How to buy a new Massey Ferguson tractor and factors to consider before  buying

important factors to consider before buying a new Massey Ferguson tractor. They include the front axle, the transmission, the engine, the rear axle
Massey Ferguson MF5710 4WD Platform
This article will help you to summarize, in five points, the most important factors to consider when buying a new tractor. They include the front axle, the transmission, the engine, the rear axle the operator’s stations.

 

Buying a piece of agricultural machinery is a process that should be conducted with a lot of due diligence, not because some machines are faulty, but because some machines cannot do the work you intend them to do. What do I mean? Agricultural machinery is a heavy investment and the farmer buying must not spend more money than needed, nor should the farmer buy a machine that is too weak for the job. As you prepare to purchase your next tractor, this article will help you to ask critical questions to ensure that the machine you buy is just right, not too big or too small for the job.

Tractors are the main source of power used to lift and pull weight on the farm. Depending on the quantity and quality of work, you must assess the following components of a tractor to ensure it contains the requisite features to deliver the job.

 

Factors to consider when buying a new Massey Ferguson tractor


1. Tractor Front axle:

The front axle consists of the front wheel and the surrounding components. The design and innovations around the front axle are determinants of the performance of the tractor. Important questions you must ask concerning the front axle include:

  • Four-wheel or two-wheel drive 
  • Turning angle
  • Ground clearance
  • Wheel spacing (adjustable or fixed)
  • Wheelbase
  • Chassis size
  • Tires sizes and options
  • Front weights
  • Axle with suspension or not
  • Massey Ferguson tractor front axle
    Massey Ferguson tractor front axle

2.    2. Tractor Engine:

This is a very important component of a tractor. It produces power that is transferred to other parts of the tractor. The most important things you must ask and understand regarding tractor engine include:

  • Engine power (HP/kW)
  • Engine torque and optimum revolutions
  • Air intake and number of filters
  • Displacement distance, the longer the stroke the better
  • Injection type, conventional or common rail
  • Airtight metallic bonnet
  • Engine oil indicator/deep stick
  • Engine size (Liters and number of cylinders)
  • Recommended service intervals
  • Fuel consumption

Remember that none of the above features are good or bad, high or low, strong or weak. Everything depends on what work you intend to do with the tractor. We said before that you should not over purchase or under purchase, you should only buy what is good enough for the job. This is why tractor manufacturers offer a wide range of tractors starting from the basic, small mechanical tractors to sophisticated big and power machines.

3.    3. Transmission:

Transmission is a significant feature because it controls the power transfer process from the engine to other parts of the tractors eg to the rear axle, to the front axle, to PTO. The design and innovations around the transmission system can determine how smooth your operations are with the tractors. The below features are very critical when assessing the transmission:

  • Transmission type (Mechanical, synchronized, CVT)
  • Number of forward and reverse gears and overlapping gears
  • Position of gear lever (center shift or side shift)
  • Minimum and maximum forward speed

4.    4. Rear axle:

The rear part of the tractor is where most of the work is done. Important components such as the power-take-off (PTO), the three-point linkage, the drawbar, the hydraulic spool valve, etc are all attached to the rear axle. Specific things you need to be clarified regarding the rear axle are:

  • Lift capacity
  • Hook types (Cat 2, ball type)
  • PTO speed and splines
  • Independent PTO
  • Hydraulic rates (flow/mins and pressure)
  • Number of spool valves and types
  • Drawbar specifications (heavy-duty, swinging, height adjustable)
  • Rear wheel weights
  • Tires sizes
Massey Ferguson tractor rear axle

5.    5. Operator station:

 This is the area around the driver’s seat. The tractor could be equipped with a cab or just a sun canopy. The design, comfort, and innovations within the operator station determine how efficient and safe the tractor will be while operating the tractor. You must educate yourself about the following features of the workstation:

  • Forward and rear visibility
  • Location of control functions (buttons, levers, screen) and ease of access
  • Quality of seat (adjustable, swinging, passenger seat, seat belt)
  • Security against falling while mounting/descending the tractor
  • Technologies that reduce driver’s fatigue (auto-guide, hydraulic steering, programmable controls etc)
  • Foot and leg area.

The above 5-points are what I refer to as a complete tractor walk-around.

There are many more features of a tractor that could be interesting to know, but if they are too technical, then you might get confused. The most important factors for you must always be the work you want to do with the tractor, and the level of efficiency you wish to achieve in terms of driver's comfort, the tractor's durability, maneuverability, fuel efficiency, etc. All these will depend on the features you decide to choose from the above 5-points. If you need to know which feature is best for your work, please talk to me via jgikunju20@gmail.com and we will have a conversation. Remember Massey Ferguson is the most preferred tractor by many farmers.

 

Joseph Wambugu

Joseph is an agribusiness consultant and a mechanization specialist