ploughmyfield.com

Ben originally got in touch about an idea he’d had for a crane, using bent stabiliser arms.

Ben provided some images of his Idea.

I’d like to see the idea developed further and some calculations behind how much the crane could actually lift. I presume the maximum lift by the hydraulics pump is the limiting factor, or maybe the distance the crane arm it away from the pivot of the back wheels?

But Ben also provided some before and after pictures of his TED restoration.

These photos were taken from TED 343949 built in 1953. A nice shot of one of the T20′s just before restoration had finished. The Photo below. The same T20 as in the shot above just as I brought her home. About an hour before she was overgrown with plantation covering her so that you could not see her. The tractor is also fitted with the earlier braking system of the TEA 20 and features many early features of a TED 20 i.e. front wheels. Many Thanks Benjamin Ely

I know it’s not Ferguson related but…

I’ve been helping out a friend dig a hole for a duck pond to go into. It’s been great fun trying to make the digger do what you have planned for it in your head. My instructions didn’t always transfer to the two joy sticks correctly! My 3 year old son also enjoyed himself ordering us all around.

And the ducks they where appreciative of our efforts. They couldn’t wait for the pond to be full before diving in.

What have I started it seems everyone has a mini digger story.  From the picture though I wouldn’t say it was a MINI digger!

Tags: Atlas, Duck, Mini Digger, Pond

Original Tool Box

I keep asking myself the question, “am I mad or stupid or am I doing the right thing?”  I bought not so long ago on eBay an original Ferguson tool box to go on my tractor.  A slight issue arose that, the tool box was still attached to the radius arms and offered as a complete item. I didn’t need the radius arms and arranged with the seller for him to post me the tool box and clips still attached for free and he could keep the arms.

So now the toolbox has arrived and it looks Fabulous. It’s now going to take a lot of hard work to make it look nice and shiny.

So now the question. Why am I going through all this when I could just buy a new, reproduction tool box that wouldn’t need much doing to it and would cost less? All I would have to do is  rub it down and paint is. Not remove the layers of old paint surface rust an grime, then prime, then paint.

To me the original one still has far more appeal. It was once on a tractor, it was made for the tractor. Some how it seems more right? does anyone else think like this?

This picture shows the type of item that can be bought cheaper and new on eBay.

Chains

A big thank you to Matt for welding the chains for me. I have now completed a few original looking chain sets which attach to the top link. The idea dehind them was you never loos the pins that go trough the top link as the chains prevent them getting lost.

Not many of these seem to have survived I imagine they broke, ware out or got damaged. The pin and latch pin I got from Dunlop tractor parts (northern Ireland) who had a stand at the Newby Hall show I attanded a couple of weeks ago.

Transporter Box hooks

This section I’m hoping isn’t going to turn into a rant. The pin in the picture below which cost 30p from Dunlop Tractor spares. I bought 10 as I thought they where such a bargain, Should be fitted to all Ferguson tractors. DON’T fit the pins with the round ends. Anyway, removing the pear shaped end it can be attached to the hooks on the transporter box (Link Box)

by using the pear shaped ends instead of the round ones you guanentee there will be no rotation and the end won’t fall out.

below you can see someone who was used the round ends on the hooks for there Transport Box

Speculative Purchase

I bought this spring not really needing it. Do you know what it does?

Well it attaches a heavy implement to the tractor, just below the top link on the fixed pin. You also need to use the toplink to connect to the implenment at the same time.

In the Potato Planter instruction book it is listed as a balance spring in the parts list.

To me it seems to aid the toplink sensing with heavy implements added, such as The potato planter.

I’ve seen it used on other implements aswell. It’s the kind of item that you would look forever to find when you need one. It’s going to be hanging in the garage until I need it.

I did then spot a more complete one once I’d bought this one.  But I think it’s just a metal bracket at the end that’s missing from the one I bought and it shouldn’t be that difficult to fabricate.

Item then found on eBay in a more complete condition!

Implements the spring was fitted to…..

• P-PE-B20, PPE20, Potato Planter, Non chitted
• M-KE-A21, Weeder
• ID-KE-20, D-KE-20, IB-KE-20, B-KE-20, Steerage hoe Rigid & Independent gang
• G-BE-20, G-DE-20, Disc harrow, offset

Tags: Original, T-JE-A20, Tool Box, Top Link, Transport Box

As well as selling plough lamp brackets I have also offered a drawing you can download to make your own. One reader Charles Zammit did just that.

