Implements
Question: Is a slip clutch necessary when using the tiller on my “30”. May 14, 2016.
Answer: I am not sure the slip clutch is a must have but I think it is a good idea. As far as PTO shafts breaking, when the tiller blades hit an obstruction it’s the shock of the stop that usually does in PTO shafts. Keep in mind the TO-30 PTO shaft is only approximately 1 1/8″ in diameter throughout its length. Even if you have a conversion shaft with a 1 3/8″ splined end, the rest of the shaft is still 1 1/8″. Later tractors, like the TO-35, with 1 3/8″ PTO shafts are usually 1 3/8″ diameter throughout their length and therefore more durable. 1 1/8″ PTO shafts on tractors like the TO-30 can break or twist inside the tractor as well as at the end that protrudes from the rear of the tractor.
As I recall the Belle City corn picker had slip clutches and other devices to protect the picker as well as the tractor.
The Howard Rotovators I am familiar with had extremely heavy PTO universal joints and yet failed at the ears on more than one occasion. The ears are obviously the weakest points on the shaft assembly.
Question: Any ideas where to get corn or bean plates for the planter? What company made the planters for Ferguson? Is Burch one of the companies? May 14, 2016.
Answer: There are planter plates available, I do not know of a consistent source. Other members have been able to locate them at flea markets, tractor shows, on eBay, and from current or old dealers with New Old Stock parts. Planter plates were often sold by seed dealers as well.
As for the planter’s origins, the earliest ones likely came from Covington. It is likely the Covington planter was an attachment that fit on the cultivator or middle buster frame.
Dempster of Beatrice, Nebraska began supplying implements to Ferguson shortly after signing an agreement to do so in April, 1943. The Dempster grain drill and corn planters were part of that agreement. Dempster also supplied planters to Dearborn. A letter from Dempster to Dearborn indicates parts made for Dempster planters for Dearborn would also fit Dempster planters and Ferguson planters so the possibility exists that plates for early Dearborn planters might fit Ferguson planters.
There is also information that Standard Steel Company of Kansas City, Missouri was one of the last suppliers of planters to Ferguson. Standard also made the Ferguson tractor jack for the K-P Manufacturing Company of Olathe, Kansas.
The above information is from Ford Tractor Implements by Chester Peterson Jr., and Rod Beemer.
Question: A FENA resource shows there are apparently 3 colors depending on the year of production. How can you tell the year of production, with which to choose the appropriate color? April 14, 2016.
Answer: Ferguson implements from the Ford Ferguson period were painted the same shade of gray, M-1000, as the Ford Ferguson tractor. Fergusons, from the TE/TO-20, TO-30 period were painted the same shade of gray, M-1001, as those tractors.
Ferguson implements from the gray/metallic green TO-35, bamboo beige/flint metal gray TO-35 and F-40 period were painted light Ferguson gray, M-1011, the same shade used on the gray/metallic green TO-35 sheet metal.
Deciding which shade of gray to use is often a matter of personal choice, possibly based on what tractors you plan to use the implements with. Implements with Ferguson-Sherman serial number tags, brass tags, and plows with cast top-link masts are clearly from the Ford-Ferguson period. Late production implements can often be identified by changes that occurred late in their production runs like the “N” base throw away shares used on late production plows. The stamped spider-wheels that replaced the cast spiders on late production side-delivery rakes, and other details are found in implement parts books.
When Ferguson “merged” with Massey Harris to create MHF, the Ferguson part numbering system was replaced with the Massey Harris system. The new Massey Harris Ferguson part numbers usually end with an M followed by one or two digits as in M1 or M91. As stocks of parts with Ferguson part numbers, such as AO-657 were exhausted they were replaced by parts with MHF part numbers ending in M1, M2, M91 or M92. This was true not only for replacement parts but also for parts used to assemble new machines. Therefore, a plow with frame or other non-wear parts with MHF part numbers are likely a late production plow from the TO-35, F-40 period that was originally painted light Ferguson gray, M-1011.
Question: I recently bought an MHF 2 row mid-mount cultivator. I’m planning on mounting it on a F40. I’d like to know if you have any information on the color it should be? January 25, 2016.
