Here at Vintage Massey Ferguson 135 .com we’ve been watching the new Reborn Tractor Massey Ferguson 135 Restoration DVD.

In fact we haven’t been able to put it down!!!

So what is it that’s keeping us glued to the TV?  Well there’s 210 minutes of footage on 2 discs – more than enough to annoy the wife when she’s trying to see the next episode of her favourite programme!!

The film goes through some of the common mechanical  issues and problems that need repairing on an old 135 and shows how to do these jobs.

The real value in this DVD is showing how to do the restoration work. What do I mean?  Well we all have to make decisions when doing a tractor restoration, and that can be any make of tractor restoration – the principle is the same.  In this case the film obviously follows a MF135, and goes into details for this particular model.

We are talked through the decisions of buying new body panels or renovating the old ones.  Buying new panels is probalby the cheapest option (and certainly the easiest); that said renovating your old bonnet (OK, hood if you are across the Atlantic) and wings can be less expensive than buying new if you are doing the job yourself.  It is the labour requirement that costs all the money.  The paint and materials are a smaller part of the cost.

Take a look at the 2 minute DVD trailer, to see some of what is in the film.

The result of the discussion on body panel renovation or renewal is basically down to personal preference.  It depends what you want from your tractor.  Do you just want to tidy up the machine for use around your own place?  Or do you want originality and to win shows with your tractor.  With poplular tractors like the ‘135 it is easy to get new replacement bonnets and wings, but this option is not available for some less common models.  In this situation you will have to renovate the old parts.

Renovating Body Panels

Showing us how to renovate the body panels is, in our opinion, the real value in this DVD.  It shows…

• Sandblasting
• Sodablasting and aluminium oxide blasting air pressures
• Cutting out rusted and rotten pieces of metal
• Welding in new metal to preserve the original look and maintain authenticity
• Smoothing the joints so they can’t be seen

We are then taken through the process of panel beating, filling any holes and sanding, before looking at the painting processs.

Before the sand blasting process on the engine and castings the experts show how to cover any parts than need protecting from the abrasive blasting process.  How to cover threads and stud holes, port holes and which products to use that will offer this protection.

Vintage Massey Ferguson 135 .com would give this DVD a Five Star Rating ***** and FULLY RECOMMEND that you add it to your restoration resources.  It is a really well made production, well presented and calls on the experience of different tractor restoration experts for each of the processes.  We intended to watch the first hour of the film but we were glued to the TV until we had watched both discs!!!!

It is a resource that we have already revisited to replay sections of when we wanted to remember how to do something.

The latest news is that the DVD has been selling all over the world, with particularly strong demand in  Sweden, Jersey, Ireland and Wales.  Vintage Massey Ferguson 135 .com got hold of one of the first copies – I wander if there’s any chance it will become a collectors item in a few years time?  Just like the MF135 itself.