How did MF1200 perform?

[Lowland1]

Honestly I cannot remember probably unhooking the Viner and pulling the back end of the tractor out. I do know that they were if all else failed going to get a Sikorsky to lift the Viner out but I think eventually they got a big winch of the type used to extract Tanks. It was a common occurence on our type of land as they were going so slow they just vibrated themselves through the top and into the sludge underneath. When I went to University I found out my tutor had been working for our Pea Group one summer and had spend several days trying to extract a Viner from one of our fields. I think they gave up on our type of Black Fen when the new Podders came out . If one went down it would never come out.

 

[Two Tone]

In 1973, my father bought the 1st non demonstration MF 1200 sold in the UK.
After a year, MF took it back to Kilmarnock and completely stripped it down.
They smashed every bolt on the tractor to see what stresses they had suffered.
It came home with quite a few modifications, particularly to the shaft the joins the engine to the drivetrain.

Initially, we ploughed on land with a 5 furrow Dowdeswell semi-mounted plough. But switched to a four furrow fully mounted Lemkin, in furrow. Which actually ploughed more acres each day.

It was great for top work when fully Dualed up. And fantastic on a baler with a flat 8 sledge, because you could see over the top of baler to see what the sledge was doing. It only had 1000 speed PTO, so was used at low engine revs o drive it.

After 3 years, it got sold, because it’s repair cost seemed high. However, I bought a later version again at a farm auction. It was much more reliable and was used on a Dowdeswell DP5 four furrow, very successfully and on a 4.55 meter Mashio. Unfortunately, it cremated itself, while my bother had stopped for lunch. Quite some fire with all 8 wheels burning. The diesel was boiling in the tank, the heat removing the red dye to turn it into white diesel!
We managed to save the Mashio.

We then bought a 1250 to replace the burned out 1200. This was a much better tractor with a more powerful 3 point linkage.

They were all lovely to drive and excellent on trailer work with fantastic traction. I once pulled a loaded arctic lorry out of a ditch. Nobody could believe what they were seeing as I did it!

I once saw an advert for a 1200, with no oil leaks. I nearly rang the seller up to call him a liar! No such thing ever existed.

The 1250 is one of those tractors I wish I had never sold.

 

[76masseyman]

Going to look at a 1805 anyone know anything about them. Looks like a big CAT engine in it.

Cat 3028 V8 in them, same as what went into some of the White Field Boss, Plainsman and Oliver Tractors. Engine has no replaceable liners, just pistons in a bore. Known around here as ‘screamers’ as they rev a lot higher to get the power, 2,800rpm seems to come to mind.
The 1805 wasn’t really offered for sale in the Uk, but a few did come across here, we had a neighbour with one. Brakes are ok to stop the tractor, but that’s about it. The 1505 had a drum brake on one of the driveshafts that was sourced from a Chevy truck, so imagine the 1805 is similar.
A picture would be nice to see

 

[Roger Perry]

Going to look at a 1805 anyone know anything about them. Looks like a big CAT engine in it.

Caterpillar 3208 engine but its' a small block V-8 so has to rev hard to get the power.
I seem to remember in the 1505 we had being told they were called a "throw away engine"..........cheaper to buy a new one than re-build. made in Japan I thought mentioned.?
The tractor was great, pulled some big Simba discs, brakes' were a weak point.

 

[essexpete]

Saw

Caterpillar 3208 engine but its' a small block V-8 so has to rev hard to get the power.
I seem to remember in the 1505 we had being told they were called a "throw away engine"..........cheaper to buy a new one than re-build. made in Japan I thought mentioned.?
The tractor was great, pulled some big Simba discs, brakes' were a weak point.

I had forgotten all that. The guys on the farm all loved quoting the throw away engine story so someone must have told them. The one on the farm I was on had a limited slip dif retro fitted to the front axle. On concrete or hard ground it fairly chewed on full lock. I cannot remember the gear lay out, I drove it pulling a flat fert trailer with a crane on the 3 point a few times. I found it a pig to change gear on the move even with copious double declutching. It usually rolled to halt before I found the next gear.
The 3 point was a straight lift plugged into spool valves without any draught control facility.

