The Little Grey Fergie

Chris Graham spotlights the Ferguson TE-20 range of tractors;
machines that took the world of farming into a new era of
mechanisation, convenience and efficiency

Two of Gary Anderson’s ‘little grey Fergies, a TE-F 20 and a 1950 TE-A 20 with a Ferguson TVO conversion (not built as a TE-D 20).

Ferguson tractor enthusiasts are a lucky bunch. For many people new to the old tractor hobby, deciding on the make and model to buy can be an involved and time-consuming process. There are so many tempting possibilities that making a final choice can be agonising. For the Ferguson fan, however, it’s plain sailing as, within the family fold, there sits perhaps the most influential and iconic tractor of all time.

The ‘little grey Fergie’ is the machine that’s widely regarded as being the one that changed agriculture around the world, forever. The brainchild of Harry Ferguson, this fantastically functional little tractor with its revolutionary three-point linkage – and the system of dedicated implements and support networks that he masterminded around it – probably did more for farmers across the globe than any other tractor you could think of.

Harry Ferguson put a great deal of time, effort and development money into making sure the little grey Fergie was comfortable to use, easy to handle and a solid performer. Time has proved he was successful on all counts.

The icon arrives

The TE-20, as the little grey Fergie was officially known at the start (T = Tractor, E = England, 20 = approximate engine power), was produced between 1946 and 1956, and more than 500,000 were built, mainly at the Ferguson factory in Banner Lane, Coventry. Harry Ferguson and Sir John Black, who was head of the Standard Motor Company, agreed a deal that would see the new model built at the existing Standard factory.

Ferguson had a very clear vision for the new tractor, and was determined to produce a lightweight model that would use as little fuel as possible, thereby maximising profits for farmers. However, as the new tractor’s Standard produced engine wasn’t ready in time, it was decided to fit the first models with a unit produced in Michigan, USA, by the Continental Motors Corporation, The Continental Z-120 was a four-cylinder, 1,962cc, petrol-powered motor with an output of 23hp, however, its carburettor had to be adapted to cope with the poor-quality fuel being used in post-war Britain.

The engine was run by a six-volt Lucas ignition system (complete with an electric starter), and linked to the rear wheels via a four-speed, constant-mesh gearbox with helical-cut gears. The engine starter was activated using the gear selector lever, and Harry Ferguson took a sometimes fanatical interest in every aspect of the tractor’s design. His fundamental aims were to produce a machine that was both easy and comfortable for farmers to use.

Harry Ferguson made a big effort to keep the TE-20 as light as possible, to maximise ease of use, manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency.

A slow start

But production got off to a relatively slow start, with just 316 TE-20s leaving the factory during 1946. At that time, the tractor cost £343 and was being built by a workforce of 3,500 people in a state-of-the-art factory. The planned increase in production during early 1947 was hampered by steel shortages, a fuel crisis and one of the coldest winters in living memory. However, things had picked up by the middle of the year, when 100 TE¬20s were leaving the factory every day. By the end of 1947, more than 20,000 had been built, about 5,000 of which were shipped overseas. Business was beginning to boom. As I’ve already mentioned, Harry Ferguson had been at pains to support his new tractor with a practical range of perfectly-matched implements, all of which were literally tested to destruction before being approved. In addition, Ferguson himself insisted on using and assessing each new implement before final permission was given for its introduction to the range. His laudable ambition was to provide a piece of equipment that, in conjunction with the tractor, was able to tackle every major job on the farm. In so doing he hoped to eliminate the traditional drudgery associated with so much of farming, produce cheaper food as a result and, overall, make the world a better place.

Diesel-engined Fergies tend to fetch the most money nowadays, followed by the TVOs then the petrols. The latter are not as economical.

Right from the off, customers could choose from a selection of implements that included a two-furrow plough, a mower, an earth scoop, a transport box, a cordwood saw, a three-ton trailer, a ridger, a tiller, a disc harrow and a pair of rowcrop cultivators, Development was a continual process though and, during 1947, the company added a post-hole digger, a steerage hoe and a spring-toothed harrow. All implements, while designed by Ferguson, were manufactured by trusted independent specialists. For example, the ploughs were made by Rubery Owen at its factory in Staffordshire, and that company supplied just over 17,500 units in 1947.

