A Working Ferguson
Model Year: 1948
I bought the tractor in the U.K. where I live hoping one day I'd find a field to go with it. Driving home along the lanes was fun trying to avoid being noticed and stopped by the law! I re-painted with fresh matching grey and kept it in my garage at home then in my aunt's garage in the next town, later when I was flying a light a/c at the farmers yard. Finally he sold me 18 acres with the airstrip I had set up and I built some low sheds for the tractor one plane. Once I was a land owner the Ferguson at last had a real job again. The motor was rough and the sump thread totally stripped where the plug should fit tightly, the hydraulic casing under the gearbox was cracked too. A tractor breaker sold me second hand parts and a local Agricultural College were glad to have here there for a couple of months to show students the basics of an engine so she emerged in good running order & once again up the back roads home. Another excursion was to collect a 6 ft Vorex Topper, rather too heavy for the hydraulics overhung load, so she easily pawed the air, but we got back in one piece unscathed. A chain harrow new and a heavy roller also good value new were delivered to the farmyard for me. For the last 20 years she's done all the field jobs and with a Ferguson sized back bucket has been used to limestone hardcore to improve the 100 yard long dirt access track. The TVO original conversion was not making the paraffin/oil simulation hot enough so the oil scraper rings took some down into the oil sump giving the effect of making oil but really diluting it. I felt the engine would last longer if she ran on petrol (gasoline/bezine) only and removed the Ali shield round the carb. now both fuel tanks holod petrol. The only other problem was the fuel tank leaked through many rust spots, for which various stop petrol leak compounds were useless. In the end the long term answer was to wire brush the outside of each leak to shiny metal and ding them in a little with a hammer before soft soldering them over. That bdide work!
Pros: Handy size, for small field work and always starts.
Cons: Hydraulics and PTO come on together, so lifted cutters always rotate.