I'm not a Massey expert, but own one and have used several over many years. Also been following the forums here for a while, and here is what I've gleaned.
The Fergusons and MF's of the "made in Canada and Detroit" era (50's-mid 70's) were solid and generally held up about as well as any other brand, better than some, and the Perkins diesels are known for their long life and good cold starting. I've found that parts for my '61 MF65 diesel HiClear are generally readily available either from Agco or aftermarket, and not nearly as quickly obsolete or pricey as "green" parts, though there are some "odd duck" models that never sold well for which parts could be a challenge. MF definitely had some issues in the 80's and 90's as production was outsourced.The primary MF problem is the "Multi-power" unit when so equipped. The straight gear trannys have only the typical shifter wear problems all makes have. Another MF oddity was the use of 90W gear oil for tranny and hydraulics until ~1962, though I understand they released a "service bulletin" that recommended changing to UTF after any service work in the rear case, that (their brand) UTF provided adequate lubrication for bearings and gears (along with interoperability with all other ag hydraulic systems then in use).
Because the forum search tools don't seem to work intuitively, your best bet is to use Google to search YT for the specific model you are looking at, and see what problems show up. Would I buy one at a fraction of the price of a comparable Deere or Ford? Absolutely. Against an IH for the same money, it would be a toss-up, depending on model.
As always, free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it. "YMMV". :-)
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