Jimmy (James) Weldon’s first tractor was a Ferguson 35 which he bought along with a Webb two-row turnip seeder. There were a lot of turnips sown at the time and Jimmy had worked with farmers in the area and knew opportunities that were there for him with the machine. Unlike today, most farmers at that time grew a crop of turnips for animal and human consumption and they provided a great break root crop.
After a few years, Jimmy took a big leap and bought a John Deere 2030 in the early 1970s. This was a big tractor for the time, but one which was not going to give a good service. “That tractor spent more time in the garage than in the field,” says Jimmy.
He soon moved on to another big tractor, a Ford 7000, as the farm contracting business started to develop. This tractor also had its problems, which were well ironed out by the time James bought the Ford 7610, which to this day he rates as one the best tractors that he has had in the tidy yard outside Nobber, Co Meath.
Today, the farm contracting business is run by his son Christopher. Semi-retired, Jimmy spends a good deal of his time in the workshop, especially over the long winter months.
He has restored a number of tractors, including a number of Ferguson TE20s and Massey Ferguson 35s and is currently working on a Massey Ferguson 65 Mk II.
One of the noticeable tractors in the yard is a very clean and functional Ursus C-385 in two-wheel-drive format. This is a locally sourced 85hp tractor with a Meath registration number and it dates back to the early 1970s.
The tractor has been kept in very good condition and is original through and through. While it has a classic look, it still earns its keep each season where it does an impressive job of raking and rowing ahead of their McHale C550 and Fusion balers.
While Jimmy likes the tractor, which has not been too expensive to own, he would have liked to have fitted it with a 40km/h kit. “The kit is available and that would have made a right tractor out of the Ursus,” says Jimmy.
The Weldon workshop is impressively tidy, as is everything about their farm contracting yard. You get the impression that Jimmy and Christopher are proud of their achievements with all machines, even the oldest ones, always kept in good working order.
While every contractor’s yard has its own graveyard heap, the Weldons’ is more orderly than most. Most machines are stored outside due to necessity, while others with special appeal get the benefit of a roof over the head.
One of these is the very unusual Bamford reversible plough that must date back to the 1960s. I’ve failed to get a lot of detail about the plough, which Jimmy bought from the late Phillip Greene, who in turn had traded it in for a Kverneland plough many years previous. When Phillip was clearing the yard, he asked Jimmy if he was interested in it and of course he jumped at the chance.
The plough uses a novel ratchet-type reversing mechanism that looks crude and not particularly strong. The whole frame is supported by a series of tie-bars that look more of a concept plough after-thought than a strict piece of engineering design, even for the 1960s.
James has an ambition to get the plough into the ground, but conditions will need to be right for it to survive any length.
Christopher took part in a Malin to Mizen tractor run a few years ago. Both father and son regularly take part in tractor runs with the North Meath Vintage Club, supporting local and national charities.
? Ursus C-385 – some details
The four-cylinder Ursus C-385 was built in Poland using some of the same features that were fitted to the Zetor 8011, which was also available in Ireland at the time.
The 4.6-litre four-cylinder Z-7501 engine was rated at 85hp with 268Nm of torque. The tractor was fitted with an eight forward and four reverse gearbox, with a torque amplifier-style power shift that doubles the available speeds. The maximum rated speed for the tractor is 24.7km/h.
The standard tyres were 7.50 x 20 on the front and 16.9 x 34 on the rear. The Weldons have fitted wider tyres to the rear and they give the tractor a more impressive stance. The tractor was rated to weigh 4.5t and this two-wheel-drive version had a tight turning circle, making it very useful around farmyards. There are hydraulic-assist dry disc brakes fitted.
The Ursus C-385 and the Zetor 8011 were very similar tractors apart from colour. The other significant difference between Zetor and Ursus cabs was that Ursus had the door handle on the front part of the door and the hinges at the rear while the Zetor had them the opposite way.
The tractor was manufactured from 1972 to 1983 in a joint venture deal with Zetor, where some components were exchanged between the two eastern European brands. In Ireland, the Ursus range was first imported by the Smith Group in the 1970s. The Ursus brand then moved to a company called Eamus Ireland, which was part-owned by the O’Shea family, which also imported the Zetor range at the time.
Following the closure of Eamus Ireland, D&S Machinery took over the distribution of the Ursus range. Today, Ursus tractors, produced in Turkey by Hattat, are imported by Ursus Tractors and Machinery Ltd, based at Denis Sutton’s premises at Monachee, Ramsgrange, New Ross, Co Wexford.
Date Event Location Contact
27 May Seaforde Working Vintage Road Run Down 0044-7540539420
28 May Tamlaght O’Crilly Vintage Rally Derry 028/048-29541134
28 May Derrygortreavy Vintage Rally Dungannon, Tyrone 0044-7593915320
28 May Derrykeighan Vintage Rally Antrim 028/048-20741110
28 May Carnlough Vintage Road Run Armagh 0044-7963517407
28 May N Ireland Stationary Engine Rally Patterson’s Mill, Antrim 0044-7985722244
29 May Wells House Classic Car Show Gorey, Wexford 087-6358061
29 May Fota Island Vintage Club tractor run Cork 087-2457100
29 May Ballyroan Vintage Rally Ballyroan GAA, Laois 087-4547025
1 June Clough Vintage Club road run Antrim 0044-7926970643
1 June Ballyward Vintage Road Run Ballyward, Down 0044-7818094797
4 June Loanends Vintage Tractor Run Antrim 0044-7581006781
4 June Drumcree Vintage Rally Armagh 028/048-38337060
4 June Mid Ulster Vintage Vintage Rally Moneymore, Tyrone 0044-7887948543
4 June Ballyeaston Vintage Road Run Larne, Antrim 0044-7963517407
4 June Sligo Folk Park Festival Riverstown, Sligo 086-2356688
5 June Sperrin Vintage Club Rally Draperstown, Tyrone 028/048-79643262
5 June Lissan Parish Church Vintage Service Tyrone 0044-7795436918
5 June Sth Leitrim/W Cavan Vintage Show Ballinamore, Leitrim 087-9806974
5 June Irish Rovers Vintage Road Run Oolla, Limerick 087-2455156
5 June Ballyglass Vintage Rally Claremorris, Mayo 086-8200652
5 June Border Counties Vintage Grassmen Monaghan 086-6033288
5-6 June Innishannon Steam & Vintage Rally Cork 021-4775808
*The Irish Farmers Journal does not take responsibility for date or venue changes. Please contact each event before you travel.