Best tractor?

farmerjj

Just wondering about peoples opinions on what tractor would ye say is the best tractor ye have ever owned and why?Doesnt matter what era.

ganmo

The best tractor is the one parked outside
(As long as is not broken down)

loveta

This will fairly open up a can of worms,..... but should be interesting :-)

Greengrass1

The MF that doesn't count though. Not broken in yet.
I'd say the case 4240.
Pure work horse

GERMAN ROCKS

I don't have them but id rate
the massey 390t
fiat 110-90
all the 100 series masseys eg 135, 188 etc

GrandSoftDay

Jd 6610 for me!

Farrell

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

I don't have them but id rate
the massey 390t
fiat 110-90
all the 100 series masseys eg 135, 188 etc

2 great older Massey, wasn't as impressed with 165. Next best Massey is 675, fantastic tractor pity about the cab.
Well whole 6 series were good mechanically

Figerty

35x.

Damo810

Some Fiat 110-90's in this country have gotten some dogs abuse and most are still going strong and holding their value well. Nice simple tractor with plenty of go to them.

Valtra 8X50 series are criminally underrated imo, huge amount of them are well north of 12,000 hours and still going strong without problems. Few more features than the fiat but still, plenty of power and enough weight to get the power down (Think valtra user 60/40 weight distribution on them too). A nice choice of Hp in that range too, from 125 to 220hp with boost iirc.

10 series deeres are still some of the best tractors out there, but getting them with lower hours and respectable condition for a reasonable price is getting a lot harder now, future classic though. Saying that I would do anything for a 7810 Deere.

Hard to rule out the tried and tested though, 135..

I think worst tractor would be more interesting though, plenty of bad experience with a 390 here yet they're still overpriced (although they have come down a lot) for what they are.

shrubs

MF135. Ours has done everything we asked and more! Great little workhorse! Runs on the smell of diesel, just a pity it's so small.

yourpics

Fiat 110-90 all the way

Base price

OP it really depends on what your requirements and what era that you are referring too.
Modern tractors are more like air planes with all their electronic technology.
Some people's opinion will differ but I think that a young man, Harry Ferguson from the North of Ireland, and his engineering contributions have lasted well over the years. I would be a MF exponent due to my experience over the years.
Having said that my favourite tractor to drive was a IH 784 with a front loader.
Thankfully I now have a IH 454 which I love to drive. It does all the smaller tasks like yard scraping, topping, drawing in bales of hay and it does not cost the earth to run.
I have driven many modern JD's, MF's, NH's, a couple of Valtras, a Fendt, a McCormick. Lovely rigs to drive with all their electronic wherrile gigs. I have to say they all have great seats, air conditioning, sound systems etc. Even bluetooth phone connections.
However when push comes to shove, I prefer the manual system over the modern electronic system.
However when it comes to a good work horse on my and OH's livestock farm then OH's Fiat 880 cannot be surpassed. It is all manual so no electric components can go wrong. In addition we use my late Uncles MF168 and my beloved IH 454.
So back to your original question - Best tractor.... my answer is a Ford Nan (TVO) c.1957, as it starts on the button and it still going and working today.

frazzledhome

I'd say MF 300's, 54's the 168 and the 135

Had a 690 cab was a problem as you all know but mechanically sound

A few 110/90's going strong around here. Never had one but lads love them.

The 7000 has to be up there aswel

Reggie.

frazzledhome wrote: »

I'd say MF 300's, 54's the 168 and the 135

Had a 690 cab was a problem as you all know but mechanically sound

A few 110/90's going strong around here. Never had one but lads love them.

The 7000 has to be up there aswel

Good man frazzled

yellow50HX

Growing round here every one had a ford and in most case several. The amount of ford blue in farm yards that I was in as a kid and even up to now was massive. Just thinking about it now I would say that almost every farm I know, has or had a ford tractor.

We have always had fords and they have never let us down. Any issues we have had with them were more to do with their spec then anything else (all 2wd). TBH I think you need to be using 4wd for any work nowadays with the extra size of equipment and the use of loaders for carrying silage bales.

