Finding the year of manufacture for a Dexta is a complex process and sources of information differ. The serial number of the Fordson Dexta is stamped on the flange between the engine and clutch housing on the left hand side of the tractor. The castings codes (clutch casting, rear axle casting, gearbox casting, hydraulic lift casting) can also give an indication of year of manufacture. Fordsonfreeweb and Yesterdaystractors give information on this - and here’s a summary of that info. Other Dexta statistics are available here.
Casting Codes
From 1957 until 1963, the casting codes would be in the format of C17A (for example). The first letter refers to the month (i.e. C refers to March), the number refers to the date (i.e.17 would be the 17th of March in this case), the last letter refers to the year (A refering to 1957).
From 1963 onwards the code consisted of a year number, letter indicating the month and a number for the date. So 4D18 would be the 18th April 1964. It would seem that there are some anomalies though - see the table below.
| Month |
Until 1963 |
1963 and after |
| Jan |
A |
A |
| Feb |
B |
B |
| March |
C |
C |
| April |
D |
D |
| May |
F |
E |
| June |
H |
F |
| July |
J |
G |
| Aug |
K |
H |
| Sept |
L |
K |
| Oct |
M |
L |
| Nov |
N |
M |
| Dec |
P |
N |
| Year |
Code |
| 1957 |
A |
| 1958 |
B |
| 1959 |
C |
| 1960 |
D |
| 1961 |
F |
| 1962 |
H |
| 1963 (Jan-May) |
J |
| 1963 (Jun-Dec) |
3 |
| 1964 |
4 |
Serial Numbers
| Year |
Prefix |
Number |
| 1957 |
957E |
1 to.. |
| 1958 |
957E |
144 to.. |
| 1959 |
957E |
22558 to.. |
| 1960 |
957E |
44432 to.. |
| 1961 (Jan-Oct) |
957E |
71921 to.. |
| 1961 (Nov-Dec) |
09A |
312001 to.. |
| 1962 |
09B |
702592 to.. |
| 1963 (Jan) |
09C |
732031 to.. |
| 1963 (Feb-May) |
09C |
900001 to.. |
| 1963 (Jun-Dec) |
09C |
916550 to.. |
| 1964 (Jan-Sept) |
09D |
907332 to.. |
Other sources do differ slightly from the above numbers, so please only use these as a good guide.
