Dead drive Super Major

This forum is for the Fordson New Major, including the Super Major and the Power Major.
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John b
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Dead drive Super Major

Post by John b »

The Super Major i dragged out of a hedge a while ago has a single stage clutch, the high/low box lever is up for low and down for high. Can anyone tell me (Sandy will probably know) were many Supers build with dead drive? I always assumed that all Super Majors were live drive but obviously i was wrong!
My biggest fear is that when i die my wife will sell my tractors for what i told her they cost

shepp
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Re: Dead drive Super Major

Post by shepp »

I doubt that any figures will be available from any source as to live drive and non live drive production, and there was no distinction in the serial numbering system unlike DB which had e.g. 990A and 990B prefixes for live drive and non live drive models.

However I would guess that quite a few non live drive models were ordered, even at the time of the Super Major some farmers were very careful with their money and did not see the point in spending an extra £30 or so for a live drive clutch on their new tractor. A farm nearby had a new non live drive Major in March 1958 and then a new non live drive Power Major in 1959, they were VERY careful with their money and even more so after selling their land for big money for a housing development !!
1946 E27N, 1952 Major Diesel, 1959 Power Major, 1962 Dexta, 1962 Super Dexta, 1963 Super Dexta NP, 1964 Super Major NP, 1965 Super Dexta 3000, 1966 Major 4000, 1967 3000 PF, 1994 5640,plus Basildon built NH.

John b
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Re: Dead drive Super Major

Post by John b »

Thanks Shepp, that makes sense. My Grandad always said the local farmer could count the change in his back pocket by sitting down, and that he would wake up at night to see if he'd lost any sleep!
My biggest fear is that when i die my wife will sell my tractors for what i told her they cost

Billy26F5
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Re: Dead drive Super Major

Post by Billy26F5 »

Then you also have farmers using their tractors hard, they would go for a heavy duty clutch, which was never one with an aluminium cover. The dual clutch was initially sold as heavy duty, but when it failed far too often in heavy conditions the old thick 11" clutch would reappear until the 13" clutch was introduced. I've never known of any figures, although Ford might have some in its own records.
Sandy
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fenhayman
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Re: Dead drive Super Major

Post by fenhayman »

I bought a Super Major from Cheffins sale in Cambridgeshire assuming that they were all live drive. Discovered that mine wasn't. Needed different driving styles when using pick up baler and topper. For baler, to slow down forward movement, accelerate, shut throttle, clutchless change down and opposite for speeding up. With topper begin to stop ten yards short of hedge or ditch.

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