Massey Ferguson 135

[Matthew Rice]

HI, I was looking at buying a used Massey Fergsuon 135, and I was wondering if anybody could tell me what years it was made, (the man told it was mid 80s, but from what I have seen on the internet it looks like they were late 60s or early 70s). I also would like to know how much horsepower they made and anything specific to look for. The tractor has some blow by, but I found some rebuild kits for a little over $200. If I get a manual for it, how hard of a project would it be? Thanks for any info, Matt

 

[Matthew Rice]

I meant to add that the asking price is $3500, all four tires are brand new, it has been repainted, (somebody did a good job but it could stand to be cleaned up), the seat looks like it has been replaced, the transmission shifts through all the gears fine, the steering is fairly tight, brakes are a little weak. If I could get him below the asking price would this be a good deal? Matt

 

[Aaron Ford]

The 135 was manufactured from 1965 to 1976. Prices start at around $5000 around here and top out at around $8000. Find the serial numbers and compare to this list for the year.
1964: 641000001
1965: 651001909
1966: 641014871
1967: 9A10001
1968: 9A39836
1969: 9A63158
1970: 9A87325
1971: 9A107519
1972: 9A128141
1973: 9A152025
1974: 9A182761
1975: 9A207681

Perkins Diesels demand top dollar followed by the Perkins gassers (3 cyl) and lastly the 4 cylinder Continental. Make no mistake, the Continental is still one heck of an engine. The 135 is one of the best out there.

At $3500, it would be a no-brainer and darn near criminal.

BTW, Where is it?

Aaron

 

[Anonymous-0]

Go to Big Deans site and he has a checklist of what to check out. What engine is in it? UK 135's were made up to 1979. UK models have the 135 emblem near the front of the hood and US models have it at the back. The rubber is probably worth $600 or $700 alone. If everything checks out $3500 is cheap but make sure that the new rubber, new paint and new seat isn't just a cover up of a more serious problem. Brakes were never the greatest in the first place and they do get glazed. 135's are the most sought after tractor and for good reason. They were the best selling in their day as well for the same reason. They are straight forward and work and usually very cheap to maintain. Parts are readily available and you can get a lot of AGCO heritage parts that are real cheap compared to regular MF parts. The heritage parts still meet the same quality as the regular parts but are usually made in another country like Turkey and sell for 50 to 75% cheaper! As was posted the Perkins diesel is the most desirable but all 135's had a good engine. Hope this helps. Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

Forgot to mention. 135's are around 38 PTO horsepower. Dave

 

[Matthew Rice]

HI, thanks for the replies. It is in Alabama. It is the diesel engine, and the emblem is at the back of the hood. I didn't think to write down the serial number so I will have to check it when I go back. I think it has been for sale for a while, but he wanted $4000 at first, then $3800, and somebody offered him $3500 when he wanted $3500, so I was a little worried, but my father in law knows a lot more than I do and he is going to look at it with me. I will also check out the website. Thanks for all the information. Matt

 

[Anonymous-0]

Hello,
Gotta take issue with you over the brakes. The Girling 14x2 brakes are quite adequate for the use they were intended for. Yes you can glaze the shoes but that generally happens because the wrong gear is selected and the linings overheat through excessive braking periods.
Matthew, if you buy the tractor and find that the efficiency is not as good as you think it should be, post a message or e-mail me and I'll tell you what to do to make the tractor stop on a sixpence for us in the UK, but for you I guess its a dime!
Cheers
DavidP, South Wales

 

[Anonymous-0]

Hello Matthew -

At that price it's a steal, even if you have to spend some money on the guts!

And if you do, that tractor will live on for another 40 years!

You did not mention multipower. They have been troublesome (leaking seals being a major one), but Big Dean has a fix to disable them cost-effectively.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Get him below the asking price and I'm headed your way to buy it out from under you! That tractor, in the condition described would EASILY bring $4500 to $6000 here, gas or diesel.

 

[JBMac]

Forgive me if this is a near duplicate post, I tried to send one a few minutes ago and it didn't go through, if it does, sorry. Anyway, I've been trying to sell a late 60's 135 for months. I stepped up to a 175 to run a bigger hay mower. The tractor is in fair cosmetic shape (hood and fenders are good, grill is a little dinged up), but is one of the best running tractors I've ever had. Perkins diesel, 6 speed, no multipower. Good rear tires, could use front tires. No blow-by or excessive oil consumption. Will crank right away on the coldest mornings. I've trying sell it in the local advertiser and by the road for a month or so. Just not too many people need a tractor for their 5 acre ranchettes I guess. I'd be happy to get $3700 for it and would assist in delivery within reason. I'm located in North Florida.

Thanks,

JBM

 

[David, Surrey UK]

Hi, a newbie here -- both to the forum and to tractors in general. (Well, I do have a 12hp garden tractor, but...)

