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MH tractors

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Red Pete

08-05-2006 18:44:11




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Why did Massey Harris Ferguson drop the Harris line of tractors? The MH tractors were quite popular here in eastern Nebraska. They were not as popular as IHC, JD, and Oliver but probably more popular than Case and AC. After they dropped the MH line most of their customers here switched to JD. Always wondered why they stopped making a tractor that I thought was good looking for something small and ugly like the Ferguson.

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Tom from Ontario

08-06-2006 18:32:41




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 Re: MH tractors in reply to Red Pete, 08-05-2006 18:44:11  
Harry Ferguson's ideas did not go past the lower acre, mixed farmer. Fergs and the little fords were all right, but their fuel consumption was outrageous, Standard engines usually needed overhauls every 1000 hours, Fords wouldn't start when they were hot and neither one of them would pull a hen off her nest on a straight drawbar pull, they had to have all the hydraulic toys. I know at least three instances where Fergusons and Fords were demonstrated and potential buyers said get'em outa here. Two of those bought Masseys and one bought an Oliver. Another outfit was feeding turkeys and pulling a three ton auger box and a Ferguson wouldn't do it. A Massey Mustang was brought in and stayed for twenty five years. The real Masseys were great tractors, but everybody listened to Harry.

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massey333

08-06-2006 11:38:00




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 Re: MH tractors in reply to Red Pete, 08-05-2006 18:44:11  
As I have said before HARRY FERGUSION was a KOOK who BROKE every Company he was involved with(except Ford)and believed NO ONE needed anything bigger than his little 30s-35s.He took his lawsuit award money from Ford and BOUGHT a Seat on the Massey Board and CAUSED All research and development to stop and work only on HIS little Tractors.From that point on almost everything was a Joke and Failure causing them to have to buy bigger tractors from other Companys.As far as the remark below about being the best selling tractors,maybe yes but not in the US and Canada because where their market share was and is NIL.Massey Harris sold more tractors in the 40s and 50s than JD did till HARRY TOOK OVER.

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Red Pete

08-06-2006 19:13:22




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 Re: MH tractors in reply to massey333, 08-06-2006 11:38:00  
I was too young to remember much about the merger other than the name changed from Massey Harris to Massey Ferguson. Just remember that farmers here didn't buy them any more. Most wanted larger row crop tractors that would handle 4 or 6 row front mounted cultivators and mounted corn pickers. Most still plowed and 4 bottom plows were very popular with a few 5's being sold. The popular tractors were the 450, 560, and 730. Then JD introduced the New Generation tractors and most farmers were buying 3010's and 4010's. The Ferguson dealers just seemed to disappear also.

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Way Up Here

08-06-2006 17:50:42




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 Re: MH tractors in reply to massey333, 08-06-2006 11:38:00  
Well 333, you certainly know how to YELL while on the keyboard. You know of course that typing in CAPITALS is the equivalent of YELLING which is considered bad manners by the computer crowd. Moving on from that comment (and I promise not to yell anymore), we all depend on written history to tell us what happened way back then (unless of course you were there working in the management teams of those companies), and somehow I think your opinions are somewhat tainted with regards to our friend Harry. And I would suggest you attempt to control your anger somewhat, I seem to feel a deep-seeting-hatred for someone that you really never met. Now if were Adolph Hitler or Genghis Khan or George W or one of those chaps, well I could see why you are so full of dislike, but Harry Ferguson? C'mon 333, admit it, you just like to yell and scream about something you probably know very little about. Meanwhile, let's at least admit that he was a brilliant engineer who was years ahead of his time. A businessman, probably not, but brilliant nevertheless. Now, if you respond to this, let's see if you can do so without YELLING !!!

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massey333

08-07-2006 05:20:59




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 Re: MH tractors in reply to Way Up Here, 08-06-2006 17:50:42  
Sorry if you were offened,but the family was involved with Massey Harris until the mid 50s and saw the handwriting on the wall then.We kept ties with branch mang.and service til early 80s,so I know what was pretty well going on with the company.Harry was probably the most hated man in the Company Field.IF he had let the Company go the way others were advancing Massey might have kept some market share,like others have said Dealers dropped like flys after the merger.Combines were about the only thing kept Dealers going.See no Caps.

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Turke Bros. Farms

08-05-2006 19:53:36




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 Re: MH tractors in reply to Red Pete, 08-05-2006 18:44:11  
Back in 1939 when Harry ferguson got in bed with Ford, he had a system that marveled anyone in the tractor business, The Ferguson 3pt hitch. He patened under his own name but needed Ford to build the tractor for him, hence the FORD-Ferguson. In 1948 after the death of Henry Ford, Henry Ford II was in charge of the reins of all companies. He claimed ferguson was making more money on the tractors than the Ford goup was and tried to close out Ferguson. So Harry ferguson and his patent went out and made their own version of the Ford - Ferguson. After a long drawn out legal battle over the patent with Ford, Fergusons tractor co. was in peril. With the end of the 1950's in sight the demand for bigger and more universal tractors in demand. His answer was the very rare Ferguson 40, the tractor hit the floors of showrooms with very little interest to farmers. So with a little reserch he found the Massey Harris Tractor Co. Was fighting the same battles, soon a merger was formed and a new product line emerged with tractors on the small scale as the MF -35 to a wide range including some deisel in the MF-85 and 88 series.

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Vacherie

08-05-2006 19:19:03




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 Re: MH tractors in reply to Red Pete, 08-05-2006 18:44:11  
Massey Ferguson adopted the best features and good looks of the Ford "N" tractors to become the world's best selling tractor.



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