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The first thing to be aware of when towing off a tractor is that most machines with any hydraulic gear system (e.g. MF 165 with Multipower gearbox) cannot be towed off.
Tow at a reasonable speed on a firm road surface; not on loose surfaces such as gravel as they do not allow sufficient friction to provide the turning power necessary. Only attach the chain on the towing tractor to an approved drawbar. Never attach to the top link position as this can flip the towing tractor.
Place the stop control lever in the ’start’ position, turn on the ignition if necessary and adjust the throttle to half open. Select the highest gear but keep the clutch pedal depressed until the towing vehicle reaches speed. Then release the clutch and after it has started depress the clutch pedal again. Have a good signal procedure between the two drivers so as not to run into the back of the towing vehicle.
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Far as i am aware, FE35’s did not have epicyclic hubs.
By the way, my dad did the tow starting trick with his MF35x in the 1960’s
Great website.
Cheers
Bill Sanson
New Zealand
what sort of mf 35 4 cylinder was it without the epicyclic reduction hubs. did you have to use mf 35 wheels on the tractors.arent all mf 35 rear axles the same
You may not be aware of this but it is possible to tow a multi power tractor off if the starter works.
We amazed a massey fitter when we did this, you’ve just got to think through the process logically.
The multipower will not engage because it requires the hydraulic pressure to do so, and so towing it alone will not do it to begin with.
The normal problem with lack of starting is that the engine is not turned fast enough to create high enough compression for engine to fire.
Set off with the towing tractor, the tractor being towed to be in high multi power position in a high gear. If the MP tractors starter is then engaged the engine turns, also causing the MP pump to turn and create the pressure required to engage the MP clutch pack. Once the MP clutch pack starts to engage, the transmission being turned causes the MP pump to “self energise” and so create further pressure and the transmission then with the MP engaged will start by being towed.
We had to do this for a 590 MP whose engine was worn out, but was required daily fo sugar beet haulage to the factory, and so we didn’t have the time to do the engine until after the season had finished.
As a point of interest, this tractor also does 38mph, how? I’ll tell you. The process was another logical one.
In the 60’s, my dad was looking to make fast haulage tractors and realised that by putting the axle trumpets from a 4 cyl 35 (worth nothing at the time) onto a 65 tractor he eliminated the epicyclic reduction hubs, so that the speed was doubled. He did a couple of these, then a MP 165 the same (was very fast – no cab, just a rollbar!). Latterly, the best MF fitter we know of anywhere (John Pipes – Chandlers) realised that the 1200 with heavy axles and 1250 with light weight 188 axles used the same components as the hundred series MF’s, but didn’t tear themselves to pieces (too often) because the gearing was doubled at the input side through the MP gears, and then halved at the axle end by the epicyclic reduction hubs, leaving a normal speed. The doubling of the gearing achieves faster shaft speeds which reduces the torque through the shafts – making it possible to put 112 hp throught the lightweight power train of the small artic’s.
So we took the MP gears of a 1200 and put them into our first MF 690 MP (heavy axles – bigger reduction) (Y reg) and ended up with 30mph with wet brakes. The second one was a C reg 690 with the lighter weight axles (using the mf 1250 MP gears) which doubled it from 19mph to 38mph. Not bad in 1985!! (Known locally as the flying flea!!) we still have it, it’s onto it’s third cab now (a 2 door 590 pristine example) We have to buy another tractor and swap the cabs/ bonnets, axle mounts brake actuators etcetc, but after this cab has gone I don’t know what we shall do. It’s a fantastic exercise in engineering, and has been an extremely cost effective way of hauling farm produce for many years now, I should think we’ll end up buying a 2wd 390 and swapping all the bits required to convert it again!!
Hope this is of interest to you, regards Charlie Wright
If anyone needs any further help/ questions contact me on 07702 093941, I’m more than happy to help if I can!