Answer: These cultivators were sold as Ferguson’s, Massey Harris’s and lastly as Massey Ferguson’s. They were all the same except for the serial number plate and the color. The Ferguson’s were painted light Ferguson gray, the same shade as the sheet metal on the first gray/metallic green TO-35’s. The Massey Harris version was painted Massey Harris red to match the Massey Harris red on the sheet metal on the MH-50. The last versions were sold as Massey Ferguson’s, painted the same red as the sheet metal of the MF-50 and MF-65. There were two basic versions of the cultivator, one for corn and another for other crops. I remember cotton, beans and cotton being mentioned as other crops but I cannot recall which crops were paired with which version. When these cultivators came out it was not unusual for dealers to repaint them to match the color scheme that was correct for the tractor they were being used on. This actually happened with many implements. If a Massey Harris dealer needed a cultivator for an MH-50 and all the warehouse had on hand was Ferguson cultivators the MH dealer might accept the substitution of a Ferguson cultivator. As a result Ferguson cultivators were repainted MH or MF red to use on either MH-50 or MF-50 or 65 tractors. I have operators manuals, sales literature and parts books which would indicate which model was meant for which crop. Massey Ferguson later came out with an improved model which had a horseshoe shaped pipe frame that wrapped around the front, painted Massey Ferguson red. If you are considering painting it as a Ferguson, the TO-35 gray would be the proper color to paint it.
Question: Do you know of a source that describes the development of the Ferguson plow? January 21, 2016.
Answer: There are a number of books detailing the early development of the Ferguson plows. These begin with Ferguson’s work during WW I traveling the UK as a government agent to help farmers improve their plowing techniques to increase production for the war effort. That led to the development of the Belfast wheel less plow for the Eros, the Ferguson-Sherman plow for the Fordson, the 3 point hitch attachment for the Fordson and the plow to go with it, the 3 point hitch plow for the Ferguson-Brown, and pretty much culminated with the AO plow that debuted with 9N. This is pretty well detailed in the following books:
Tractor Pioneer: The Life of Harry Ferguson by Colin Fraser,
The New Ferguson Album by Colin E Booth & Allan T Condie,
Ferguson TE20 In Detail by Michael Throne,
The Massey Legacy, Volume One by John Farnworth,
Fergusons The Hunday Experience by John Moffitt and John Farnworth,
The Ferguson Tractor Story by Stuart Gibbard (Be careful with this one, Gibbard’s book has a few inaccuracies), and
Ford Tractor Implements by Chester Peterson Jr & Rod Beemer
A Global Corporation by E F Neufield.
There are others but these are some of the better ones. The first two in particular provide good overviews of Ferguson’s plow development.
David Lory wrote a very nice 4 part series for Antique Power Magazine several years ago. That series is reprinted in Fergusons The Hunday Experience.
As I recall not much has been written about the development of Ferguson Plows following the introduction of the first AO plows. Information about the various bases available for the AO plow can be found in earlier editions of the operator’s manuals for the Ferguson AO plow. Developments following the merger with Massey Harris have not been widely documented. This would cover the N bottom with its more economical flat share and replaceable front moldboard shin, trip bottoms and squared off frames and the automatic resetting 880 plows.
Q: Do you have any information on the bracket for connecting the top link of the crane to the tractor. I have seen pictures online of some brackets but I don’t think they are original. If I can’t buy one I will have to build one. August 30, 2015.
A: there are no parts or operator’s manuals on ebay right now but I did find this plate. It is likely for the UK version of the crane but thought it was interesting.
Peter and Julie gave me information on a guy in the UK that reproduces just about any Ferguson serial number or instruction plate. He uses an acid etch ink process as original and the results are beautiful albeit pricey.
My son tells me there are places here in the US that are capable of doing the same type of work. He’s an engineer and designs tooling. The companies he has worked for often have instruction and serial number plates custom made for the tools they fabricate.
Q: Hi. I have a Ferguson f12 square baler and also a Ferguson 2-row corn planter. I was wondering if you or your club have any paint codes for the correct colour or something close. I am going to paint them. February 19, 2015.
