Massey Ferguson Tractors

The history of Massey Ferguson dates back to 1847, when Daniel Massey opened a workshop to build simple farm implements in Newcastle, Ontario.

He was a family man, businessman, inventor, tradesman, manager, entrepreneur and genius. In other words, he was a farmer. And since Massey Ferguson began, farmers have been our only reason for being.

Over the first half century, Massey's business boomed. Meanwhile - also in Ontario - Alanson Harris established a foundry to make and repair farm machinery. Both Massey and Harris became leading names in harvesting equipment and eventually merged in 1891.

More than a half century later, the Massey-Harris Company joined forces with a brilliant English engineer named Harry Ferguson, who had revolutionized tractor design with his innovative three-point hitch. For the first time ever, tractor and implement could work as one - a concept that still applies today on virtually all agricultural tractors.

Formed in 1953, the new association was called Massey-Harris-Ferguson Limited. Five years later, the name was shortened to Massey Ferguson, creating one of the world's most powerful forces in farm equipment. Since 1962, the company has been acknowledged as the world's best selling brand of tractor.

In 1995, Massey Ferguson was purchased by the US-based AGCO Corporation.

Over all these years, we've never lost our focus on giving farmers what they need, whether they're the biggest row crop producers or those living the rural lifestyle on a smaller scale. And today more than ever, we're determined to prove that the heart of the original Massey Ferguson brand still beats under the shiny new exteriors of every piece of equipment we make.

Massey Ferguson History

Massey Ferguson Limited was a major agricultural equipment manufacturer based in Canada. The company was formed by a merger between Massey Harris and the Ferguson tractor company in 1953, creating the company Massey Harris Ferguson. Massey expanded the company and began to sell its products internationally.

Massey Harris also produced one of the world's first four-wheel drive tractors. In 1953, the company merged with the Ferguson Company to become Massey-Harris-Ferguson, before finally taking on its current name in 1958. In 1955, Massey purchased the Australian H.V. McKay company, manufacturers of the brand Sunshine. In 1930 the H.V.

McKay Company was granted exclusive Australian distribution of Massey-Harris machinery. In 1959, Massey bought 100% of Landini, based in Italy. In 1966, Massey purchased 32% of the Spanish tractor and auto company Ebro, or Motor Iberica. Ebro had previously built Ford tractors under license, but now began building models for Massey, and Massey models under license. Massey sold its interest to Nissan in the 1980s.[4]

In 1973, Massey purchased the German company Eicher, and many Massey-licensed Eichers were built. Massey Combines became insolvent soon after, and its assets were re-acquired by Massey Ferguson.

This encompassed all construction equipment from Massey. Since 1962, Massey Ferguson has been the world's leading tractor brand. Currently, there are more Massey tractors than any other, worldwide.

The companies first mass produced tractor was the Massey Harris Ferguson TVO which was quickly replaced by the Diesel 20. In 1958 the MF35, the first Massey Ferguson branded tractor (a Ferguson design) rolled off the factory floor. In the late '80s, one of the greatest selling tractors of all time was released- the 300 series Massey Ferguson.

Ferguson Tractor

The Ferguson Model TE20 was a British agricultural tractor. It was Harry Ferguson's most successful design, commonly known as the Little Grey Fergie.



History

Ferguson tractor at an orange orchard at Palinyewah, New South Wales, Australia.

The TE range of Ferguson tractors were introduced in England in 1946 following 30 years of continuous development of the 'The Ferguson System' from 1916. The automatic control system, now employed by almost all tractor manufacturers worldwide, was patented by Harry Ferguson in 1925.

During the 1930s the first complete Ferguson tractors were built and the famous 'suction side' hydraulic control system developed and put into production at the David Brown factory at Huddersfield, England. (It was this production that led in 1939 to the David Brown line of tractors).

In order to get volume production with lower costs Harry Ferguson, following a demonstration of his tractor before Henry Ford senior in October 1938, did a gentleman's agreement with Ford to produce the Ferguson tractor in Detroit starting mid 1939About 300,000 of these tractors, known 'Ford Ferguson' were produced up to June 30, 1947.

The agreement with Ford in 1938 was to include production at the Ford plant at Dagenham, Essex, UK but the UK Ford company would not do it By 1945 Ferguson had made a manufacturing agreement with the Standard Motor Company of Coventry, England to produce the Ferguson tractor incorporating all their latest improvements and to be known as the TE20, ie Tractor England.

The break with Ford left Harry Ferguson and his US company having implements to sell but no tractors. To the above figure must be added TO production at Ferguson Park, Detroit.

The Ford 8N History

The Ford 2N eventually evolved into the Ford 8N, which officially started it's production in 1947. This was also the year the handshake agreement between Henry Ford and Harry Ferguson was ended regarding the three-point hitch. Ford would continue using the hitch, but would no longer give Harry any money nor would he call it the "Ferguson System" any longer..



This resulted in a lawsuit which eventually awarded Harry Ferguson $10 million or so. Harry went on to produce the 8N look-alike TO-20 and TO-30 but that is another story in itself... so back to the 8N. A completely new line of implements (Dearborn) was introduced. Some of the noticeable differences between the 9N/2N was the change in lugs from six to eight in the rear wheels, scripted "Ford" logo on the fenders and sides of the hood (reportedly this scripting did not actually start until late 1950) and finally, the absence of the "Ferguson System" patch which was no longer displayed under the Ford oval (even though the tractor still used Fergusons three-point hitch). The rest of the differences can be found on the Specifications page. Our intention here was just to give you a brief light-hearted look at the history behind these machines.