Tractor enthusiasts were out in force in Co. Wicklow at the weekend (Sunday, July 4), as a major tractor run took place at Tinahely.
275 tractors turned out in aid of John O’Keefe, a local contractor who is well known in the Coolboy district for his charitable fundraising efforts. He was diagnosed with cancer himself and is now bravely battling the disease.
Altogether 429 vehicles took part, the remainder being cars and trucks. With the proceeds of the tractor run added to the money already donated, the total collected for John now stands at just above €46,000.
A day out for all
The event was being held for a character who is well-known and much respected in the area so the ‘Here for the Hat’ run attracted not just individual tractor drivers, but also groups of friends and families.
A mammoth turnout at tractor run
With this number of tractors present there was bound to be a good and interesting variety of machines amongst them all.
Ages ranged from the 60s era right up to the latest models from the main brands. The manufactures which dominated the event are a reflection of who the local dealers represent.
New Holland, and the earlier Fords, were perhaps the most popular but John Deere and Massey Ferguson were very close behind.
Also popular were Valtra, Deutz and Case with a scattering of older Internationals also showing up.
There were also a good number of Fendts and Valtras, both considered somewhat exotic up to recent times, but they seemed to have established themselves well in the southeast.
Many machines obviously worked for their keep while others were retired or just deployed on light duties around the farm.
On the other hand, some very shiny items came along which, when compared to models of just 20 years ago, really went to show how the prime mover has developed in the first part of this century.
A few of the many
Unfortunately there isn’t the space to show all the tractors present so a few highlights, oddities and those of interest are shown in the galleries below (just click on a photo to enlarge and scroll across).
Shiny new metal
Massey Ferguson 8S .225 with 225hp on tap 
Complete with front mounted bumper box, this old Case 185 Puma is in mint condition 
From 2021 this John Deere 6155R could have come straight from the showroom 
A very clean example of the Valtra N series, this is a N113
Legacy machines
With a long bonnet, 6 cylinders, a round cab and 100hp it could only be a John Deere. In this case a 3350 
A polish-built Zetor crystal with the Urus name, which means bear in Polish 
Leyland tractors were sold to Marshal 1982, but kept the distinctive look, as well as everything else, bar the paint scheme 
Famed for the reliability of their engines the Case International 995s were purposeful tractors
The classic tractor
The Ford 5000 was the epitome of a workhorse and spawned the equally famous Ford 7000 
In the tractor wars of the early 70s the Massey Ferguson 165 was a firm favourite in the red corner 
Deutz were one of the last to use an air cooled diesel. 6 cylinders gave 100hp in the DX.6.05 
The Origins of the Fastrac can be traced back to the Trantor, but JCB made the idea work
Age shall not weary them
The Fordson majors were simple, effective and carried on forever. Production ended nearly 60 years ago 
Leyland tractors were noisy and robust but had an engine that never died 
The Massey Ferguson 35 was another farmyard favourite loved by many 
Zetors had an unfortunate reputation for being cheap and cheerful, yet they often outlived the competition
Beyond the normal tractor
The heavy hitting Ford 7710 is not at all rare, but on skinny tyres they are something different altogether 
Now part of CNN, Steyrs were rarely brought to Ireland, but they should not be underestimated 
Introduced in 1995, the Mega 8000 series carried the Valtra valmet name for a short time 
Another uncommon example of a tractor from a company undergoing transition as Fiatagri metamorphosed into New Holland