A: The F-12 baler was originally painted Ferguson light gray, number M-1011. It’s available from a number of sources including AGCO/Massey Ferguson, pre-mixed. The attached link should give you the information you need. Click on the paint codes and go through the pages and you’ll find the information you want. The corn planter could have been originally painted either Ferguson light gray or the darker Ferguson gray, M-1001, used on the TO-20 and TO-30. When the TO-35 came out the color used on the implements changed to the M-1011 gray. You may want to paint them the same color for simplicity. http://fergusontractors.org/fena/tractor-info/paint-codes.
Q: I have my grandfathers Dearborn 19-22 loader that was mounted on his thirty. have seen one mounted on an 8N. I have the thirty, and his 8N. Can it be mounted on a 35? I saw how fueling/servicing a thirty might be inconvenient with this type of loader. He kept it behind the dairy barn and put it on the thirty when he needed it. The hood on the 35 has similar access to fuel as the 8N. I need to mount the loader to use it, and I can choose a tractor to place it for long term use.
A: Yes, it can be mounted on your 35. As I recall it used the tractors internal hydraulic system so there should be no issue with connecting a front-mounted pump. The rear mounting brackets will mount on the 35 the same as they mounted on the 30 and an 8N, 9N or 2N. The front hanger may require some modification. The 35 front axle support is designed to make mounting a front loader bracket easier. As I recall, the 35 support is drilled and tapped where as the 30 had to be drilled to mount the front axe hanger. Some of those hangers replaced the axle pin. I’m not sure what the ones are like on your loader.
Q: I have a single bottom, two-way plow (made by Ferguson) for my TO 35. Is that plow intended to be used with or without stabilizer bars? I have used it with, but it seems too rigid. Years ago on the farm we used an AC plow and allowed it to more or less trail. October 11, 2014.
A: All the Ferguson mounted plows I am aware of do not use stabilizer bars. The later Massey Ferguson semi-mounted plows, 4 or more bottoms, did use stabilizer bars. Do you have a manual for your plow? That information will be in the operator’s manual. If you can tell me the model number, and I have the manual, I can scan it for you and/or tell you where to get a copy.
Q: I have this Ferguson 3pt multi-disc plow. The tag shows Model P-_ _-20 and serial # 1805. Below the Ferguson it has Massey-Harris-Ferguson Limited.The only rough place on the tag is the blank spot in the model number. Can you tell me what it is? August 1, 2014
A: It appears that you have a Ferguson Model P-BO-20 Disc Tiller. This is one of the implements that was carried over to the Massey Ferguson line.
Q: I have some implements that I cannot identify the makers. I found some casting numbers on a disc shaft and bearing housings. DH20X is stamped on the shaft in a couple of places and a couple of bearing housings are WD27, others are WD28 (end bearing). Wonder if those numbers ring a bell with you in connection with any other Ferguson discs?
I found some numbers on a rotary hoe beside a Farm Tools ID tag, however there were a couple of stampings on the small spike tooth harrow sections …. “Haughman HT1 Oster Inc” which doesn’t mean anything to me.
A farmer friend called me while I was home and said he had something Ferguson to give me. Turns out it was two NOS original Ferguson boxes, each with a full set of piston rings in them. Since the numbers start with Z129 I figure they are for a TO-30? Just wondering if you have ever run across any like that?July 10, 2014.
A: The disc is a Roderick Lean which was part of the Farm Tools group. I recognize a number of the parts which are common to the Ferguson and Dearborn pull type discs as well as the Dearborn lift type disc which is very similar to the one you have. The rotary hoe also looks familiar though I am going to have to study it a bit more. It appears to be similar to the Dearborn version, though there was also a Ferguson version. I believe the numbers on the castings are Roderick Lean part numbers.
Q: I am researching Ferguson implements, and specifically plows. Do you know if Ferguson used the same suppliers he did when he worked for Ford at this point or did he import implements from the UK? If he used the old suppliers, what did his ID Tag (badge) now look like? I have seen a tag with Massey-Harris-Ferguson on the bottom but that would suggest sometime after 1953 when they all merged. Any and all help is greatly appreciated. July 10, 2014
A: The first Ferguson tag is the one used on the Ferguson Sherman plow for the Fordson tractor. The early Ferguson 3 point hitch plows, the ones produced by Ford, and some other early Ferguson Sherman implements have a brass tag, approximately 2″ x 3″ that reads, Ferguson Sherman. Reproductions of this tag are available from a source in Ireland. The tag is attached with 4 1/8″ screw shank rivets.
