Regulars
3 Welcome
13 News
Four pages of the latest news; keeping you up to date with what’s going on in the world of tractors.
70 Tractor Talk
All your views and the latest DVDs, tractor and farming heritage products and books reviewed.
74 Model World
Henry Smith takes a look at some rarities that have gone under the auctioneer’s hammer this month, reviews some Dutch delights and heads for the perfect finish.
76 Taking the positive from the negative......and the negative from the positive
Graham Hampstead suffers mixed fortunes with this year’s lambing and shows us how to fit an alternator in place of a dynamo.
80 Ferguson roots in the Old Mourne County
Jo Roberts finds a fantastic Fergie collection housed just a stone’s throw from Harry Ferguson’s old homestead.
84 Home to roost
The return of a grey Fergie to the place it once worked marks the final piece in the jigsaw to help Auchindrain become a complete living farm museum.
120 Farming Focus: Getting the neeps in
In Scotland the humble turnip probably did more to revolutionise the country than any other crop and over the centuries it has left an indelible mark on Scottish culture.
121 Rare Breeds
No.100 Ancona poultry
122 Next month
Preview of the August issue of Tractor magazine.
Farming heritage
49 Tractor Archive
More farming memories from our archives of period sales literature displaying implements and agricultural machinery of the time.
54 Challenging times
Peter Anderson reviews the conception and history of the Fowler ‘Challenger’ range of crawler tractors.
58 Last change for the Royal
The 1962 Royal Show at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, on the Town Moor, was the last to be held anywhere other than Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, where the Royal had a permanent home from 1963 until 2008.
62 Tractor Gallery
Our working image this month is of a 1955 McCormick International Standard W-6 at the Horton Farm Vintage Weekend near Canterbury in 2003.
66 A home on the prairie
Norman Chapman explains, with the help of original company literature, about the pioneers of large tractor design.
In the workshop
40 The System works
Continuing his restoration of the Ferguson TED-2O, Ben Phillips gets to grips with the innards of the Ferguson System.
Your tractors
6 The Major’s workmate
When the first Fordson Dexta was built at Ford’s Dagenham factory on November 1, 1957, it was described as the workmate for its larger brother, the Fordson Major, and what a workmate it was.
18 Telling the full story
The DMR Machinery Club was formed by a group of enthusiasts keen to support the timeline of products that are now covered by the Case IH brand.
20 Ouse in the woods in May
In a Club Focus extra, we report on the recent Dave Finch wood yard visit by the Ouse Valley Group NVTEC.
22 Farming would never be the same
In 1986 Massey Ferguson introduced the 3000 Series tractors – machines that were like no other before them; these were the first truly modern tractors.
27 An asset on any farm
We take a look at Andrew Marshall’s superbly presented Leyland 154 and the history of the tractor that was heralded as ‘Leyland Lightweight-powerful, compact, manoeuvrable and completely reliable!’
30 Tractor Travels: Fête du Cheval Vapeur
Every other year in the sleepy hamlet of Sec Bois, about 80km from Calais, the Fete du Cheval, or ‘Steam Horse’, is held. We take a look at some of the rare tractors found there last July.
35 Bang on the money
Do you prefer Field Marshall Series 3s restored or original? Arthur and Mike Willicombe are lucky enough to have one of each.
44 The Nash Dash
On Saturday, June 30, 2012, the male branch of the Rimmer family will embark on a 600 mile road trip by vintage tractor to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care – what a great, but by their own admission, daft, idea.
64 High cut hopes
The realisation dawns that much work was still needed on the high cut plough restoration as the clock was ticking to have it ready for its first scheduled outing.
Marketplace
88 What’s on
Your guide to heritage days out throughout the season in our comprehensive event guide.
94 Road runs, rallies and ploughing events
Our round up of what’s going on out and about in the tractor scene.
102 Sales & Marketplace
No drought in sales at Cheffins: our in-depth report at the major Cheffins’ Vintage Sale held on April 28.