Thread: Antarctica and Tractors

Early Massey Ferguson 135 bent axle, no power steering. We have one here, just without the tracks.

Originally Posted by Dougal

Early Massey Ferguson 135 bent axle, no power steering. We have one here, just without the tracks.

Hi Dougal

One of the two Massey Ferguson's I personally own, is a yellow painted MF 203 industrial tractor fitted with the MF loader and backhoe.
It has the AD3.152 Perkins engine with six speed gearbox, single stage clutch and has the planetary reductions at the end of the axles.

The badge on the side of the loader arms shows it was originally supplied by the Queens Bridge Motors branch in North Hobart, I am reasonably certain that it would have been used in Southern Tasmania all of its working life.

That tractor shown in the photo I think from looking at the sticker along the bonnet, would be a MF 40 and would be yellow in colour, the truck seen there is a Dodge with sign writing showing Queens Bridge Motors and their location as Port Melbourne.

When I was working on the family dairy farm, I put up thousands of hours on our Fergies. TEF20, FE35, MF135, MF178, MF194-4. My brother still has the TEF20 and the MF135 both running and in working condition.
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Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

Hi Dougal

One of the two Massey Ferguson's I personally own, is a yellow painted MF 203 industrial tractor fitted with the MF loader and backhoe.
It has the AD3.152 Perkins engine with six speed gearbox, single stage clutch and has the planetary reductions at the end of the axles.

The badge on the side of the loader arms shows it was originally supplied by the Queens Bridge Motors branch in North Hobart, I am reasonably certain that it would have been used in Southern Tasmania all of its working life.

That tractor shown in the photo I think from looking at the sticker along the bonnet, would be a MF 40 and would be yellow in colour, the truck seen there is a Dodge with sign writing showing Queens Bridge Motors and their location as Port Melbourne.

When I was working on the family dairy farm, I put up thousands of hours on our Fergies. TEF20, FE35, MF135, MF178, MF194-4. My brother still has the TEF20 and the MF135 both running and in working condition.
.

We've got that sickness here too.
3x TEA Fergusons (one purchased new by my grandfather).
1x 35 diesel (4 cyl), 6sp.
1x 35X diesel (was A3.152, now AD3.152) with multipower
1x 135 bent axle, it's mechanically the same as the 35X with multipower.
2x 135 straight axle multipower.
1x 148 straight axle multipower.
And a few of other brands.

The photo definitely shows an Ag tractor of the 100 series with the early bent axle.

The MF40 is an industrial tractor, they have a stronger front axle and wheels that are very different in appearance. Not to mention the bonnet and lights.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQubh4xk1ZQ]Massey Ferguson MF40 - YouTube[/ame]

Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

That tractor shown in the photo I think from looking at the sticker along the bonnet, would be a MF 40 and would be yellow in colour, the truck seen there is a Dodge with sign writing showing Queens Bridge Motors and their location as Port Melbourne.

QBM still had that truck when I did my apprenticeship with them in the mid 70's

359 Plummer St Port Melbourne

Originally Posted by Dougal

We've got that sickness here too. --------
The photo definitely shows an Ag tractor of the 100 series with the early bent axle.

Try this one, 2135

The MF40 is an industrial tractor, they have a stronger front axle and wheels that are very different in appearance. Not to mention the bonnet and lights.

Your quite correct with that, I checked my spare parts manuals and only the Yankee built MF203 tractor had a bonnet like the TO35, then only for a short while.

Fifty lashes at the mast for me.

The main difference between the agricultural model MF135 and the Industrial MF 203 / MF40 is that the back end is same as the larger models with the planetary reductions at the ends of the axle, the brakes are disc and inboard.
The heavier Industrial models could also be ordered with a shuttle torque converter transmission.

The dry disc brakes were woeful when dust found it's way in and polished the surfaces. The later wet disc brakes gave very little trouble.
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Originally Posted by naviguesser

QBM still had that truck when I did my apprenticeship with them in the mid 70's

359 Plummer St Port Melbourne

A good mate of mine David Tilyard, also worked for QBM, Hobart while he did his apprenticeship, he then moved to William Adams and after that went working for himself servicing Caterpillar equipment.
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Crossing Antarctica in the middle of winter???

Ref; BBC News - Ice Team to continue without Fiennes



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Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

Try this one, 2135

Bingo.

I didn't know about this industrial 135 model, the one I've seen before was in a yellow fleet (ministry of works) and I just assumed they were ag 135's painted yellow.
I've used a (I think) MF50 industrial hydrostatic before. Trac-grip loader and backhoe fitted. Hydrostatic pedals on the right, brakes on the left and no hydraulic lift arms or place to put them.

Todays random fact. In the US they sold orchard versions of the 135 with the inboard disc brakes to allow fitment of smaller back rims and lower, fatter tyres.