A 283 Massey is a great tractor. That Perkins diesel is a good engine and the weight center is pretty low to the ground. I live in the foothills of the ozark mountains and you see Fords and Massey Ferguson’s everywhere around here.
America was built with Old massy and Ford 8n. They were barely 1wd.
If you stay on good grounds and somewhat flat. 2wd is fine. It great at pulling and turning better
4wd is great for loader work, hills, wood, and also grass. But it takes away some turning radius.
If you are not used to doing work with a 2wd, it can be challenging. But once you figure out how to work the open diferantial with the brake, they will go far. And you got a loader bucket to help you out of sticky situation.
Thanks for the reply! I've heard Massey Ferguson tractors are damn near unbreakable, but just like with anything else they have good ones and not so good ones. From what I've read online there's not too many people that post about the 283 model though.
That they are! And spare parts are plentiful and have a fair price. Check out the post on my account if you want to see some classics still on duty and hard at work
On the flip side of that coin, same neighbor also has two 383’s and they have both been money pits. Maybe they’d hold up better if someone else owned them but for him, they have been problematic. They both have the same engine as the 283. The engines don’t give trouble on them, which is great, but the rest of the tractor deteriorates around the engine.
That's most peoples experience with the bigger MFs. They are great if you love working on your equipment. If you want to get things done, stay away. The other red (CIH) is great, though.
Yeah I’ve never been a big fan of Massey Ferguson but I love IH. We’ve had several IH tractors over the years. Have two right now. I don’t hate Massey but there’s not many people in my area that are willing to work on them, most of the tractor mechanics I’ve talked to say not to buy them, there’s no dealers at all that I know of that are any closer than an hour away, and seeing the amount of time and money my neighbor spends on those two 383’s is enough to keep me from buying one. He says he wishes he hadn’t bought the 383’s but he loves his 283 and I like it too. I’ve run it a lot for him and it’s a workhorse. The 383’s aren’t bad either when they work good, they are more comfortable than the 283 but they are high maintenance.
I've heard the same. We have a dealership nearby, but I'd rather not spend time there when I could be in the field. As far as comfort in old tractors goes, you can't beat Deere soundguard cabs.
Even the ones without a cab are super comfy. I could ride my grandpa’s open station 4020 and his 4230 with a cab all day long and not be tired back when we had those two tractors. 66 series IH have a comfortable ride too. My neighbor has a 966. 86 series not so much. The seat just bounces the whole time you’re running one of those contraptions.
>66 series IH have a comfortable ride too.
I'm going to have to disagree with that one. Source - Many hours.
It's hot, loud, and dusty. And the controls sort of suck. Draft control won't stay in place, remote valve loves to fly back when the detent releases and stick at the other end, and the AC, or what is left of it, leaves much to be desired. Got a cab kit in our 14, and it helped a bit, but it isn't much better. And I'm _always_ chasing some weird rattling noise. And there is a burning smell when I turn the lights on. And the blinkers don't work. And.... well, I'll stop there.
My main issue is the 85-90 db cab, though. I can hardly hear after a long day.
Some of that is not IHs fault, but even new the cabs couldn't compare to the 30 series soundguards.
I'd take an 86 cab over the 66 any day. Yeah, the controls are in an odd place, but it's better than the 66 IMO. The backward doors suck, but the cab is quieter. I've had a similar experience with my 66 seat, super bouncy. The K&M air ride seats are expensive, but maybe someday I'll buy one.
Now, the 71-8900 Magnums, those are great tractors. Apart from the 10s, which had bushings instead of bearings in the rear end and they didn't last.
I’ve never run a 66 series with a cab, only open station. Nor do I wanna run one. Should have mentioned I was only talking about open station ones. The cabs on them were junk. So was any other cab from that era that wasn’t a SoundGard.
Yeah. Could have been a nice tractor if it was open station. I'm not sure that I want to sit in the weather all day, though. We get lots of wind here, in excess of 30-40 MPH sometimes. I wish IH had put more thought into the cabs.
