One for DB fans

[Selectamatic]

@Selectamatic do you know how many of these where made or who made them? Roadless?
View attachment 459892

David Brown themselves made them.

Fitted a Selene axle, story goes that the axle are ex Itallian WW2 Jeep axles, brought as a job lot. Ford fitted them to Major's and Dexta's I think.

They were fitted to 1200's and 990's some made it on to the later 1210's before they changed to Kramer.

Like most 4WD conversions on the day, they were never really up to heavy 4WD work, they were all as good, or bad, as each other I expect.

I'm told that there were 397 990's with this axle, I guess about the same amount of 1200/1210's?

 

[Selectamatic]

@Selectamatic no doubt someone from the ploughing thread will be along to say that your front furrow looks a little light compared to the rear one..............Me? i`m saying nothing.

Your right, it's nowhere near perfect.

I'm not much of a ploughman, but i'd kick your arse at cultivating!!

 

[John 1594]

Asides from the un-equal wheeled 4wd versions, there were more than a few equal wheeled 4wd"veggie specials" as the workers called them, mainly built for the american fruit market, which needed both high clearance and 4wd

batches of these "specials" were built right through from the mid 70s to the last run of 94 series, 995/6 and 1390/94s being the skid units preferred for the conversion

 

[John 1594]

Interestingly, County, who you would have though could have easily cobbled up a design for an equal wheeled 4wd, couldnt do it for the same cost, as it meant the ford back end needed a drop box from each axle to raise the back end to a high enough clearnance as needed by the american customers

On the DB, it was simply a case of unbolting the reduction unit, rotating it a quarter of a turn and bolting it back on

 

[Thomas5060]

David Brown themselves made them.

Fitted a Selene axle, story goes that the axle are ex Itallian WW2 Jeep axles, brought as a job lot. Ford fitted them to Major's and Dexta's I think.

They were fitted to 1200's and 990's some made it on to the later 1210's before they changed to Kramer.

Like most 4WD conversions on the day, they were never really up to heavy 4WD work, they were all as good, or bad, as each other I expect.

I'm told that there were 397 990's with this axle, I guess about the same amount of 1200/1210's?

I have seen Ford 3000s with Selene and MF65 with Selene axle, can't see them being much use, 4wd on a small tractor would certainly deaden it

 

[John 1594]

I have seen Ford 3000s with Selene and MF65 with Selene axle, can't see them being much use, 4wd on a small tractor would certainly deaden it

They were fashionable in hilly areas during the 60s, often paired with land drive lime spreader

dont forget, until zetor started importing their smaller 4wd models in the early 70s, you couldnt really buy a 4wd tractor under 60hp

 

[John 1594]

A mid 60s sales broucher for opico turbos....a year or two before DB took the plunge and started experimenting with a CAV turbo on the same 4/55 engine, which was around 1967

maybe the DB engine was the first experiment in turbocharged 4 cylinders

 

[J 1177]

A mid 60s sales broucher for opico turbos....a year or two before DB took the plunge and started experimenting with a CAV turbo on the same 4/55 engine, which was around 1967

maybe the DB engine was the first experiment in turbocharged 4 cylinders

View attachment 460162

Iv seen opicos fitted to many a tractor but not a db.

 

[Thomas5060]

Iv seen opicos fitted to many a tractor but not a db.

One I've seen Opico on most has been MF 690

 

[Boohoo]

Photos stolen from Facebook unfortunately. If this 996 had a DB LQ9 loader on it instead of the Trima I think it would be as good as David Browns get.

 

[Selectamatic]

Photos stolen from Facebook unfortunately. If this 996 had a DB LQ9 loader on it instead of the Trima I think it would be as good as David Browns get.
View attachment 460334 View attachment 460336

What a weapon!!

It's a shame that farmers in this country, or some anyway, love kicking their tractors down the stairs.

Abroad tractors always look tidier.

 

[Wellytrack]

What a weapon!!

It's a shame that farmers in this country, or some anyway, love kicking their tractors down the stairs.

Abroad tractors always look tidier.

In fairness I do think the maritime climate contributes to the weathered patina on UK and Irish tractors, European and Scandinavian countries are cold, but much drier.

 

[Mursal]

But, would they look that good in the flesh, you know the way a good camera can make anything look better.

 

[Thomas5060]

@Boohoo is that same as yours but only 4wd?

 

[Boohoo]

But, would they look that good in the flesh, you know the way a good camera can make anything look better.

Could be, I know our tractors look better in pictures than they do in the flesh

 

[Boohoo]

@Boohoo is that same as yours but only 4wd?

Yes, same cab as mine. I may have to build a 4wd version one day

 

[Thomas5060]

Yes, same cab as mine. I may have to build a 4wd version one day

Would you put a 4wd axle in yours?

 

[Boohoo]

Would you put a 4wd axle in yours?

No, I'd buy another one and convert it. Unfortunately there's quite a bit of work in it. Either need to swap gearboxes or get a 2wd gearbox machined to take the dropbox. Not sure if anything is needed inside the gearbox.

 

[multi power]

I have seen Ford 3000s with Selene and MF65 with Selene axle, can't see them being much use, 4wd on a small tractor would certainly deaden it

I used to drive a jd 1950 60 HP 4 WD and it was excellent , easily do the same as a bigger 2 WD

 

[Thomas5060]

I used to drive a jd 1950 60 HP 4 WD and it was excellent , easily do the same as a bigger 2 WD

Was it not dead on it? Only reason I ask is that Edgar had his brother in laws MF265 4wd and it was really dead compared to Granda's 2wd version