Every day thousands of classic generation tractors earn their keep on Irish farms. Many farmers simply look at this tractor as their farm power source. They get value from it every day and they expect that tractor to last irrespective of what age label we might put on it.

The definition of what is a classic tractor is very much in the mind of the person who owns it. There is generally a view that classic tractors are those that were produced from 1970 to the 1990s in reasonable volumes. That provides us with scope to look at a whole range of tractors that are popular on Irish farms.

The other definition is that a classic tractor is one of a very particular style, a tractor of lasting worth or one with some feature or design that gives it a sense of timeless quality. For many farmers, that lasting worth is the part that they value in their tractor most of all.

That latter definition is confirmed by the demand for particular models. This demand is forcing up prices of particular models, not just for their collectible features but for their ability to perform reliably on the farm.

The best way to track tractor model popularity is to look at the most common used tractors imported into the country each year. As these classic tractors become older, the supply will dry up and they become less available. That’s reflected in the numbers of used tractors imported into Ireland dropping from 3,159 in 2013 to 1,735 in 2015.

Lack of availability

Lack of availability is also driving up prices for some of the classics. Today, some of these tractors are being sold for prices that are considerably higher than that at which they were sold new some 25 years ago. This proves the point that tractors, if properly cared for, unlike some other motor vehicles, can appreciate in value, when you pick the right one.

Within each of the popular tractor brands, farmers and contractors will have their own choice of what is a classic tractor. My views are based on the tractors I’ve seen on farms down through the years which proved reliable and useful on Irish farms.

When we look at the Case, International and Case IH brands, there are a few tractors that meet my classic criteria. On the International end, the 885 (1985-1990) and 895 (1991-1994) are two classic tractors for me. So too are the 956XL and the 1056XL, both of which were manufactured from 1982 to 1985.

The Case IH Maxxum range is also a little special. The Maxxum 5100 series, produced from 1990 for a relatively short run, were impressive tractors in their time and remain so. Early Magnum tractors are well-regarded and US-built Case 2000 white series tractors that pre-dated them going back to 1979, while getting old, are still solid performers.

Fiat produced some classic tractors during the 1980s and they included the 100-90 (1984-2002) and the slightly more powerful 110-90 (1986-2003), although their production run could almost be considered to be recent and the tractors, if well maintained, continue to look well and are highly regarded.

Winner models

I recall clearly the introduction of the F Series range or ‘Winner’ models as they were called by Fiat. The early models were produced in 1990 and introduced to the market at an extravagant launch in Paris. These continue to be a popular classic tractor choice among Irish farmers. The F100 (100hp), F120 (120hp) and F130 (130hp) were produced up until 1996, making the last-produced versions of them 20-year-old tractors this year.

Classic Ford tractors remain very popular on Irish farms and some now include the Ford New Holland badge. The Ford 7740 (95hp) and 7840 (100hp) models produced from 1991 until 1997 and 1998 in the case of the 7840, remain among the highly regarded tractors on Irish farms.

For many farmers the Ford 7810 (100hp), which preceded the 7840 is the true classic tractor. This tractor was produced from 1998 to 1991 and extended by the 7810s model until 1998. Currently, the Ford 7810 is so collectible and valued that it is getting scarce and only two were registered as being imported during 2015 compared with six in 2014.

In recent years, two bigger Ford and Ford New Holland brand tractors have become popular for their power and versatility. These are the Ford 8340 (117hp) and 8360 (160hp), both of which were produced up until 1997. Tillage farmers like these Genesis origin tractors for their size and strength. They are very different to the F Series tractors produced by Fiat. They have the size to take a full front and rear tillage kit as well as the engine flexibility to take some additional power boost.

John Deere has produced a few tractors that have remained classics in the eyes of some farmers. Many of the John Deere 50 Series are considered classics, especially the 3050 (90hp) and 3350 (100hp) models produced from 1986 to 1993. These are six-cylinder tractors that are strong and durable and can carry out a range of functions with ease. Smaller and equally popular models are the 2650 (76hp) and 2850 (86hp), which were produced in Germany until 1994.

The most popular classic tractor on Irish farms is the Massey Ferguson 390 range. This includes the MF398, MF390 and MF390T, which consistently has been the most popular used tractor imported into Ireland over the past 10 years. The 72hp MF390 was produced from 1987 until 1997, having replaced the MF290.

While Massey Ferguson’s 135 model is one of the most popular used tractors imported into Ireland more than 50 years after its launch, this is more of a collector’s tractor than one which will earn its keep on Irish farms.

Massey Ferguson’s other classic range was the 5000 series introduced in November 1986 with a host of modern computer systems. These trend-setting tractors were poor in terms of reliability at the time and remain low in the list of choices for Irish classic tractor, with only a handful imported each year.

Read more

To read the full Machinery Focus, click here.