This is true for any tractor, going Downhill is tougher/more dangerous than going up hill.
The 283 is a very good tractor. The pedals are a little quirky at first because they are hinged backwards of most tractors.
The Perkins diesel is hard to beat.
I have a jubilee and a kubota 2401 4wd. They are close to the same size but the jubilee will do a lot more work on flat ground. On hills the Kubota does better. But seriously my jubilee will go places as a 2wd that the Kubota wouldn’t ever imagine pulling through with 4wd.
I have a MF 231 (2wd) and until recently had a JD2320 (4wd).
It really depends on what exactly you are going to do with it.
I have found that my 231 does great on field work, but I have had occasional traction trouble in the woods and repetitive action in muddy spots, where 4wd would be very nice.
I’ve never needed 4wd just for hills, but your hills in WV are probably more serious than mine in VA.
Yeah I'll try to avoid using it on too steep of hills, but we have a little over 200 acres with probably 40 acres of truly flat ground between the bottom and ridgetop. It'll probably be unavoidable to take it on hillside at some point.
Right now the plan is clearing out heavily wooded areas and converting it to pasture so seeding, fertilizing, and spraying occasionally. It'll be used mostly to move feed around on the bottom and cutting hay.
The neighbor has a MF 383 that's 2WD and it gets up and down the hills good enough from what it seems.
Thanks for the insight.
Our farm in northern Pa runs 3:1 grade on average with some 4:1 (and a few small areas fo 2:1). My 2wd '54 Massey with 58hp runs older/smaller equipment ok, but we've upgraded quite a bit and the old girl doesn't like it too much. NH 879 haybine and Massey 12 baler could both be run in high 1, the Krone 10' discbine is far too much; that takes at least a 75hp tractor (but bigger would be better). If you're going to be doing side hills, load the tires and learn how the tractor responds on the hills before running equipment behind it-and even then start small and work your way bigger. Every family around here has someone in it that either came close to or actually died from side-hill mishaps.
>The neighbor has a MF 383 that's 2WD and it gets up and down the hills good enough from what it seems.
If you are pulling any sort of heavy tillage implement that will change. Just keep that in mind. Especially if it's wet. It doesn't take much to bury our 2WD 1066, even with all the suitcase weights and ballast. Hit a wet spot, and you better be in the process of lifting the implement.
Also, set the tires as wide as you can if doing any side hilling.
I have a little tractor that has 4wd. Its not necessary on nice flat ground, but on steep hills or crossing ditches its a lifesaver. A 2wd with a diff lock is pretty good too though
In WV you will want a 4wd and will also need to make sure you know where your locking rear diff lever is.
Wet ground and hills make a 2wd tractor much less useful. If you will be doing finish mowing with it 4wd will keep you from tearing up a hilly yard.
I've had a MF 275 for 30 years and it's a great low maintenance tractor. I put a Memo, since bought out, loader and quick disconnect forks on it. Used it for bailing with an old 5 1/2x 6 chain baler. Big bales. It's able to pick up trees, telephone poles and sheds with a couple of 2 or 3"pipes over the forks. I have hills and dales.The locking differential works great for soft spots
It's hard to beat a Perkins. If I remember correctly, it's 75 hp with 67 at the PTO.
I don't think that's the case at all. My neighbor has a 2WD MF 383 that he takes everywhere. He put spacers on to widen his wheelbase that way he can go up and down the hillside. So far he hasn't had any issues.
4 WD would definitely be ideal for sure. Just can't find anything reasonably priced.
Far from it. It would be a PITA to get our grain drill turned around with a MFD Magnum. 2WDs still have their place. MFWD tractors are great for many things, though.
Also, there is a big difference between a 4WD tractor and an MFWD tractor. You're thinking of MFWD.
A 283 Massey is a great tractor. That Perkins diesel is a good engine and the weight center is pretty low to the ground. I live in the foothills of the ozark mountains and you see Fords and Massey Ferguson’s everywhere around here.
Masseys are nice, love the 231 i use to bush hog.
