The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Hi,
Please could the experts advise me on points to check. A buyer's check list would be much appreciated (perhaps there is one somewhere, eg Tractor and Machinery magazine?)
Many thanks,
Ben

Hi Ben,indeed T&M produced a buyers' guide,which is now available as a book.

Ford & Fordson Tractors The Golden Years (1917-84)

ISBN 1 873098 80 4

From www.kelsey.co.uk

I found it to be a great book,it also contains the maintenance
procedures and many color photos.
Also on the Major and the older-than-Dexta models.
And only 9 pounds!

Greetings from Holland,and good luck with the purchase!
Rob.

Rob,
Many thanks,
I've ordered one,
Ben

Hi Rob

Thanks for the lead, I've also just ordered one.

Kind regards
Mervyn

Be careful chaps, all that glisters is not gold and the prices and errors in that publication are sometimes produced by little people with wings who sit on toad stools.

Hi Brian,
Thanks for the warning!
Can you suggest some further sources of bedtime reading for prospective Dexta purchasers?
Many thanks,
Ben

Ben,

There were two beauties near our hotel earlier in the week that would have come for around the €2000.00 euro. I paid £2000.00 for my petrol Dexta but that was a bit of a special. I have seen one that was purchased today for around €1500.00. I have also seen them in the magazines at anything between £850,00 to £4000.00.

Its a very wide market. Condition and sellers idea of worth are the main things. I would get a price in my mind for the condition that I am prepared to accept and be prepared to walk/run away!

Any tractor that is started with starting fluid would be a case in point unless the price was low. You could expect to spend £2000.00 on engine repairs by the time you have had it re-bored, new pistons and a crank job. Then you would need to replace the clutch and this could cost a fair bit.

On the other hand you may find a good one with a lot of the work done for a reasonable price or there are a few ex-farm machines still out there, again at a reasonable price.

Sorry to be vague but that is the nature of the beast. It all depends on how much you want to spend.

Brian,
Many thanks for your helpful post, although I hasten to add it's prime time not bedtime reading - your posts never put me to sleep! My budget is ~£1500 for a Dexta fit to do harrowing, topping, occasional ploughing, etc on a small welsh hill farm.
Thanks again,
Ben

Hi Ben,

From experience I would suggest that it is better to spend more up front for a Dexta in reasonable condition than buy a bargain basement example. As Brian said an engine overhaul can run away with buckets of cash, to replace a clutch is £200 for parts for a non-live drive and probably over £400 for a live drive. Even such simple things as worn front axle bushes, king pins and wheel bearings can run away with £200 in parts. You would have to at least double if not treble these costs if you can't do the work yourself.

As this is your first tractor I would strongly suggest taking someone with a good knowledge of vintage tractors with you before buying. Better still if they have experience of the Dexta. Try joining a local vintage tractor club I sure there would be someone who would advise.

There are certain problems that turn up again and again such as:

- Cracked cylinder block (behind injector pump). Potentially very expensive though many owners live with small hairline cracks.
- Warn gear selectors that jam (look at the 4 bolts on the gear selector cover, if they look as they have been removed frequently suspect jamming selectors) Fairly cheap and easy to fix.
- Leaking seals especially rear axle seals, look for oil leaking from brake drum. Parts not that expensive but can be quite a daunting job if not experienced.

It is quite possible to find a nice Dexta that has been brought up to a good working condition by a caring owner but there are also a plenty of old nails around that have been superficially tarted up (quick coat of paint) to look pretty smart but have a list of problems when put work.

I bought my Dexta (my first tractor) 3 years ago and have learnt the hard way!! I looked at and bought my Dexta without an experienced hand to guide me and I missed an awful lot of problems large and small. I bought it for £1075 but have probably spent double that amount to get it into a good working condition. Having said all this, I have really enjoyed working on my Dexta and have learnt an awful lot over the last 3 years but you do need the time and inclination if you plan on doing a lot of work yourself.

Hope my thoughts are helpful.

Everyone,
Many thanks for the sound advice.
I will post a 'Dexta Wanted' notice in the Parts Swap.
Ben

Brian wrote:Ben,

There were two beauties near our hotel earlier in the week that would have come for around the €2000.00 euro. I paid £2000.00 for my petrol Dexta but that was a bit of a special. I have seen one that was purchased today for around €1500.00. I have also seen them in the magazines at anything between £850,00 to £4000.00.

Brian,
Any chance of bringing a Beauty back with you??!!
All the best,
Ben

Too late Ben, I am home though I would have done that with no problem. Both of them were good looking tractors.

Brian wrote:Too late Ben, I am home though I would have done that with no problem. Both of them were good looking tractors.

Shame! What would be the approx price landed in the UK?
Ben

Ben,

Brian is a tried and tested transporter of Dextas to Wales and comes highly recommended.

Barry

From watching ebay, I'm getting the impression prices are sliding a bit. EG this tidy looking Super D just went for £1877. This price must look good in Euros!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... otohosting.
Wonder what they will be like when there's over 2 million unemployed?
Probably making rebuilding a Dexta even less economic, but I'll do it anyway! Hang onto your your money and your Dexta - it maybe more secure than the £ soon!
All the best,
Ben

Think the tractor situation will change in the near future. The demand for Dextas and Fergys for use in the horse sector in our area is dropping as people cannot afford to keep the animals so don't need the tractors. There is a large increase pf un wanted horses finding their way to the horse charities in the area.

