massey 135 U.K. vs. U.S.

[steve16]

hey guys what the difference between a massey 135 built from the U.S. and one built from the U.K.
thanks,
Stephen

 

[Anonymous-0]

UK will have Lucas electrics. US will have Delco. UK will always have Perkins engines. US will have Continental gas for a significant part of the run. UK power steering uses a cylinder on the drag link. US power steering uses a cylinder on the steering gear box. And I don't know what else. I'm fairly sure the tire size options are the same.

Then there's French and German variations with different transmissions, engines, and tin work.

I have a US 135. I picked up a CD-ROM of a UK 135 and its treated as a variant on the UK 148, but most of the manual doesn't fit my 135.

Gerald J.

 

[steve16]

thanks alot gerald i think i'm looking at as us version to buy then..
Appreciate it!

 

[Anonymous-0]

A dealer told me the UK models were better built than the US models but they're all good. Many more UK models were made up to 1979. Don't be afraid of a UK model. A newer 240 is almost the same thing. Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

Hi Gerald,
You forgot to mention one major difference!!!!
They forgot to put the headlamps in the front grille on the North American models and managed to squeeze 'em in where the front side lights should be in those funny shaped things you call fenders. Not like our 'proper job' flattop mudguards. Two great nations seperated by a common language!!!!!!
Cheers
DavidP, South Wales, UK

 

[richardinnz]

Hi David, what about the Standard 87mm petrol engine, there is quite a few of those down here, as well as the Perkins petrol.

 

[Anonymous-0]

But the local dealer is probably only going to have a parts book and parts for the tractor officially sold in your area. Finding parts or shop manual in the US (or Canada) to fit a UK 135 is hard. Finding parts in the US for German or French 135 may not be possible beyond tires, oil, and antifreeze.

I have a book about 1xx(x) series MF and in it the author was using tractors in a middle eastern country like Iraq or Saudia Arabia and he could order UK tractors direct and get them to his work farm cheaper than he could go through the local dealer for "official" tractors. When they got it need of parts, I'm sure his profits went away waiting for parts to arrive from the UK, or maybe by then he had spare tractors just to supply parts. So one can't depend on the tractor to be where it's supposed to have been officially or that parts support will be available.

Gerald J.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I thought I covered that under the phrase, "everything else is different."

And you'd not find a registration bracket on a US tractor made for US use because we don't license tractors. We don't even have an official way to trace tractor ownership or sales.

There were two options on US tractors for "mud guards," flat topped (and those lights weren't much help with a MF-236 loader mounted but they do spill a little light to the dash for when the original fancy intenal gauge luminescent lighting has failed) and clam shell much like the earlier tractors of both Ford and MF.

Gerald J.

 

[Anonymous-0]

A bunch of UK 135's that came to Canada did not have lights in the grill. They had lights and fenders that resembled US models. Any MF dealer I've been to has all the manuals for both. I ordered an owners manual for 65 UK and it was no problem. I'm not sure about service manuals but some stuff is the same. I've never had any problem getting parts. I have a book on MF 100 series tractors. There were no German 135's. There was a German 132/132A and 139/139A (2 and 4 wheel drive)models but they were completely different with an Eicher air cooled diesel. Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

In Iowa, I've never been asked "UK or US?" when after MF-135 parts. Nor when I called up Racine for operator's manual and parts catalog.

Could be the German tractors had a different number, but they had similar specifications to the US and UK 135. Close but not interchangeable.

Gerald J.