Plough Lamp Bracket Template

Many thanks Tim for your drawings, I cheated a little by welding and grinding the joints rather than folding the three mm. plate, I’m pleased with the result ,made all the more achievable by your help. Regards Charles

I’m not sure you placed it at the recommended position, but if it works for you. Nice to know it is possible to follow one of my drawings.

A fab day all round I think we had the best of the weather going on the Saturday. Well done to Brian Pickering and all the team on the Ferguson Club stand. I’d always want to see working tractors but when ever that isn’t possible, a static display of Ferguson tractors AND implements is required and you didn’t disappoint.

I’ve uploaded some 180 pictures of mostly the Ferguson Club stand. It was a little more squashed than last year but the quality and variety was amazing.

Newby Hall Vintage Show 2011 Pictures

Link updated (it works now)

Willie writes,

The picture of 3 spanners on one of your web pages shows the centre spanner of a quite different profile.
(My original picture shown below)

The edges are raised but the spanner has the gradients stamped as per the other “usual” Fergy spanner shape.
I have one of these as has Tony Gilbert of Ausmech. (He says he has anyway).
I recall our neighbours in Perthshire, Scotland taking delivery of a Diesel FE35. Must have been 1956 and I was shown the spanner which came in the tool kit so I guess that`s when it was introduced.
The picture below shows the particular spanner
Cheers,
Willie Young

Hi Willie,
Thanks for the feedback and the photo.
Willie would it be possible to get come close up pictures of the small spanner and the big one and maybe some general dimensions or a pencil rubbing so I know what size I’m looking for. What was the smaller spanner used for?

Regards

Tim

Tags: Original, Tool kit

http://www.ploughmyfield.com/Linkbox.html

I’m getting very behind as I have a lot of emails to reply to. John Webster your answers are on the linked page.

Tags: T-JE-A20, Transport Box

Diesel Injector spanner

I have had delivered today the Diesel Injector spanner I won on eBay. This is another of the original tools supplied with a Diesel Ferguson tractor I think from the parts list it is item 107613, Spanner – Special Ring.

I first found out about this spanner from  oz wrenches scroll down the page and you will see how the spanner is used.

I must get in contact with the owner of the site again and ask  “ How does he get his spanners black and shiny?” is it just paint?

Post Hole Borer at Beamish

I would love to have been there. Chris said he’d drilled about 8 holes and it was easier than trying to dig them by hand. I wanted more pictures and video. Chris took this picture with his phone, more hopefully to follow. Chris also said the holes where a bit big for what they wanted but with this being the only auger they had it was better than nothing.

Transport Box Parts

I have been drawing parts on the computer so that a friend could make them up for me. I love to get the parts laser cut if I can as they are so much neater than me making them. I also needed some welding doing and I’m not great at welding YET!  drawings available soon on the (Transport  box page)

Spring tine parts,

I have also asked another friend who has access to strips of  EN45 spring steel if he could make 2 spring tines for the spring tine cultivator, one has always been missing and the other snapped whilst I was dismantling it. His company also make shovels, the tractor kind not the hand tool kind. He thinks he might be able to get hold of the odd nine for me.

Twitter

As I get more used to the ways I can post to twitter I’m getting more into Twitter. It allows me to post short quick posts, now I know how it works. The posts I make appear in the  grey box on the right and are more frequently posted than these main articles.

Steiner tractors

I have never heard of this company. It’s an American parts company with a massive internet site. I was first mad aware of them from a posting on the FoFH forum about the smiths hour/rev meter.

In the USA there was a similar gauge  but it connected to the tractor’s dynamo in a different way. The current price iIve seen one of the Smiths gauges and cable and clips and dynamo attachment was £1000. so at £140 including UK delivery from the states I wondered if a bracket could be made up to get the gauge working with a UK dynamo. I’m still investigating this as I now need to know how fast the different gauges revolve at! Watch this space.

Steinertractors.com/tractormeter also on this page are instructions on fitting and a nice original brochure

Tags: News, Original, Steiner Tractors, Tool kit, Tools, Tractormeter

A couple of weeks ago I had an email conversation from Paul Foster who wanted to know how much it would cost and how long it would take to restore a TEF-20 tractor he was getting from his brother in law. I politely answered that without at least some photography of the tractor it was difficult to say. Paul has obliged and goes on to say

“unfortunately I don’t have it in my possession at the moment as I’m waiting on my brother in law to drop it off.