The next series of implements had tags approximately 1 1/4″ x 3 1/2″ that read Ferguson Sherman. I have seen these tags in brass and aluminum? The tag is attached with 4 1/8″ screw shank rivets.
After the split with Sherman, implements had the same size tag but it read Ferguson and said Detroit, Michigan. These were used during Ford Ferguson production and continued until the merger with Massey Harris. The tag is aluminum and attached with 4 1/8″ screw shank rivets. This tag is being reproduced.
After the merger some implements had the same size tag that read Ferguson but said Toronto, Canada. This was for implements whose production was moved to old Massey Harris plants in Canada. US built implements still had the Detroit, Michigan location indicated. I’m not sure if there were any of these tags ever had the Racine Wisconsin location on them but it is possible. The tag is aluminum and attached with 4 1/8″screw shank rivets. This tag is being reproduced.
The last implement tag is the same style as the later Massey Ferguson implement tag. These tags are larger, approximatly 1 1/2″ x 4″, have round corners and attach with two larger rivets. I don’t recall the location but it may be Des Moines, Iowa. I have most of these tags and can send you pictures or scans. I do not have the 1 1/4″ x 3 1/2″ Ferguson Sherman tag but do have the earlier one and the earliest one from the original Fordson plow.
I would love to know who produced all the Ferguson implements but do also know that parts of implements were often produced by different suppliers. For instance, the plow frame came from one source, the bases or bottoms could come from Sears David Bradley division, which they did for a long time, the coulters from still another company and the tail wheel from still another company. When a dealer or distributor ordered an implement he had to order a set of “bundles” each with its own part number, to order an implement. One of the reasons for the bundle system was to allow for different configurations, like a cultivator ordered with either sweeps or regular teeth. The bundle system also provided for parts coming from different sources.
Q: I was talking to Brett Holaway([email protected]) and he said he has NOS 12 & 14 shares. Can you tell me if these are the shares I need? July 6, 2014
A: The shares Brent has are cast iron. If you do not have a lot of rocks in the ground you intend to plow they should work. These shares were designed to provide maximum life in sandy soils with no rocks.
As for the price the dealer in Canada is charging for the shares, this seems to be what Ford New Holland dealers are charging for these shares. I do not believe the dealer is price gouging, just pricing the shares to cover the cost from the manufacturer plus around 20% markup plus shipping.
The shares were available from any Ford New Holland dealer a year or so ago but when I checked on them the last time it appeared that Ford New Holland parts is no longer supplying these shares. I’m not sure if that is a temporary thing or if they will no longer supply them. AGCO stopped supplying these shares a number of years ago.
I have heard there are blacksmith shops that will fabricate or rebuild shares but I have no information on any of them or how to contact them. As I indicated earlier, these shares are difficult to locate these days, as is the case with most “fitted” shares. At one time there were several original equipment and after-market suppliers making these shares but that is no longer the case.
The use of plows has decreased significantly over the years and only recently have some farmers again begun using a plow to correct certain soil conditions. Most farmers today use minimum tillage methods including chemicals, chisel plowing and minimum tillage planters to prepare land for crops. I would like to see someone look into having these fitted shares produced in China or some other overseas location. I am not sure what the long range sales prospects would be but I believe there is enough pent up demand to justify having a batch of these shares made, perhaps on a prepaid order basis.
Q: I recently purchased a 1959 Ferguson TO35. I have about 8 acres of horse pasture to mow and I am looking for a brushhog. The outside width of the rear tires is about 68 inches. Would a 5ft or 6ft brush hog be better? There is also the question of shear pin vs slip clutch, and which brand is best with this tractor (Woods, BushHog, KingKutter, LandPride are popular in my area)? Is it more correct to say I have a Ferguson TO35 or a Massey-Ferguson TO35? July 6, 2014
A: Assuming your tractor is in relatively good condition, either a 5′ or 6′ machine will work well. With a 5′ machine you should have plenty of power to cut through most anything. With the tractor wheels set in the standard 52″ setting (center to center) you should not have any problem with covering your wheel tracks. You can reset the wheels to 48″ center to center if that seems to be a problem but I doubt that it will be.
