Auctions of vintage and classic tractors are often a melting pot of all that was successful and much of that which was not.

A sale to be held in Co. Kerry on August 23 delightfully exemplifies this principle with a scattering of rarities in the lots that may not have made millions for the makers but are fascinating details in the history of the farm tractor.

Genuine examples of the Ford 7810 Silver Jubilee always attract strong interest.

There are also plenty of the old favourites, including a Ford Silver Jubilee 7810 complete with pewter model, which alone is worth a considerable sum.

The Ford 5000 was the workhorse of many a farm, but this example as been treated well

Another Ford worthy of attention is an original-looking 5000, which is described as being exceptionally clean – and it does indeed have an air of honesty about it which cannot be ignored.

Handy runners

Other popular machines that are always in demand include a pair of Mini tractors from the BMC/Nuffield stable.

The BMC Mini and Nuffield 4/25 date from the mid-1960s and, although quite capable little machines, sales never reached the hoped for levels

The BMC Mini tractor was a 15hp model with a 948cc diesel, by all accounts it was a good little tractor but sales were slow due to the lack of power.

The Nuffield 4/25, powered by a 1,500cc diesel, was then produced to address this issue and, although it had more power, production lasted just two years.

The first Masseys

No auction is complete without a selection of Massey Ferguson tractors, and at Tralee there are some highly desirable examples bearing Harry Ferguson’s name.

From the early days come a pair of Ferguson Browns; these are the bedrock of the Ferguson legend, being built by David Brown to Harry’s specification.

A total of 1,356 were built in the 1930s and surviving examples are rare. So to find two up for sale on the same day is an unusual occurrence, but one that should be taken advantage of.

More Masseys

The Massey Ferguson 25 was the Beauvais-built successor to the Ferguson 20. It received mixed reviews here in Ireland, although a significant number were sold.

Again there are a pair available, one being a Dutch import with several extras that the standard model sold into Ireland did not enjoy.

Auction rarity

A little known slice of Massey Ferguson history is represented by a MF 821 from a Massey Harris factory opened in 1926 in the north of France.

The Massey Ferguson 821 was produced in the company’s other French factory at Marquette-Les-Lille, 200km north of Beauvais

Responsible for producing both tractors and combines, the Marquette-Les-Lille factory assembled the MF 821 (sometimes known as the MF 21) from 1959-1967.

This example has a 20hp Hanomag diesel powering it, although Peugeot engines were also fitted.

John Deere abroad

Moving on from France to the German tractor factory at Mannheim, there are several examples of machines from both the Lanz era and the period immediately after John Deere’s purchase of the company.

Four well-kept Lanz Bulldogs are on offer, all from the same vendor who obviously bestowed a great deal of attention upon them

Alongside these are two early Mannheim John Deeres, a JD 710 and a JD 200 while a JD 303, presented in vineyard form here, was assembled at Saran, back in France

Built at Saran in France, the 303 is a rare example of John Deere fitting third party engines, in this case a 36hp unit from Standard Motors

David Brown’s German venture

France was David Brown’s largest export market but Germany also became important, and to help fill the gap for smaller machines the company co-operated with Wahl Maschinenfabrik to produce the DB 750.

David Brown 750 at auction — TDB 750 comes complete with side mounted mower, a later DB 1212 stands behind it

The tractor had a sleeved-down DB engine and front end coupled to a ZF rear that could drive a mid-mounted mower, which were still popular in the early 1960s.

Only 279 were built and sold exclusively in Germany making this a rare find in Ireland, although there are others about.

SAME V4

Putting a V8 engine into a big tractor is common enough, but SAME did something which is probably quite unique – they used a V4 in an everyday tractor.

Built from 1967-1972, the Leone had four-wheel drive with eight forward and four reverse gears as standard and produced 67hp from the air-cooled engine.

SAME Leona at auction — The SAME Leona is a unique tractor that deserves a wider recognition than it presently has

Giving it a V configuration may well have been an attempt to increase cooling efficiency, for the angle between the cylinders is not great.

However, the layout does give it two exhaust pipes and a rather unique engine sound, making it a very attractive machine altogether.

Auction details

The auction will commence at 9am on Saturday, August 23 in the yard of Clifford’s Tractor Parts, Tralee, Co Kerry.

IH Hydro tractor — An international 84 Hydro with 65hp is also in the mix alongside a Case MX 135

The lots are drawn from Colm Clifford’s own private collection, plus several other vendors from Co. Kerry and beyond.

The auctioneer is Michael Doyle of Co. Carlow and there are expected to be 55-60 lots on the day.

Handy runners

The first Masseys

More Masseys

Auction rarity

John Deere abroad

David Brown’s German venture

SAME V4

Auction details

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