Tractor & Farming Heritage
December 2013
Celebrating the history and development of the tractor
CONTENTS
TRACTOR AND FARMING HERITAGE DECEMBER 2013
Regulars
3 Welcome
18 News
All the latest news in the world of
tractors and heritage.
22 Don’t get me started
Graham has a grumble about the
passing of an empire.
24 Who needs a car?
Jo Roberts argues the case that we
should slow down to around 15mph,
and travel by tractor.
26 Tractor talk
All your news, views and comments
around the classic and vintage scene.
78 Funky American imports!
Jo Roberts looks at some of the tractors
that have been brought to the UK via
importers L and L tractors of Wales.
84 A drove of Dextas
Graham Hampstead clears up his
troubles with tractors over the months.
99 Next Month
Preview of the January issue of
Tractor & Farming Heritage.
122 Tractor widow
Jean Brown tries a bit of match making –
at a ploughing match.
Your Tractors
6 The chosen one
Why is this Massey Ferguson 158 so
special that it only emerges from the
shed when needed for an event?
12 Shipshape & County fashion
Memories from down on the farm often
decide which tractor we own – for
David Seaton, the inspiration came
from a boatyard.
28 Good vintage in Madeira
Donald Bowler is always on the lookout
for tractors and other farm equipment -
the older or more unusual the better.
32 Building bridges
Father and son Fergie enthusiasts build
a bridge made of tractors; recreating a
Ferguson sales stand of 60 years ago.
34 Driven a Ford lately?
This Ford 5000 and 7810 are part of
Trevor Johnstone’s collection of tractors;
but visitors to his farm will soon notice a
recurring theme…
40 Fired up with hot bulbs
Narrowboat owner Tony Clark is no
stranger to the Bolinder engine, so once
he got a taste for tractors the choice was
bound to be Bolinder-Munktell.
46 Unfortunate Ursus finds a friend
James Tully from Mullagh in Co. Cavan
tells how he came to own this 1974
Ursus C-335t.
Heritage
48 A true thoroughbred
Stuart Gibbard is invited to see a rare
Fowler Challenger 22 crawler make its
working debut.
52 The stuff of legend
Dinky may not have coined the phrase
‘every one is somebody’s favourite’–but
many of the toys they made actually
were, Mike Teanby tells us what made
Dinky toys so special.
56 British built and made to last
Peter Anderson continues the Marshall
story with the demise of the 18/30 and
the rise of the 12/20 – which now
command high price tags and are
eagerly snapped up by enthusiasts.
60 The Farmer’s Wife
Simon Butler tells us about his latest
book, the largely untold story of the
women who laboured on the land, and
life in rural Britain.
62 Parrett – fashion by design
We focus on probably the most
successful of the Parrett tractor designs,
the Parrett 12-25 Model E introduced to
the UK during 1917.
63 Tractor archive
More heritage memories from the
farming literature of yesterday.
68 Deere run free at weekend of wonder
The 2013 Little Casterton Working
Weekend showcased some scarce
vintage farm equipment, with John
Deere tractors and farm machinery to
the fore.
70 Allen’s activities
We find out the story behind the Allen
Scythe, truly world-beating machines,
and the company that created them.
74 The Magpie of the Mearns
A visit to the collection of Jim Bruce soon
makes you realise that there is probably
nothing that has altered so dramatically
as farming throughout the centuries.
Workshop
88 On a wing and a sprayer
Take some of the guesswork out of
spraying by following Ben Phillips’ guide
for a perfect paint finish.
90 Get those teeth checked out
Take time to look at the starter ring gear
– bit like going to the dentist really, if
you don’t check for wear, the cure could
be a right pain.
94 Models with the right statistics
Practical pointers toward selecting and
buying a vintage or classic tractor.
Marketplace
98 Products
All the latest tractor and farming
heritage related product releases.
100 Christmas gift guide
Ideas for the perfect gift for the tractor
lover in your family.
104 Selling in Suffolk
There was something for everyone at
Roger Desborough’s sale with prices
ranging easily from £1000 to
somewhere the lavish side of £20,000.
107 Classified section
Buy, sell, browse, this is the place to be.
CONTENTS
TRACTOR AND FARMING HERITAGE DECEMBER 2013
Regulars
3 Welcome
18 News
All the latest news in the world of
tractors and heritage.
22 Don’t get me started
Graham has a grumble about the
passing of an empire.
2....
