If you study my articles on this site , then you know that I care honest-to-god - fashioned , tried - and - dead on target tool . This apply not only tohand toolsbut to political machine as well ; in fact , a couple of years back Iexpounded on the virtuesof old tractors , admit “ Little Mo , ” the John Deere Model 40 that has been faithfully dish out my farm for more than 60 years .
But of course , Little Mo is , well , pretty little as far as tractor go , with a bit more than 22 HP at the drawbar and about 25 at thepower take - off . That ’s perfect forpulling wagonsand even raking hay , but when it comes to hard tasks such as baling hay , Little Mo strike short .
That ’s why our farm tally a tractor a few years back : a classic Massey Ferguson 135 , beautifully reconstruct to its former glory . picayune Mo shows her eld a bit with some rust and worn paint — in reality , she was repaint at some power point in a shade that is n’t quite “ John Deere Green”—but the restoration business on the Massey nominate the tractor look like it just rolled off the assemblage line .
In term of horsepower , the Massey ( no moniker has caught on yet ) vaunt significantly more strength than Little Mo ; the engine is rated at 45.5 horsepower , with 33 at the drawbar and 38 at the PTO . That power is evident by the holloa of its locomotive engine ; unlike Little Mo , whose “ Johnny Popper ” locomotive engine is pretty unruffled by tractor banner , the Massey ’s engine has a deep , throaty growl , so it ’s not hard to persuade yourself that the Massey can reach anything .
Although Little Mo and the Massey are old tractor , the Massey is quite a routine younger . The 135 was manufactured for a dozen years from 1964 through 1975 ; base on the nonparallel number , our Massey appear to have been built in 1970 , make it at least 15 years immature than Little Mo. That also means that it bluster a few features to make driving easy , such as power guidance . In addition , the Massey has a very wide wheelbase and sits lowly to the earth , give it a low core of gravitational attraction ideal for negotiating fairly hilly meadow .
In reading about the Massey , I key out that the 135 is still in far-flung enjoyment in developing countries , where its simple design and reliability are appreciated . That ’s not really surprising give how pop the 135 was in its heyday , and I can certainly vouch for its appealing simple design . Really , the only knock I have against our Massey is that the appurtenance sack can become jammed on occasion , a known phenomenon with this model and a moment of a pain , although it ’s not too difficult to free it up when it happens .
Suffice it to say , the Massey has done all right work for us , though there ’s no pauperism to feel no-account for Little Mo , who is believably love the lighter work load while remain the chief of the farm for easier chore such as pulling paddy wagon . The Massey might have the flavor and the king , but Little Mo still wins out for reliability , at least in my psyche . In any case , from the work they do , you ’d never guess that between them , they ’re approximately 110 years old .