In keeping with Ferguson’s ‘complete support’ ethos, the company also introduced a comprehensive range of accessories, which included essenlials such as Sankey-made steel wheels, Lucas lighting sets, a canvas tractor cover and a clever, Sun Engineering produced jack that utilised the tractor’s hydraulic system to lift the whole machine off the ground.

Lucas lighting was a popular optional extra, and consisted of a single headlight, sidelights and a ploughing light.

Standard engine arrives

During the summer of 1947, the development of Standard’s own petrol engine neared completion. Ferguson had requested that it be based on the successful and reliable Continental Z-120, and the result was an 1,849cc four-cylinder unit producing 25hp.It differed from the Z-120 in that it featured an external oil filter and used a Zenith carburettor. Then, as an added bonus, the designers discovered that the new engine was also perfectly suited to automotive use, so it was utilised in the Standard Vanguard car as well.

With the introduction of the Standard engine, the model designation changed to TE-A 20 but, once again, things got off to a slow start. The factory was confident of producing 1,000 engines a day by the end of 1947 but, in reality, the first TE-A 20s didn’t start appearing in the field until the end of January, 1948, and Continental-engined TE-20’s remained on sale for most of that same year.

The first narrow version appeared in the autumn of 1948, with the rear wheel track reduced from 52 to 42in. The modifications needed to achieve this were primarily carried out by Kent·based Ferguson dealer, Lenfield Engineering Company, and those with Continental engines were designated TE-B 20 while the versions powered by the new Standard motor were TE-C 20s. Already the designation letter selection was starting to get confusing!

Then, in 1949, the UK authorities ended the ‘red petrol’ scheme, which had allowed petrol to be rebated for agricultural purposes. This resulted in a significant increase in the price of tractor fuel for farmers, at which point Ferguson reacted by introducing a vaporising oil-powered model (TVO) that would be cheaper to run. This version – introduced in May and christened the TE-D 20 was based around a bigger-bore, lower-compression Standard engine, to counteract the efficiency loss associated with the inferior fuel. The engine was fitted with a distinctive, aluminium heat shield over the inlet manifold, to promote fuel vaporisation, and a water temperature 9auge was added to the dash.

Dual fuel tanks

The 26hp TE-D 20 also featured dual fuel tanks under the hinged bonnet, because the engine had to be started and warmed using petrol, then switched over to run on the cheaper vaporising oil thereafter, using a new, three-way fuel tap. A narrow version soon followed, called the TE-E 20, and the 100,000th TE-20 left the factory on June 13th, 1949. An impressive 12,000 tractors went for export in that same year but, in some markets, the quality of fuel available was so low that a further modification was needed. Ferguson’s solution was to introduce the ‘zero octane’ or ‘Lamp oil’ model in April 1950, with the designation TE-H 20. A narrow version followed – the TE-J 20 – and both these 22hp variants utilised a lower compression ratio and retarded ignition settings to avoid pinking.

Additional implements – including a potato spinner and planter, a manure loader and spreader, a subsoiler and a weeder – were added to the range in 1950, and it was during this year that the total number of implements sold hit 350,000. In March 1951 the six-volt Lucas electrical system was discontinued, so an engineering change to the bell housing was required to accommodate the bigger starter motor that would be running on the new 12-volt ignition system.

By this time diesel power was on the horizon, even though Harry Ferguson was never a fan, He regarded diesel engines as dirty and noisy and, from an engineering point of view, considered them unnecessarily heavy, complicated and expensive. However, being the expert marketeer that he was, he grudgingly had to accept that diesel represented the way forward. Competitor tractors were heading in that direction, and farmers were attracted by the cost-effectiveness, reliability and usable performance that diesel engines delivered.

Henry Anderson at the whell of the TE-F 20 with it’s vertical exhaust.

Diesel trials

Three diesel engines were trialled – a unit from Standard, the three-cylinder Perkins P3 and a four-cylinder motor from Meadows. The last of these performed the best, but was a poor starter and costly, while the installation of the Perkins engine necessitated a raising of the bonnet line, which Ferguson objected to. More importantly, it also raised the tractor’s centre of gravity, which wasn’t desirable. So, by a process of elimination, Ferguson settled upon Standard’s offering, the 20C. To overcome its inherent cold starting issues, a Ki-Gass pump and induction heater were added, and the resultant diesel model – TE-F 20 – was presented to an expectant market in March, 1951. It cost £490 and featured a distinctive pair of six-volt batteries fitted on either side of the driver’s seat.