He has 2 TE-F’s one with a “rare” banana loader (His wording) and will not part with that one as much as I tried to persuade him.

I can tell you tho the Tin work is all present and correct including the very expensive bonnet, The Dynamo, Starter, Gas, Petrol Tank, Dash are all there, However I did notice that the

Diesel line are not all there or broken. The Rad is there but has no fan (not sure of the terminology), No Cam belt – I did try and use the manual handle but its kept slipping off no matter how hard I tried to turn it over which

makes me think she is completely seized so new piston, rings etc etc will need to be replaced. Until I get it home then I really can’t tell you anymore about it.

PTO and Lifting arms are seized up, gearbox seems to link into gears but I can’t be 100% that’s working correctly without stipping it.

Is there a specific thing to look”

I hope Paul doesn’t mind me posting these pictures for all to see as the readers may come up with some helpful suggestions of there own.

Clicking on the pictures below will open them up bigger, for a closer look!

When I looked at the first picture I was horrified, no back wheel, looking very rusty in general. But as I went further down the pictures I felt more and more positive. The fact the bonnet has stayed on has helped the condition of the engine enormously. The first thing you have to do is get the cylinder head off and find out how stuck those pistons are?  see the exhaust has been open to the rain with a short length pipe.

There is a lot of grey on the engine and not much on the back end. This isn’t t much of a problem as at the very worst a replacement back end can be sourced more easily than an engine.  I’d try to get the tractors engine running before you commit to the time and expense of a full nut and bolt strip down.

On the positive side

there are still many wonderful items on the tractor. it looks like you have all the Ki-gass equipment (two tanks + pipework + pump) behind the main fuel tank.
Bonnet – looks OK
Number plate on the front is still readable – should mean an original V5 can be obtained.
Fuel tank – looks OK
Dynamo, starter and radiator all present (first things to go missing)
All the pipework for the fuel system looks present. yours is a pre 1954 model and did not have a lift pump fitted as mine does.
You have the Serial Number plate and you can make out the number on it (not shown in these pictures)

Then for the Extra’s

You have a trailer hitch under the back axle and a tipper pipe to the left of the PTO.
There is a toothed cog attached to the dynamo this would have originally connected to the hours meter. An item that could be sold (probably eBay) to help with costs.
Starting Handle – present

And the cost

Well thinking how much mine has cost so far I would say in the region of £2000 to get it to  a useful, working painted, New wheels and tyres, mudguards, engine overhauled tractor. And time well as much as you want to throw at it really. it all depends on what condition you want it looking like when you’ve finished.

Tags: Restoration, TEF-20

Hi All, a couple of days ago I had a question via twitter. OK let me stop right there. Twitter is the way of posting 140 characters of text onto a website. most people use it for “i just got out of the bath” or “now I’m on the train” comments. It’s accessible from computers, mobile devices and smart phones. So I thought I’d have a go at quickly putting down my tractor thoughts or comments as the main articles take a little bit longer and a bit more thought in writing.

The window on the right hand side of the website displays the last of 8 or so of the most recently published posts. I can link to pictures and websites from within them. OK so now you know what twitter is, sorry of you already knew.

I had a question from @arjendj ( a user on twitter) and there question, “do you know a banana loader will fit on a 35x” I was pretty sure it could as I’m sure I’ve seen a picture of one.

This picture came from a book The complete book of Tractors and Trucks, published by Hermes House and written by John Carroll & Peter J. Davies.

I know there was a later loader produced with uprated hydraulics etc buy I don’t know much about it. I checking the web and found a site selling a manual for an FE-35 loader it also sells a reprint of the

Ferguson Implement & Accessory Adaption TE20 to FE35 Manual

Which I’m sure will also have the banana loader in and a compatibility rating with the FE-35. When it arrives I will let you know.

I’d love some comments and feedback on this issue so please if you are knowledgable about an FE-35, MF 35 or MF 35x or have had any experience in this matter please get in touch.

Where do you get your manuals from? with the increasing cost of the originals what’s the best place to get Ferguson and Massey Ferguson Manuals.

Tags: AgriManuals, Banana Loader, FE-35, Manual, twitter