Massey Ferguson 231

[BigTee]

I’m looking at buying a MF 231 and was wondering what things I need to be looking for on it, or anything that would be a deal breaker. This will be my second tractor and will be used primarily for bush hogging with my 5 king kutter bushhog. I’ve found a couple I will be going to look at, both have less than 1000 hours.

If anyone has any tips I would appreciate it.

Thanks

 

[jimmyhouser]

I’m looking at buying a MF 231 and was wondering what things I need to be looking for on it, or anything that would be a deal breaker. This will be my second tractor and will be used primarily for bush hogging with my 5 king kutter bushhog. I’ve found a couple I will be going to look at, both have less than 1000 hours.

If anyone has any tips I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Check clutch adjustment on the PTO. Most of these tractors have a two stage clutch. Push the pedal all the way down and make sure the PTO does not scrape when you put it into gear. You will probably need a PTO drive Implement on the back to check for this. It's very easy to adjust the clutch through the bellhousing.

Make sure you check the tractor out on a cold day and that who you're buying it from has not cranked it yet that day. If it needs to be cranked with ether I would not buy it and nor if it smokes like a freight train.

Check the power steering level as well because a seal can go out and engine oil will enter the power steering reservoir over filling it.

Also see if the shift boots are cracked. If they are then water can enter into the hydraulics.

Check the coolant in the radiator. Make sure the fins on the radiator have not been bent on the front or back side.

Carry a flashlight and look inside the fuel tank. Trash in the fuel is a bad thing.

Try out the brakes if you intend on using them much. They may squeak and that is normal but just make sure that they hold. This is typical behavior of drum brakes.

I hope this information will help you in deciding the best tractor for you.

 

[stuckmotor]

1998 massey ferguson 231 - Yesterday's Tractors

 

[jimmyhouser]

1998 massey ferguson 231 - Yesterday's Tractors

I have a 231 and it's my favorite bush hogging machine. It has 14.9-28 radials. Over 3700 hours and she cranks on the first lick every time. No smoke. The three point hitch is strong and I don't have any complaints as far as PTO power on a five foot rotary cutter. It runs quiet and sips fuel because the engine doesn't have to turn very many RPMs to make its power. Pretty good bang for your buck if you find a nice one.