Universal tractors

Tarw Coch · Nov 13, 2015

pg106 said:
We had a 550S (S for sh#t?). Apparently it was awful from new but it was a gutless little thing and difficult to start from word go. It was bought at the same time as a fiat 640, the universal was apparently sold as being essentially the same tractor "made under licence" but the only similarity was the colour! The fiat is lively and has plenty of poke, it will never leave, however the Universal is gone but sadly not forgotten.

Dad bought a new Fiat 640 in the mid 70's and was so pleased he bought another the next year, they were the tractors I learnt to drive on and by the time we had finished with them I was lugging silage with a 10 ton trailer, cracking little tractors.
My uncle bought a 640 universal and I always considered it gutless compared to the Fiats but it was a bit newer and had a shuttle gearbox which would have been ahead of its rivals from the big manufacturers back then.

JOHNNY BOY · Nov 13, 2015

Kevtherev said:
Yes Phil is a good friend of mine and worked for Malcolm Davies in Newtown then sold them for himself for a while.
He still has a fair stock of parts for universals there surplus to requirements now.

Would you have a contact No for him. Pm if prefer. Havent quite figured out how to PM here yet.

Kevtherev · Nov 13, 2015

JOHNNY BOY said:
Would you have a contact No for him. Pm if prefer. Havent quite figured out how to PM here yet.

Yes Phil Powell
01686 640 900

Kevtherev · Nov 13, 2015

Tarw Coch said:
Dad bought a new Fiat 640 in the mid 70's and was so pleased he bought another the next year, they were the tractors I learnt to drive on and by the time we had finished with them I was lugging silage with a 10 ton trailer, cracking little tractors.
My uncle bought a 640 universal and I always considered it gutless compared to the Fiats but it was a bit newer and had a shuttle gearbox which would have been ahead of its rivals from the big manufacturers back then.

They had a fiat 640dt at tynllan castle caereinion.
I drove it in my teens fantastic gripper it was

JOHNNY BOY · Nov 13, 2015

Tarw Coch said:
Dad bought a new Fiat 640 in the mid 70's and was so pleased he bought another the next year, they were the tractors I learnt to drive on and by the timesomething ad finished with them I was lugging silage with a 10 ton trailer, cracking little tractors.
My uncle bought a 640 universal and I always considered it gutless compared to the Fiats but it was a bit newer and had a shuttle gearbox which would have been ahead of its rivals from the big manufacturers back then.

Yes the 640 universals never just seemed as good as the smaller ones for their size. The one we had also had the shuttle. When they got much wear their was a bar in the box used to break. It only cost something like £12 for the bar but you had to split the tractor to do it. After three times we just changed it too a standard non shuttle box out of a 445 (i think). Made the tractor a foot shorte totally changing the dynamics of it.

JOHNNY BOY · Nov 13, 2015

Kevtherev said:
Yes Phil Powell
01686 640 900

Cheers might come in handy sometime if stuck for a part that i cant locate this side of the water.

Barleycorn · Nov 14, 2015

As an aside Duncan Cabs must have been busy in the seventies, all our JDs had them, as well as the Universals and many other makes. I wonder if they are still going, not a lot of call for third party cabs now I would say?

GTB · Nov 14, 2015

Local contractor bought a new 640DT. He was using it for ploughing steep banks but he had problems with a bearing at the back of the gearbox over heating as he was reversing up hill and ploughing down constantly. He changed it for a MF 265 within weeks/months.

MickW · Nov 14, 2015

Alixander Duncan Cabs are still in or near Aberdeen not sure what they produce today. I spotted Fritzmere at Agritechnca, they also produced cabs in the 70s

JOHNNY BOY · Nov 15, 2015

Yea most of the one imported into ireland pre 1980 had a very big roomy cab. Was quite comfortable. After that they seemed as if they changed to the same tight rattling, tight cabs as the 135 and 165 were fitted with.

jd24 · Jan 7, 2018

50% through rebuilding our 550 engine as it got very lazy to start. Only complaint about the tractor is there isn't enough weight on the front otherwise great and handles a 6ft topper easily

jd24 · Dec 17, 2019

Anyone changed the oil pump on their universal. I've taken the sump off I can remove the pump cap bolts by I cant pull it down. It hits the engine casing. Please don't tell me I have to break the engine at the crank shaft line

Wheatonrotty · Jan 27, 2020

Having a bit of a sort out and dragged her out of the shed she's been parked in since the early 90s. Could resist trying a bump start and she fired straightaway.

jondear · Jan 27, 2020

vantage said:
We had two 445s,first (and only tractors bought new).Finished life on yard scraper :-( Good tough tractors made in Romania to Fiat design.Dad ran the two with inline Kidd single chop harvesters,on a good day could clear 2 acres between milkings:-D Power farming!!!!!!!

We had a red 445 DT.First 4wd in district.
Was main tractor in 70s
Finished life on scraper went back to Romania ! Probably rebuilt by now!

vantage · Jan 27, 2020

jondear said:
We had a red 445 DT.First 4wd in district.
Was main tractor in 70s
Finished life on scraper went back to Romania ! Probably rebuilt by now!

Ours ran the genny for a while , then was scrapped.

Greythundercloudys · Jan 27, 2020

Yes we had one in 1980,maybe a 540, got fiat's after that. But before that it was 35x and 135.

Karliboy · Jan 28, 2020

Wheatonrotty said:
View attachment 855346
Having a bit of a sort out and dragged her out of the shed she's been parked in since the early 90s. Could resist trying a bump start and she fired straightaway.

be grand for restoration that would

Wheatonrotty · Jan 28, 2020

Karliboy said:
be grand for restoration that would

Just planning on cleaning her up and a service at this stage. It's in pretty good condition with no more than the odd but of surface rust. Done less than 1000 hours!

jd24 · Jan 28, 2020

Engine rebuild almost complete....

Yes a Leyland Sherpa camper an behind

Karliboy · Jan 28, 2020

Wheatonrotty said:
Just planning on cleaning her up and a service at this stage. It's in pretty good condition with no more than the odd but of surface rust. Done less than 1000 hours!

Whoa that not even run in proper.
You can tell it’s not done a lot with the paint still on the undercarriage guards.
Hope you still got the doors for it ?
Get some more pics up?

Universal tractors

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