# My new toy



## Rolex (11 mo ago)

Sorry about the crap photos, the story behind this unit and some questions will follow shortly.


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## Rolex (11 mo ago)

This was originally purchased new to maintain a rural landing strip for light plains down here in OZ.

My neighbour got his hands on it and used it for many years, he parked it on a hill every night so he could run it down the hill to start it each morning, after he upgraded to a more modern machine a few years back he sold it to a local mate, he recently offered it to me, he drove it the 12 kilometres to my place, something I could never do.

It came with a grader blade & the loader has new rams, I doubt it will ever go back on as I have no need for it.

Searching the net I have not been able to find any photos of the same loader, it mounts near the side of the seat so it's easiest to enter and exit via the rear, I don't find that strange but I also can't find photos of any other units with the same front wheels, no studs just hubs.

The other thing is the serial number, some reading tells me that my number is too late for the 23c motor that is fitted but I think I must have things wrong.

The ID plate number is SDF172290 & engine number SJ133895ES

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Good luck with it. Looks to me to require a lot of upgrading as it was run hard and neglected. Pretty typical for old iron.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> Good luck with it. Looks to me to require a lot of upgrading as it was run hard and neglected. Pretty typical for old iron.


Your tractor is built like a tank, the fact it is still running shows the quality of the build, a bit of pressure washing and straightening up and she will be apples mate.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Ditto on the bath. A clean tractor is not only easier to work on, they like being clean as well.


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## BinVa (Sep 21, 2020)

The loader appears to be in reasonable shape and could be useful. Can't tell from the pic..If you have the capacity to do some fab/welding, I would recommend modifing the 'trip' bucket and add at least a single dump cylinder, but maybe that has already been done. Good luck...B


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## Rolex (11 mo ago)

Since the photos it has had a clean, I built a fire fighting trailer ready for the summer season that gave me water under pressure so it got a scrub.

The gear box surprised me, it shifts clean and tight unlike my Ford.

Another surprise is the motor, it blows no smoke but it should have, I found raw fuel being pumped into the inlet manifold via the manifold heater whenever it was running.

It has now been disconnected & it still runs good but some more investigation is needed.

When this one became available I was halfway through fitting a loader to my Ford 3600 so I will continue with that project.

Are those front wheels normal I have never seen them on anything that big before.


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## ovrszd (12 mo ago)

I love old iron. I especially like seeing old iron that was marketed other places on our Mother Earth. Common use of major components. Variations of minor components to fit the needs of the users. Very cool. Keep us posted on any progress.


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## R S Atter (Nov 10, 2018)

Hi
Given the serial numbers you posted this is a 1959 MF 35
The "S" stands for Standard width /chassis
The "D" stands for 23C Standard 4 cylinder engine
The "F" stands for single clutch
The numbers correspond to tractors built in 1959
However there are a couple of points in the picture
In 1959, MF were changing from the Grey and Gold FE 35 to the MF 35 but to use up the stock of 23C engines, your tractor was in the that period of change-over before the 3 cylinder Perkins engine was fitted, the bonnet changed from a press button on the access panel to twist lever catches, I can see the hole cut into the bonnet for the air intake but looking at the picture am I right in thinking that has been cut in? as the FE35 came out near the dashboard 
Although the Tractor looks like to be an industrial version its not, as the industrial tractor had a "J" on the serial number, and these would have twin brakes, the hand brake and independent brakes on linkage and the foot brakes on oil
Another thing that is different is the front wheels, I have never seen a type like that, they normally have the 6 nuts to hold them on
In conclusion you have a very rare and unique tractor
As to the loader, this has similar features to a Cameron loader but not to say it is
I own an Industrial 1957 FE 35 with a Cameron loader as can be seen in the photo and over the years I have researched a lot into my tractor so I hope some of this info is of help to you

From a very windy England
regards
Bob UK


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## Rolex (11 mo ago)

Thanks for the great information.

I was told its's a industrial tractor ? it has a J in the engine number but not the serial.

There is lots of red under the yellow on the front half, from the gearbox back the yellow appears to be a slightly different yellow, this could be due to a different undercoat ? I will look closer next visit.

I will need to confirm all this when I next visit my property, as far as I know the air tube through the hood is original, the hand brake is activated by the foot brake.

In my third photo there is a blue and yellow rope looped around a bar, to the right of the rope there is a larger tube with a bump on it, that bump is a grease fitting and that is where the loader mounts and pivots up and down from unlike your loader that has the Y frame.

I have searched the net for photos and have found none with those wheels, it also has 26" rear wheels, they don't seem to be very common around here.

Thanks again for you interest and help.


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## R S Atter (Nov 10, 2018)

Rolex said:


> Thanks for the great information.
> 
> I was told its's a industrial tractor ? it has a J in the engine number but not the serial.
> 
> ...


If you click on my tractor picture it will bring up my postings, on there is a posting I did on the history of my FE 35 tractor, some of it might be relevant to yours, the J on the engine number doesn't relate to what tractor it was fitted into
Its quite possible the importers carried out various modifications to beef yours up to be an industrial tractor as one of mine the MF 2130 original was a MF 130 and was converted in Manchester's industrial plant from an agricultural tractor to an industrial one

regards
Bob


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Knew I had seen these wheels around years ago, Ford brand and they also used these on the Australian built Malcolm Moore loaders, these are a heavy duty rim.


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## R S Atter (Nov 10, 2018)

Hi
I take it the stub axle's must be interchangeable then or the whole front axle, never seen that over here


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

R S Atter said:


> Hi
> I take it the stub axle's must be interchangeable then or the whole front axle, never seen that over here


I would think by changing the wheel bearings would enable this to be done, you can buy taper roller bearings with many sizes in OD and ID's.

It may have been even possible that the axle stubs might have had the same measurements, these things can happen, I can remember replacing a 3 finger clutch in an Inter 474 with a new friction clutch plate from a David Brown 1210 tractor in the mid 80's and it worked better than the original clutch plate, change overs can be done no trouble.


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## Rolex (11 mo ago)

I had assumed it was built with traditional wheels, hubs and axels so I also assumed if I need to I could just swap the wheels and hubs.

Sometime in the distant future I may try a wheel swap just to satisfy my curiosity.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

And that could be a good possibility too, just need a MF hub to check.


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