The list goes on and on. Just imagine the hours and variety of back-breaking work saved by these wonderful little machines. I expect many readers will have experienced much of it.

In the time I have been using these tractors, there is one word of warning I would give to anybody about to use a Ferguson tractor. Mr Ferguson personally approved all the implements designed for use on his tractors. In this matter he was a hard taskmaster. It is no good at all trying to use an implement which is not designed for use on a Ferguson. If tempted, ask the manufacturer, "will this perform well on a Little Grey Ferguson?". If you cannot find the manufacturer, or if the answer is "probably", don't buy it; it "probably" won't be good enough to work well on a Ferguson tractor. Not that the Ferguson tractor is not good enough to work with the implement. If a Category 1 implement cannot perform it's function behind a Ferguson tractor, it is probably not designed well enough and, therefore, will need to be drawn by a kind of tractor which will leave a huge footprint on your soil for the remainder of the season. Think in terms of how many horse power you need per acre. If the answer is more than it should be, then ask yourself why. When I was in training, I learned that a modern engine consumes 0.6 pints of fuel per horsepower per hour (no doubt bettered today). That directly relates to pollution. Therefore we, all of us, have to think in terms of how many 0.6's of a pint we need to perform the tasks we need to have done. Every gallon of fuel we use releases about 8lbs of carbon in the atmosphere.

Back when we started with tractors, we assumed a tractor is a tractor and a plough is a plough. We had bought a tractor, so we bought a plough. We then assumed that you put the plough on the floor and pull it. Nothing could be further from the truth. The days of PULLING a plough are gone. From the day the 1st Ferguson TE 20 came on the market, you DROVE a plough. The plough is very much part of the tractor. Having said that, there is no point in using Ferguson implements on a Fordson Major, which has no draft control. Similarly with every implement we have used; as an example, a 5ft fingerbar mower by International; no use at all, buy a Ferguson approved fingerbar mower and you'll count in acres an hour (should be over 2) not in acres a day. A blade should be sharpened every 5 acres, not every 5 years. You can buy a modern mower for a few hunded quid. If you buy a Ferguson mower for, say, £80.00, don't epect it to be in good order. They should almost cost the same, in good order, as a modern one. On the other hand, if you buy one at low cost, invest some of your valuable time in it and some parts and it will work as well as a modern one. The benefit is in your time doing the work.

At the end of the day, anybody buying a tractor for work can expect to get out what they put in. A £3,000.00 Ferguson (and they now fetch that much when in good order) should do the same work as a modern £3,000.00 tractor. Either tractor will need to be fuelled and serviced. Perhaps there is more chance of servicing your old Ferguson yourself than a modern version. Either tractor will need a set of implements. It's no good trying to use a 25-30HP tractor of any make to drive an unpowered pto driven conventional bailer. Either will draw a modern small round bailer designed to be drawn on a 25-30HP Category 1 tractor. Neither tractor will use a category 1, two furrow plough with broken or worn out Points, Wings, Landsides, Shins & Mouldboards. Both of them will do a fine job with a good plough. What you won't get is a £3000.00 tractor for £150.00, either old or modern. If you have time to invest, but not so much money, then repairing an old machine can be a good way to save hard-to-find money and buying the parts over a period of time can be a good way to spread the costs.

As to the question of Tractor Vaporising Oil (TVO) just mix about 15-25% kerosene in with petrol (if it knocks at 15%, add more petrol, a little at a time, measured so you know how much to use next time, till the knock stops). That way you will benefit from the tax concession on tractors over 25 years using TVO. A TVO tractor will not run properly under load on petrol only. Don't bother to try.

Although it is obvious that a Ferguson TE 20 tractor is not suitable for everybody, it is known that they are still in use as the prime mover on a very large number of smallholdings and some commercial farms. Not only will a Ferguson tractor earn it's keep, it can also be a real joy to own and use. Oh, and if you want a cab to keep the weather off, that can be arranged too.

For advice about parts and Ferguson tractors or implements, give us a ring FreePhone 01692 582 292. I'll be glad to chat.

I see little point in buying any other make of tractor. You can have narrow versions for confined space, diesel, petrol, TVO (addressed above) or Industrial versions for use on the road or in your workshop/dock environment. The final option is to try a more modern tractor for heavier work like the MF35, MF65, MF135 etc. Each is a step larger and less suitable for a confined space.