I'm after an MF135 in good condition for use on our 7 acres here in Surrey (40 miles SW of London). But my local machinery dealer tells me there are very few examples around here. Most of them have been bought up by dealers and exported to third-world countries it seems.

I'm not a mechanic and I'm not prepared to do much work on a tractor beyond routine servicing, so I know I'll have to pay the going price for a good 135, if I can find one. On UK Ebay they go for around 3k-4k UK pounds, which is about 6k-8k US dollars. Unfortunately most of those on offer seem to be a long way from here.

A few days ago my local dealer showed me a reconditioned MF240, but unfortunately it's well beyond my budget so I reluctantly had to say no. I've now decided a 135 is the right model for me -- if I can find one. It has to be fairly local as I'd like my man to take a look at it; being completely clueless myself as far as tractors are concerned I'd be a sucker for a nice paint job! ;-)

There are various manuals available online and I've ordered some to try and get myself educated about 135s. Is Dean's CD worth getting if you already have operating and workshop manuals?

I've been advised that 35hp or more would be needed for pulling my 8-foot ballast roller (which I've been pulling with an old Land Rover up until now). The roller is 1.8 tonnes when full. We're on very flat land, no slopes or bumps to contend with. Will a 135 handle this job? The other main work will be mowing and muck spreading. I guess in US terms this would be a "ranchette" but over here we call it a small equestrian property! The old Land Rover will be sold to help finance the tractor.

David

 

[Anonymous-0]

In good condition the brakes are totally adequate but because they get glazed and are only a drum brake they are not as good as disc brakes found on other tractors. I have multi-power and if I go down the road in top gear I need to allow extra room to brake. Sometimes you wish you had better brakes like when working on hills. That said, I wouldn't trade my 135 for anything. It will still be going strong for years after the energizer bunny has died. In fact a 135 will probably be used to bury the energizer bunny. Exceptional tractors! Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

Hello,
Absolutely agree. Mine's a 1965 UK built one.
If you think that your brakes could be better drop me a line.
DavidP, South Wales

 

[Matthew Rice]

I took my father in law to look at the tractor, and he thought it was a good deal, (especially after reading y'alls comments), and I was able to talk him down to $3250. The serial number falls between '74 and '75 model. My plan is to use it til winter then rebuild the motor. It does have a lot of blow by, but everything else seems to be tight. The next major issue is the pedal that locks the differential seems to be stripped out. How big of a job is that? I am also not sure what yall are talking about when you say "multipower", if somebody could explain that to me. I am going to pick it up thursday. I will try to wash it up and post some pics for everybody. I really appreciate all the advice and information.

 

[Anonymous-0]

The differential lock pedal just clamps to the shaft. Tighten the clamp bolt. Mine needed that once. The spring on the pedal is what pulls the lock out and it wasn't working either. Its a really effective differential lock.

Quite a number MF-135 had three transmissions, two shifted on the transmision a high/low and a three speed plus reverse. Then the multipower is a hydraulicly shifted gear splitter that fills in the gaps and gives you 12 speeds foward, 4 reverse. It can be shifted on the go which is often handy on the road or in the fields. The multipower control is a knob just above your right knee on the lower dash. It acts as a hill holder in one of its gears, but free wheels going down hill. It prevents pull starts since it takes hydraulic pressure from its special pump to lock the gears. Its always easier to shift the main gears with the multipower in low.

Gerald J.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Mine is also a UK model. I kept asking at dealers what year it was. They couldn't tell me. I found out through this web site and other links. We have had ours since around 1980. It is also a 1965 model and a fairly early one. The serial number is F(multi-power) 3742. I have a cab off of a 1970's MF20 (US model) on it and an allied loader. It is the most trouble free machine I have. What is the serial number of yours? Maybe it's close to mine? JJ in BC has one that is 68 units newer than mine but his is all restored. I'd like to restore mine but I'm too busy using it. I had the wheels off and should have cleaned up the brakes but I didn't. For most stuff they are OK. Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

That's a steal for a late model diesel even though it needs a little work. Once fixed it will be better than a new tractor and most certainly outlast one. Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

The Massey Ferguson 135 was made from 1964 - 1975 it came with three engine set ups Perkins 3 cyl. diesel (45 HP), z134 continental engine on the 135 Special gas 4 cyl.(34 HP), a z145 continental engine 4 cyl. gas (45 hp)it also had a 3cyl gas perkins engine 45 HP also. A total of four engine options came on this tractor over a period from 1964 - 1975.
I have a 135 Massey w/z145 engine and its has been one of the best tractors I have owned. You can get manuals on ebay cheaper.
More in for on external_link

 

[Matthew Rice]

David, I am curious now. Tell me how to make the tractor stop on a "sixpence". I was backing it off the trailer today and it was fairly steep, and I was not very happy with the brakes. Thanks

 

[Matthew Rice]

It is me again. I was going hook up my root rake and didn't realize that a top link was not included with the tractor. From what I have seen I will need a category 1 (up to 45 hp), but do I need to know how long to get it, or need more info than that? Thanks