I prefer a shear pin when using a TE/TO-20 or TO-30 without live power take-off because the PTO will free wheel after hitting an obstruction, allowing you to raise the 3 point hitch to clear the obstruction. On these tractors as well as the 9N, 2N, and 8N the PTO must be running in order for the hydraulic pump to operate.
For a TO-35 and other models where the hydraulic pump runs independent of the PTO, the slip clutch will slip when you hit an obstruction and you can then disengage the PTO, raise the 3 point to clear the obstruction and proceed. IN ALL CASES, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE MACHINE FOR DAMAGE BEFORE PROCEEDING.
Woods and Bush Hog make a heavier more durable machine than the Land Pride and King Kutter units I have seen, but I have not looked at any of these units recently. Bush Hog was making a lighter duty machine to sell at a price more competitive with the Land Pride and King Kutter units as well as their regular and heavy duty machines. Check with dealers and owners in your area for additional information.
The TO-35 was the designation for the Ferguson TO-35 models made from 1955 to 1960. After 1960 these tractors were called Massey Ferguson 35s and re-designated as the MF-35 model. Your serial number plate on the left side of the dash will indicate whether you have a TO-35 or MF-35 model. The link below will show you how the TO-35 models evolved. http://fergusontractors.org/fena/wp-content/uploads/TO-35-Model-Comparison.pdf.
Q: I recently purchased a Ferguson TO 30 tractor and I want to put a loader on the front. I came across an old loader that was on a Ford 8N Tractor. I know the tractors are similar and was wondering it that loader would work on the Ferguson. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated. May 26, 2014
A: It depends on which Ford or Dearborn loader you are talking about.most of those that will fit a Ford 9N, 2N or 8N will fit a Ferguson 30. The rear mounting is usually not a problem as the rear axle fender mounting pads are identical and, this is usually where the rear of the loader frame is mounted.
The front brackets vary somewhat. Loaders that use a hanger bracket that mounts on the front axle carrier will usually either fit the TO-30 or can be modified to fit the TO-30. In some cases mounting brackets for the TO-30 were available at the time the loader was in production. The earliest Dearborn loader used a front mounting bracket that attached where the front axle carrier is bolted to the front of the engine. If you want to mount this type of loader you will have to modify this bracket.
Some other potential problems you could encounter include: The need for hood modifications. The tip up hood on the TO-30 may not work with some of the loader frames and those loaders that use a front-mounted hydraulic pump will all require hood modifications. The TO-30 hood can either be removed when the loader is being used or modified by unbolting the top section from the dog legs and grill, securing the dog leg and grill segment with brackets attached to the front fuel tank mount and installing a pair of hood latches on the front of the hood to attach it to the dog legs. The top section of the hood is then removed by undoing the hood latch and the newly installed hood latches for access to the battery, gas cap and radiator cap. This is also the traditional way of modifying the TO-30 when a front mounted PTO pump was installed.
For loaders that use a front mounted pump you will have to obtain the proper modified crankshaft pulley to accommodate the front PTO shaft to drive the pump. These were available when these Ford or Dearborn loaders were in production. Steiner Tractor Parts recently started producing a modified crankshaft pulley which will accommodate a pump drive. You may have to use some different components than those that were used on the Ford or Dearborn PTO drive to attach the shaft to the pulley.
For those Ford or Dearborn loaders that use the tractor’s internal hydraulic pump to operate the loader you should install the Ferguson hydraulic drop valve on the tractor to connect the lift cylinders to the Ferguson System pump. The Ferguson System does not provide position control unless this drop valve is installed. Without the Ferguson drop valve, the TO-30 will give you the choice of either all the way up or all the way down, which is not ideal for loader operation where you will want to stop the loader from raising or lowering at some point.
The Ford hydraulic system has position control which means the loader lift or drop may be stopped at any time by moving the 3 point hitch control lever.
