busmansholiday Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 41 minutes ago, bramz7 said: That is fantastic. I think there is one still parked up in a slightly wonky shed on my uncles farm, and it is most probably the same one my grandfather owned and used 'back in the day'. I might see if I can sweet talk someone to let me see it next week.... Sweet talk, or drive off into the sunset with it ? spartacus and LightBulbFun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted May 23, 2019 Author Share Posted May 23, 2019 Wow DR, that sounds like a script for one of those farm safety films, pretty awful for everybody involved I would imagine. I'm happy enough with a chainsaw, although Mrs Spart wants to cut logs while I'm out and has no experience, so I've got to try and persuade her it's the kind of thing you do with other people around. I'll have a hunt around for the official manual, thanks for the heads up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 They thought he would have died pretty much instantly. How about sending Mrs Spart on a chainsaw training course as a romantic* gift? spartacus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted May 24, 2019 Author Share Posted May 24, 2019 Ha ha, I did wonder that! I might have a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 14 hours ago, spartacus said: Wow DR, that sounds like a script for one of those farm safety films, pretty awful for everybody involved I would imagine. I'm happy enough with a chainsaw, although Mrs Spart wants to cut logs while I'm out and has no experience, so I've got to try and persuade her it's the kind of thing you do with other people around. I'll have a hunt around for the official manual, thanks for the heads up. I bought a saw horse a few years ago. Chainsaw bolts to it and is covered except when cutting logs. It's bloody ace and feels many times safer than any other chainsaw method. https://www.toolstation.com/sip-chainsaw-log-horse/p68225 spartacus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted May 24, 2019 Author Share Posted May 24, 2019 Cheers DW! I think I've seen one of these around the house, so she's bought one already, it looks like a good idea. There's a dead tree in the paddock though that's fallen over and needs cutting into manageable chunks before we can get it onto a saw horse. I suspect it'll be a weekend project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldoubleyou Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Love me a little grey fergie, jealousSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted May 25, 2019 Author Share Posted May 25, 2019 So today I decided to tackle the starting issue we had when we got it back. The starter solenoid is actuated via an internal linkage from the gear lever, you push the lever roughly into where fifth would normally be and it actuates the starter, great, because it's impossible to start in gear! The solenoid had power going to it, but not from it to the starter, figuring that out couldn't possibly be very complicated I took it apart. Here it is in position, I'd already started undoing it. And here it is in bits, the contacts were pretty dirty, do I cleaned them up, threw it all back together and it worked, result! RRT22R, djim, strangeangel and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted May 30, 2019 Share Posted May 30, 2019 Accessories! You can never have too many toys. Rotating slashing blades. stonedagain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous user Posted May 30, 2019 Share Posted May 30, 2019 3 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said: Accessories! You can never have too many toys. Rotating slashing blades. Will they fit my Berlingo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 Here we are again. As I may or may not have mentioned above, the Fergie will have to earn it's keep. There are a few fallen trees, a lot of logs, a couple of pallets of bricks and sundry other crap in the far paddock. Access is hindered by a river which is usually wadeable in wellies but is too deep for our existing mini tractor, which is really an ex ride on mower. It also won't tow much at once. The Fergie has a three point hitch at the back which is currently inop. it's on the list of jobs but it's not critical. It's where a tow bar would normally attach, so, having decided to make my own, I took some measurements and gathered some parts. First off was a used tow bar from done kind of Vauxhall. I cut off the ends and happily the head of the bolts purchased for the job are a snug fit in the open end... So I welded them in... Next I used a couple of lengths of bar stock with the appropriate holes in the end as stabilising struts... Close up of weld... And the finished and painted article fitted to the Fergie... The previous owner of the property left an Erde trailer, it's in really good condition, other than the tyres which are a little perished and punctured. Luckily the correct inner tubes are the same size as those found in wheelbarrows and also on the small trailer we have for the mini tractor. I'm also