Anyway in my life time we have gone through 2 Dextas (still have one from the mid 60s that we use to clean out the sheds and some light trailer work. Very simple very basic but still starts every time. Have a 7610 with a column change gearbox, could never understand people disdain for these as we have had it since the late 90's and never had any issues with the gear box if anything it is far superior to the floor change we had on a 6610. Had a 5000 and a 7000 and they did a massive amount of work. My dad reckons the 5000 had close on 20k hours on it when he traded it. The turbo went on the 7000 after 25 years and nearly 25k hours. Used to work for a local contractor in my teens and he had a number of 10 seris fords, the 7810 was the perfect all round tractor back then. The 7610 might have been more nimble but the 7810 had better balance, used them for everything from ploughing, rotovating, baling, silage, trailer work and pulling beet. The TW15 was also ahead of its time as a large tractor for irish work. While they may seem slow, basic and cumbersome by todays standard for their size they were supreme in their day. Comfortable, easy to work, great gearbox and all the power that was needed.

I would say the closest thing to the best all round tractors since the 7810 I think have been the JD 10seris. There a still a huge amount of them around here had have massive hours and were used massively during the boom times to do everything from dump trailers to beet harvesters. I know a few lads that have kept their old 6610, 6810, & 6910's and traded newer machines as they have always been able to rely on them. reckon JD peaked with the 10 series tractors and thier brand strength is still based on the seris 50 and 10 tractors.

Fiat may make rubbish cars and Italian engineering can be very hit and miss but they made brilliant tractors. Because the fords and fiat tractors stopped being made in the late 80's and early 90's they arent the most advanced compared to nowadays but there are plenty of them still working away perfectly.

Aya xxv

I had a nh6635 and like a fool I sold it as I had no work have tried to replace it for 4 years. Got one in uk 3 months ago and it was stolen 2 days after it landed thank god it was insured as it was found in the sea in Wexford but no idea how or why. Back looking for yet another replacement

Reggie.

Aya xxv wrote: »

I had a nh6635 and like a fool I sold it as I had no work have tried to replace it for 4 years. Got one in uk 3 months ago and it was stolen 2 days after it landed thank god it was insured as it was found in the sea in Wexford but no idea how or why. Back looking for yet another replacement

IN the sea!!!

simx

Ford 5000 great yoke can't get the end of them

131spanner

Ursus 4514 deluxe, she was a beaut

Willfarman

Any d series deutz. Legendary fuel economy. Made of qaulity German engineering. These pre dated the dx range which ruined deutzs reputatation and customer loyalty.

Zr105

Willfarman wrote: »

Any d series deutz. Legendary fuel economy. Made of qaulity German engineering. These pre dated the dx range which ruined deutzs reputatation and customer loyalty.

It wasn't the dx that ruined duetz, it was the agrotrons... The dx are a very well regarded bus around here still, you just have to watch the outboard disc brakes as they can get toasty....

Zr105

Aya xxv wrote: »

I had a nh6635 and like a fool I sold it as I had no work have tried to replace it for 4 years. Got one in uk 3 months ago and it was stolen 2 days after it landed thank god it was insured as it was found in the sea in Wexford but no idea how or why. Back looking for yet another replacement

Surely there's plenty of tl70s and the likes about? Identical tractors and shouldn't be that hard find a clean one?

yellow50HX

Zr105 wrote: »

Surely there's plenty of tl70s and the likes about? Identical tractors and shouldn't be that hard find a clean one?

The TL70 is a much smaller machine. The 7635 and 6635 and identical just like the tl90 and tl100. Only difference is the setting on the fuel pump which can be changed to give 90 or 100 hp (or 85 or 95 depending on which spec you read).