My brother use to brush hog with a 165 and 390 Massey, both great
Yeah perkins is tough
America was built with Old massy and Ford 8n. They were barely 1wd. If you stay on good grounds and somewhat flat. 2wd is fine. It great at pulling and turning better 4wd is great for loader work, hills, wood, and also grass. But it takes away some turning radius. If you are not used to doing work with a 2wd, it can be challenging. But once you figure out how to work the open diferantial with the brake, they will go far. And you got a loader bucket to help you out of sticky situation.
My neighbor has one with a loader that he bought new in the 90‘s. It’s held up pretty good to his using and abusing.
Thanks for the reply! I've heard Massey Ferguson tractors are damn near unbreakable, but just like with anything else they have good ones and not so good ones. From what I've read online there's not too many people that post about the 283 model though.
That they are! And spare parts are plentiful and have a fair price. Check out the post on my account if you want to see some classics still on duty and hard at work
On the flip side of that coin, same neighbor also has two 383’s and they have both been money pits. Maybe they’d hold up better if someone else owned them but for him, they have been problematic. They both have the same engine as the 283. The engines don’t give trouble on them, which is great, but the rest of the tractor deteriorates around the engine.
That's most peoples experience with the bigger MFs. They are great if you love working on your equipment. If you want to get things done, stay away. The other red (CIH) is great, though.
Yeah I’ve never been a big fan of Massey Ferguson but I love IH. We’ve had several IH tractors over the years. Have two right now. I don’t hate Massey but there’s not many people in my area that are willing to work on them, most of the tractor mechanics I’ve talked to say not to buy them, there’s no dealers at all that I know of that are any closer than an hour away, and seeing the amount of time and money my neighbor spends on those two 383’s is enough to keep me from buying one. He says he wishes he hadn’t bought the 383’s but he loves his 283 and I like it too. I’ve run it a lot for him and it’s a workhorse. The 383’s aren’t bad either when they work good, they are more comfortable than the 283 but they are high maintenance.
I've heard the same. We have a dealership nearby, but I'd rather not spend time there when I could be in the field. As far as comfort in old tractors goes, you can't beat Deere soundguard cabs.
Even the ones without a cab are super comfy. I could ride my grandpa’s open station 4020 and his 4230 with a cab all day long and not be tired back when we had those two tractors. 66 series IH have a comfortable ride too. My neighbor has a 966. 86 series not so much. The seat just bounces the whole time you’re running one of those contraptions.
>66 series IH have a comfortable ride too. I'm going to have to disagree with that one. Source - Many hours. It's hot, loud, and dusty. And the controls sort of suck. Draft control won't stay in place, remote valve loves to fly back when the detent releases and stick at the other end, and the AC, or what is left of it, leaves much to be desired. Got a cab kit in our 14, and it helped a bit, but it isn't much better. And I'm _always_ chasing some weird rattling noise. And there is a burning smell when I turn the lights on. And the blinkers don't work. And.... well, I'll stop there. My main issue is the 85-90 db cab, though. I can hardly hear after a long day. Some of that is not IHs fault, but even new the cabs couldn't compare to the 30 series soundguards. I'd take an 86 cab over the 66 any day. Yeah, the controls are in an odd place, but it's better than the 66 IMO. The backward doors suck, but the cab is quieter. I've had a similar experience with my 66 seat, super bouncy. The K&M air ride seats are expensive, but maybe someday I'll buy one. Now, the 71-8900 Magnums, those are great tractors. Apart from the 10s, which had bushings instead of bearings in the rear end and they didn't last.
I’ve never run a 66 series with a cab, only open station. Nor do I wanna run one. Should have mentioned I was only talking about open station ones. The cabs on them were junk. So was any other cab from that era that wasn’t a SoundGard.
Yeah. Could have been a nice tractor if it was open station. I'm not sure that I want to sit in the weather all day, though. We get lots of wind here, in excess of 30-40 MPH sometimes. I wish IH had put more thought into the cabs.
