MF 135 vs MF250

[m1chaelw]

Afternoon Everyone

Im after a bit of advice needed on tractor selection.

Ive read through almost all the similar posts on this forum and have come to the decision between the two machines in the title.

Basically ive got approx 15 acre at the moment to do a bit of hobby farming , haymaking ect "possibly adding more in the near future" , ive got a budget of around 10k can go a bit more if needed.

Ideally id like one with a front loader.

Out of the two tractors do they differ much in reliability / what would be the benefits or negatives of the 250 over the 135.

is the 250 more stable than the 135 as some of my ground is on an incline.

Thanks in advance for any replies .

 

[Thomas5060]

Yea the 250 has a heavier backend than the 135. Would be my choice.

 

[feilding]

I think the 250 has wet brakes, so it's a no brainer.

 

[Tomr10]

Dont want to be the guy but.
That's a lot of budget for a 135 what's making you want one. For that you could get 4wd and a full power loader

 

[devonshire farmer]

If you need stability you can just put the wheels out wider, on many you can just go side to side with back wheels and gain loads of width

 

[bill and bens dad]

as stated above the mf 250 would have the heavier back end (square back axle like mf 565 /590 etc)but with 3 plate oil cooled disc brakes,it would have a safety cab and power steering with either an 8 speed gearbox or 12 speed multipower, i would suggest the 8 speed version as you have some banks,basically a mf 250 is a mf 148 size with a mf 565 backend so for better brakes and a cab go for a tidy mf250

 

[Tomr10]

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[m1chaelw]

Sounds like the 250 is the one to go for from the comments above , are they much more complex to maintain over the 135 for a DIY mechanic.

What's lead me to the 135/250 is the reliability and possibility of fixing it yourself with general mechanical knowlage.

Am I right in thinking the newer stuff in budget with 4wd would be more complex and big bucks to fix in comparison with the MF.

Thanks again for the replys , totally green to this .

 

[Tomr10]

Do you have any equipment yet or know what you plan to get you might find your looking to swap a 240 prity quick

 

[agrimax]

Are you likely to be handling round bales of silage at some time? If so and you want to stay with MF,a 4wd 290 and loader would be as easily maintained and be well within your budget. The smaller tractors will still do plenty but the possiblity of handling silage bales would need considering.

 

[m1chaelw]

I don't have any equipment at all so starting from complete scratch .
The 1st implements I'd be looking at getting if the tractor already had a front loader would be a basic plow and mower.

Possibly in the future I may want to handle bales , but not in the 1st year .
Will take a look at the 290 , do they tend to hold their value similar to the little 135?

 

[m1chaelw]

Do you have any equipment yet or know what you plan to get you might find your looking to swap a 240 prity quick

Can the 240 handle the equipment better than the 135 then ?

 

[Tomr10]

Yer

 

[agrimax]

A 240 is just a cosmetically updated 135 and is more likely to have a better cab. Apart from that,it is mechanically identical and there is a better chance of it having power steering. For loader work nowadays,PS is a must.For ploughing,you're limited to a 2 furrow plough unless it's dry and flat or downhill ploughing.A 250 won't be much better but does have a heavier back end although if you do end up with silage bales it will struggle too.The 135/240 are a no with those bales.I'm only mentioning silage bales as if there's a chance of you making them,you might as well get a tractor that can handle them now rather than have to change up later on. To go with a 3 furrow,spring release plough for eg,you'd really need to go up to at least a 165,265 or 565 size. The 290 is a good all rounder but still universal for a smallholding.
For a bit more comfort and shuttle,a 362 or above would be ideal but I don't think your budget would allow,especially with a loader.

 

[ollandroverman]

This is escalating quickly!
It's a 15 acre lump of land folks.....it doesn't need 80+ hp. 4wd, loaders, or big expensive implements to farm it.

 

[PuG]

Go for the MF135, they look nicer Personally I use a 35x with a front loader for allot of the jobs, feeding up and grass work during summer. Rear wheel's are turned around and nothing wrong with it on slope's if your careful. How steep is your land? if your inexperienced go 4 wheel drive otherwise you just want something easy to work on and a pleasure to drive.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

This is escalating quickly!
It's a 15 acre lump of land folks.....it doesn't need 80+ hp. 4wd, loaders, or big expensive implements to farm it.

Eye and then wonder why there is no money in the job

 

[Tomr10]

Suggesting that there are other things isn't really escalating a 135 with a pz 5.6 mower will have the front wheels up at times will also need a sway bar.
Also they dont have a pickup hitch for a trailer.
Would you really buy another 35 as a loader tractor If u had 10k.

If I was doing it 4 things would be power steering pick up power loader and more than 50hp

 

[Steveyboy!]

If you are thinking of doing any hay making. Neither is any good. They are man enough for the job and will do the mowing but they are too low to the ground to do the turning. You end up with it collecting under the tractor. I would be looking at a 165 or 565 and with that budget your getting a nice tractor, nice to drive end capable of doing everything on 15 acres.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

If you are thinking of doing any hay making. Neither is any good. They are man enough for the job and will do the mowing but they are too low to the ground to do the turning. You end up with it collecting under the tractor. I would be looking at a 165 or 565 and with that budget your getting a nice tractor, nice to drive end capable of doing everything on 15 acres.

beats me how they managed in the 60s going by that