The TE-F 20 proved to be an extremely successful model, and Standard also made use of the 20C engine to power a diesel version of the Vanguard, creating the UK’s first diesel-powered production car which, incidentally, was capable of returning 50mpg. Ferguson also introduced a dedicated vineyard model in May 1952, with a width of just 46in and three engine options; petrol TE-K 20, TVO TE-l20 and lamp oil TE-M 20.

A petrol-powered, road-legal Industrial model (rE-P 20) was introduced in April 1951, and proved so popular that TVO¬(TE-R 20) and lamp oil-powered (TE-S 20) versions were added to the range in 1952. Early the following year a diesel Industrial (TE-T 20) version arrived, after which the TVO and lamp oil-powered versions started being phased out.

The simple dashboard features the Ki-gas hand pump on the right, with original operating instructions on the panel beneath.

Ownership prospects

For some down-to-earth feedback on TE-20 ownership, I took a trip to rural Buckinghamshire to meet Gary Anderson, his son Henry and the interesting variety of TE-20s they own. One of the first points that Gary raised was that the TE-20 – whichever engine you choose – makes an excellent tractor to own, whatever your level of experience within the hobby. “This tractor really does tick all the right boxes,” Gary told me. “it’s a machine that’s still perfectly capable of a decent days work, assuming you’re not wanting to run large, heavy implements. For small-scale ploughing, paddock-cutting and any of the 101 other jobs you can tackle around the farm or smallholding with the countless Ferguson System implements, it’s just about perfect. Easy to handle, manageable to drive and incredibly capable.”

When it comes to buying, Gary’s advice is to be sure about what you want the tractor for. ·One of the beauties of the TE-20 range is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a decent example, but your choice will be made easier if you’re clear about your intentions for the tractor. I help lots of people source tractors and always take the time to chat with them about their Intentions first.

“If somebody simply wants a cheap tractor to cut grass or cart logs around, then originality isn’t a vital issue. On the other hand, if the objective is to own a tractor that’s authentic and that wi. hold its own at shows and rallies, then finding a decent example will take longer and the right machine win be more expensive. Today, the market is placing more emphasis on genuine originality, so TE-20s showing proper, time-induced patina are in great demand.

First impressions

“I think you can tell an awful lot about a tractor by its overall appearance, Gary added. “Always be on your guard for badly painted examples. Given the popularity of this tractor, there are less scrupulous sellers around who won’t hesitate to slap paint on over rust and ingrained dirt in an effort to improve the cosmetic look, in the hope of promoting a quick sale,

“From a mechanical point of view, the good news is that the TE-20 models all benefit from a superbly robust basic design and, despite the fact that the earliest examples can now be over 75 years old, a surprising number remain fit, healthy and perfectly usable. Having said this, there’s still no excuse for not carrying out the basic, pre-purchase checks.

“The simplest of these is to assess the condition of the engine oil. Lots of owners fail to change this on a regular basis, so discovering a dipstick that’s covered In black, gloopy lubricant shouldn’t be a great surprise. But the engines are tough – especially the diesel units – and do tend to run and run despite what’s often quite serious mechanical neglect. While on the subject of oil, too many owners ignore the back end of their tractors. Most may well change the engine oil every year or two, which is fine, but very few treat the back end in the same way.

The original TE-20’s toolkit included this grease gun and the famous Ferguson spanner. The latter was designed to fit the majority of nuts on the tractor and implements, while the scale on the shaft allowed it to double as a dipstick for the fuel tank.

“There’s a dipstick at the rear which is used to check the level of the oil that supplies the gearbox, the rear axle and the hydraulic pump. Yet, despite its importance, the quality and level of this oil is too often ignored. I’ve lost count of the number of grey Fergies on which I’ve found horrible, mayonnaise-like gloop coating this dipstick, If ignored for years, this oil becomes contaminated by condensation, which detrimentally affects its lubricating performance.”

This is the often ignored dip-stick at the back of the tractor, that’s used to check the gearbox/rear axle/hydraulic level.

