County Tractors

[Nick Drew]

Here we see one of my old customers Luke Furses excellent County tractors at a local show last year.

I am not up to speed with tractors to be honest but I am told that this is a very rare model??

Nick

[Robban_C]

What a nice tractor! Mint condition!
The County is quite rare in Sweden and I think those that exists is much older (from the 60:s) than this one seems to be.
From what I´ve heard they have enormous turning radius and weak transmission to the front wheels. But who cares? I wouldn´t care if I got to drive one of those.
I have a friend who drove an old County in some forest works several years ago. They brought their chainsaws for cutting down trees but stopped using them except for the biggest trees when they realized that all they had to do was to drive the trees down with one of the front wheels.

No, he didn´t break any trannies so they can´t be that weak.

Have you tried searching the net for info about the Countys? I have. It´s impossible as there are a place in the US called Ford County or something similar. You´ll get millions of hits and no one of them are any fun at all.

[RichardJW~]

I just found this section......blind or what?

Yep, the 1884 is a rare beast, they only made about 21 or 22 of them.....Its based on the old Ford TW30/5 and was launched at the Smithfield Show in 1980

On these two pics you will see the press release and the same tractor at the Great County 'do' near Exeter back in 2004.


Also the same tractor in a promo shot from Power Farming Mag. from back then....

[RichardJW~]

That one of Luke's I believe started its life up in Essex area for Wallasea Farms, it was one of a pair which after a time both got exprted to Holland and a plant co. set about converting both tractors to pipe carriers with hiabs.....anyway they sold them about 3 or 4 years ago and they re-appeared in U.K.

[Nick Drew]

Luke Furse has a small museum at his yard in Ashwater Devon UK where he keeps his collection of County and Ford classic tractors.

Some very interesting pieces are on show and the man himself recently showed me around his collection !!

Nick

[allistairc123]

my family has a fair collection of countys amongst other classics like the doe tripple d,muir hills,matbro mastiff,jeweltrac and roadlesses. you might know us (cooke family)as we bought the well known bt roadless.
i dont have many pics of our tractors as the most of them are at my uncles house.
i prefer muir hills myself...but here are some of our countys...
click on these...
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dDrJZB7-ETk
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zn6pDC5ligM
our short nose 1474

our 1884

super 6 in the middle

the 1454

[martyn williams]

A mate of mine who lives in Lapford Devon had the very first County crawler in his collection. I wonder if that machine is still around as he sold it a few years ago.
Perhaps the boys down Devon may know?
Martyn

[RichardJW~]

Off hand could't say, Martyn. Mind you Lapford is a long way up North for us coastal boys

[Robban_C]

I just had to show these photos:
http://www.blocket.se/vi/19593512.htm?ca=12_s

Text from the ad:
Ford County 1124 -69
Very good condition

price: 125 000:- + taxes

Look at the pics! I want it and I want it now!
But I cannot afford it.

[essexpete]

Some very good photos guys. Thanks.

Robban that looks an unusual cab.

Can anyone explain the difference between the long and short nose? Is it purely what is in front of the axle?