The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

hello all, having a bit of a clear out up my uncels farm and have an old massey ferguson combine harvester ,not sure what model it is but looks simlar to a massey harris 780 , has 8ft 6" cut , 4 cylinder diesel (perkins i think) acording to the log book was first regesterd in 1957 , as far as i know is still in working order but has not been run for 10 years or so , i have someone intrestred in buying it but don't know how much she is worth just wondering if any of you chaps had any idea would keep and restore myself but don't have the time, money, a big shed, or wide gate posts to get it home ,also no idea how it works.
thanks wayne
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49293148@N07/4818887960/

That sounds like a 726 which was smaller than a 780. Could have either a Morris Commercial petrol/paraffin unit as per the Nuffield tractor or a Perkins L4.

They usually go for scrap value eg. a couple of hundred but if she has been shed stored and is in fair condition you should look for around £500.00.

They were designed for crops of around 2 ton acre and would really struggle in todays crops. They were slow and dirty in the 1960's but were all a lot of farmers had.

just been up to farm and found out it's a 788 yes barn stored and in fair condition, there is also another parked up behind the dutch barn which my uncles used for spares ,still got it's engine in, you said they would strugle in crops today but remember them using it about 10 years ago before he had to pack in farming due to ill health and it seemed to cope ok, my other uncle who passed away last year of lung disease probably due to breathing in all that dust from that combine, yes a very dirty dusty job no good for me and my hayfever ,what else was the perkins l4 put in was it just combines or did they put them in tractors as well, got some time off work soon so i'am going to have a look at that tvo major and see why the oil pump siezed , ill let you know how i get on.
thanks for all the help wayne

A 788 was an up to date 780 (for the year). An 8' cutterbar would be a small load, thats why she coped OK. The ones we had here were 10' or 12' and the Claas SF and Matador would be round the field twice before the M-F did one round.

They produced a great sample though.

The engine in her would be a Perkins 4.270 rather than the L4. The 4.270 was one of the best engines Perkins made. It was their first direct injection, mass produced unit and was sister to the 6.354, another great engine.

Interesting that one Brian. How do you conclude that it's a sister engine to a P6.354. The P4.270, s i came across were a later version of the L4, I know they were Direct injection, but they also had wet liners, Both our Claas SF and the first Standard Matador had 4.270 engines, Jim

The original 6.354 was a 4.270 with two more cylinders, much like the 4 cylinder Major and the 590E six.

Normally you would find the 4.270 in the Matador Standard and the 6.354 in the Gigant.

The later engine on the Matador was the 4.236 which was a much smaller engine.

It was either an L4 on the SF although the SFB had the 4.270 fitted.

The L4 was indirect injection and had an inline CAV injection pump. The 4.270 and the 6.354 were direct injection with CAV DPA pumps. Where the 4.270 pump was driven horizontally the 6.354 pump was mounted vertically at a slight angle.

All three had wet liners.

apologies for the photo of the combine there seems to be a small grey tractor lurking in the bottom right hand corner , will do better next time
wayne

Brian wrote:The original 6.354 was a 4.270 with two more cylinders, much like the 4 cylinder Major and the 590E six.

Normally you would find the 4.270 in the Matador Standard and the 6.354 in the Gigant.

The later engine on the Matador was the 4.236 which was a much smaller engine.

It was either an L4 on the SF although the SFB had the 4.270 fitted.

The L4 was indirect injection and had an inline CAV injection pump. The 4.270 and the 6.354 were direct injection with CAV DPA pumps. Where the 4.270 pump was driven horizontally the 6.354 pump was mounted vertically at a slight angle.

All three had wet liners.

The 6.354. 4.203 and 3.152. are the Perkins engines sharing similar design , for example, the Pistons, conrods, valves, are all interchangable. The 4.270, was an updated L4, did have di. but had wet sleeves and a three bearing crankshaft, and im'e quiet sure the 4.236 was a stand alone Perkins engine. i say was because this engine has been updated and can now pump out
125hp .

You are right Jim, many apologise. My memory is going. I checked my info a few minutes ago. The 6.354 is not a wet sleeve design.

However the 6.354 did run alongside the 4.270 in the Claas range up to 1965.

But remember, the 6.354 is not the same engine as it was in the early days. It has been revamped many times.

When we went to M-F for training in 2000, they told us that it was one of the oldest engines they built but the internal changes had really made it a new engine.

I haven't worked on many Perkins engines, but I'm going to put my 2 cents in anyway. Not knowing what I'm talking about has never stopped me before . The 6.354 and the 4.236 both have 59 cubic inches per cylinder. The last 4.236 that I remember having apart had dry liners like the 6.354. Aren't they "sister" engines?

hi guys been offered £700 for that combine inculding the one left behind the dutch barn do you think this is a fair price
regards wayne
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49293148@N07/4831456709/

We bought a 788 at a farm sale a few years ago.
It wasn't quite as tidy as your one but was in working order and we cut a few acres every year with it for fun.

We paid £90 for it at the sale and doubled its value by putting a new tyre on it.

We enjoy playing with it, especially my dad as it reminds him of driving one when he was a young lad.

Brian is correct in his comment regarding the Claas leaving the MF standing especially if there was grass in the straw.

You can see our one here;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SebTITt1Wdk

the lad who bought it from me came up put a battery on and it fired up first time

hello, as far as i can tell the 6.354 and 4.236 are sister engines both with dry liners and the 4.270 is an updaded version of the L4 with direct injection and rotary fuel pump.