Q: I am rebuilding an ABO-22. I noticed a bracket that attaches the disk gang to the frame is slotted. There does not appear to be a reason for adjustment there. Why is it slotted? May 23, 2014
A: The bracket or brace, #6 is for attaching the scraper assembly. The scraper assembly and the individual scrapers had to be capable of being adjusted to contact the disc blades. The different diameter disc blades required the scrapers to be positioned differently. Therefore, just about everything was slotted so it could be adjusted. On later model discs, like the MF 25, the scrapers were an accessory. You could purchase a disc without scrapers and in some conditions some operators preferred to not have scrapers.
I can’t recall whether scrapers came as standard equipment on the A-BO-22 and 32 but I suspect they did. When most of these Ferguson implements first came out they came with most of the things that later became optional equipment. Of course that wasn’t true of all implements.
Plows for instance had a number of options that could be selected when a plow was ordered, starting with the style share or base. SKO cultivators originally came with 11 tine assembles, the steering fin, plant shields and a steering guide. By the time the last Massey Ferguson versions were sold you could order them with as few or as many tines as you wanted and the steering fin, shields and steering guide were options
Q: What do you think of Land Pride rotary mowers to put on my 9n Tractor? May 6, 2014.
A: I don’t know anything about Land Pride mowers but I do know they make a pretty good drill.
Q: I have a Family tractor handed down to me, 1939 Ford Ferguson 9N. I would like to use it to mow the tall grass on my property. I wanted to get one of these rotary mowers such as the County-Line that Tractor Supply Center sells. There are other brands out there also. Which one would you recommend. I was thinking a 48” model? May 1, 2014
A: I don’t know anything about County-Line rotary mowers but, I can tell you that most of the implements sold by TSC and other farm stores are of relatively lightweight construction. I would suggest you check with a local tractor dealer that sells either Woods or Bush Hog rotary cutters. They both have machines that are made better than the machines TSC sells. John Deere also has a nice cutter but I believe it is also made by Woods since John Deere now owns Woods.
As for cutting width, I would suggest a 5′ or 60″ cutter. Since the standard setting for the wheels on your tractor is 52″ center to center, you need about 60″ to cover your wheel tracks. If you use a 48″ cutter you’re going to be trampling grass.
You should get an over-running clutch for your tractor. It mounts on your PTO shaft and the cutter connects to it. If your tractor has the original 1 1/8″ PTO it will also give you a 1 3/8″ PTO to connect to your cutter.
You should also purchase a stop-chain kit. This is a set of chains that attach to the front of the mower and under the top link bracket. You adjust them to keep the front of the mower from going too low. It gives you the equivalent of Position Control. Woods has a kit with their mower and I think Bush Hog does too but, there is a universal version you can buy.
Q: I have a 2-12 Ferguson plow with an “N” share on it. What does the “N” designate?
A: The N style share is based on an International Harvester design and many International Harvester parts, like shares can be used on the Massey Ferguson N base. The N designation is the designation for the late production base Massey Harris Ferguson developed. All the Ferguson plow bases are identified with a letter. The N base uses what is called a throw away share. The shares are flat, not fitted and cheaper to manufacture. The moldboard has a replaceable front shin which extends moldboard life.
Replacement parts for N bases are still available from Massey Ferguson and from aftermarket manufacturers. N bases can be installed on most Ferguson AO plow frames. There is a “deep suck” share for the N base plow, Actually I think there are two deep suck style shares, one is what they call a clipped wing style. The front end is a bit longer and turned down.
I don’t know if this style share is still available. Shares that have worn points do not have as much suck as new shares. You can increase suck by welding a little extension on the tip of the share, pointing down. Suck can also be increased by shortening the top link.
Q: 04/24/’14. I have two different Ferguson plows. One has a furrow wheel and the other does not. One has better plow shares. Can I move the furrow wheel to the plow with the best shares?
A: The furrow wheels or tail wheels on Ferguson plows are all the same and completely interchangeable though there are two different versions. The early style has a smooth faced wheel which is attached with two C shaped clips. The later style has the wheel riveted to the hub and the assembly is attached to the furrow wheel bracket axle with a bolt. The two styles will interchange but most of the individual parts do not. You can install the furrow wheel you have on any of the Ferguson plows you have. It will also work on the right hand base of the two-way plow.