Great simple tractor was looking for one myself for a while but too expensive.

agriman27

Aya xxv wrote: »

I had a nh6635 and like a fool I sold it as I had no work have tried to replace it for 4 years. Got one in uk 3 months ago and it was stolen 2 days after it landed thank god it was insured as it was found in the sea in Wexford but no idea how or why. Back looking for yet another replacement

http://www.donedeal.ie/view/7299347
NEW HOLLAND 6635

Reggie.

agriman27 wrote: »

http://www.donedeal.ie/view/7299347
NEW HOLLAND 6635

Nice looking machine

Zr105

yellow50HX wrote: »

The TL70 is a much smaller machine. The 7635 and 6635 and identical just like the tl90 and tl100. Only difference is the setting on the fuel pump which can be changed to give 90 or 100 hp (or 85 or 95 depending on which spec you read).

Great simple tractor was looking for one myself for a while but too expensive.

Couldn't remember what hp a 6635 was, thought it was around the 70 but wasnt sure! But the tl series are all identicle bar the pumps/settings

Aya xxv

Reggie. wrote: »

Nice looking machine

Nice price for him wants 22500 without the loader

skimpydoo

Has anyone ever used a Lamborghini tractor?.

Reggie.

skimpydoo wrote: »

Has anyone ever used a Lamborghini tractor?.

PM lakill he has one for sale

skimpydoo

Reggie. wrote: »

PM lakill he has one for sale

Thanks was just wondering.

Willfarman

Ford 4000 4600 great little tractors. Actually deutz fahr dx.3.90 I think was the best machine I ever seen. Local has one with over 13000 hours on clock. engine never touched. Had a couple of clutches, and brakes done once. Still very tidy,

Reggie.

skimpydoo wrote: »

Thanks was just wondering.

He'll let ya know what they are like.

on the river

Reggie. wrote: »

He'll let ya know what they are like.

He sure will :-P

farmerjj

For me it would probably be a David Brown 995,there right work horses for there size cheap to run and go for ever, pity they were bit down on horses.

eric prydz

farmerjj wrote: »

For me it would probably be a David Brown 995,there right work horses for there size cheap to run and go for ever, pity they were bit down on horses.

They weren't too bad except the noisey back end they had and the tempermental hydraulics

case956tom

eric prydz wrote: »

They weren't too bad except the noisey back end they had and the tempermental hydraulics

hyds were as good as anything else so long as tipping pipes were kept clean,imo a 995/6 was better than the equivalent mf of the same time.

eric prydz

case956tom wrote: »

hyds were as good as anything else so long as tipping pipes were kept clean,imo a 995/6 was better than the equivalent mf of the same time.

Well the one I know of never tipped trailers and always had the correct oil in it and the lift worked well one day and was a disaster the next for some unknown reason .
Ford tractors have the best hydraulics imo

farmerjj

eric prydz wrote: »

They weren't too bad except the noisey back end they had and the tempermental hydraulics

On the 3 we had the hydraulics was probably one of the best part of the DB,s. Only small problem with them was the gear box could get stuck in gear the very odd time.

Greengrass1

farmerjj wrote: »

On the 3 we had the hydraulics was probably one of the best part of the DB,s. Only small problem with them was the gear box could get stuck in gear the very odd time.

Happened in a few internationals too.
The international harvester brand was to best of the case IMO. super tractors and a hell of a lot of the still on tillage farms in England and on the continent

Timmaay

farmerjj wrote: »

For me it would probably be a David Brown 995,there right work horses for there size cheap to run and go for ever, pity they were bit down on horses.

Had afew DBs here over the years, 2 1390s, another great workhorse, certainly when I think back to the dogs abuse they got, 2wd with a loader, nowadays the equivalent 4wd has a much easy job and 1/2 of them don't last as long. We still have a 1394 which we got in the early 90s, it won't be traded in anyday soon.

Damo810

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Happened in a few internationals too.
The international harvester brand was to best of the case IMO. super tractors and a hell of a lot of the still on tillage farms in England and on the continent

IH weren't Case though only bought by them, it's a shame they were bought in all honesty, there was plenty of talk about protoype gearboxes years a head of their time being developed. Hard to think so many top quality tractor brands are now owned by fiat..

