Awhile back I asked about the value of an old Ford 8N. I much appreciated the info and warnings about that one, and the point turned moot as when I went for a second look it had disappeared.

Now, I'm going to look at a 1908 Massey 30B, yellow model (industrial?) with 3800 hrs on it. Dude got it with some property he bought and says it and another are too small for his haying operation (They're big in this area). It has a box scraper with rippers and a front loader bucket on it. Tires look good in the pics. I'll ask to see it run today and look for smoke after it warms up. Perkins diesel I believe.

Wants $ 5K for it as it was posted in the ad.

Worth it? Anything to watch for with these Masseys?

Thanks in advance,

Geno

The box blade is worth around $500 and the tractor with loader, if everything is working, is worth more than $4500 where I live (South Dakota). Here are a few for sale but none of them are the industrial models, just the red ones......

https://www.tractorhouse.com/listin...p/manufacturer/massey-ferguson/model/285

Industrial tractors usually have heavier front axle components. Good if you have a loader

They may not have pto or 3-point. If this Massey has a boxblade, it should have 3-point.

Check condition. If it was an unassigned piece of equipment run by Tom, Dick, and
Jose, it may have been neglected and abused.

That would be my main concern. I've seen some of the equipment that the county runs being treated pretty rough by it's users. On the flip side, if it has been serviced properly, and not allowed to set out and rust, it should have some useful life left in it.

Buying equipment like that is usually a gamble.

Well, I went and looked, it's actually a 30B, not the 200 series I thought. (He's got two for sale)

Every thing operates, box scraper independent of the rippers. small front bucket, fwd and rev in both high and low range, three point hitch operates in all directions.

Couple of minor leaks, likley from seals drying out while it sat for awhile. Rubber coverings on the hydraulic hoses are pretty shot, so new hoses will be in order soon.

Looks like the right size tractor for what I want to do around my place, not overly large or too small. 3170 hrs on the meter.

He's willing to negotiate 500 or so on the price.

Geno

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/index.html

Be aware of the price of hydraulic hose.
If you haven't bought any recently, it's expensive.

We used to buy rolls and ends, and make our own.

If these are the screw together types, you can just buy
hose and do it yourself.

They are probably crimped. If so, $pendy.

You could use up a lot of that $500.

Look for an independent parts store that can crimp them for you.
That's usually the cheapest way if you need to replace the fittings.

Thanks Snyper,

this is the critter:

http://www.tractordata.com/industrial-tractors/000/1/6/162-massey-ferguson-30b.html

Geno

Dillon,

thanks, we have a shop in town than makes hoses. I'll look into them before I check with a M-F dealer. I like to keep money circulating around town when I can.

I figure if I just get one every month or so it won't stress the budget too much.

Geni

FWD, loader, Perkins Diesel... If it runs good, it’s got to be worth $4500.

You can’t buy much for $4500.

Look at the hoses on the thing.
If the ends are the type you can reuse, you can save money DIY.

I just wanted you to know new hoses weren't going to be $50 and done.
More like $50+per.

Good info when buying an older loader tractor.

You can usually have a hydraulic hose made at a business that makes them for a lot less than you can buy them for at a dealer.

Thanks for all the help guys. Loan is going through right now (I have the cash in the bank, just like to have it liquid if I need it) and should get the tractor Thursday. Delivered even!

Dillonbuck. Do you have a picture of those reusable end hoses? Or a link to what they look like. Not sure I've ever seen them, always the crimped on ones.

Geno

https://www.discounthydraulichose.com/field-attachable-reusable-hose-fittings.html

Thanks Brian,

Do those things work like some of the lawn hose fittings. When the outside part is tightened it clamps the hose between it and the inner part in the hose?

Seems handy, like a guy who lives outside a town with an old tractor could use and keep 20' or so of hose and some fittings handy to avoid the round trip and down time.

