The Classic Machinery Network

If it turns over very slowly are you sure it's not a 24v system. Some Fiats we're if you have no manuals check the light bulbs

image.jpg image.jpg New kit for the D5 a Simba Solo 300, discs, tines, discs, DD press. It makes a cracking job, 4th gear mostly 3rd for the tough spots, power is OK, this year traction in the soft spots has been the limiting factor. As you see the Solo is a long outfit and heavy too weighing 8t, t...

In many cases the hitch would pick up much more than was safe, some hitch hooks were quite a way back from the axle ( Leyland ). After a year of two of use many would wear enough to allow the trailer to jackknife upwards, a trailer drawbar through the back of the cab when tipping ruins your day.

I do not remember seeing any ratings for draw bars or hitches in those days, we certainly carried 3tons plus the tare weight so maybe 4 tons total. The usual test was that if the front wheels stayed on the ground most of the time it was OK, at least the 135 had fairly reliable brakes and a PU hitch ...

Hi Guys The D5B VHP must have been a hell of a tractor in its day, even today it will do as much work as a Magnum 270. It is rated at 165 hp but I reckon ours has some extra, that 10.5 liter 3306 just keeps pulling, no wheel slip, swing straight round at the end, rides over all the rough ground, far...

A 6.354 is probably the best engine Perkins made, certainly up to the 90s. Fitted to MF tractors and combines, TM crawlers, Leyland Trucks, Muir Hills and umpteen industrial plant, generators and pumps. They were reliable up to about 120hp but some were turboed and intercooled up to 150hp - probably...

Thanks guys, as you say that was all you had!!.

Progress is good

Back in the 1960s there was a Muirhill (I think) dumper based on a reverse drive Fordson E27N working on a local sewerage scheme, quite a contraption and must have been a pig to drive. Loading it was a JCB 1 back hoe this time based on a Diesel Major, again a heavy unwieldy machine. Anybody have any...

Now that brings back memories, the 500 looked the bees knees after the 780 and it did have ample power from that Perkins 6-354. We did not find it a very reliable machine with lots of little niggles most days, then as most of them did it caught fire, the hydraulic valves above the electrics in an en...

Thanks for the good words, the apron hinges on the boss you can see about 1/3 back from the front. The front pivots need moving down a couple of inches so that it opens fully. There is a lot of steel in it, some of it was off the pile but the wearing parts, floor, ejector and apron are Hardox 400 so...