9 minute read
BERRY GOOD
VINEYARD RARITY
Berry good! e Smith brothers own a superb, 1978 MF135 Mk.III that was originally bought new by their father. Bob Weir discovers more
The twin towns of Rattray and Blairgowrie are located at the western end of the Strathmore Valley, and have been dubbed the ‘Berry capital’ of Scotland. The area attracts an army of fruit pickers and tourists during the harvest, and the produce is exported all over the world. In 2016, strawberries alone accounted for a turnover of £84 million, or 73% of the overall value of soft fruit.
Robert and Rodger Smith come from a farming background and have lived in the Blairgowrie area for many years. They were brought up on a local farm, and both run building contracting businesses in the area. “Five of us grew up on the farm, but nobody followed our father into agriculture,” Rodger explained. “Unless your holding is over 500 acres of arable, it is difficult to make a living these days. My father sold the farm in 1988, and we’ve gone onto other things.”
King of fruits
The brothers can remember back in the 1970s, when the raspberry was still king. “There were berry fields for miles around,” Rodger recalls. “The area was producing something like 750,000 tons of raspberries each year. Soft fruits are still popular, but the raspberry has mostly been replaced by other types. Things
This attractive little Vineyard model soon started picking up prizes once it joined the Scottish tractor show circuit. were also different back in those days. There were none of today’s distractions like iPads and computer games. When my brothers and sisters were growing up, we were always out and about and rarely in the house. They were good times, and a farm was a great place to grow up.”
WES 845T is particularly relevant to Rodger as he passed his driving test on the tractor when he was 16. “My father’s main working tractor was a 1977 Leyland 272 Synchro, and this was used to do the arable side of the farm,” said Rodger. “He then bought the Massey for spraying on the berries. He also used the tractor on fertiliser work, like dung-spreading.”
Both Robert and Rodger recall that the acquisition of the MF 135 coincided with the introduction of safety cabs. “This was good news for me as I wanted to learn how to drive, and the Massey replaced an old Ford Dexta, which didn’t have a cab,” said Rodger. “According to my father, it was difficult to fit the new safety equipment to the older Ford, which is why he went out and bought the Massey Ferguson. Robert had already passed his test on the Dexta, but it was no fun driving a tractor without a cab in bad weather.”
A princely sum!
“My father bought the tractor on November 3rd, 1978, for the princely sum of £5,555.50 + VAT. The tractor had been imported directly from the Massey Ferguson factory at Beauvais, in France, by the Burns Tractors dealership in Perth. The company also fitted the Duncan cab.”
When the farm was sold in 1988, WES 845T was part of the arrangement. “Fortunately, as things turned out, the new owners decided to keep the Massey,” said Rodger. “As far as we know, they continued to use the tractor until the early 1990s. By this stage, the soft fruit industry was in recession, and they
The MF135 Mk.III Vineyard retained the standard dash arrangement and the eight forward/two reverse synchromesh transmission with planetary reduction.
Safety cabs transformed the working environment for a generation of operators. It’s interesting to see how this Duncan cab is mounted to the Mk.III Vineyard.
The hydraulic quadrant was moved due to the lack of space between the mudguard and driver’s seat. Note how the lower links are cranked to accept standard implements and the rear axle configuration. The tractor has oil-cooled, threeplate disc brakes, similar to some of the larger models in the Massey Ferguson range.
eventually decided to move on. The people that came after were more horse-orientated, and the tractor was mostly used for cutting grass and baling hay.”
This continued until 2018, when Robert and Rodger decided to bring the tractor back into the family fold. “We suddenly had a bout of nostalgia,” Rodger explained. “Our father, Charles, was now in his nineties, and we wanted to bring the tractor home and restore it as a bit of a surprise. I also had fond memories of the tractor because of my driving test, which I passed in September 1979.”
Both Robert and Rodger recall that the Massey’s condition had deteriorated somewhat, but no more than you would expect for a tractor of that age. Fortunately, the brothers grew up handling tools, and decided to do a lot of the refurbishment work themselves. “There were a lot of pieces missing that needed to be replaced,” Rodger recalls. “The tyres were shot, so we bought a new set. One of the front wheels was also damaged beyond repair. As the list started to mount, the refurbishment eventually turned into a full restoration.”