I joke with my friends about horses fitting well into big Mac buns but I don't really mean it. A number of the houses sold around here with land, that were converted into horse paddocks, are now back on the market. Think people should have thought more about taking on the responsibilty of such an animal with the vets bills and feed costs. For some it was a designer accessory not the love of the animal.

OK, some times the "vet" bills for our hobby can be a bit steep, but at least they do not suffer if we leave them for a few weeks.

Think the Chinese tractor market will now feel the cold and soon there will be the cry, "Where do I get bits for my tractor" when the importers close down.

Brian wrote:There is a large increase pf un wanted horses finding their way to the horse charities in the area.

A number of the houses sold around here with land, that were converted into horse paddocks, are now back on the market. Think people should have thought more about taking on the responsibility of such an animal with the vets bills and feed costs.

Think the Chinese tractor market will now feel the cold and soon there will be the cry, "Where do I get bits for my tractor" when the importers close down.

Brian makes some interesting observations. As a horse owner, I can vouch for the high costs of vet, farrier, feed, insurance etc - not much change from £1000/yr. The initial purchase cost is the least of the worries!
It is frightening how fast the economy can collapse, that's what comes of living on borrowed money. But there will be good opportunities for anyone with a few spare ££ to buy cheap assets in the coming months.
All the best,
Ben

Brian and Ben
You are both so right on the high costs of horse ownership.
Luckily my wife is a vet's nurse, so it's only Major concerns that requires a visit from the vet.
Speaking of Major's, my wife's horses are my justification for having the Major, and implememts. Got a new 2nd hand flail mower last month. Unreal machine. Leaves the slasher for dead.
The horses on the island then provide me with the work for my part time contracting business. It's a revolving circle that keeps on turning.
Lets hope this financal crisis slows/stops soon.
There was a story in one of my wife's horse magazines, that a servey showed that a female horse owner loved their horses more that their husbands. I can relate to that.
Just as well there was no servey about tractor owner's and their wife's.

Another problem that has hit the horse owning fraternity locally is the getting rid on waste. A few years ago people would be queuing up to have loads of horse muck but now no-one wants it.

A group of allotments in Norwich had an agreement with a livery stable to take all that they could produce to the benefit of both parties. Then things went wrong on the allotments, the crops went from a highly productive unit to deformed and stunted root vegetables and weak greens etc. Seems that the hay being fed to the horses was sprayed with a weed killer and this passed through the horse and into the manure. It was publicised in the press and on local television so now no-one wants the muck, not even local farmers.

Brian wrote:... the crops went from a highly productive unit to deformed and stunted root vegetables and weak greens etc. Seems that the hay being fed to the horses was sprayed with a weed killer and this passed through the horse and into the manure...

The weedkiller concerned was the herbicide aminopyralid, brand names: Banish, Forefront, Halcyon, Pharaoh, Pro-Banish, Runway, Synero and Upfront. However, the UK Government has formally suspended their approvals so hopefully horse manure will be safe to use again.
All the best
Ben

Kiwi Kev wrote:Speaking of Major's, my wife's horses are my justification for having the Major, and implememts.

Hi Kevin,
What's the tractor market like on Norfolk Island just now?

I read there's only 2000 inhabitants, so you must know nearly everyone, never mind all the tractors. How many Fordsons are there?

BTW I though NI was Aussi, so how come you're a Kiwi!
All the best,
Ben

Ben,

Like everything else a tractor is always worth more to the seller than to the buyer so a happy medium must be reached in order to strike a balance and everyone is happy. Don't take the published tractor buyers guide from these magazines as a true reflection of prices I think they are way out, I don't know how they arrive at such prices, all they achieve is to raise people's expectations as to how much their old tractors are worth which makes it very difficult for the likes of us to buy at a reasonable price. Don't be affraid to tell the seller what YOU think it's worth and take it from there.

Regards,

Barry

Ben.
The population on the Island flutuates, but it's roughly 1800 people. Yes, we do know just about everyone. Sometimes thats a good thing, sometimes not.
There's probably around 100-200 tractors on the Island. They range from old Fergy T's upto a 135hp Shibaura 4WD. All your usual Fords, Massey's, International etc, but also a late model Daedong, and a 1164 County.
As for Fordsons, theres about 6 Majors on the island that I know of. Only my major that is used for regular farming type work, 2x that are used for launching boats, 1x parts tractor(currently in my shed) 1x with a backhoe and front end loader setup(will probably also end up in my shed), and 1x Super Major with a commercial forklift on the front(in storage and not used).
There is also a dexta that is in hedgerow condition(still in the hedge)
We have no farm machinery type shop here, so if you know someone who has what you want, you ask if they want to sell, or you buy one on the mainland(Australia or New Zealand) and frieght it over. Freight is not cheap, so you only buy what you need, when it comes to tractors etc. I just bought a second hand flail mower from New Zealand, and it cost me more in freight to get it here than it did to buy it. Dont get me wrong, it was worth every cent.
You also picked up by my name that I am a kiwi. Yes, born and bred, and proud New Zealander, who lives on an Island which is a territory of Australia.
The relaxed lifestye, safe community, and no tax makes this a fanastic place to live.
Kiwi Kev

Hi Kiwi Kev

Sounds great Kev any space for me and my wife, I mean on the island? Oh, and my dexta.

Kind regards
Mervyn

Mervyn Spencer wrote:Sounds great Kev any space for me and my wife, I mean on the island? Oh, and my dexta.

And one waiting in the hedgerow for parts
All the best
Ben