getting pretty snappy at puncture repairs. I fixed the trailer and it's ideal for what we want, our first use of it today was driving round the paddock and chucking in the Ragwort we were pulling up. Here is the ensemble, although the trailer is mainly obscured by horse, he thought it was meals on wheels... Through the river... mat_the_cat, timolloyd, Zelandeth and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightBulbFun Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 4 minutes ago, spartacus said: Through the river... thats an online dating profile picture if I ever saw one LOL Sir Snipes, timolloyd, stonedagain and 3 others 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 The old battery (6v), on the Fergie was u/s and Mrs Spart went to South Yorkshire Battery Services in Sheffield. They presented her with a battery of the same dimensions as the existing one but assured her that of it wasn't man enough for the job then she could just return it and get a bigger one, which would still fit in the space available. Top place, would recommend. I cleaned up the earths, made a new earth strap and now it starts straight away, first time. Next exiting installments will probably include a service, maybe some new tin work and tinkering with the ignition timing. The Moog, LightBulbFun and busmansholiday 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loserone Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 Top wading! LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 2 hours ago, LightBulbFun said: thats an online dating profile picture if I ever saw one LOL Something very farmer putin about it ? LightBulbFun and martc 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted July 9, 2019 Author Share Posted July 9, 2019 Having sold the topper we had we needed a ride on for the areas around the veg patch and the 'lawn'. I have a customer who had a Mountfield ride on, I have no idea how old it is but could be '80's I reckon. She didn't need it any more and I made a derisory offer, after being very clear that she should check prices and I wouldn't be in the least offended if she told me to get bent. She accepted the offer and last night I picked this up, it's lovely! In the background is our original 'mini tractor', which I bought with a knackered cutting deck, it gets used for 'light' duties around the smallholding, although it was tested last night when Mrs Spart towed 260kg of post Crete with it! The latest one drives so much better, it seems to have all the gee-gaws you might need, like a hill descent brake, a forward and reverse box, so you're able to use all five gears in either direction. It even has working lights. You can mow with the option of a grass collector or a chute to just chuck it out the back and let it mulch down. Mrs6C, Six-cylinder, Zelandeth and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 On 6/30/2019 at 5:43 PM, spartacus said: The old battery (6v), on the Fergie was u/s and Mrs Spart went to South Yorkshire Battery Services in Sheffield. They presented her with a battery of the same dimensions as the existing one but assured her that of it wasn't man enough for the job then she could just return it and get a bigger one, which would still fit in the space available. Top place, would recommend. I cleaned up the earths, made a new earth strap and now it starts straight away, first time. Next exiting installments will probably include a service, maybe some new tin work and tinkering with the ignition timing. Top tip, 6v battery requires mega thick leads, (think twice as thick as a 12v system, because they are having to carry more current) 70mm sq welding cable is both cheap and ideal for the job. A 12v conversion is also simple and the 6v starter is spec'd high enough to be used on 12v. Buy yourself a trickle charger as 6v batteries don't seem to last long LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted July 9, 2019 Author Share Posted July 9, 2019 Cheers DR, I did wonder if that was the case. The lead that was on there was exactly that, however it was poorly made and fitted and about 3" long! With the new short lead on and the cleaned up earth points, (which are in fact positives), it starts much more reliably now, the amount of choke and throttle are the key, it's a balancing act but when they're right it fires up almost instantly. We've got a very good charger that covers a wide range of batteries, including 6v, and it's become habit to never walk down to the barn/stables without jump leads! There's always a battery handy to jump from. LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 They should fire pretty much instantly when everything is right, from memory choke held fully out and about 3/4 throttle on the hand lever then hit start. One of ours used to have a magneto system rather than the normal distributor, and it would start from cold easily off the starting handle LightBulbFun and spartacus 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted July 9, 2019 Author Share Posted July 9, 2019 Ha ha, yeah, the starting handle! I think I need to brush up on my