Back to basics
The brothers used PJM Services, based in Ladybank, Fife, to shotblast the tractor’s wheels, and the tyres were supplied by Ladybank Tyres. “PJM Services did such a good job that we also hired them to do the rest of the bodywork,” said Rodger. “Although the Massey’s cab came with the tractor, it had been taken off by the previous owners and also needed to be refurbished.”
The Smith’s Massey 135 Mk.III vineyard model is one of the last of the breed, as production ended before the decade was out. The 135 had an illustrious career and was arguably the most important tractor of its generation. Later models featured flat-topped mudguards (and eventually cabs) and silver wheels, although the optional PAVT (Power Adjusted Variable Track) wheels were always made with silver rims and red centres.
Most 135s were built to a standard format, but the tractor’s versatility encouraged variations – including those produced by specialists, such as Lenfield Engineering Co. Ltd. The MkIII Vineyard version had the capability of operating between 30in and 60in track widths (rear). This made the tractor a big hit with fruit growers, as it was ideal for working in orchards. Fruit farmers in the Strathmore Valley took to the tractor in a big way, and found it a good replacement for the local Reekie narrow conversions, which had been used on the TE-20.
DUNCAN CABS: A BRIEF HISTORY
Alexander Duncan (Aberdeen) Ltd. was set up in the 1950s. The company’s primary aim was to provide a safe and comfortable work environment for tractor operators. Before this period, scant attention was paid to the wellbeing of drivers, who were forced to endure harsh working conditions and the vagaries of the weather.
Industry safety standards were also improving, and the cabs were built to conform to OECD, ISO and SAE standards. Duncan designed and produced cabs for many wellknown manufacturers including Ford, New Holland, John Deere, Universal, Kawasaki, Fermec, Kubota and Zetor. However, the cab is particularly associated with Massey Ferguson tractors and, in particular, the ground-breaking MF135.
The company ceased making cabs in 1999, but is still trading. Spare parts are also available to the original specification and fit. The company’s current address is: Alexander Duncan (Aberdeen) Ltd., Inchbroom, Nigg, Aberdeen AB12 3GF (tel: 01224 897278, duncancabs.co.uk)
The ideal machine
“The 135 Vineyard was ideal for working on fruit farms, although you had to take care manoeuvring the tractor because of its narrow width,” Rodger explained. “As I remember, my father was very pleased with the tractor and was sorry to see it go.”
According to Rodger, the tractor was still mechanically sound, but the engine and gearbox were also given a thorough overhaul. “Fortunately, the mechanical parts on the 135 were generally reliable, which was one of the tractor’s many plus points,” Rodger explained. “As long as you have the right spares and take your time, it’s a straightforward process. The paintwork was also done locally, by Croles Coachwork, although the owner has since retired.”
By this stage, Robert was also determined to restore the Massey to the same condition as the day he took his test. “This meant we now had to sort out the cab,” he said. “Although it had been removed by the previous owners, most of the unit was still there, including the roof. But, inevitably, some parts were missing, including the doors and windows. The condition of some of the panels was also a bit rough.
“I decided the best way to tackle the problem was to get hold of another cab, and I managed to find a secondhand unit off a tractor down in Darvel, Ayrshire. I used one of the doors and the back windows from the Darvel cab, and the other door was supplied by my cousin, Willie Smith, who’s also a tractor enthusiast.”
Original cab parts
Rodger got in touch with the original cab makers, Duncan, in Aberdeen, and the company was able to supply both front windows, and parts for the rear lights. The front lights were acquired from Agriline. “There was a bit of fun with the front grille, because the part used on the vineyard model is narrower than the one fitted to the standard 135,” said Rodger. “The front of the Massey had been bashed in, and all the lights were missing. I took it to a friend of mine, Stuart Crichton, who specialises in body panels, and he was able to sort it out. I believe the front grille on all the French-built vineyard models was painted in black.”
Robert and Rodger were able to complete the work in a reasonable time frame, and the restoration is to a very high standard. The brothers were recently rewarded for their efforts by winning a prize at the prestigious Farming Yesteryear Show held at Scone Palace, near Perth.
“Our father does know we have the tractor, and believes we’re still working on it, as he’s yet to see it,” Rodger said. “We’re planning to have a family celebration to celebrate our parents’ 60th wedding anniversary, and I will drive the tractor down to the hotel. We’ve also managed to re-register the Massey in his name, and I’m sure it will be a pleasant surprise. This tractor played a significant role in our lives, and will always be part of the family.”