A slow starter?

Gary continued: “One of the biggest problems associated with the popular diesel engine is loss of compression, caused by age-related cylinder liner wear. This makes it increasingly difficult to start from cold, so if you come across one that churns over for more than about 15 seconds before catching, suspect a problem. Also, if the engine of a tractor you’re looking at has been pre-warmed by the seller before you arrive, this is potentially suspicious. Ideally you should always request to see the engine started from cold.

“Having said that, I have a TE-F 20 that suffers in just this way, and requires a squirt of starting spray to encourage it into life, but it’s not the end of the world. I appreciate that it’ll need an engine rebuild in due course, but the deterioration rate is very slow given the sort of use we give it nowadays, so I’m really not that bothered.

“Other things to check for on a pre-purchase inspection include effective brake operation, steering play, the presence of clutch judder, reliable gear selection and hydraulic pump failure. The half-shaft seals perish with age, allowing oil to leak out and contaminate the rear brake shoes. A tell-tale sign of this can be oil build-up on the inside of the rear wheel rims.

“If you detect more than about half an inch of rotational free play at the steering wheel, then there’s likely to be appreciable wear in the system – at the ends of the radius arms or in the steering box. Both parts are exposed and easy to see, to its simple to identify where the excess movement is. The H-shaped gear selector gate (hidden beneath the plate at the base of the gear lever) can wear as a result of years of harsh use, causing the stick to jump out of the gate leaving the gearbox stuck in whichever gear was selected at the time. These transmissions can’t be driven like a car; the changes have to be slower and executed with more care and mechanical sympathy.”

All components are easily accessible on the TE-20. Wear in the steering causing play at the wheel is easy to check for.

Holding fluid?

“Finally, the hydraulic pump can suffer with worn seals, preventing the unit from maintaining pressure. You can easily check for this by weighting the linkage arms and seeing if they hold. Raising an attached implement is the best way to assess this but, if that’s not possible, lift the arms then, with the engine turned off, apply your own body weight and see if the height is maintained. If the arms start to drop then pump refurbishment will be required. All of these issues can be used as good bargaining points when negotiating a price reduction with the seller.”

This is the sort of genuine patina that really adds to the desirability of a sale tractor these days.

The good news for prospective buyers is that there’s still a good number of original TE-20s out there which, despite having been worked on and off for the past 70 years, are still in reasonable condition, The model really is that durable. But, even when problems are encountered, the spare parts situation is now excellent. More or less everything you might need is available from specialist suppliers, although it should be noted that quality can vary, with much depending on where the parts have been manufactured.

Gary points out: “Lots of parts aren’t exact copies of the originals so, while they may look OK from a distance or to the casual observer, somebody with more specialist knowledge will be able to spot components – especially panels – that aren’t original. Often the shape will be slightly different, drillings will be missing or in the wrong place, swage lines might not be accurately reproduced and the metal used is often thinner.”

In more general terms, Gary added: “For beginners to the old tractor hobby, I think that the little grey Fergie provides the best way to learn rudimentary mechanics, simply because it’s so straightforward and well designed, What’s more, the Ferguson workshop manuals are absolutely superb, providing accurate, step-by-step guidance on everything from routine servicing to more involved jobs like adjusting the brakes or changing the clutch.

“Of course, Harry Ferguson knew that the support literature he provided with these tractors needed to be good because for many owners, the TE-20 represented their first experience of mechanisation. Up until that point, farm power had been supplied by horses, so relevant mechanical knowledge was non-existent. Consequently, I think that the company went over and above in terms of the help and support offered to users of its equipment, plus all those working within the dealer network. Original manuals are still available to buy nowadays, although they are becoming quite collectable, so prices are on the up. However, most have been reproduced now, so modern duplicates can be bought at reasonable prices.

“Harry Ferguson was an amazing marketeer. He established an international training centre at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, and staff were brought in from all over the world to learn about the TE-20s and the implements designed to be used with them as part of the Ferguson System. He also created a fleet of service engineers working out of vans that would deal with customers’ problems wherever they occurred. Everything was designed to build confidence in the brand, to promote familiarity and to support owners as fully as possible, and the strategy certainly worked!”

Published in Classic Massey Magazine, May/June 2023