Geno

PS, just what I need, more emergency parts to store in the shop

Yup.

https://www.gerrardhydraulics.com.au/products/hose-fittings/field-attachable-hose-fittings/

Added those two links to my tractor bookmarks

Thanks again

Geno

Find a trucking supply house, they'll have a hose making guy. Carry your old hose in so they can duplicate it. If they don't have the fittings they can usually cut your old fittings off and reuse them with new hose. Hyd hoses aren't exactly cheap, but they're not ridiculously priced if you find a good place that makes them. Don't ever buy something like that from the dealer, you'll pay 10X for them. I've never used those field detachable fittings, they look OK for emergency use but I'd want a real properly crimped hose as soon as I could get it on there. Hoses are a wear item, especially on loaders with all the flexing and rubbing up against stuff. They're not a big deal, just expect to replace them every now and then.

Pretty much anything is worth $5K nowadays as long as it's running OK. Those Masseys are good solid tractors and the perkins diesel is about the most bulletproof engine ever built.

With a blade and FEL, for that price, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Three thousand hours ain't all that much for an industrial tractor which is built stronger that an ag tractor. Sure you might have to nickel and dime a few repairs for upkeap and all. But those Perkins have been known to last forever

The replaceable ends we used, you screw the outer sleeve on the hose.
Then lube the infer part with Hydro fluid, and screw it in tight.

They will last as long as any crimped hose.

We did every hose on our loader tractor in the eighties.
Stored inside, everything is still fine.

On logging jobs crimped hoses were a pita.

Snag a hose, and you needed to stop and go to town.
Many times, you could hacksaw the hose, fix it

, and be working in a few minutes.
A big length of a couple hoses, and a few fittings, we could make anything we needed.

Thanks for giving him photos Kingston.
I use a flip phone, and have no idea how to do pics.
This right here, all I can do one the web.

I don't see hoses as that big a deal.

They arent.
But if I'm buying a used tractor, i am figuring things like that into the price.

Crimped hose is only as good as the person doing the crimping. Many over crimp and cut the covering or damage the steel braid. Mechanical screw on are very effective for most applications but those connectors require specific hose to match themif done correctly. I have generally had the mechanical type outlast crimped.

You can do a lot with that tractor geno! Congrats!

Pics!

Maybe Tomorrow. Little snag with the credit union, have to go to town tomorrow to open another non-joint acct as the small loan will be with me only. This with a way good credit rating. As in so good a few years back in Juneau, when buying a trailer to live in, the loan guy came out after checking my rating and said " How much money can we loan you today!"

Today was a long drive to a doctor in one of the "local big cities" as in a 3.5- 4 hr drive local. Couldn't get back in time to do it.

Geno

Nope, since the guy knocked a half a thou off the price I figure I can repair a number of hoses for 5 Benjamins.

Geno

Is it tomorrow yet?

Pics aren't showing up for me.

No shįt—is this thing coming book rate or what?

Tomorrow has arrived, Finally! Apparently, Credit Union folks take time off to enjoy the holidays or something. When I went there the other day and got the new acct I needed, filled out the loan app, and the gal here sent it to the main office, we found out there weren't any loan processors there for the rest of the day. Managed to get the paperwork sent back to the local branch, signed again, and a cashier check for the guy before noon on Christmas eve. By then, it worked out better for the both of us to just deal with it today.

"Farmer John" delivered it to the door today.



]



Gannon box scarper with rippers, seen some on ads for $450 without the rippers.

Someone has a slightly newer one with 2K more hrs on the meter and wants $7500 as is for it.

https://www.shoppok.com/yuma/a,50,95597,1985-Massey-Ferguson-30E-skiploader-for-sale----7500--El-Centro--CA-.htm

I think I probably did OK for $4500.

Like many a farm gal, she's not much to look at, has put in a lot of hard hours on the homestead, and likely would like a nice bath after the winter.

And y'all are a bunch of impatient bastids too.

