The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Help! I volunteered to cut the grass at my local cricket club, at the beginning of the 2009 season, using a Dexta 957E towing a Ransome triple gang mower.
Now the season is over I would like some advice on what I need to do to keep her running. I am a complete novice as regards the servicing of tractors, only capable of checking oil and water.
I have recently joined your forum and spend hours reading through and trying to digest all what is written.
I would be grateful for any tips and advice given. Niffnoff

Welcome to the board.

You will not be doing a great number of hours in a year so you will only need to change the engine oil once a year. Perhaps at the start of the season, it would be your choice. The oil to use would be a straight 30W diesel engine oil if possible, otherwise a 15/40W. Both oils will be OK for gearbox and rear axle.

You will need a 50/50 antifreeze/water mix. Do not rely on draining the system as water hangs up in areas and will crack the block.

Fill the fuel tank to the brim over winter, this will keep out condensation. Strangely it is not a fire hazard, I have seen many fire damaged combine harvesters with the only undamaged part with the paint still on it would be the full fuel tank.

Change the fuel filter.

Check all the oil levels in transmission and rear axle. The handbook will show you where the check plugs are. The handbook is free to download/check on this site.

Keep the battery fully charged and start her up once a month and, if possible, give her a run around.

Depending where you are in Norfolk, I can highly recommend Malcolm Hipperson at Downham Market for all spare parts both new and second hand.

If you run into any problems, ask on here and remember, I live right in the centre of the county.

thanks for advice i have very limited space for working inside on the dexta so it might have to wait till the spring? after reading the handbook it looks like a number of things need looking at. I also live in the centre of Norfolk, in Dereham.

Hello neighbor!!

I am just down the road near Scarning Church!

Makes a change to talk to someone that close, usually its Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the US!

hi brian I'm just up the hill on the humbletoft estate any ideas on where to buy red diesel
tony

Tony,

The only garage I know locally is on the road between Swaffham and Brandon, at Ickburgh near Munford.

I am fairly lucky because when I use my tractors to help local farmers, they usually fill her up and that defrays some of the cost when I have to use white.

I think, by law, you have to use white when cutting your grass as it is a leisure activity rather than an agricultural or industrial operation. We should use white when going to ploughing matches and such like. A number of dealers locally and the Young Farmers have found themselves in trouble at agricultural shows and events.

I came across some cans the other day, that had red diesel in them from Freedom Oils on the Rashes Green Industrial estate. I was going to check it out with them as that is where I get my oils and antifreeze. Just have not had time yet.

Brian, whats the story with the different colour diesel? Do they use different additives in them?Over here in NZ we seem to get only one "flavour" diesel to use in all applications with a summer/winter variation.As for colour it looks pale brown.
Cheers The Swanndri Guy.

I believe he's referring to... red diesel (no road tax) white diesel (road tax).
We have the same thing in Canada but we call it farm diesel and it can be used by any machine( truck or tractor etc) that does not travel on the road or has an approved licence to do so. But I've never seen or heard of anyone being checked for what they are using

Thanks skipdow.In New Zealand,diesel vehicles that go on roads have to prepay "Road user charges" (road tax)It is also weighted, so bigger vehicles pay more RUC per 1000km than smaller ones At the moment there is no advantage/incentive in running a diesel over a petrol over here for road vehicles.Only other option is LPG.With petrol "road user charges" are included in the per litre price,but you can claim them back if you operate a business that uses machines that require petrol.For me that works out at a GOOD bottle of Scotch Whisky ever 3 months. Cheers TSG.

Here in England, red coloured diesel is for agricultural use and for people like builders, in cement mixers and diggers. If you take your tractor out of that environment, you have to drain the fuel tank, change the filters and fill up with white diesel.

A number of dealers have been caught out by driving tractors to agricultural shows using red diesel. The Customs and Excise people also impounded some tractors.

The restrictions are this fine. A tractor may tow a combine cutter bar when on the road and moving the combine from field to field ONLY if that tractor is to be used for an agricultural purpose in that field! If it is just there to pull the cutter bar, it is a "transport tractor" and should be using white {taxed} diesel.

We pay a "Road Tax" every year on our vehicles which is becoming a bit of a sore point with some. Some of my friends run Land Rover Discovery's as part of their job. Like me they have to have them for travelling across fields etc, Road tax on these has now risen to £400+ per year as opposed to the £190 I pay for my older model.

Every litre of fuel we then put in the tank has a "Fuel Tax" on it which is also increasing because of the "Green Issues", on top of that we then have to pay Value Added Tax on top of the cost of the diesel and green taxes. Over 60% of what we pay for fuel is tax.

Some dishonest people have been avoiding these taxes by running their cars and lorries on lower taxed red diesel. The C and E's answer is to hit everyone found using red diesel for leisure, hobbies etc. So they now check tractors on road runs and ploughing matches. If you are caught using red diesel it can mean a large fine and confiscation of your tractor.

Oh and by the way TSG, my Dotty was very happy to be "rescued" from NZ. She was being serially abused! Things like flat washers behind the wheel stud to set the wheels out, half the South Island in the air cleaner, the other half in the radiator and someone jumping up and down on her bonnet, not to mention a thump on the nose!

Hi Brian , when you buy white diesel should you only pay VAT on the manufacture and retail of the diesel?. To pay VAT on the "Fuel tax" must be construed as "double dipping", as a tax on a tax. In my opinion its unethical.As for Customs and Excise, doing tractor checks on tractors going on road runs and ploughing matchs for the pupose of "revenue collection" or confiscation is just being pedantic,have they got nothing more important to do? As for Dotty, can we assume that she came from somewhere in Canterbury?Cheers The Swanndri Guy.

TSG,
Everything to do with cars is taxed like that. We pay a "car tax" when we buy a new car and then pay VAT on that as well.

Tony,

I checked the fuel supply from Freedom Lubricants at Rashes Green today when I picked up my antifreeze. They supply red diesel but only in 205 litre barrels at around .72p per litre.

You have to supply name, address, telephone number and sign a declaration of use for the Customs and Excise to hold on record, before you can purchase it. This is new requirements introduced to restrict the purchase to people who have the right to use it according to the notice in their office.

Brian wrote:I checked the fuel supply from Freedom Lubricants at Rashes Green today when I picked up my antifreeze. They supply red diesel but only in 205 litre barrels at around .72p per litre.

That seems expensive. I think most farmers are paying <50p/litre.
Maybe your price includes VAT which farmers can reclaim?
All the best,

brian
thanks for the info i have spoken to the chairman and he has it in hand??
tony