 | Home > Off Topic > Bit of advice from the other farming types please |
 
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| lambert.the.farmer Member Since: 11 Apr 2012 Location: harrogate Posts: 2006   
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I am considering retirement of the 135 to show pony status so am after a similar sized replacement but preferably with a few extra horses and a higher road speed. Most of its work will be moving sheep in a grays transport box with a bit of topping and a bit of 3 point muck spreader action. If the road speed was high enough it could also conceivably do the 20 miles market run with the big trailer and then replace the 90 too. Doesn't need to be 4x4 though I suspect that will help the rear lift capacity. New is relative to a 42 year old 135.
What would you recommend? Rhubarb and custard let fly with their secret weapon. |
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13th Apr 2016 5:50am |
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| Mountain_man Member Since: 09 Dec 2011 Location: Right side of Offas Dyke Posts: 756 
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Something like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Massey-ferguson-...SwZ8ZW6xA9 Would never lose you money. This one seems cheap enough for me to suspect there is a problem with it |
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13th Apr 2016 7:47am |
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| Mountain_man Member Since: 09 Dec 2011 Location: Right side of Offas Dyke Posts: 756
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Always a soft spot for s Steyr. Nearly bought one new about 15 years back. To be fair, any 65-80hp tractor from the mid 90's that has been looked after would suit you to the tee. After that they all got a bit electronic
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13th Apr 2016 8:13am |
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| Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971  
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We bought a little McCormick MC100 a couple of years ago for about £13k. It was ten years old and not perfect but was a pretty tidy tractor. Has air con, semi-powershift gearbox up to 40k, suspended seat. Was very nice until the dairy started using it.
Starts well (so long as the battery isn't knackered), does have some electronics but nothing particularly fancy. Perkins engine which is the same as a lot of other machines of about that size - one of our JCB telehandlers has pretty much the same engine and uses all the same filter etc. Servicing is cheap because they're very common filters (we get them all from http://www.inlinefilters.co.uk/). Compared to our Fendts you do miss the suspended front axle, 55k on the road, CVT etc but I think that might be a little overkill for you. The MC100 happily runs a drum mower, straw chopper, various other bits and bobs. I did put a 14t silage trailer behind it once when a Fendt had issues and after the 6 mile drive home was glad we usually had better tractors to use  But it did it with me and a passenger. I have to say the passenger seat on it is definitely better than the Fendt one.
Other than that, we have a collection of 20-25 year old Case tractors (785XL, 844XL, 856XL) which are all fine. Their electronic dashboards are a bit... odd. They forget how many hours they've run if you take the battery off. Clutches are usually DIY-able although the 856 now has issues that we can't disengage the PTO clutch properly. And it's only firing on 3.5 cylinders. We did have a collection of about 20 of them which has gradually dwindled as the farm has changed. If I was in your position I'd go to whichever local tractor dealer I got on with best and have a chat to them. There's no point in getting a really good deal on something that you can't get parts for. We'd never buy a new Case because that would mean dealing with Ernest Doe Power, who when they moved in to our area sabotaged a load of equipment that they thought should have been bought through them just so they could get the work fixing it. That was about 20 years ago and at the time the farm said we'd never deal with them, and we don't. |
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13th Apr 2016 8:22am |
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| JWL Member Since: 26 Oct 2011 Location: Hereford Posts: 3443 
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Pretty much what is said above, the Steyr would be like jumping in a Range Rover after slumming it in a Defender. For on farm maintenance it would be hard to reccomend too much electrickery, gear splitters whilst very usefull start introducing hydraulic packs and multi clutches which can proove expensive when they don't work.
One of the best ideas is to go to your friendly dealer and have a chat to see what they've got around the trouble is that smaller more basic tractors are starting to command a premium as there's a market with the "hobby farmers", those who have bought some land to put some chickens and a couple of ponies on and decided that to complete the image they need a tractor. A good source of information can be found on yet another forum; http://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php Good luck with finding a successor to the 135, it's just working out what it'll be. Have you got an idea on what you want? 40kph box? A few spools? Four wheel drive? Loader compatability? The list is endless  |
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13th Apr 2016 8:57am |
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| Mattyboy Member Since: 05 Dec 2012 Location: Sudbury Posts: 58 
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We've got a little case JX at the farm and no one seems able to break it, its quite a nice place to be in the cab too. 07 Defender 90 TDCI
98 Defender 90 300 Tdi Land Rover Freelander MG B GT CBR 600 AEC Matador but no washing machine |
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13th Apr 2016 11:40am |
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| lambert.the.farmer Member Since: 11 Apr 2012 Location: harrogate Posts: 2006
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Thanks for the advice I have so research to do. Last time we did this we ended up with a 550 and whilst it wasn't inherently a bad thing I couldn't get on with it so it went for more than we paid which was nice. Cheers again. Rhubarb and custard let fly with their secret weapon.
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13th Apr 2016 4:08pm |
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| chasthechippie Member Since: 15 Aug 2014 Location: Cheshire Posts: 59
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We run a Renault Cergos 330 great little tractor 4 wheel drive only 75hp but pulls like a train John Deere engine good road speed and simple to repair puh spools and shuttle can pick one up for 6K+
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13th Apr 2016 7:38pm |
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| Projectblue Member Since: 22 Nov 2011 Location: Devon Posts: 1096
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I had a JD 500 series when I had the small holding. Only 70hp but 540/1000rpm & twin spools. Had it two years and didn't lose money on it. Only 30kph box though if I remember correctly.
 Click image to enlarge Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  New project and it's green: www.projectoverland.info |
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13th Apr 2016 9:19pm |
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| lambert.the.farmer Member Since: 11 Apr 2012 Location: harrogate Posts: 2006
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Been looking at the suggestions and without being ungrateful they are all pretty physically big machines which is an issue for me, mostly because of storage but also in terms of weight for crossing wet land. Thanks again for the input guys, the search continues. Rhubarb and custard let fly with their secret weapon.
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14th Apr 2016 5:22am |
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| lambert.the.farmer Member Since: 11 Apr 2012 Location: harrogate Posts: 2006
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I think I was anticipating that someone by now had worked out how to get the guts of a 60 or 70 hp tractor into the chassis of a 40 or 50 hp but it seems that the opposite is being done. Getting more out of less always made more sense to me than getting less out of more. Hey ho. Rhubarb and custard let fly with their secret weapon.
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14th Apr 2016 5:37am |
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| JWL Member Since: 26 Oct 2011 Location: Hereford Posts: 3443
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Don't forget that many tractors can be "upped" on the hp front much like Defender's, many manufacturers downrate the final product to the customer to account for variances in fuel quality etc around the world. Some dealers used to be a bit sly with the demo models they'd send out, they would open them up so it would be more powerful than the one you buy.
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14th Apr 2016 6:55am |
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| Riccarton Member Since: 10 Aug 2015 Location: Gods' Own Country Posts: 280  
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Sounds to me like the 135 is your perfect tractor - apart from road-work. Tafe (?) are still making them and they offer a 4wd version. Possibly worth a look. Also, check out the Belarus range (stop laughing and concentrate  ) as they do some basic lightweight stuff. Just remember that they can rot faster than a rotting thing on a rotten day  |
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14th Apr 2016 7:38am |
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| Riccarton Member Since: 10 Aug 2015 Location: Gods' Own Country Posts: 280
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Incidentally, looking at where you're located try David Tunstall of Tunstall Tractors near Kirkby Stephen (just off the Kirkby to Sedbergh road). He has some less mainstream stuff and is pretty honest for a dealer in my opinion. Check out his website - maybe a Solis might fit the bill?
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14th Apr 2016 8:04am |
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