In terms of innovation and engineering excellence it was business as usual after Massey-Harris bought Harry Ferguson’s tractor business in 1953. Both of the parent companies had established a long tradition of designing better tractors and harvesting equipment  for the farming industry, and this was a policy the newly merged company was determined to continue.

The name chosen for the new company was Massey-Harris-Ferguson in recognition of its three principal founders, but this was simplified in 1958 to Massey-Ferguson, using the Triple-Triangle emblem that had been introduced in December 1957.

After the Massey – Harris – Ferguson merger Harry Ferguson’s immensely popular TE-20 tractor continued to break production records at the Banner Lane plant until 1956, when it was replaced by the Ferguson FE-35 model with an improved hydraulic system giving more accuracy and control. A new feature on the FE-35 hydraulics was the Position Control facility for holding equipment such as mounted mowers at the correct working height.
 
The 1950s were the time when diesel power was rapidly replacing spark ignition engines for tractors, particularly in Europe. This was reflected in the sales of the FE-35 tractor and the red-grey painted Massey Ferguson 35 that replaced it, with diesel power easily the most popular choice. The 50.5hp Massey Ferguson 65 model introduced at the end of 1958 was also part of the new diesel generation as the version built in the UK was among the first tractors offered only with a diesel engine.

The engine for the Massey Ferguson 65 tractor was made by Perkins, the company that had led the way in developing the modern high-speed diesel for tractors. To secure its future engine supplies Massey Ferguson bought  Perkins in 1959 and the company remained the biggest supplier of diesel engines to Massey Ferguson for 40 years. Perkins still provides the power for many Massey Ferguson models but SisuDiesel, also part of AGCO Corporation, is now also a major engine supplier.

As well as leading the field with engine developments, Massey Ferguson introduced a big breakthrough in tractor transmissions in 1962 with the introduction of the Multi-Power gearbox. This was the first in the tractor industry to offer a ‘shift-on-the-move’ facility, operated without using the clutch pedal and with finger tip control. For the first time operators could select high and low ranges in each gear by simply operating a dashboard switch.

The big news at the 1964 Smithfield Show was the launch of the ‘Red Giants’, the three-model range from Massey Ferguson that featured the MF135, MF 165 and the all new MF 175 tractors. Between them they scored a major international success for Massey Ferguson.

The tractors’ popularity was extended in 1971 with the addition of high spec versions of each model. The new additions were the MF148, MF168 and MF188 models, each with an extended wheelbase to provide more space for the driver and an improved performance with mounted equipment. Now, some 45 years later, the ‘Red Giants’ with their distinctive styling and rugged reliability are considered by many tractor enthusiasts to be among the most desirable classics of the 1960s era.

For many farmers the Manchester, UK-built MF 1200 tractor launched in 1972 offered their first opportunity to use a big tractor featuring articulated steering and four-wheel drive through equal diameter front and rear wheels. Rated output was 105hp – big by 1970s standards – but it was followed by an even more powerful version, the 112hp MF 1250.

The good news for tractor drivers in the 1970s was that cab comfort had moved up the priority list. Although Massey Ferguson included a suspension seat as standard equipment on the MF 178 model in 1969, the big MF 1200 and MF1250 tractors took driver comfort and convenience another big step forward with more generous interior space plus a significant reduction in noise levels.

Massey Ferguson set new standards with its launch of new MF 500 series tractors. The first of the MF 500s, the 88hp MF 595, arrived in 1974 followed in 1976 by the 47hp, 60hp and 75hp models. The MF 500 Series engineers had been given a brief to re-write the book on driver comfort and they responded with a new fully integrated cab attached to vibration reducing mounts, which also helped to reduce noise levels. All controls, except the gear levers, were operated through remote linkages to help cut noise and the equipment list included high capacity heating and ventilation systems.

Driver convenience was also high on the 500 Series agenda. The cab floor was flat and offered generous foot room, the glass area in the windows had been increased to give good all-round visibility and the rear-hinged doors were extra wide to allow easy entry and exit.

