Views on cabins.

[Nickm]

My FSM came with a cabin. Well, most of one. No doors.
I always intended to remove it as I much prefer the look of the tractor without it.
But, having done a few hours of pasture topping, I'm thinking to leave it on. It's invaluable when driving alongside hedges.

Not many people seem to have them on their fordsons, is that because people don't like the look of them or just because they're not that useful to people?

Not sure if mine is a fordson cab, or just a general one that fitted.














(In these pictures I haven't put the wings back on as I intended to remove the cab).

[mathias1]

The fordsons never came with a cab. If theychave a cab it is a homemade or after market one.

[Billy26F5]

Lovely Major you've got there.
There are lots of aftermarket cabs, but they were never very common. Several Major's here have a cab like Super Billy's one (this one needs urgent repairs)





A bit awkward to get in and out of, but the top is removable so it's easier to work near fruit trees.
Sandy

[Nickm]

That red seat there looks exactly like the one on my mf135.

Yes, it certainly makes it a bit difficult to get on and off the tractor. Have to be careful not to knock it into gear when getting on and not getting my foot wedged inbetween stuff before jumping off.

Not entirely sure why, but it is really great driving around in slow circles, pasture topping the field.

[Billy26F5]

I like using steering brakes to their full potential when ploughing, it makes it a much quicker run, so you can do it better.
The seat is not original and hellish, we're hoping to get a suitable one soon. It looks like Ebro started making it when MF took over from Ford, as it appeared on the Ebro 160 (the first MF styled Major, an NP Super Major with a bit more power) from its introduction in 1967. Super 55's (NP Super Major's) continued in production, the 155 appeared in 1968 to replace it (just an NP Super Major with MF tinwork), but stocks of Super 55 tinwork lasted until the early seventies.
Sandy

[Hair Bear]

I'd like to see the doors from that cab, an early rearward opening type by the look of it. I guess if the cab is age appropriate then it could be argued that it's part of the tractor's history or individuality but it all depends on your intended use and if it's going to get in the way. I've got a mk6 Lambourn and although it only has the roof left at the moment (work in progress) it still provides bit of shade or shelter, and of course is an early Rops type. Sandy's roll bar is clear to see but I doubt from what I I can tell that there's much roll protection in yours despite it looking well designed and, like Sandy's, quite a pleasing appearance. The ergonomics on the other hand...

[Billy26F5]

Sandy's roll bar is clear to see but I doubt from what I I can tell that there's much roll protection in yours despite it looking well designed and, like Sandy's, quite a pleasing appearance. The ergonomics on the other hand...

The frame is a later addition, and not at all solid, it has to be removed in order to lift the top section of cab off, and I would doubt it could even suppurt the standing weight (never mind a huge impact). It also adds places to bump your elbow on, and leaves a lot less room for getting on and off.
Sandy

[Hair Bear]

I know what you mean on the elbows. I did many years with no cab and simple vertical roll bars. Never learnt to keep the elbows in!

[fenhayman]

Looks like a Winsam cab to me. If tractor is only used for topping I would remove it.
Ploughed with Fords in wet and cold. Some open, others fitted with Winsam, Lambourn and Fritzmier (Triple D) cabs. They might be noisy and rattle, you might knock you elbows but any cab was better than none.

[Nickm]

I've not seen any name on it, but I'll have a look on the web. See if I can work out what make it is.

It does say TIM in a red diamond on the front panel of glass however.

I'll be keeping the cab on for now. I've got no pressing reason to take it off.

[John b]

There was a company called TIM making tractor cabs, not 100% sure but i think they may have been French. I've seen a few MF135s with TIM cabs on but thats the first I've seen on a Major
John

[Hair Bear]

If you take an 'out of focus' look at that cab, it has the early makings of the bubble cab of the 1980's. White domed grp roof, rearward opening doors, even the lines of the rear window pillars have a familiar sort of Ford feel to them.

[Billy26F5]

I don't remember seing a cab like this either. There are lots of Winsam cabs in ford and fordson on film 2. I wouldn't have thought the Fritzmier cab would rattle much. Super Billy's one did a wee bit.
Sandy

[Hair Bear]

Was the Fritzmier the one with the big opening sort of semicircular bay window at the front?

[Billy26F5]

Was the Fritzmier the one with the big opening sort of semicircular bay window at the front?

That's the one, some Triple-D's have it.
Sandy

[Hair Bear]

I think I've only ever seen two, a County 974 with one in the late 1970s, and an early Schluter wearing the tatty remains at a dealer in Luxembourg around 1998.

[Soukup]

Hello everyone,

Greetings from a small village near Pilsen!

I recently bought a 1959 Power Major with Fritzmeier cabin fitted. The cabin has lost all of its side covers and the windshield is nearly impossible to see through. I will remove the windshield and for now leave there only the roof.

The entrance is not very easy too, due to the tubing and the fact that the Fritzmeier seat is springloaded and almost touches the steering wheel when not compressed.

[Old Hywel]

Note the ‘rare’ through-the-bonnet exhaust.

[Hair Bear]

Nice. Curious headlight position, gives it a slightly surprised look.

[Billy26F5]

Nice to see a Major in pretty original condition. You might manage to clean the windshield, but it will probably be easier if it's off. Looks like there's evidence of a loader having been on there.
Sandy

[fenhayman]

Ploughing on a warm summers night in a Triple D with the front of the Fritzmier cab open. Sparks from the exhaust and the lovely sound of both engines. Wonderful.
Try Brasso on the Fritzmier windscreen.

[Billy26F5]

It must have been fun ploughing with a Triple-D. I guess it would be more difficult because of large ploughs being owkward and clumsy to manoeuvre.
Sandy

[Soukup]

There was a front loader in the past, it still has the brackets



I think that the exhaust was not originally through the bonnet, but adjusted because of the loader as well as the headlights, which look rather silly so high.





This one was used in Ford factory in Köln. It has a company label inside.

[Billy26F5]

I didn't know Ford had a factory in Köln, much less that a Major was working in in. The loader frame looks quite good, and I agree that the elbow is modified. Those lights look pretty odd, you might want to add a rim to the hole in the grilles for strength (as Ford did with the Super Major grilles).
Sandy

[Hair Bear]

I think the Koln plant was the home of the Taunus, Granada, and the V6 engine. Not sure what goes on there now though, but still Ford owned.
The lights still look better than the Massey 35 where they were relocated to the top of the bonnet.