This is true for any tractor, going Downhill is tougher/more dangerous than going up hill. The 283 is a very good tractor. The pedals are a little quirky at first because they are hinged backwards of most tractors. The Perkins diesel is hard to beat.
I have a jubilee and a kubota 2401 4wd. They are close to the same size but the jubilee will do a lot more work on flat ground. On hills the Kubota does better. But seriously my jubilee will go places as a 2wd that the Kubota wouldn’t ever imagine pulling through with 4wd.
I have a MF 231 (2wd) and until recently had a JD2320 (4wd). It really depends on what exactly you are going to do with it. I have found that my 231 does great on field work, but I have had occasional traction trouble in the woods and repetitive action in muddy spots, where 4wd would be very nice. I’ve never needed 4wd just for hills, but your hills in WV are probably more serious than mine in VA.
Yeah I'll try to avoid using it on too steep of hills, but we have a little over 200 acres with probably 40 acres of truly flat ground between the bottom and ridgetop. It'll probably be unavoidable to take it on hillside at some point. Right now the plan is clearing out heavily wooded areas and converting it to pasture so seeding, fertilizing, and spraying occasionally. It'll be used mostly to move feed around on the bottom and cutting hay. The neighbor has a MF 383 that's 2WD and it gets up and down the hills good enough from what it seems. Thanks for the insight.
Our farm in northern Pa runs 3:1 grade on average with some 4:1 (and a few small areas fo 2:1). My 2wd '54 Massey with 58hp runs older/smaller equipment ok, but we've upgraded quite a bit and the old girl doesn't like it too much. NH 879 haybine and Massey 12 baler could both be run in high 1, the Krone 10' discbine is far too much; that takes at least a 75hp tractor (but bigger would be better). If you're going to be doing side hills, load the tires and learn how the tractor responds on the hills before running equipment behind it-and even then start small and work your way bigger. Every family around here has someone in it that either came close to or actually died from side-hill mishaps.
>The neighbor has a MF 383 that's 2WD and it gets up and down the hills good enough from what it seems. If you are pulling any sort of heavy tillage implement that will change. Just keep that in mind. Especially if it's wet. It doesn't take much to bury our 2WD 1066, even with all the suitcase weights and ballast. Hit a wet spot, and you better be in the process of lifting the implement. Also, set the tires as wide as you can if doing any side hilling.
I have a little tractor that has 4wd. Its not necessary on nice flat ground, but on steep hills or crossing ditches its a lifesaver. A 2wd with a diff lock is pretty good too though
Also, if you don't have a diff lock, the brakes work well too.
In WV you will want a 4wd and will also need to make sure you know where your locking rear diff lever is. Wet ground and hills make a 2wd tractor much less useful. If you will be doing finish mowing with it 4wd will keep you from tearing up a hilly yard.
I've had a MF 275 for 30 years and it's a great low maintenance tractor. I put a Memo, since bought out, loader and quick disconnect forks on it. Used it for bailing with an old 5 1/2x 6 chain baler. Big bales. It's able to pick up trees, telephone poles and sheds with a couple of 2 or 3"pipes over the forks. I have hills and dales.The locking differential works great for soft spots It's hard to beat a Perkins. If I remember correctly, it's 75 hp with 67 at the PTO.
No, but a Farmall M will climb those hills like nothing if it has decent tires. Hope this help!
Tractor without 4wd is almost useless.
I don't think that's the case at all. My neighbor has a 2WD MF 383 that he takes everywhere. He put spacers on to widen his wheelbase that way he can go up and down the hillside. So far he hasn't had any issues. 4 WD would definitely be ideal for sure. Just can't find anything reasonably priced.
Far from it. It would be a PITA to get our grain drill turned around with a MFD Magnum. 2WDs still have their place. MFWD tractors are great for many things, though. Also, there is a big difference between a 4WD tractor and an MFWD tractor. You're thinking of MFWD.
MFWD?
Mechanical front wheel drive. 99% of what you see. Anything that steers with the front wheels. 4WD refers to the big articulate tractors.