 

[mikep]

Going to look at a 1805 anyone know anything about them. Looks like a big CAT engine in it.

Cat 3208 a 'throw away' engine in American speak. Used in very few applications apart from boat engines. The later ones developed huge HP for short times to give evasive properties if needed.
1805 has a mild turbo (about 190hp) and if its like the 1505 the engine only runs two rings with predictable results. You can buy three ring pistons and its a worthwhile mod if not already fitted. Early blocks were terrible metal as reconditioning was not envisaged and we had terrible trouble lining a porous cylinder as the boring bar kept blocking as if it was machining alloy?
Designed as a light 'on top' draw bar tractor so FFS dont put anything heavy on the linkage or use it in lower gears flat out lugging. The linkage will fall off and the gear box will sh!t itself, that was the reason for the demise of most of these.
Used as designed they were reliable old buses but MF dropped a bollock by trying to sell them as a heavy draft machine which they definitely were'nt.

 

[mikep]

After watching a promotional video about the MF1200 on
Utube from the 70's l was thinking how did it perform against .. county , roadless
and muir hill

The early ones had the back axle from a 165 I think. Anyway it was the type that had the arm anchor as just a pin from the bell housing which just broke off with the 100 odd HP and 4wd. Other problems were the swivels and pro shaft beside the usual Lucas related problems endemic on anythng with Lucas electrics Yanks called Lucas the 'Prince of darkness' for obvious reasons.
Apart from that they were prety standard parts bin special Perkins engine etc.
1250 was a different kettle of fish, most problems sorted but it came too late as the damage to the reputation was already done.

 

[renewablejohn]

Cat 3208 a 'throw away' engine in American speak. Used in very few applications apart from boat engines. The later ones developed huge HP for short times to give evasive properties if needed.
1805 has a mild turbo (about 190hp) and if its like the 1505 the engine only runs two rings with predictable results. You can buy three ring pistons and its a worthwhile mod if not already fitted. Early blocks were terrible metal as reconditioning was not envisaged and we had terrible trouble lining a porous cylinder as the boring bar kept blocking as if it was machining alloy?
Designed as a light 'on top' draw bar tractor so FFS dont put anything heavy on the linkage or use it in lower gears flat out lugging. The linkage will fall off and the gear box will sh!t itself, that was the reason for the demise of most of these.
Used as designed they were reliable old buses but MF dropped a bollock by trying to sell them as a heavy draft machine which they definitely were'nt.

Thanks in that case I wont bother going to look at it as for what I want it for it will kill it. Back to plan B and finding a WF Trac

 

[Roger Perry]

The 3208 was put into a bunch of other tractors with great success so I would not write it off as a failure, also combines/trucks/boats/ etc
Versatile and White are a couple that spring to mind.

 

[mikep]

The 3208 was put into a bunch of other tractors with great success so I would not write it off as a failure, also combines/trucks/boats/ etc
Versatile and White are a couple that spring to mind.

Not a failure as I think it still going but CAT and Ford designed it as a non rebuild engine in the throw away 70's. The early ones suffered from poor quality materials and these were the ones fitted to the MF 05. These engines were 160/190 HP and you don't see that figure quoted anymore. It usually states they start at 200 which was the later better engine. They went up to horrendous figured on max boost but only for a couple of minutes to allow fast response but only in marine form.

 

[A Sales representative]

Dad drove a 1200 then a 1250, and the 1250 is what i learnt to drive on, judging them by todays standards they were fossils but dad used to pull a 7 furrow semi-mounted plough on Sussex downland and clay, traction was amazing the thing just seemed to pull and grip.
Funny memory was the local dealer bring out a demo MF3650 Datatronic, promised the world, hooked it onto the plough it couldnt pull 4 furrows where the 1250 pulled 7, rep wasnt so cocky next time it came out with every weight they could bolt or sling on to it.