Tractors

I've been looking at tractors. I knew there were some variations but I had not really looked very closely before or made much of an effort to review them. The Corgi agricultural range is small but really nice and well-made - well, at least, the models from the 1950s and 60s are. Things went downhill rapidly in the 1970s but we'll leave that for another day.

First there is the Massey Ferguson 65 tractor, issued in May 1959.

At first it has a black steering wheel and metal wheels. The very first also had gold lettering and a red seat.

Later it gets plastic wheels and a slightly pink shade for the previously cream parts. Most you'll find will have silver or, more rarely, cream painted seats.

The trailer also has similar variations for the wheels.

The early trailer had metal wheels and the pin holding the mechanism in place on the chassis has its head on the right side.

Later trailers had plastic wheels and the pin head is on the left side. It is unlikely that the change of pin direction and wheel type happened at the same time so a third variation is possible although I do not know which change came first.

I also find there to be a distinct colour difference between the metal and plastic wheels on both the tractors and trailers with the metal ones being a brighter red and the plastic slightly deeper red.

Next came a Fordson Power Major Tractor and a plough, in May 1961.

It is always 'Fordson' blue and is first issued with pale orange metal wheels.

The plough has three linkage points and can only be used with this tractor. It can be quite difficult to fit but can then be very nicely lifted and lowered using a lever by the seat, operating very realistically. There is also a tin hook fitted to the first Fordson - the same type and size as can be found on Land Rovers and various other trucks at the time.

Later models have much brighter orange, plastic wheels.

Model #50 Fordson Power Major has headlamps at the side of the radiator. In December 1964 there is the same name on the transfer but now the Fordson tractor has its headlamps inset in a redesigned front end.

The new one, #60, also has a much more realistic traction rod-controlled steering and a redesigned rear linkage section, a much simpler device to which a new plough could be more easily attached. The tin hook also is replaced by a smarter type with the same lever controlling its release.

The #60 Fordson Power Major always has plastic wheels and was issued with a driver.

At the same time #61 Plough was issued which is the same basic design for the chassis and shares as before but now in blue and shiny chrome with no upper linkage. [Note that in this illustration one share is missing - there should be four.]

Normally, Ferguson tractors had the red wheels and Fordson tractors had orange wheels but you will find examples where the reverse is true. These are quite scarce and worth looking out for.

July 1966 sees the arrival of the Massey Ferguson 165 tractor. This is a good-looking model but, like its predecessor, Massey-Ferguson still miss out on the 'extras' as the only feature this one gets is a slightly pointless whirring noise from the front axle when it is pushed along. It does have a new driver, though.

The rear hook is very simple so this would not be suitable for ploughing tasks.

January 1967 brings the new tractor from the 'Ford' stable - the Ford 5000 Super Major.

This is a nicely detailed model and Ford must have been more generous to Corgi as it gets jewelled headlamps and steering as well as silver plated exhaust and other bits. However, they cannot have been that generous as the steering reverts to the dreadfully ugly pivoting axle type. No doubt a lot simpler to manufacture but it made it much more difficult for us to criticise Dinky Toys' sad steering style when Corgi come up with this! Especially as we had such fond memories still at the time of the Bentley Continental, Mercedes 220SE and Ecurie Ecosse Racing Car Transporter!

The Massey Ferguson did get a shovel #53 (April 1960) and a fork #57 (May 1963) attachment on the 65 model and a shovel #69 (March 1967) on the 165 model and it could pull some additional items: a more substantial Tipping Trailer with two extra side inserts as #62 in February 1965, a Beast Carrier #58 in November 1965 and a Disc Harrow #71, quite a surprise issue in July 1967.

There are so many variations of the shovels and fork that they will have to wait for another article! there was only one Disc Harrow, though. Even this had a special feature - the lever would raise or lower the main axle.

In September 1969 we see the first of three very detailed models, the Ford 5000 Super Major with a Hydraulic scoop attachment at the side.

Lots of detail including all the hydraulic hoses and an operation box.

In March 1970 Massey Ferguson finally get something a bit special with the addition of a mechanical saw attachment to the 165 model.

The saw element actually rotates when the tractor goes along, driven by a most inventive spring which acts like a gear against a toothed inner edge to the tyre and translates the wheel rotation to the saw unit. Quite extraordinary. [This should have a driver.]

Finally, in January 1972, a rear-mounted trenching bucket is the 'new' attachment to give extra life to the Ford 5000 Super Major.

You will see, of course, that it is merely the device used in the 1969 model with a couple of stabilisers added and fitted at the back instead of the side. All these last three models had a short life and sold only in modest volumes, farming in the 70s not having the appeal it had had in the early 60s. The last one, in particular, had a very short production period before being withdrawn in 1973 and is something I now need to replace in my own collection.

In June 1973 the last 1:43 scale tractor (with an attachment) is issued and you can see it is a very poor model indeed. It does still have young Farmer George inside but that's about all that can be said for it.

May 1974 sees it get a shovel attachment but, with most of Corgi's output now in the larger 1:36 scale, this is an odd release.

September 1976 sees the introduction of the David Brown tractor in the larger scale. The 1:43 story doesn't end there, though, as, remarkably, in April 1980 the Massey Ferguson reappears six years after its initial release and now in orange! With white wheels it is also part of a 'Block' Construction Set with the 'Block' logo on the roof of the tractor. Farmer George, though, retired and is not seen again.

Seeing these last desperate efforts, one can hardly blame him.