Q: I have a D-PO or D-PO-A drill planter with the A-RO-A or B60 Fertilizer attachment. I am trying to prep it for corn planting and I recognize from the parts book that I have two sprocket sizes missing: 7 tooth (688 246 m1) from fertilizer attachment and drill and, 9 tooth (688 248 M1) from the drill. Can you help me find them?
A: I checked the on line stock for the Parts Depot in Chilton, WI. Their online inventory shows that they have 1 of part number 688 246 M1 and 7 of part number 688 248 M1. I suspect they also have the #32 chain but that is also still available from a number of sources. The Parts Depot is a warehouse that purchases NOS parts from dealers and manufacturers but will only sell to dealers so you will have to contact a dealer who has an account with them or is willing to contact them and order the parts. The dealer does not necessarily have to be a Massey Ferguson dealer.Do you have a dealer you can contact? I can also have a dealer search done for these parts and I suspect there may be dealers that still have some of these on hand.
I have some other options in mind including possibly using planter parts made by Covington and Cole Powell. Covington made and still makes planter attachments for Ferguson, Ford and Massey Ferguson cultivators for years. There are also a number of Amish hardware and implement stores that may be able to supply sprockets you may be able to modify. These chain drive systems were common on many early planting implements.
Q: I AM LOOKING FOR A BEARING FOR A 22 MASSEY FERGUSON PLOW PART #662046M2 AND 662047M2. CAN YOU HELP?
A: The parts you asked about are for a Massey Ferguson 22 Disc. This disc has been in production since the early 1950’s and continued being built as the Massey Ferguson 25 Disc into the 1980’s. The bearings have changed from the original wood bearing, to the cast iron bearings you have in yours, to a ball bearing. One of the bearing box halves is still available from AGCO/Massey Ferguson, part number 662047M1 which sells for a little over $30. None of the other bearing parts are available however. Your best option is to try to use the aftermarket bearing sets available from Agri Supply, http://mower-blades.agrisupply.com/search#w=disc%20harrow%20bearings&asug=disc
You will have to determine which axle size your disc has and then select from the various spool sizes to find one that is the proper width and that is either for the size axle you have or can be modified to fit that axle. You may have to make some minor modifications to the hangers for the bearings but you will find that this is a much less expensive alternative to the original parts, even if you can locate them.
Look at the following Agri Supply spools to determine which is the proper width and axle size, 28210, 11736, 11665, 11743, 11742, 11741, 11738 and 11664. Once you have found a spool that will work, look at the bearing box halves and find the bearing box that matches the spool you have selected. If in doubt, the people at Agri Supply should be able to help. Some of these bearing box halves use the same part top and bottom. Just make sure one side has grease zerks so you can grease the bearings. You may have to drill and tap the box half to attach grease zerks. Make sure you install the grease zerks in the same place they are on the other top halves. On some of the box halves there is a raised boss where the grease zerk is to be installed.
Some of the housings that go together are: 11664 spool uses 11661 housing 28210 spool uses 28211 housing 11743 spool uses 11740 housing I’m not which spools go with the following housings, 11645, 11662, and 11659. There may also be other parts available. Installing the spools is going to take a serious wrench to remove the nuts from the gang bolts. A 1″ impact wrench is a good bet but I have used a wrench with a 6′ extension as well. You should also be able to get the locks you need from either AGCO/Massey Ferguson or Agri Supply. Still another option is to rebuild the disc using the later style bearing boxes from the MF 25 disc, which may still be available. However the price of these parts may scare you.
Q: I have a Ferguson 35, Serial # 143657. Do you think I can pull a 3 bottom plow with it if I’m careful?
A: Yes, you can pull a three-bottom plow but, a lot depends on the condition of the engine and the heaviness of the soil. The tremendous lugging power of the Continental gas engine allowed this tractor to pull a 3-bottom plow in most conditions. However, a lot of farmers chose to use a two-bottom plow because it would pull it in any condition and, in good conditions, they were able to plow a little faster.