Timmaay

Damo810 wrote: »

IH weren't Case though only bought by them, it's a shame they were bought in all honesty, there was plenty of talk about protoype gearboxes years a head of their time being developed. Hard to think so many top quality tractor brands are now owned by fiat..

Same story with DB.

The Letheram

Timmaay wrote: »

Had afew DBs here over the years, 2 1390s, another great workhorse, certainly when I think back to the dogs abuse they got, 2wd with a loader, nowadays the equivalent 4wd has a much easy job and 1/2 of them don't last as long. We still have a 1394 which we got in the early 90s, it won't be traded in anyday soon.

I would love one of those. A silage outfit around here still runs on a fleet of them.

Timmaay

The Letheram wrote: »

I would love one of those. A silage outfit around here still runs on a fleet of them.

Based in Tara Hill Wexford?

Willfarman

Massey ferguson 168 has to be worthy of a mention. Ford 7810 are a great tractor. John Deere 3050. Valmet 6400 are meant to be capable of colossal hours

Base price

Willfarman wrote: »

Massey ferguson 168 has to be worthy of a mention. Ford 7810 are a great tractor. John Deere 3050. Valmet 6400 are meant to be capable of colossal hours

+1 on the 168.
My late Uncle had one and it was passed to me and my brother when he died. It is in a state but starts on the turn of the key even in the middle of winter.
I remember someone talking at my Uncle's wake about round and square axles and how my Uncle preferred the square axle. It was several years ago so maybe I got that wrong.

Dont be daft

My uncle had MB Tracs. Two 1500 and a 1300 I think.

Have to be the best tractor relative to their time that I'll ever drive.

Even young ones would turn around and look at ya in it. At 16/17 years old it was a fair cool yoke to be seen driving.

Built like a tank, I remember changing the gearbox on one of them with my uncle and the thickness of the casing was unreal.

Imagine hauling 25 tonne of barley into a mill at 60 km/h, air brakes, gliding down the road. It'd be an advanced tractor now, nevermind back in 1990 when the next best thing was a John Deere 4230 or a Ford 8630

The Letheram

Timmaay wrote: »

Based in Tara Hill Wexford?

Ya would want to be up early in the morning to catch you out Timmaay. They call them the antiques roadshow and one of the owners takes massive pride in that moniker.

Reggie.

Dont be daft wrote: »

My uncle had MB Tracs. Two 1500 and a 1300 I think.

Have to be the best tractor relative to their time that I'll ever drive.

Even young ones would turn around and look at ya in it. At 16/17 years old it was a fair cool yoke to be seen driving.

Built like a tank, I remember changing the gearbox on one of them with my uncle and the thickness of the casing was unreal.

Imagine hauling 25 tonne of barley into a mill at 60 km/h, air brakes, gliding down the road. It'd be an advanced tractor now, nevermind back in 1990 when the next best thing was a John Deere 4230 or a Ford 8630

You paint s nice picture there

blue5000

Damo810 wrote: »

IH weren't Case though only bought by them, it's a shame they were bought in all honesty, there was plenty of talk about protoype gearboxes years a head of their time being developed. Hard to think so many top quality tractor brands are now owned by fiat..

Goodfellas:D

Timmaay

Dont be daft wrote: »

My uncle had MB Tracs. Two 1500 and a 1300 I think.

Have to be the best tractor relative to their time that I'll ever drive.

Even young ones would turn around and look at ya in it. At 16/17 years old it was a fair cool yoke to be seen driving.

Built like a tank, I remember changing the gearbox on one of them with my uncle and the thickness of the casing was unreal.

Imagine hauling 25 tonne of barley into a mill at 60 km/h, air brakes, gliding down the road. It'd be an advanced tractor now, nevermind back in 1990 when the next best thing was a John Deere 4230 or a Ford 8630

A large farmer near us ran u think 4 of them for years, the hours they put up were silly, something around 60,000. Definitely at least one still on the go the whole time.