technique, if only to impress the locals. LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted April 12, 2020 Author Share Posted April 12, 2020 After posting my latest tractor fettling success in my question thread I've rediscovered this original Fergie thread of mine, so I'll try and keep future updates on here! The radiator has always had a crack in the top, near the top hose spigot which ideally needed soldering up. I set to earlier and had the rad off in about 15 mins. I cleaned up the area that needed soldering and broke out the torch. After a couple of false starts I managed to get it water tight. It's a working tractor and while the restored look isn't the way we're going I'm still happy to paint/protect new or reconditioned parts in the interest of longevity, with that in mind I gave the rad a quick blow over with black stove paint. Finally after I refitted it I filled the cooling system up with 'Bluecol', which I found in the garage. Result. Cleon-Fonte, puddlethumper, mat_the_cat and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted April 12, 2020 Author Share Posted April 12, 2020 Quick test drive with video by Mrs Spart, riding her bike alongside. VID-20200412-WA0000.mp4 tapir, N Dentressangle, mat_the_cat and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightBulbFun Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 Nice to see this thread get an update once more and that the old Fergy is still going strong I regret not seeing if I could have a go on @Mrs6C's FE35 at one of last years FoD open days! hopefully ill be able to rectify that this year I do have this picture or Mrs6c running around on it with the ZX behind tho Mrs6C and spartacus 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted April 12, 2020 Author Share Posted April 12, 2020 That's cool, a loader too, positively gadget laden! Mrs6C and LightBulbFun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Dentressangle Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 57 minutes ago, spartacus said: Quick test drive with video by Mrs Spart, riding her bike alongside. VID-20200412-WA0000.mp4 Gets a decent lick up! Hope the brakes are better than the average TE20 LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted April 12, 2020 Author Share Posted April 12, 2020 They're not bad, I'm not going that fast TBH, you just have to plan ahead for stopping. If I stand on the pedal they'll probably lock up. LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenson Velcro Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 On 7/9/2019 at 10:17 PM, spartacus said: Having sold the topper we had we needed a ride on for the areas around the veg patch and the 'lawn'. I have a customer who had a Mountfield ride on, I have no idea how old it is but could be '80's I reckon. She didn't need it any more and I made a derisory offer, after being very clear that she should check prices and I wouldn't be in the least offended if she told me to get bent. She accepted the offer and last night I picked this up, it's lovely! In the background is our original 'mini tractor', which I bought with a knackered cutting deck, it gets used for 'light' duties around the smallholding, although it was tested last night when Mrs Spart towed 260kg of post Crete with it! The latest one drives so much better, it seems to have all the gee-gaws you might need, like a hill descent brake, a forward and reverse box, so you're able to use all five gears in either direction. It even has working lights. You can mow with the option of a grass collector or a chute to just chuck it out the back and let it mulch down. MTD is an American manufacturer in its own right and has been going a lot longer than Mountfield. They make nice gear and that looks like a good machine. It should do you a good turn. Mrs6C and spartacus 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted April 12, 2020 Author Share Posted April 12, 2020 Cheers JV, I never knew that. It is a nice machine, it's well built and feels solid. I need to get it out of the man cave and clean it, we've got two sheep and their lamb and as a result I never need the ride on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 Holy thread resu... Our Fergie is a great little tractor but we bought it knowing the rear three point link didn't work, there's obviously a hydraulic issue somewhere but solving it means being without the tractor for a while, added to that there's a limit to how useful it would really be, Mrs Spart decided a big loader would be much more useful. somewhatfoolish, LightBulbFun, Coprolalia and 7 others 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 As you can see, compared to our little Fergie, it's huge. It's a Massey Ferguson 50b, from about 1974, it has provision for a backhoe butt I don't know if one has ever been fitted. The loading gear works smoothly as it should and it's pretty easy to control, the only bugbear so far is the poor traction, I think due to the lack of weight at the back. LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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