The Massey Ferguson 35 began life as the Ferguson TO35 in America and the Ferguson FE35 in Britain, and only took the Massey Ferguson name in 1957. Built from 1955 to 1964, it became one of the most widely used tractors in the world, and its licence-built descendants were still being made in the 21st century.
Massey Ferguson 35 at a glance
| Maker | Massey Ferguson (Ferguson until 1957) |
|---|---|
| Names | Ferguson TO35 (US), Ferguson FE35 (UK), MF35, MF35X |
| Production | 1955–1964 (United States); 1956–1964 (Britain) |
| Built at | Banner Lane, Coventry; Detroit, United States |
| Engines | Petrol, vaporising oil, 23C diesel; Perkins diesel from 1959 |
| Versions | Standard, De Luxe and Utility; agricultural, industrial and vineyard |
| Colours | All-grey, then beige and grey from 1956, red and grey from 1957 |
| MF35X | Launched 8 November 1962 with more power and Multi-Power |
| Built | 388,382 in eight years |
| Successor | Massey Ferguson 135 |
History of the Massey Ferguson 35
From the TO35 to the MF35
In 1953 a team led by Hermann Klemm began work on a replacement for the Ferguson TO30, known as the TO35. Harry Ferguson disliked the project and told Klemm to stop, but a 23-page letter from the engineer changed his mind. Although Ferguson had merged with Massey-Harris that year, the tractor was still sold under the Ferguson name when it reached the United States on 5 January 1955, a year ahead of plan. In Britain the FE35 was launched at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 1 October 1956, and the first example had been built at Banner Lane in Coventry on 27 August that year.
The Gold Belly and the red and grey
The British FE35 replaced the TE20, the little grey Fergie. It had a grey shell and wheels with a bronze body, which earned it the nickname Gold Belly. Three types were made — agricultural, industrial and vineyard — the industrial one meeting the Road Traffic Act 1947 with a driving mirror and a high-frequency horn. After 73,655 examples the tractor was rebadged MF35 in 1957 and painted red and grey, although the word Ferguson stayed on the body until February 1960.
Perkins, Multi-Power and the end
Massey Ferguson bought Perkins Engines in 1959 and began fitting its diesel to the MF35. De Luxe models had a dual clutch that let the driver disengage the rear wheels while keeping the power take-off and hydraulic pump running. On 8 November 1962 came the MF35X, more powerful and with Multi-Power, which shifted up or down a ratio without the clutch. British production passed 45,000 the next year and ended in 1964, when the Massey Ferguson 135 took over. Banner Lane kept sending kits abroad until 24 December 2002, by which time 3,307,996 tractors and kits had been built there.
Design and features
- Three fuels and a diesel: petrol, high-altitude petrol, vaporising oil and lamp oil engines were offered alongside the 23C and, from 1959, Perkins diesel.
- De Luxe dual clutch: the rear wheels could be disconnected while the PTO and hydraulics kept working.
- Multi-Power on the MF35X: clutchless ratio changes from 1962.
- Industrial version: built to the Road Traffic Act 1947 with mirror and high-frequency horn.
- Worldwide licence production: TAFE in India from 1960 to 2002, IMT in Yugoslavia as the IMT533 and IMT539, and new examples still built in India, Pakistan and Turkey in 2014.
Massey Ferguson 35 versions
- Ferguson TO35 (US, 1955): standard, De Luxe and, from 1956, Utility.
- Ferguson FE35 (UK, 1956): the Gold Belly, agricultural, industrial and vineyard types.
- MF35 (1957): red and grey, Perkins diesel from 1959.
- MF35X (1962): more power and Multi-Power.
- Licence versions: TAFE, IMT533 and IMT539, and the 2015 “People’s tractor” relaunch in East Africa.
The 35 was replaced by the 135, and its smaller stablemate in the 100 range was the 165. More tractors are in the Massey Ferguson collection.
Video: Cold start of a Massey Ferguson 35
Video by olareier on YouTube.
Sources
- Massey Ferguson 35, English Wikipedia: history, dates, versions, production numbers
- Massey Ferguson 35, Russian Wikipedia: engines, markings, licence production
- Massey Ferguson 35, French Wikipedia: production dates
