Dithering over which little old tractor

[Mr. Ed]

Khriss - that is a top tip. Thumbs inside wheel. The way it felt the first time I drove it I thought I’d need a block a tackle to turn it but it’s a bit better already.
I see people offer add on power steering to them - anyone have any experience? 

And yes I think the Massey does have that second clutch thingy. 
one weird thing is that if you turn the starter key past setting 2 you get a great bang and the lights go off! 1 is fine; 2 starts it, but 3 makes you think you’ve killed it for good. 

Edited February 1, 2021 by Mr. Ed

[spuddog0507]

21 minutes ago, Mr. Ed said:

 

Khriss - that is a top tip. Thumbs inside wheel. The way it felt the first time I drove it I thought I’d need a block a tackle to turn it but it’s a bit better already.
I see people offer add on power steering to them - anyone have any experience? 

And yes I think the Massey does have that second clutch thingy. 
one weird thing is that if you turn the starter key past setting 2 you get a great bang and the lights go off! 1 is fine; 2 starts it, but 3 makes you think you’ve killed it for good. 

Nice tidy tractor that one, look after it as it will not loose any value if you do, i spent many hours on 4000,4600 & 5000 back in the early 80s carting grass till daft,oclock in the morning, then used to get up and go to work, could not do it today thou, mind you there would be some HSE limitation today for what we did back then,

[doobin]

20 hours ago, Deafhead said:

A good counterweight on the threepoint takes a lot of effort out of the steering.

And make sure the front tyres are inflated properly.

 

I was always a fan of water ballasting the back tyres, means you could pick up an implement but still always had weight on the back end for loader work.

Edited February 2, 2021 by doobin

[doobin]

7 hours ago, spuddog0507 said:

Nice tidy tractor that one, look after it as it will not loose any value if you do, i spent many hours on 4000,4600 & 5000 back in the early 80s carting grass till daft,oclock in the morning, then used to get up and go to work, could not do it today thou, mind you there would be some HSE limitation today for what we did back then,

I was doing that in the early 00s, albeit on more modern tractors. Agriculture doesn't seem to worry too much about drivers hours 🤣

[doobin]

8 hours ago, Mr. Ed said:

 

Khriss - that is a top tip. Thumbs inside wheel. The way it felt the first time I drove it I thought I’d need a block a tackle to turn it but it’s a bit better already.
I see people offer add on power steering to them - anyone have any experience? 

And yes I think the Massey does have that second clutch thingy. 
one weird thing is that if you turn the starter key past setting 2 you get a great bang and the lights go off! 1 is fine; 2 starts it, but 3 makes you think you’ve killed it for good. 

Sounds like a short, I'd have the ignition out and test/replace.

 

Either that or it's got a fireball type pre-heater system fitted but wired up in wrong sequence, but the lights going out sounds like electrical fault.

[ESS]

4000 with a mounted igland 3000 double drum was the first tractor i owned in forestry when i got asked to do some thinnings work on local estates. Set of wheel chains on and it was quite surprising where it could get.It cost bugger all to run apart from the odd battery and filters.

It was very different to what i was used to having previously worked on D4s on big timber ,but it got me going on my own.

I payed £1400 for the outfit back then, which seemed a small fortune at the time. Good fallers around that time were earning £100-150 a week felling big timber on piece.

[Billhook]

8 hours ago, spuddog0507 said:

Nice tidy tractor that one, look after it as it will not loose any value if you do, i spent many hours on 4000,4600 & 5000 back in the early 80s carting grass till daft,oclock in the morning, then used to get up and go to work, could not do it today thou, mind you there would be some HSE limitation today for what we did back then,

I also spent much of my working days on  Ford 4600 which we bought new in 1978.  It had power steering which was perfect and a nice tractor for lighter precise work like drilling sugar beet as well as being man enough to help pull a five ton trailer in bad conditions when we were harvesting.

As Khriss says to save your twisted wrist or bruised fingers it may be worth spending £325 on a kit

New Power Steering Kit for Ford / New Holland Tractor 4000 4600

WWW.EBAY.CO.UK

---

Mounting Instruction inside. KIT CONTAINS: Mounting Flange, Power Steering Cylinder, Long Rod, Hydraulic Pump, Oil Tank, Pressure Tube, Inlet Hose, Emptying Tube, 2 Tie Rod Ends...

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by Billhook

[difflock]

I remember being in awe of the simplicty of how the power steering worked on the new bought Universal 540, back in the mid 1970's, it was the same as the retro-fit kit as pictured above by Billhook. It was genius mounting the valve on the end of the ram and having it operated by the existing steering linkage. Or so teenage me thought.

That was our first tractor with power steering, and having just staved a thumb by dunting a front wheel in against a wall while driving the DB 990 I allowed PS was a very good idea!

Mind you Dad had refused to pay for the optional factory-fit PS kit for the 434 International, when he bought it new, and it replaced the B250 on loader work, for about 20 years.

mth

[Billhook]

10 minutes ago, difflock said:

I remember being in awe of the simplicty of how the power steering worked on the new bought Universal 540, back in the mid 1970's, it was the same as the retro-fit kit as pictured above by Billhook. It was genius mounting the valve on the end of the ram and having it operated by the existing steering linkage. Or so teenage me thought.

That was our first tractor with power steering, and having just staved a thumb by dunting a front wheel in against a wall while driving the DB 990 I allowed PS was a very good idea!

Mind you Dad had refused to pay for the optional factory-fit PS kit for the 434 International, when he bought it new, and it replaced the B250 on loader work, for about 20 years.

mth

Another thought is that the £325 will easily be recovered by increasing the value of the tractor should you sell.

It is important to give her a name!  You may find plenty of suggestions from the helpful folk on Arbtalk!

[Mr. Ed]

I think those after market kits use the loader mounting bracket slots so might be difficult to use together. Also I’m such a muppet with machines I’d need to pay someone to install it.
I’ll probably break my thumbs first, put my back out, demolish a couple of small walls, and then get it done later! 
In the meantime I’m getting a transport box today and will try loading it up with boulders to see how it helps. 
Any ideas on how best to pick up big sticks of wood with the loader? Slings and chains? Big tongs? The bucket spikes are clearly not going to be strong enough for much above brash.