Q: I just obtained a TO-20 with a “banana loader”. The loader is in pieces and I have no manuals. I could find no manufacturer’s name or model number. The pump is a Char-Lynn. Can you direct me to a source for a manual or at least photos of a loader mounted on the tractor?
A: The “banana loader” was never imported to the United States. It was produced in the UK for the UK and European market. It would be quite the find if you do in fact have a true “banana loader”, and one worth writing about for our magazine, Ferguson Furrows. There were some US made loaders made by short line companies that look similar to the “banana loader.” The only loader Ferguson made and sold in the US until around 1954 was the LUO-20 farm loader. This was a common loader for the TO-20 and TO-30 as well as the TE-20s sold in the US.
After conferring with a few colleagues and doing some additional research we have determined that your loader is a Skyline Products loader manufactured by The Skyline Corp., 1521 McClean Boulevard., Wichita, Kansas.
The story gets more interesting however. I believe you indicated you had been told it could have been manufactured by Midwest or Davis. The hydraulic control valve certainly looks like the type Midwest and Davis used.
Another picture I located on the internet showed a picture of the front mounting bracket and it too was similar to those used on the Midwest and Davis loaders. The address listed on the cover for a Skyline “90” loader for The Skyline Corporation is 1521 Mclean Blvd., Wichita Kansas. This was also the address for Mid-western Industries which was bought out by Charles Davis in 1950 who changed the name to Davis Manufacturing Inc. Davis sold the company to Massey Ferguson around 1958.
I have some additional information on your loader and may be able to come up with a manual for it.
Q: We have acquired my grandfathers 1952 TO 30 Ferguson tractor with a WAGNER WM4 loader on it. We are trying to go through it and do oil and fluid changes. We have the operator and service manuals for the tractor itself. We do not have manuals on the loader. Do you have any sources for us to find the information about fluid and filter changes in the loader?
A: I am attaching a copy of the WM-4 loader manual for the Ferguson and a link to a generic manual from Wagner that covers most all of their loaders including the W-3 and the WM-3. They are all similar and share most parts. I can’t locate the W-3 manual I located the other day but will keep looking for it. From the information I have been able to gather it appears that you should be able to operate your loader on either regular motor oil in the appropriate weight for the season, or on Automatic Transmission fluid. A manual for a Ford Dearborn 19-22 loader which is nearly identical to the Wagner and I believe was made for Ford by Wagner Iron Works says to use: 30 wt motor oil in temps of 90 degrees and above 20 wt motor oil in temps of 32 degrees to 90 degrees 20W wt motor oil in temps of 10 degrees to 32 degrees 10wt motor oil in temps of -10 degrees to +10 degrees 20 wt would be the best general use weight to use and automatic transmission fluid would be about the same. I would suggest draining all the oil in the system before you add automatic transmission fluid as there are different types of automatic transmission fluid, which is usually red, and mixing them can cause problems. Similarly, not knowing what the existing oil is in the loader, I would suggest draining it as well before refilling with one of the above motor oils. To drain the system you should leave the drain plug out or the return line off at the pump for at least 24 hours. I am sending you the instructions for filling and purging the air from the hydraulic system. I did locate a set of instructions for mounting your loader on a TO-30 and can send them to you if you like.
Q: I was perusing Craigslist and saw this advertisement for a Ferguson Plow. I see something I do not understand. There is some sort of curved metal frame piece sticking upwards from the rear of the plow. Do you know what it is or is supposed to be?
A: This is a single-bottom plow assembled on a two-bottom frame. This exact configuration is illustrated in some early versions of the Ferguson plow operator’s manual. The piece you see sticking up is the beam for the rear bottom of the two-bottom plow turned upside down.
The early operator’s manual suggested using this configuration when a single-bottom plow was needed as in plowing under extremely hard conditions. The bolts holding the rear beam are removed and the rear beam is turned upside down and bolted back together. Then the rear plow base, the one with the tail wheel, is moved up to the front beam. This allows you to use the two-bottom plow frame to create a single-bottom plow.
I always thought this was pretty ingenious and I would make a nice article Furrows. A single-bottom plow can be very handy when plowing small plots or gardens. Its also a great way to be able to keep using your plow if you break a moldboard, or share, and need to finish a field.