IMT 579 rare? Info?

JoshT

Member
So I found this tractor sitting in a barn. I purchased it from the farmer and have been working on it this summer.
So here is the story. The guy I bought it from said the tractor was purchased new from IMT by Massey. They used the tractor to prove that IMT at the time was copying their patten. Massey had them shut down and they had to scrap all parts and tractors made. Although some made it out to the public in the overseas markets, this is the only one that was shipped to North America.
Then as it goes on, Massey didn't want the tractor sold to the public so they donated to a school for their diesel program. The guy I bought it from, His father bought is at least 20 years ago on a public state auction. He put it in the barn to work on it someday, but never did. He has since passed away or was getting older and his son pulled it out of the shed and sold it to me.
I reached out through social media and the internet on any info about the tractor. Early this year an older man got a hold of me, he knew of the tractor name, and he also told me the same story that the previous owner had told me. I believe he worked for Massey, that was how he knew. From the info I got from him, this is possibly the only one in the USA and North America. He said he thought there were only about 300 made and sold to the public overseas. After Massey shut them down they reached a deal where IMT would purchase their old pattens and start to build them again. But not this model. They were a whole different tractor.
This tractor is 100% original, with only 57 hours on it. Even the tires are still original and say "Made in Yugoslavia" on them. I have since got it running and driving. I had the injector pump rebuilt with parts out of the UK and from IMT. I have yet to learn of a date of manufacture on this tractor. IMT, which is based in Serbia now, cannot get me any info because they had to destroy everything.

So how collectable is this? I have had some decent offers from farmers wanting it for farming, since it is a 75hp diesel and four wheel drive. But id like to see it in a collection. Seems to be a lot of history behind this one. If anyone would have any info on it, I would love to hear it. Thanks for reading.

BTW I cannot get pictures to load. Ill keep working on it.
 
Maybe your IMT 579 is rare but IMT tractors are not. The local Massey Ferguson dealer sold a fair number of them in the late 1980s here. They where mostly the same as the regular MF tractors but had some different hydraulic controls and such but the engines and transmissions where exactly the same. Parts would interchange.

Another MF clone made during that same time was the Landini. They where actually owned by MF. Lot of the 8550s here. Once again they where about 20-30%^ cheaper than the regular MF tractors but the majority of the parts would interchange. Strange to see Blue MF around.
 
Yes you are correct. IMT was big, and massey dealer did sell them. But from what I am finding this tractor was made before Massey was selling them, and before IMT had permission to replicate.
 
This one also has a 75 horse 4.1 liter diesel. They call it a P motor because they didn't want to call it a Perkins. I am not for sure but most perkins were a 3.9 liter. It also has only 6 forward and 2 reverse gears. Essentially a 4 speed.
 
I remember when landini tried to do their thing here they sold quite a few but in about 2 years they were all gone again everybody likes a cheap built tractor until they start to give fits and then there is no one wants the bastardized thing
 
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What I can find shows IMT started making tractors under MF license in 1959. Now maybe this particular models was special but in general they where working with MF long before this tractor would have been built.
 
Landini made a lot of Masseys. They make a lot of others as well. Maybe that is where you could find parts for the IMT.
 
Finding parts for it is pretty simple. There is a place in the US that sells pretty much everything for this tractor. But the problem is you need to pull the part out and hopefully find a number on it. No one has a 579 on the books.
 
It does look you have a low production model, a 577 would of been a more common model sold here.
The 4.1 (248ci) Perkins was a very common engine, MF used them in several models.
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You can get an idea of the history of IMT from Wikepedia. They are not entirely out of business if I understand it correctly. I had a 560, not the worst machine ever made. Sales to the US were stalled, as well as parts availability, during the Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian struggle.
 
I bought my Long/Landini R9500 a while back and can say its no cheap built tractor.Its obviously been used pretty hard,looks original the 354 Perkins still starts and runs strong,has a very heavy duty 3pt hitch,2 sets of remotes all work.Has 12 speeds forward 4 reverse,syncronized shift on the go trans,PTO works good can be used as 540 or 1000,very heavy front end with
9.50 X 20 tires on the front.As good or better built as any other tractor for its time as far as I can see.
 
Is it possible that the 9 is a code for the FWA axle,or is the rest of the tractor different than a 577? I know Fiat had different model numbers depending on whether they were two or four wheel drive.
 
I did some checking. The 577 is totally different. Only 70 hp and had a 6 speed trans. But the 577 was built in 1983 and newer. The 4 speed was made up until the 6 speed was made.
 
I don't know what to think about your tractors story but I can tell you IMT tractors were sold in the United States . My neighbor had a 577 mfwd with a loader he bought new- late 1980,s or early 90's that I ran some for him. It was built in Yugoslavia by IMT under license from Massey . It was a decent tractor- I did have to repair the mfwd for him.
 
Interesting story; however, I believe it is just that. You can Google IMT "Massey Ferguson" lawsuit, and if there was one, it would come up.... it doesn't that I see. IMT was sold in the USA for several years, imported by Robison & Grissom of Guntown, Mississippi. They were mostly licensed-Massey Ferguson's, and even built tractors for MF that were sold as MF! Based in Yugoslavia, they closed down in 2015 in bankruptcy, but their assets were bought by TAFE of India this year. (TAFE is a licensee of AGCO, and owns part of AGCO). (Robison & Grissom later sold TAFE in the USA).

Massey Ferguson has been one of the most licensed brands in the world, with the only possible exception being Fiat. MF's designs are still widely used today, and sold under various names. See the link below some info:
Tractor wikia Licensed Massey Ferguson tractors
 

Great info guys. So I’m leaning more towards this as a farm tractor, not anything that is collectible. Even with the low hours and all original. I have a few local guys that are interested in buying it. I’ll see what they want to pay. Thanks again.
 
I have also found specs on this tractor. But still cannot find a Manufacture date or how many were made. So far this is the only one of this model known in the USA
 

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