Vintage Tractor Engineer

 By T. Gorse. 

My teenage years were spent on my parents farm in Lancashire during the late 50’s and early 60’s, where we kept hill sheep and a few suckler cows on the in-bye land. We had one Fordson Dexta which took over the workload from a Ferguson TE20 to do all the work on the farm.

My memories are of a relatively idyllic upbringing and much as I enjoyed school, I would rush out to help my father on the farm when I got home. We had two dogs, Meg and Tip, which were not only working dogs but also part of our family and our life. The dogs were a necessity in helping to gather the flock of the hill, but the other invaluable tool was undoubtedly the Dexta. We had the track width set out to give extra stability on the steep slopes and it was surprising where we could get with the tractor. I guess it could never match the abilities of a modern quad bike that I now so often see in use on almost every hill farm in the UK, but the Dexta could reach all our winter feeding points to take hay and cake up to the ewes.
Annual work included mowing, turning hay and then baling, rolling, harrowing the grass and from time to time there would be some reseeding to do of the improved pasture. The reseeding was a infrequent event and so we would ‘borrow’ the neighbours plough in return for some labour at hay time or a hand with catching for clipping. The rain came frequent and heavy in Lancashire and so hay making could be difficult. We reduced the hay crop in favour of silage and a contractor would chop the grass using a Major and, if my memory serves me correctly, a David Brown forage harvester.
I have been away from agriculture in my working life but have never forgotten those years on the farm with the Dexta. I often visit the tractor rallys and steam fairs and reminisce about those days gone by, but still remember the cold biting winds of winter encoutered on the open air tractor.

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The Ferguson FE35 (Massey Harris Ferguson  Company) was manufactured from 1956 until part way through 1957 when production continued under the Massey Ferguson badge and red and grey livery of the MF35.  The FE35 was painted in a distinctive contrast of grey tinwork and wheels with golden castings.  These distinctive colours gave the tractor a list of names by which the machine became known…..

 

…..Grey Bronze,  Golden Grey, Gold Bellies, Grey & Gold, Gold Standard, Golden Belly, Golden Bird, Goldbauch (Germany).

The FE35 had some notable improvements over the preceeding TE range, including independent brakes, dual lever control of the hydraulic lift and deluxe versions were equipped with live p.t.o. and hydraulics.  This live p.t.o. feature transformed the usfulness of the tractor as the p.t.o. speed was now independent of the forward speed, this been useful for tasks such as muck spreading, root crop harvesting, baling etc.  One reader has sent in his ploughing memories using one of these tractors.

The serial numbers are preceeded by three letters.

The first letter denotes the chassis type (S=standard, V=vineyard, J=industrial)

The scond letter denotes the engine (G=petrol, H= high altitude petrol, D= 23C diesel, N= 3-A-152 diesel, K=vapourising oil)

The third letter denotes variation (F=single clutch, M=dual clutch)

Data specifications and torques are as for the Massey Ferguson 35.

It is the distinctive silver and gold Ferguson badge that really finishes off this distinctive colour scheme.