About
This site is all about one tractor…
Yes that’s right, the Massey Ferguson 135!
Why?
Because it is one of the best tractors ever made, and quite deservedly one of the most popular classic tractors to grace the barns, garages and driveways of the classic enthusiast.
We welcome any comments you have about the information on this website and look forward to your comments. Let us know if you have a 135.
Do you know its age? serial number? How long have you owned the tractor? Have you used it for work on the farm? Do you take it to ploughing matches.
Over the coming years we hope this site will become full of information about the Massey Ferguson 135. A one stop shop for all the stories, information and reader comments about these tractors.
We hope you enjoy your visit to the site as much as we enjoy writing about these brilliant little tractors.
Vintage Massey Ferguson 135 is on Blog Catalogue
Bill Bolton said
We need advice. How practical is it to attach a loader on an old 135?.
What is the availability of a used loader?
What do we need as additional hydrolics?
Thanks, Bill
Webmaster said
Hi Bill,
Lots and lots of MF135 tractors have loaders on them. Loaders are widely available second hand and usually cost about £200. I would suggest buying a vintage tractor magazine from your newsagents, as there are many classified ads in there. In the UK ‘Tractor and Machinery’ is a popular magazine. Alternatively you may live close to an agricultural collective machinery sale, where there are often old loaders for sale.
There are a couple of options for the hydraulics. What you do will depend on how much functionality you need. Do you just need up and down? or also hydraulic crowd on the bucket? or also a third service for operating something such as a bale grab?
Is there a connector on your tractor for a tipping trailer? If there is and you only require up and down functionality then the loader can simply be plugged into this service and operated using the quadrant levers.
The best option is to have a 2 or a 3 way valve fitted (if there isn’t already one on). This valve replaces the cap on top of the stand pipe (under the front right hand side of the seat). See this article about a 3 way vavle…
http://vintagetractorengineer.com/2009/01/massey-ferguson-550-exterior-hydraulic-valve/
If you take one of the supplies from the 3 way valve and feed it into spool blocks then that gives good control of your loader and you can have up/down, crowd and third service. Return from the spool vavle comes back into a port on the 3 way vavle. The other ’2′functions for the 3 way valve are for the trailer tipping pipe and for the normal oil supply to the lift cylinder to operate the lift arms.
Hope that helps,
Steve.
Bill Arnold said
I just bought a M F 135 and don’t know the year. Can you tell me any thing about this tractor. SERIAL # 9A16316. I will be using it to bush hog under brush and rake up Pine straw with a pea rake.Any information would be appreciated.
Webmaster said
Hi Bill,
The serial number of your tractor dates it at 1973, so this is one of the later built tractors. It will have a straight front axle as opposed to a swept axle as was also fitted to the earlier range of MF35 tractors. The straight axles are stronger. Does it have multi-power transmission, as this often increases the value of the tractor if the multi-power is working correctly.
Here in the UK, the value of the 135′s has risen quite a lot over the past 4-5 years and they are very sought after tractors. They have a fantastic direct injection engine, they are robust yet very hand for getting into small sheds and useful for smallhoders. There are still quite a lot of tractor still doing a full days work on working farms.
Hope your tractor serves you well.
Steve.
Steve Casaru said
Hi There
I have a massey ferguson 135 which i think dates to 1972.
I have purchased a sisis vertical action solid tine spiker, pto driven, for use on a cricket square,
Problem: To carry out the operation of spiking the tractor has to be in bottom gear low drive.
However in this gear the pto does not operate the spiker at a rate fast enough for the cams which drive the spikes in and out to operate and the tractore simply drags the spiker along.
Can i increase the speed of the pto and keep the tractor at crawl speed ?
If not I have just wasted £800.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Steve
richard evans said
Need help, I am trying to rebuild my steering box on my Masey 135. I can not get my steering arms off. What is the best way to remove them?
Jerry Anderson said
I have just bought a MF135 with a serial number of 9A66372 – can you tell me what year this is? It came with a loader already attached – do you have any idea as to the value of the tractor with and without the loader – It is running and it appears in good condition – just needs painting.
Webmaster said
Hi Jerry,
The year of your tractor can be found on the Serial Numbers Page…
http://vintagemasseyferguson135.com/2010/05/13/massey-ferguson-135-serial-numbers/
If you take a look there you can see it is a 1969.
As for the value, well you’ve just bought it, so what did you pay for it?
If it is in good original and mechanical condition then I would think about £3,400 to £4,000.
Steve.
mitch 35 x said
Hi I have just purchased a 1965 massey ferguson 135 serial no 26624 do have any information about this tractor thanks look forward to hearing from you alan
Mitchell said
Hi Steve
Great finding your site this evening.
I am based in South Africa and have an MF 135 which we use for grass cutting on our farm. It’s been a real workhorse and in the past 4 years at any time I could jump on it and start it, even in mid winter. This year however a lot of dirt that had accumulated in the diesel tank started a series of fuel supply problems which I have slowly been ironing out.
In the process of working on it I’ve taken an added interest in this tractor and its history and that’s when I found your site after a bit of Googling. I would love to know this tractor’s age but I simply cannot find a serial number plate on it anywhere. There are numbers in various places on the engine block but none of them match up with any of the serial numbers on your site. How else could I go about identifying my Massey 135? I could take some photos which might help to narrow it down.
The restoration bug has bitten me a little and I’m keen to start replacing little things that are missing on it.
The fuel tank problems resulted from a missing fuel gauge on the tank. It had a big hole in the tank where the fuel gauge is supposed to fit from the time we bought it. I originally took a piece of rubber and siliconed it over that hole but over time it peeled loose and let a lot of dust and muck into the tank. Ultimately I’m trying to find a second hand fuel gauge so that when she comes back from being reconditioned I can fit that and actually have a working fuel gauge.
I’ve pretty much ironed out the fuel problems and she’s running strong. Under load (driving with pto driving slasher) the motor dies and it seems air was getting into the fuel system somewhere so I replaced all the fuel lines to rule out any possibility of a cracked pipe somewhere. Just need to replace a copper washer on one of the banjo pipes on the CAV injector pump which has a very slow drip and then I’ll fire her up again and test her under load. That’ll happen in the next day or two.
I’d love to get hold of a workshop manual for the MF135, do you know where I can get one? Preferably in PDF format. Could you also recommend any sources of Vintage parts for the MF 135? Over time I’d love to see her fully restored with all the missing bits and pieces that seem to have disappeared during her life before I became the owner.
If there is some way I can start off by identifying it’s year of manufacture it might help me along the road with restoration.
Kind Regards
Mitchell
stephen canney said
i bought a massey ferguson and i was wondering if you ever heard of any one putting a faster gear box in one of those tractors because i dont like reving any engine that much
Murray Glue said
Is this site still active? I have just bought a 1969 MF135 diesel, and have set about replacing some of its most worn or rusted parts. It has been used for some years as a haul out vehicle for a fishing boat, so the rear stabiliser brackets and rear rims have rusted and the transmission oil had water in it. Otherwise it runs like a dream and responds well to some love and care.
We have a 20 acre block and plan to use the MF for a wide range of jobs. I am suprised at the availability of parts here in NZ and at the very reasonable price for varous bits and pieces.