When I purchased Susie May, my little grey Ferguson named after mum, I thought she would be the ideal size tractor for use up at the field but sadly it was not to be. Yes, Susie May will pull the trailer, 2-furrow plough and can just about cope with the hay rake but the one task I really wanted a tractor to do was to handle the large round hay bails and the hydraulics on the little Fergie just aren’t up to it so something bigger is needed. I’d been looking around and thinking a Massey Ferguson 65 might be right for the job but they a rare as most were exported apparently, so when I saw this Fordson Super Major on eBay and won the auction later that evening. Next was how to get it home from Heacham on the side of The Wash, unlike Susie May who only weighs 1,100-kgs and can easily be towed on a trailer behind my car, the Fordson weighs in at 2,417-kgs. I know where I could borrow a trailer that could carry the tractor but what to pull it with. A text to a mate to ask what a Land Rover Discovery could tow? I soon got a reply “3,500-kgs why?” Another text to explain why and he told me he had a trailer that would carry it. That got me thinking, I wonder what he’s doing Tuesday? A phone call to Colin the guy that was selling the tractor to arrange collection then I called my mate Richard to enlist his help and the collection of the tractor was arranged.
Tuesday morning and I drove over to Richard’s place where we hooked up the trailer and off around 9-am to Heacham to collect the tractor. We arrived as planned around noon where Colin was waiting to greet us. Colin started the tractor and pulled it forward so we could look around it. The tractor had been used for boat launching and the salt water had taken its toll on the tin work which I already knew about but it started okay with no horrible noises from the engine. Richard got the ramps set up and I drove the tractor straight up them onto the back of the trailer while Colin made us a drink then we secured the tractor to the trailer with straps. As we came to leave Colin told us that all the tractors locally had name and this one was called “Freddie”. Well I know its bad luck to change the name of a boat but I hope it doesn’t apply to tractors. When I bought my little grey Ferguson I named it “Susie May” in memory mum and I always said if I got a diesel it would be called “Jack” in memory of my dad, so Jack it is. We now set off on the 3-hour journey home calling for some rather nice fish and chips on the way. We took a shorter route home as we had been held up by trucks on the way down and with Jack on the back there was no chance of overtaking them on the way back. This route took us up hill and down dale and some of the hills really made the discovery change down its gearbox, Richard commented “this is when you know something heavy on the back” yet we were 400-kgs within the maximum train weight. Arriving back home at the field where Jack will live until I’ve got an ‘Age Related Registration Number’ for him.
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