David Brown Selectamatic tractors: 770, 780, 880, 990 and 1200 (1965 to 1971)

David Brown was a Huddersfield gear-making business that entered tractor manufacture in the 1930s through a partnership with Harry Ferguson. After the two parted in 1939, David Brown launched its own VAK1 and went on to build tractors at Meltham Mills, south of Huddersfield, until the factory closed in 1988. J. I. Case, through its parent Tenneco, bought the tractor business in 1972.

The Selectamatic name covers the restyled range introduced in October 1965. Its defining feature was a hydraulic system in which a single quadrant lever raised and lowered the linkage, while a separate selector chose the type of control required, such as depth, height, traction control or external services. The range was finished in Orchid White and Chocolate Brown with a red grille, a clear break from the earlier red liveries. Models included the three-cylinder 770, 780 and 880, the four-cylinder 990, and from 1967 the larger four-cylinder 1200.

These are popular restoration and rally tractors in the UK because they were built in large numbers, are mechanically straightforward and have strong club support close to where they were made. A buyer at a static sale should concentrate on identity, the hydraulics, the gearbox and clutch, and on what is needed to use the tractor legally on the road.

• Maker: David Brown Tractors, Meltham Mills, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
• Selectamatic range introduced: October 1965 (Grace's Guide). An Irish Farmers Journal history says the single-lever system first appeared on the 770 early in 1965, before the range was restyled and named in October.
• Livery: DB Orchid White and DB Chocolate Brown (both from 1965), with DB Poppy Red on the grille from 1965 to 1972, according to the David Brown Tractor Club.
• 770: 36 hp from a 2.4 litre three-cylinder diesel.
• 780: 46 hp, from 1967 on the 770 chassis with a larger three-cylinder engine; about 12,200 built before 1971.
• 880 Selectamatic: 2.7 litre three-cylinder diesel, 46 hp gross.
• 990 Selectamatic: 3.2 litre four-cylinder diesel, 55 hp gross; the 990 name continued until the 90 Series of 1979.
• 1200 Selectamatic: 1967 to 1971, 3.6 litre four-cylinder diesel, 72 hp gross, with a hydraulic pump at the front of the engine and a separate hand clutch.
• Gearboxes: a two-range six-speed was standard, with a four-range 12-speed option identified by its extra lever.

• The earlier Implematic tractors had depth control only. Selectamatic added height and traction control, initially selected by taps and later by a switch, according to the Farmers Journal.
• On the 990, the 1963 change moved a single 12 volt battery behind the grille in place of two 6 volt batteries by the seat.
• For 1971 the range gained synchromesh, and the 990 gained headlamps inside the grille, a new delta-style badge and a weather cab as standard. These are a useful guide to telling a late tractor from a 1960s one.
• Converting an Implematic tractor to Selectamatic hydraulics is reported by owners to involve changing the rear axle, so a "converted" tractor is a substantial job, not a bolt-on.

Identity and paperwork

• Find the serial number and check it against the claimed year. Sources disagree on where to look: TractorData places the 990 number on the right side of the frame and the 1200 number on the clutch housing, while owners report plates near the seat or above the lift levers. Photograph whatever you find.
• TractorData lists starting serial numbers by year for each model, which gives a rough dating check. For example, the 1200 started at 700001 in 1967.
• The engine number is a separate check and an engine change is common on working tractors.
• Ask whether the tractor has a V5C. Many working tractors were never road registered or lost their registration. The Ferguson Club's guidance, which reflects common practice for all makes, is that DVLA needs photographs of each side, photographs or rubbings of serial and engine numbers, form V55/5 and identity documents. An original number can be reclaimed with form V765 and documentary evidence such as an old logbook or county council record; otherwise an age-related number is issued.
• The David Brown Tractor Club offers a tractor registrations contact for members.
• For an imported tractor, a NOVA notification to HMRC is needed before DVLA will register it.
• GOV.UK guidance says tractors used solely for agriculture, horticulture or forestry can be taxed in the zero-rated agricultural class but must still be relicensed each year. A tractor made more than 40 years ago may also qualify for the historic tax class, which excludes vehicles used commercially. Agricultural tractors need a category F licence, which car licence holders normally have.

Hours meter

• Treat the hours reading as indicative only. On a tractor of this age the meter may have stopped, been replaced or been disconnected at some point, and no source consulted for this guide gives a way of verifying a reading. Look at wear on pedals, linkage pins, steering joints and the seat to judge use, and ask whether any receipts record hours at past services.

Hydraulics

• With permission, start the engine and operate the quadrant lever through lift and drop with the selector in each setting. The linkage should rise steadily, hold without creeping down, and drop when asked.
• The club's fault-finding notes list a linkage that will not drop, bypass and hold valves that do not seat, leaks at internal plugs and O-rings, and a relief valve that keeps blowing. Several faults require a replacement valve chest.
• Look for oil leaks around the lift cover and external pipes, and check the condition and level of the oil.

Engine

• Listen for a clean start, knocking and heavy smoke. Look for coolant in the oil and oil in the coolant, and cracks in the block where frost has been at work.
• The Farmers Journal describes the larger three-cylinder engine as economical and very reliable; maintenance history is still the deciding factor.

Transmission, clutch and PTO

• Check that all gears and ranges select, that the clutch frees properly and that the PTO engages and disengages. On a 1200, test both the foot and the hand clutch.

Tinwork and tyres

• Look at the bonnet, grille and wings for splits and filler. Check tyre cracking and wheel centres for corrosion. Colour references for refinishing are published by the club.

The David Brown Tractor Club Ltd (https://www.dbtc.co.uk) is based at Meltham Mills, publishes four magazines a year, runs a club shop and offers a registrations officer, member talks and supplier discounts. Its website includes technical pages on the Selectamatic hydraulics and paint references. Reliable sources on parts supply are thin, so ask the club which items remain available new and which are found secondhand.

• Where is the serial number, does it match the claimed model and year, and is the engine original to the tractor?
• Is there a V5C, an original logbook or a council record, or will the tractor need a first registration?
• Do the Selectamatic hydraulics lift, hold and drop in every selector position?
• Which gearbox is fitted, six-speed or 12-speed, and have the clutch or PTO been overhauled?
• Is the tractor from UK farm use, or imported with NOVA paperwork in place?