Published in Journals 68 and 69 Summer and Winter 2011/12
Published in Journal 62, Spring 2009
Image from Volume 6 No.3
Photo: Journal No.24 Winter 1996/97
Published in Journal No.58 Spring 2008.
Pre-war Ferguson Type ‘D’ ridger # 36 (a little like a US Lister), originally used with ‘A’ # 104 (see Vol 4/1) as was the plough. Both were very rusty having stood outside many years. All wearing parts were both worn out and rusted away. Replacement parts came from a David Brown type RLD 2 ridger. Photo A Boorman
Andrew’ Boormans ridger refurbished with D-B parts. Original Ferguson parts at front. D-B discs, mouldboards and shares were used on the plough apart from modified Ransomes parts used for landslides. New parts no longer available from manufacturer. Note the marker’s pull chain anchored over the peg. Photo A Boorman
The maker’s plate on the ridger showing type, ‘D’ and # No 36. Pre-war implement plates did not list patent numbers but referred you to the tractor where they were displayed on the dash. Under-beam clearance on pre-war Ferguson ploughs is 2 inches less than later types and a similar amount on other implements. Photo A Boorman
The above photographs of the Type ‘D’ ridger were featured in Vol. 7, No. 2, 1994 of the Ferguson Club Journal
Photo: N. Shearer
This sack lifter was photographed at the Alness Vintage Show earlier this year. It lifts to a height of about 4ft 6ins and the platform rotates through 1800 left/right so presumably would have been handy for loading a trailer. It located to the drawbar by means of pins. The plate identifies the makers as Culverwells, Lewes, Sussex. Would a local member please respond for it looks very much as though this implement was made for the TE-20 to fill a gap in the Ferguson inventory. It would have been very useful behind a thrashing drum or to follow up the bagger combine harvester. Note the mid-mounter mower.
Report from Lawrence Jamieson. Journal Vol.8 No.2 Autumn 1995
The article in the Autumn edition on the sack lifter made by Culverwells provoked an agreeable response, leading to the discovery of at least five more examples. One correspondent, Mr T. Sturmer, who was mentioned earlier, wrote ‘in this collection there are two sack lifters and they have the name of the company as Culverwells, of Lewes, Sussex. After seeing the Newsletter we attached one to the back of a tractor and the implement worked very well.’
It seems that Culverwells are still the local Massey Ferguson agents and that the implement was indeed produced for the TE 20, primarily for use behind a thrashing drum. It would be desirable to locate their literature and sales material for the club archives. Can a local member help?
Editor’s Note. If any Suffolk member has one of these sack lifters I would be very interested in trying it out behind our drum later this year. At the moment we use a Cook’s sack barrow with wind up hoist, an excellent device but rather slow and not always convenient.
Published in Journal no. 23 Winter 1995/96
I write this sat looking out at the garden during a very dry April, we could desperately do with a drop of rain having had no significant rainfall for some time. Winter seems a distant memory now, however, always looking for an excuse to utilise the Ferguson System my thoughts turned to processing some firewood.
Having been keen to get a Fergie saw bench for some time a chance purchase from eBay re-ignited these thoughts. A very nice leaflet with the Dealer stamp of ‘Boggis of Halesworth’ was purchased depicting an early saw bench and a very jolly looking chap obviously very pleased with his purchase. I realised now how much I needed to own one, however I had the final obstacle to overcome, convincing Mrs S of the virtues of such an addition to the collection. Fortune must have been on my side as she either wasn’t listening or she understood what a wise purchase this was for us to make and seemed fully committed to the project!
With permission sought I trawled the internet and tractor magazines, as luck would have it through a chance conversation, I found exactly what I was looking for not too far away at a reasonable price, once back home I could take stock of what I had bought. It’s a later Massey Ferguson model in nice condition, it came with a belt although this is too long and needs replacing as a farm spec modification has been made to enable adjustment to tighten the belt, the previous owner had fitted some extra guarding which was also a nice touch, so far so good. Everything turned freely by hand, so I decided to fit it up to a tractor and give it a run up, a dig around in the depths of the shed revealed a Ferguson belt pulley so now it was just a case of hitching up. With a little persuasion the saw bench was duly hitched up to my 1948 Fergie TEA20, with the belt tensioned we were in business and it was time for the moment of truth, now I have to admit at this point I was rather nervous of the fearsome spinning wheel of death I had just fitted on to my tractor so it was with some trepidation I slipped the PTO in to gear and gently let out the clutch. With a whirr we were off, leaving the engine ticking over I listened out for any odd noises or grumbles, but all sounded good so now I was feeling rather pleased with myself.
During the storms several hedgerow trees had been damaged and fallen across the fence of a rented paddock, so this was the perfect excuse to tryout my new toy, the chainsaw made light work of the field maple. I trimmed all the smaller branches and brush into a pile and stacked the thicker wood next to the tractor ready for processing. After making sure to clear the work area from trip hazards I ran the saw up and started to make my way through the pile, the blade zipped through the wood with ease. With an explosion of sawdust, the blade ate through the wood and the lengths of timber were soon reduced to a nice pile of logs perfect size for splitting.
With the logs cut it was now time to get· out the Fergie transport box to cart them back the shed, other than the use of the chainsaw all tasks completed by the Ferguson system.
So, a success, the blade needs a light sharpen and I need to source a belt of the correct length but otherwise one of my better purchases! Another implement ticked off the list and whilst on a roll perhaps another purchase is in order …. until next time keep on a-trosh’n.
Harry Semmence, 1948 TEA20, Journal 102 Autumn 2022
Ferguson Specification & Uses first published in Journal 72 Winter 2012/13, and Journal 102
Published in Journal 57, Winter 2007
Published in Journal 60, Winter 2008
Image published Journal Volume 6 No.3 1993
Published Journal No.67 Spring 2011
Rear cover Journal No.66 Winter 2010/11
Rear cover Journal No. 74 Summer 2013
Published in Journal No.66 Winter 2010