RESTORING
Making memories Like many others, Mark Coates’ obsession with agricultural machinery goes back to his younger years – but it is only recently that he has been able to indulge his passion. Scott Lambert finds out more.
M
ark Coates, from Staffordshire, has recently taken delivery of his first restored tractor – a 1976 International 574. Not an unusual choice, but one that is somewhat different to the small, cab-less Ford and Massey Ferguson models that are common amongst those starting out in the world of tractor collecting. As is often the case, the reason for his choice is due to the indelible mark left on him by this model as child. His father, Paddy, worked for Eddie Pemberton of Cheadle at a time when the farm was in a transition period from Massey Ferguson to International Harvester. For many years the business solely ran MF tractors, but a brand-new, Bradford-built B-414 had found its way
into the fold, as had a used, pre-‘Q’ cab 574. This tractor replaced an MF 165 and was used with a Kidd double-chop forage harvester to good effect. It proved to be a good combination and so a new 574 was purchased, registration NBF 549P, in 1976 – complete with ISO-mounted safety cab. It undertook all of the main jobs on the farm, including ploughing, mowing and forage harvesting, until it was relieved of some of the more testing jobs by a second-hand IH 674, that joined the Pemberton fleet around 18 months later, along with a JF FC 80 side-mounted chopper. Despite the arrival of the 674, it was the image of the shiny, new 574, often seen working with the mower or buckrake, that embedded itself in the young Coates’ brain and there was no
The 574 as it arrived at Young’s Agricultural Services Ltd. in August 2020. All photos of tractor during restoration: Young’s Agricultural Services Ltd. looking back! “When you see a brandnew tractor, like the 574, at such a young age it doesn’t leave you, and as soon as I was in a position to own my own ➤
Mark Coates (left) was inspired to purchase an IH 574 as his father, Paddy (right), drove one during the 1970s. All photos of finished tractor: Scott Lambert.
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March 2022 TRACTOR & MACHINERY 11
28/01/2022 13:03