Geno

PS I forgot something..............................GFY

That’s awesome!! Score!

Does that have the button on top of the joystick for the bucket?

Button? Mmmmn? Don't recall one when I ran it up and down the other day. Just a joystick I think, I'll check next time I go out there.

What's the button do?

Geno

I don’t think it ever worked on the one I’m familiar with, I just remember it being there.

That was a steal. Hydraulic top link!

Top link? I'm guessing the 3 point hitch, right?

I seem to remember an old tractor somewhere without it

Geno

Going to have to find my little grease gun in the garage somewhere. About the only thing I have that has zircs is my little cargo trailer wheels. Heck, I may even invest in a new full sized one.

Geno

You’ve also got hydraulic 3-point hitch leveling.





That’s a sweet little skip loader.

Yes, I was quite pleased to see the leveling feature when I looked at it the first time. That's not going to hurt when I do my driveway! And paths around the yard.

I imagine that was quite the nice machine when new and probably cost a dollar or three.

Geno

I'm guessing you could crown the road using that leveled?

ib,

Well, I've never attempted that, but it seems logical.

Maybe my paths around the place will be crowned!

Geno

valsdad…...invest in a good set of chains for the rears......its not 4wd...is it?......a friend had one like that....same size etc.....any little bit of slick ground, and it was spinning a lot.....good chains on his , made a night and day difference.


they are handy to have around.....bob

Thanks,

yep, 2wd, so chains could come in handy. I'll see what I can find around here.

Geno

The loaders I'm familiar with, the futon disengaged the tranny.
It allows you to throttle up, making the loader lift faster, without
putting the tranny in neutral.

For personal use, not a big deal. Loading trucks all day, it matters.

A big deal if you are on uneven ground, where you don't want to be lifting the
bucket way up and driving around.

Aha, that makes sense.

Geno

22 tons of gravel, mostly spread evenly today.

the truck spread it fairly well yesterday evening:



I finished most of it except for a small section, that had no gravel to start with, I can maybe get to tomorrow. The rest of the driveway had too light a layer for my desires, the native soil (mud) showed through whenever I moved snow:



Got it dragged out pretty smooth with the tractor, finished up with a rake and shovel, and wheel rolled it as best I could with my Tacoma. I'm happy enough with it for now.

Geno

I maintain a pretty long driveway here.

Last time I had gravel delivered it was several loads of washed rock. (Like small river rocks about an inch across)

Since I use that as road topping, I just back dragged it with my loader on my big tractor. The type ground we have that gravel or rock will be absorbed into the base slowly when it's wet... So I have to do it again if I want an all weather road.

After I'm done, it's like driving on pavement for a couple years.

I'd love to have an all weather base and just smooth it up with a box blade, but a box blade cuts the top off too much here, and leaves a mess.

You did a good job on the gravel Geno!

Funny you should mention the box blade problem, I had the same thing going on and resorted to back dragging with the loader bucket for the majority of it.

With only an inch or so of 3/4 inch driveway rock existing over the native soil, any little bump I went over trying to spread 2" of the new stuff (3/8" rock) resulted in me pulling up mud. Had we some good freezes recently, I might have gotten away with the box scraper.

This thing was sure a bit more work than the Bobcat loader I used 30 years ago, I was much faster in that, probably as it maneuvered easier.

The 3/8 is supposed to lock in pretty good with the 3/4 and it's a lot easier to walk on barefoot as I have a habit of doing. Once this gets some traffic, I'm thinking I'm set like you for a couple of years. At least I hope so. Any money I have next year for gravel is going to access places around the outside of the fenced yard, like back to the wood and storage shed and the chicken coop. Frozen in the winter, or dry in the summer is no problem, but fall and spring (and this warm winter) suck as a footstep can go a couple of inches in and equipment just makes ruts.

Thanks for the compliment, not bad for a fish biologist, eh?

Geno