Help me identify this Fordson

[HeXzilla]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to the forum. Also, a really big fan of Fordson tractors as my grandpa had one many years ago and I learned to drive in that tractor wich I only have some pieces now.

I'm here because I want to buy a Fordson tractor here in my country, Chile. The problem is that this machine is like 500 kilometers away so I only have some pictures of it, really small pictures No serial numbers or anything like it.

You can see it here: http://www2.chileautos.cl/auto.asp?codauto=2436256

As you can see is advertised as a Super Dexta 1969... From what I learned these days the year is wrong and the model too, it's more likely to be a Power Major or Super but I'm not sure. So I'm hoping some of you experts can give me a hand on identifying this tractor or tips for buying it, what to look or check for. This one I think is really expensive but I will love to have a 4WD Fordson, as advertised it's like USD$8.4k compared to the 4-4.5k of a 2WD Super Major, but the price can be discussed with the owner.

My experience with tractors is really small, I know a Ford 5000 from '65 really well though, maybe you guys can tell me how this Fordson is compared to it, as I want that this new tractor to be my main when I get back to the farm.

Thanks to all in advance!


Regards!

[Kiwi Kev]

Hi and welcome
It's abit hard to tell exactly what year it is, but it is a Fordson Major, not a Dexta.
No guages under the steering wheel, and top link style (hard to see) point towards Major.
Front tombstone is Super Major, but headlights are mounted Major style.
Front diff and wheels look to be original style.
Really need serial number/ casting codes to be sure. May also be "All Spare Parts"
Kiwi Kev

[Dandy Dave]

The year listed is wrong. If it's a Fordson Major Diesel, It would be between 1952 and 1958. The 4WD is nice but is hard to get parts for if it does not work. You need to find out which brand of axle it is. Also, No Power Steering and it looks like the pitman arm is bent. You really need to look this over for options also. I see it has a belt pulley. Check the hydraulics and see if they work and see if it has any type of remote valve on it also. Like Kiwi Kev said, You really need casting numbers and codes to really pin it down. Dandy Dave.

[Aussie Frank]

Hi,

I am no expert on the tractor but I can say that the front axle is made from a GMC CCKW 2 1/2 ton 6x6 WW2 US army truck. There are still lots of new old stock parts for rebuilding these axles still around. Any body who wrecks old US army trucks will have parts. All the internal axle parts are standard GMC parts only the housing was changed to fit the tractor. These GMC trucks were still in active service up to the 1990s.

I can't see what transfer box it has Selene or Roadless. But if it is about 4 inches thick it is Roadless. All Roadless transfer box parts are available even new from http://www.roadless.co.uk/ I can't say if any parts are available for a Selene transfer box but they seem to be much harder to find. If the four wheel drive works and it is a Roadless it should be no trouble to keep it running in terms of spare parts. Broken gears will cost some money but I would not expect that to be a problem even with a tractor that has done a lot of work. You might need to fit a new set of bearings and seals which won't be hard to get.

Is it worth paying the extra for the four wheel drive? I can't answer that for you, it depends on what work you want the tractor to do. If you are only doing general farm work the two wheel drive is probably the most sensible cost effective choice, but I love the four wheel drives and would certainly go and look at it.

Regards, Frank.

[BearCreek Majors]

my first guess was Selene as it has no slip clutch on the drive shaft, but the drivshaft is not painted like it has been replaced, and I think I can see the shifter housing on the top of the transfer case. Sifter on the top-Roadless, shifter on the back-Selene. I'd guess Roadless.

Pat

[Aussie Frank]

my first guess was Selene as it has no slip clutch on the drive shaft, but the drivshaft is not painted like it has been replaced, and I think I can see the shifter housing on the top of the transfer case. Sifter on the top-Roadless, shifter on the back-Selene. I'd guess Roadless.

Pat

Hi Pat,

The slip clutch was an option for export markets! Why I don't know. It is also possible that it was removed and a new shaft fitted. All the bits are standard GMC so it would have been easy to make a new shaft. My Roadless bits that came out of Ireland had no slip clutch fitted. It also came with the heavy cast centre front wheels as well so I would have expected that if anything needed a slip clutch it should have had it with the extra weight on the front wheels. We will probably never know why things were done the way they were.

Regards, Frank.

[HeXzilla]

Thanks to all for the great help!

Looking some pictures of other Fordsons (great restorations) I was also thinking this should be a Power Major but as Kiwi Kev said, that tombstone got me confused. The owner told me that it don't have disc brakes and he didn't know about diff lock in wich Im interested and from what I read are standard on the Super Major.

I'm almost sure that the front axle is the Roadless one, wich is good as Frank said for spare parts. I can almost see some letters in the front pictures where in quality pictures you can read the Manuel ~ Roadless logo.

Well, I'm not quite convinced yet to go there and see it for myself, I would really like it if it was a Super Major, the problem is I'm 100% sure that I will not see 4WD or that front axle on a Fordson again around here and I felt in love when I saw it

Thanks again to everyone, I will keep my search for a good Fordson tractor and report back!


Regards!

[Dandy Dave]

It does not have the Power Major dash under the steering wheel. It has the Fordson Major Diesel dash down lower and one side plate on the hood. Most likely mostly FMD. If the rearend is a Super, it will have disk brakes.

[HeXzilla]

Oh you are totally right, my bad.

I haven't seen a Major on pics with 4WD, weird.


Thank you. Regards!

[HeXzilla]

Hello everyone!

I'm back, I finally bought the tractor and now I am a new very proud Fordson Major Roadless owner Managed to get a good price for it and already started some repairs. I ordered lots of parts from Agriline and I'm looking for some help to buy a few more. Looking for the codes I realized that my tractor is from september 23, 1957, though the engine or block was replaced, the serial started with an S and couldn't find any more info other than the date: 1961.

I was wondering if anyone can help me to buy a tachometer and radiator. I don't know exactly what I need because in the front part of the tractor I think I have some Power and Super Major parts. I will leave you some images for you to see what Im talking about:





I want to buy a new radiator but I have two options, the one for the Major or the Super, as you can see the tombstone belongs to a Super.

For the tachometer, I don't have any parts and don't know what will fit my Major as the engine was replaced and there is like three different models in Agriline, I hope you guys can give me a hand.

By the way, what you guys think of Agriline for spare parts? How is the quality of the products? I was completely insane when I found all those spare parts for my tractor

I don't want to show much of the tractor yet because is not in good shape right now but will certainly be in near future. Like someone said in another topic: I bought a lot of work but I'm really happy with this tractor.


Regards!

[Bensdexta]

No problems with Agriline. Like other vendors, they will replace/refund any faulty/incorrect parts. But postage may get expensive as I gather you are in Chile?

Most of the parts come from the same manufacturers, so all vendors suffer from variable quality.

If you have a particular problem/query re a part, worth emailing Peter Smith at forge-services.co.uk, who seems to know his stuff.

Sounds like you have a gem!

Look forward to more pics.