (The bales are wilted and it has front weights). It is used in summer for moving the creep feeders. It works the power washer. It pulls the bale trailer with bales to the wrapper or sometimes it is used to unload bales off the trailer and line them up for the wrapper. 15 gallons of diesel will put in 3 or 4 bales per day for 6 months.

1970 MF168. Has transport box on it most of the time. Used for general stuff. It works the haybob in summer, loads bales etc. etc. easy on Fuel.

Have a New Holland 4wd which is used for mowing, agitating, slurry, hedge cutting, wrapping etc. About 500 hours per year.

Of course a mf35 was the main tractor on farms for years. But would it be fit to move round silage bales? on the back, I presume?

nashmach

agriking101 wrote: »

Of course a mf35 was the main tractor on farms for years. But would it be fit to move round silage bales? on the back, I presume?

Ford 3600 moves them here when needed so no reason why a 35 wouldn't.:)

Dont be daft

1chippy wrote: »

had a few alright but spent most of my money on the animals, i found a shop in cavan where i bought all my bulls and some of the cows. i wonder even if it is still open . i had gathered 120 cows, half dairy, half suckler and remember the best christmas was a new 4 stall milking machine came from santa.
f*k im old.

I'd say I had the exact same parlour. Had little clusters and everything.
I was the same as yourself, was more into the animals and small machinery. Got the brothers and cousins in to do the contracting:D

Only thing thats changed is the scale went from 1:32 to 1:1

grazeaway

The kids these days would turn their noses up at a 4 unit palour with all the chat about expansion.

maidhc

Have a Ford 4000 and 2x Ford 4600 and Ford 550 digger.

At the moment the 4000 is on the agitator (whisk! ), One 4600 has a scraper and the other 4600 has a loader and does odd jobs.

Come summer, one 4600 will be wrapping and the 4000 and/or other 4600 will be drawing in bales!

All earn their keep!

CAtocork

I just bought a 1981 Ford 8200 2wd in original condition for 5,700. Was looking for something smaller but 7600's are making crazy money.

manjou

CAtocork wrote: »

I just bought a 1981 Ford 8200 2wd in original condition for 5,700. Was looking for something smaller but 7600's are making crazy money.

Had one of these in 4wd for years.Great tractor loved sound of six cylinder.Unfortunatly front axle was going and gear box was starting to give trouble but the clock read 8500 hours when we got it and dident work anymore and god knows how many hours we put up on it. Most thing i miss about the older tractors is being able to fix them no electronics. All you needed was a pair of vicegrips and they would get you home or finish job.

yellow50HX

manjou wrote: »

Had one of these in 4wd for years.Great tractor loved sound of six cylinder.Unfortunatly front axle was going and gear box was starting to give trouble but the clock read 8500 hours when we got it and dident work anymore and god knows how many hours we put up on it. Most thing i miss about the older tractors is being able to fix them no electronics. All you needed was a pair of vicegrips and they would get you home or finish job.

ah yes the vice grips nothing like rounding the heads on the nuts as you try to tighen/open them. Add in the lump hammer and flat screw driver and you've a full set. happy days.

i remember the food factory in midleton used to have 9600 and 9700's for pulling the pea harvesters, used to think they were the dogs bollox when i was a kid. they were probably the biggest yokes around here at the time along with a few county's and the odd fiat. would look like yard tractors compared the yokes flying around nowadays

iverjohnston

1chippy, the shop in Cavan was probably "Connolly Brothers" Still selling farms of stuff to young farmers, despite all the toymasters etc. Have a fiat 90-90 dating from 1986, a Dexta (being rebuilt) and a JD 3140 that I am tidying up, new nose cone, side screen, back and side window, s/h complete seat and a roof skin off a 4040. I like the look of the USA running lights in the roof! Well able for all my work. Might even give her a lick of paint when (if) the weather ever dries and warms up.

maidhc

CAtocork wrote: »

I just bought a 1981 Ford 8200 2wd in original condition for 5,700. Was looking for something smaller but 7600's are making crazy money.

Id love a Ford 8100 or 8200.

CAtocork

maidhc wrote: »

Id love a Ford 8100 or 8200.

I have not see another 8100 anywhere in 2WD
The power is insane it's so light.

yellow50HX

CAtocork wrote: »

I have not see another 8100 anywhere in 2WD
The power is insane it's so light.

2wd's at their best....ha ha
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4TczQZUboe0

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=l6n0nt86I5U

maidhc

CAtocork wrote: »

I have not see another 8100 anywhere in 2WD
The power is insane it's so light.

There is a few around alright. A little known fact is that the 8100 was built by County.

CAtocork

maidhc wrote: »

There is a few around alright. A little known fact is that the 8100 was built by County.

It's an 8200 I have.
The 8100 has a chassis. It's basically a 7700 with a 6 pot engine

v8hum

i have an 1985 ford7610 and an 1985 case 1394 a 75,135 and a 78 ,, 50b digger and i plough, harrow , and spread manure and spray 100 acres with them i think machinery should pay for them selves instead of me slaving to pay for them

trabpc

i think machinery should pay for them selves instead of me slaving to pay for them[/quote]


Ill use that sentance again. Well put.

yellow50HX

v8hum wrote: »

i have an 1985 ford7610 and an 1985 case 1394 a 75,135 and a 78 ,, 50b digger and i plough, harrow , and spread manure and spray 100 acres with them i think machinery should pay for them selves instead of me slaving to pay for them

Nice to have a bit of comfort too though.