Ferguson TE20, Ferguson 35 and Massey Ferguson 35 and 135 tractors (1946 to 1979)

These three tractors form one family line, all built at Banner Lane in Coventry. The TE20, the "Little Grey Fergie", was designed by Harry Ferguson and built for him by the Standard Motor Company from 1946. Its three-point linkage with hydraulic draft control, the Ferguson System, let a light tractor handle mounted implements that would otherwise have needed a much heavier machine, and it did more than any other model to replace the horse on small British farms.

The Ferguson 35 replaced it in 1956, keeping the same principles but adding a stronger transmission, a dual clutch option and better hydraulics. After the Massey-Harris-Ferguson merger it became the Massey Ferguson 35, and from late 1959 it gained the Perkins three-cylinder diesel that defined the company's small tractors for two decades. The MF135, launched in 1964, was a squarer, more powerful development of the same idea and stayed in production until 1979.

All three are light, narrow and easy to drive, with simple controls and good parts supply. They are among the most common classic tractors in the UK, which means there is plenty of choice, but also plenty of tired, modified or poorly restored examples. At a static auction viewing, concentrate on identity, hydraulics, clutch, brakes and original tinwork.

• Maker: Harry Ferguson Ltd, with tractors built by the Standard Motor Company at Banner Lane, Coventry; Massey Ferguson after the 1953 merger.
• TE20: 1946 to 1956. Grace's Guide gives 517,651 built including variants; the Ferguson Club says more than 500,000.
• TE20 engines: Continental Z-120 petrol at first (sources give 1,962cc or 1,966cc, about 23hp); then Standard four-cylinder petrol, TVO, lamp oil and, from March 1951, the Standard 20C diesel (TE-F). Sources differ on petrol capacity: the Ferguson Club quotes 1,849cc for the first Standard petrol unit, while Grace's Guide says all TE20s used a 2,088cc unit from July 1948.
• TE20 gearbox: four forward and one reverse, no synchromesh, single-plate clutch.
• FE35: UK launch October 1956. Engines were a 2,186cc "spark" unit for petrol, TVO or lamp oil, and the Standard 23C 2,258cc four-cylinder diesel of about 37hp.
• MF35 three-cylinder: Perkins A3.152 diesel from November 1959, about 37hp at the PTO.
• MF35X: from November 1962, uprated to about 44hp with optional Multi-Power and differential lock.
• 35 production: Heritage Machines gives 387,381 built at Banner Lane from 1956 to 1964, Wikipedia gives 388,382.
• MF135: shown at the 1964 Smithfield Show, built 1965 to 1979. Perkins AD3.152 2.5 litre three-cylinder diesel, 45.5hp, six forward and two reverse gears. Heritage Machines quotes 413,153 built at Coventry.

• TE20 suffix letters identify the type: TE-A Standard petrol, TE-D TVO, TE-H lamp oil and TE-F diesel, plus narrow, vineyard and industrial variants. The plain TE20 had the Continental engine. Electrics went from 6 volt to 12 volt in March 1951.
• FE35 1956 to 1957: grey tinwork with a bronze or "gold" transmission. From November 1957 the colours became MF red and Flint Grey. Wikipedia and Heritage Machines give slightly different serial numbers for the change.
• FE35 options: Standard or De Luxe, the latter with dual clutch and tractormeter.
• November 1959: Perkins A3.152 three-cylinder replaced the 23C, with red tinwork and Stoneleigh Grey mechanicals; first serial 166596 according to Heritage Machines.
• Late 1962: 35X with more power, Multi-Power (12 forward, four reverse on the move) and safety mudguards.
• MF135: aluminium headlamp casings became plastic in 1969.
• MF135 1971 update: larger fuel tank, taller grille, longer steering column, box-section front axle and revised air filter.
• MF135 cabs: early Duple glass fibre cabs, safety frames from about 1970, and quieter cabs from 1976.

Tinwork and structure

• Original tinwork matters. Reproduction panels vary; look for extra drillings and misplaced swage lines.
• FE35: rot in the chin panels below the grille, and at the bottom of the mudguard skins.
• Holes or lamp mountings in the bonnet can suggest a front loader, which wears the front axle pivot and steering joints.

Engine

• TE20 petrol and TVO: ask for a cold start and a full warm-up. A healthy engine starts quickly with good oil pressure at idle and does not smoke. Bearing wear from oil dilution is a known result of switching to TVO too early.
• TE-F and FE35 23C diesels: harder to start from cold and more complex to overhaul than the spark engines. Check the heater plug works and look for heavy breathing or black smoke.
• Spark engines: front crank seal weeps, water pump bearing leaks and worn throttle spindles.
• Perkins three-cylinders: very durable and widely supported, but look for overheating, coolant loss and oil leaks around the bell housing.
• Check for frost damage: water in the oil, oil in the radiator, or water from the exhaust.

Gearbox, clutch and PTO

• Check every gear and range engages without whining. On the 135, twist the gear lever; excess movement suggests worn selectors, which can jam the box in gear.
• Look at the dipstick for milky oil from water entering through a perished gear lever gaiter.
• With the engine running, check clutch free play and bite point. On dual-clutch tractors confirm the PTO stops when the pedal is fully down.
• MF135 Multi-Power: on a slope, a sound system holds the tractor in high range with the clutch at its first stage; rolling back means attention is needed.

Hydraulics

• Raise and lower the linkage with the engine running. Arms that drop quickly with the engine off point to lift piston wear; a slow drop is normal.
• TE20 has draft control only. Check linkage joints, trumpet housing studs and the levelling box.
• Feel the link arm pins and cross shaft bushes for play. Oil weeping at the pins may mean a worn casting.

Brakes, axles and steering

• Brakes are modest. Wet backplates or wheel dishes mean leaking half-shaft seals, a specialist job.
• Rock the rear wheels for bearing knock. Jack the front to check the pivot bush, kingpins and steering joints.

Electrics and instruments

• FE35 diesels use twin 6 volt batteries, positive earth.
• Treat hours readings as indicative only and compare them with pedal, steering and linkage wear.

Identity and paperwork

• TE20: confirm the suffix letters match the engine fitted; a TVO tractor's manifold heat shield is easily mistaken for a diesel.
• FE35: serial prefixes indicate chassis type, engine and clutch, such as S for normal width and D for 23C diesel.
• MF135: the serial plate is below the steering wheel and may be missing or worn.
• Ask for the V5C, an old logbook or county council record. The Ferguson Club notes DVLA will not restore an original number without documentary evidence, and Heritage Machines advises caution with tractors already on a Q plate.
• GOV.UK states that vehicles built before 1 January 1986 can use the historic tax class from April 2026, subject to the substantial changes rule.

Mechanical parts for all three tractors are widely available new, though quality varies and good secondhand original panels are becoming scarce. The Ferguson Club (https://www.fergusonclub.com) offers technical notes, a forum and a registrations service. DVLA's list of owners' clubs names the Ferguson Club and Friends of Ferguson Heritage Ltd, but no Massey Ferguson club, so ask whether they can help with a 135.

• Does the serial number match the claimed model, fuel type and year, and is the engine original?
• Is there a V5C, original logbook or council record, or will the tractor need first registration?
• Do the hydraulics lift, hold and drop properly, and has the linkage been rebushed?
• Has the clutch been replaced, and on a dual-clutch tractor does the PTO stop fully?
• Which panels are original, and which are reproductions?