Massey Ferguson’s pioneering spirit continued again, in 1978, with the company introducing one of the tractor industry’s most significant developments. This was the launch of the world’s first tractor with Electronic Linkage Control or ELC. This breakthrough was first seen on Massey Ferguson’s high powered MF 1505 model, built mainly for the North American market and featuring articulated steering and four-wheel drive through equal diameter wheels.

As the company with the Ferguson System three-point linkage in its heritage, it was logical that Massey Ferguson should also pioneer the development of ELC to add new precision and convenience to the management and control of mounted equipment. By 1985 the new system had been extended down to the MF 2005 tractor series covering the 110hp to 147hp range.

In the following year a new and comprehensive electronic information and control system was introduced on the ‘intelligent’ MF 3000 series tractors in the 67hp to 107hp sector. Available in two levels of technical sophistication known as Autotronic, the transmission, PTO and linkage management system, and Datatronic for collecting data and performance monitoring. This significant Massey Ferguson innovation added a whole new dimension of precision and efficiency to power farming.

Between them, these tractor electronic developments plus the later addition of a GPS link - another Massey-Ferguson innovation that had added the yield mapping facility to combine harvesting – pioneered the concept of precision farming.

Currently world agriculture is on the cusp of exploiting the full potential of precision farming. But future generations will rank this innovative concept as one of the greatest technological breakthroughs in the history of mechanised farming.

Electronic precision also featured in the development of the Dynashift transmission on later models in the MF 3000 series. This followed decades of transmission developments after Multi-Power’s introduction of shift-on-the-move technology along with forward/reverse shuttle levers in the 1980s.

The introduction of Dynashift on the MF 3000 models, however, was a major step forward in transmission development, offering new levels of efficiency by reducing the percentage of energy absorbed by previous powershifts. Dynashift provided a clutchless, four-speed change-on-the-move facility linked to a synchro gearbox and a forward/reverse shuttle, giving the driver the choice of 32 speeds with a 40km/hr maximum speed for road travel.

Massey Ferguson’s Dyna-4, Dyna-6 and advanced Dyna-VT continuously variable transmission or CVT maintain the company’s lead in transmission technology. The Dyna-6 ‘Eco’ semi-powershift transmission can be equipped with either Speedmatching or the AutoDrive levels of automation and the choice of 40 or 50 km/hr top speeds. It is based on four synchromesh gears, each with six Dynashift speeds allowing on-the-move shifting without using the clutch pedal.

Dyna-VT is currently available on MF 7400 and MF 8400 series tractors, providing two speed ranges. Both offer infinitely variable speed control, allowing the driver to choose precisely the right speed for any job to maximise output while reducing operating costs. The field work range offers speeds from 0 to 32km/hr while the transport range has a 50km/hr maximum where permitted.   

In 1994 Massey Ferguson made the farming industry’s biggest headlines when it was announced that it had been acquired by AGCO Corporation. The ability to develop new tractors and farm machinery for world markets demands huge resources that only the biggest global companies can offer. An example of this is the fact that under AGCO the entire Massey Ferguson tractor line comprising 12 ranges - covering power outputs from 19 to 315hp - was completely renewed between 2003 and 2007.

This means that Massey Ferguson offers not only what is probably the most complete tractor range in the world to meet virtually every power farming need, but it is also a fully up-to-date range providing the most advanced performance and efficiency features as well as industry leading standards of driver comfort and convenience in every sector. 

ENDS

About AGCO
Founded in 1990, AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AG) (www.agcocorp.com) is a global manufacturer of agricultural equipment and related replacement parts. AGCO offers a full product line including tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage, tillage equipment and implements, which are distributed through more than 3,000 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries worldwide. AGCO products include the following well-known brands: AGCO®, Challenger®, Fendt®, Gleaner®, Hesston®, Massey Ferguson®, RoGator®, Spra-Coupe®, Sunflower®, Terra-Gator®, Valtra®, and White™ Planters. AGCO provides retail financing through AGCO Finance. The company is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, and in 2007 had net sales of $6.8 billion.

CONTACT: 
Paul Lay
Manager, Public Relations & Communications
Tel: + 44 (0)2476 851209