Ford and Fordson Tractors

I’d like to start by wishing you all a very Happy New Year; I know it’s late, but it’s heartfelt and sincerely delivered, nonetheless. As I’m sure is the case for many of you, the Christmas and New Year period always provides me with some time for reflection. Those quiet interludes between festive highlights give us all the chance to take stock, to review the previous 12 months and look ahead to what the coming year might offer. Regrettably, I’m concerned about the future and, in particular, the way life-changing decisions are being made on our behalf, and over which we have no control. Whatever your feelings regarding the environment and the impact we humans have on it, my impression is that we – the ordinary folk – are being funnelled down…

The High Weald Steam Working Weekend volunteers celebrated the end of 2022 with a threshing day, following on from the group’s successful first show that was held last June. Unfortunately, due to persistent rain on December 28th, the threshing event was postponed until the following day when, thankfully, sunny spells and a light breeze provided a much better backdrop for proceedings. With limited space being available in the yard selected for the event, set-up of the threshing machine and baler was quite a challenge, although the yard’s solid, concrete surface was much appreciated given all the rain that had fallen in the weeks leading up to the event. The threshing equipment being used consisted of a Foster threshing drum (No. 8802) belonging to Roger Wheatland, Wayne Elphick’s Carter Brothers elevator and a Fisher…

What an incredible sight I witnessed at the festive Cheffins Cambridge Machinery Sale on December 5th. When the drive-through sale started at 9am, I was amazed to see a 1965 County Pre-Force 1004 (No. 16681) dual-engined tractor appear in front of me. This rare machine was exported to eastern Canada – to Adrien Vohl & Fils Ltd of Quebec – and converted there. It’s suggested that the tractor was used to power an oil rig, but I think it’s perhaps more likely that it was employed to operate a snow-blower of some kind, judging by the look of it. You enter the vehicle, which is fitted with a Ford Select-O-Speed 10 range transmission, via the offset rear entrance on the nearside of the fibreglass cab, and the bidding for this unusual tractor…

FEBRUARY 2 Late Model AG & Construction Auction. 72435 State Road 15, 46553 New Paris, IN, USA. Polk Auctions, www.polkauction.com 9 Collective Machinery Sale. Sedgemoor Auction Centre, North Petherton, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 6DF. Greenslade Taylor Hunt, tel: 01278 410278. APRIL 13 Annual Collective Auction of Tractors. Walford Cross Sale Field, Taunton, Somerset TA2 8QW. Greenslade Taylor Hunt, tel: tel: 01278 410278. 13-15 Annual three-day Spring Collector Auction. 72435 State Road 15, 46553 New Paris, IN, USA. Polk Auctions, www.polkauction.com 20 Toy & Transport Auction. Burwash Road, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 8RA. Watsons, tel: 01435 863132. MAY 31 North Somerset Collective Machinery Sale of Tractors, Machinery, Horticultural Equipment & Miscellaneous. Nates Lane, Wrington, Bristol BS40 5RS. Greenslade, Taylor, Hunt, tel: 01278 410278. JUNE 16 Collective Machinery Sale. Sedgemoor Auction Centre, North Petherton, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 6DF. Greenslade Taylor Hunt, tel: 01278 410278. 17 Auction Sale of Vintage & Classic Tractors,…

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When County Commercial Cars unveiled its biggest ever tractor in 1980, the event guaranteed the company a great deal of interest. Not only was the new 1884 the largest and most powerful tractor County had ever built, but it was also the most powerful British-built tractor at that time; its 188hp output beating the 177 produced by the Muir-Hill 171. Of course, although County converted the Ford TW-30 into the 1884 at its Fleet works, in Hampshire, the main part of the tractor was built at Ford’s Belgian factory in Antwerp, which was the home of European TW production. Therefore, although the 1884 was technically a British-built machine, it was based heavily on a European-built product. Ford had launched the TW range only a year earlier, in 1979, and the TW-30 –…