Classic Tractor Magazine

Classic Tractor Magazine Published on the last Friday of each month. The tractor magazine for owners, operators and enthusiasts.
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🚜 Refrigerant in agriculture is changing! 🧰 🔧 The number of machines using R1234YF refrigerant is on the rise due to th...
05/01/2026

🚜 Refrigerant in agriculture is changing!

🧰 🔧 The number of machines using R1234YF refrigerant is on the rise due to the F-Gas phase-down and GWP limits, but did you know the properties of the new gas mean that different tools and equipment are needed for carrying out A/C servicing and repairs on YF systems?

💡🆕 Returning to Lamma with the latest agricultural A/C parts and City & Guilds training opportunities, leading air-conditioning specialist, AP Air will also launch the innovative Dua-Lite from Oksys. Featuring removeable R134A and R1234YF charging stations, the compact dual-gas set-up gives engineers the ability to use the machines independently for field-work or together - running two jobs in one go without the risk of contamination.

📍 For expert advice and practical solutions on mobile air-conditioning visit AP Air on Lamma stand 7.620 from 14-15 January or online at www.apairltd.com

Who remembers seeing a Deutz Intrac working in the UK? Launched in 1972, the Deutz Intrac represented a significant depa...
05/01/2026

Who remembers seeing a Deutz Intrac working in the UK?

Launched in 1972, the Deutz Intrac represented a significant departure from traditional tractor design thinking, at least as far as Deutz was concerned. Convention was out and a multi-purpose ‘systems tractor’ approach was in. The initial Intrac 2002 was powered by a 51hp engine. This was followed in 1974 by the 2003 (60hp) and 2005 (80hp) models, and then by the 2004 (70hp), pictured, which arrived in 1978 and remained in production until 1989.

CLASSIC TRACTOR is currently doing some research into these machines and would welcome input from anyone who either saw, owned or operated one back in the 1970s/80s.

In 1979, John Deere Limited took its newly launched Series 40 tractors, known as The Schedule Masters, on the road in th...
03/01/2026

In 1979, John Deere Limited took its newly launched Series 40 tractors, known as The Schedule Masters, on the road in the UK. The haulier, W. Coy & Sons of Harby, handled all John Deere Limited’s transport requirements from the outset.

Happy New Year to all our readers! Thank you for making us the UK and Ireland's best-selling tractor magazine in 2025. H...
02/01/2026

Happy New Year to all our readers! Thank you for making us the UK and Ireland's best-selling tractor magazine in 2025. Here's to another great year of classic action.

If you are a fan of Marshall tractors of the Golden Harvest variety, you might want to check out our latest issue. It contains many previously unseen Marshall archive photos, taken in the factory and also on company owner Charles Nickerson's farm at Binbrook in the rolling Lincolnshire Wolds.

This famous image of a 302 and 804 was used on the front cover of Marshall's range brochure. It was shot in the late summer of 1982, just prior to the commencement of production at the Gainsborough factory in early October of that year. This means these units, and others that appeared in the company's late 1982 range brochure, were actually Leyland-built tractors, part of the buffer stock of 575 or so machines that were sent down from Bathgate in early 1982.

Photo courtesy of John Bown.

Christmas has come early if you are a fan of CLASSIC TRACTOR! A brand new issue of the UK and Ireland's best-selling tra...
24/12/2025

Christmas has come early if you are a fan of CLASSIC TRACTOR! A brand new issue of the UK and Ireland's best-selling tractor magazine has gone on sale in the shops today (24 December), several days earlier than usual due to Christmas.

Just like a traditional Christmas lunch with all the trimmings, there's something for everyone in this issue. If you like tractors that are a bit different, how about the gleaming Fiat 80-90 DT on the front cover? Not just any 80-90 DT, but a super rare reverse-drive version, one that BRM Restorations have just returned to sparkling new condition for William Thompson, a livestock farmer from Northern Ireland.

The different marques theme continues with a visit to see a pair of original UK import Schluters working side by side in Suffolk, a profile of defunct Brazilian manufacturer, CBT, whose brawny tractors were based on Oliver designs, and a borehole drilling rig based on a 1983 County 764.

For those who prefer machines that are a bit more familiar, there is a comprehensive report on the classics at the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show, a rare look inside the Marshall factory at Gainsborough, circa 1982-1984, courtesy of some previously unseen archive images, and the story of how New Holland (the original company) became established in the USA and the UK.

We could go on, but that would be spoiling it!

Don't forget, if you can't get down to the shops this Christmas, but still need your CLASSIC TRACTOR fix, you can opt for convenience and buy a digital version of the magazine at: https://pocketmags.com/classic-tractor-magazine

On behalf of us all at CLASSIC TRACTOR, a very Happy Christmas to all our readers, new and old. Have a great one!

If you have carried out a useful, clever or just plain quirky modification to your tractor, please share it with CLASSIC...
09/12/2025

If you have carried out a useful, clever or just plain quirky modification to your tractor, please share it with CLASSIC TRACTOR (but not on our page!).

We are looking for a couple of 'Mods of the Month' for our next couple of issues of the print magazine. So if you've been responsible for a successful tractor-related mod, one that has made life easier and/or saved you time and money, then please let us know.

The e-mail address to send your mods (photos and info) is:

[email protected]

Please don't share them on here; they will be published in our print magazine. Thank you!

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for a tractor enthusiast?A Classic Tractor gift subscription is the festive offer...
01/12/2025

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for a tractor enthusiast?
A Classic Tractor gift subscription is the festive offering that lasts all year!

See link in comments to order

The last Friday of the month has swung around again and you know what that means: a brand new issue of CLASSIC TRACTOR h...
28/11/2025

The last Friday of the month has swung around again and you know what that means: a brand new issue of CLASSIC TRACTOR has gone on sale TODAY!

What an issue it is too. You want Masseys? We've got masses of them! We've been to see a family from Scotland who collect and use some fabulous modern classic models from the 1990s. Who better to write about five of these late-model MF minters than the former editor of Massey Ferguson's Modern Farming customer magazine in the 1990s, none other than our very own assistant editor, Sandy Cox.

Another great Massey Ferguson story in this issue relates to the development and life of the legendary 30 drill, a former best-seller in the UK during the 1970s and 80s.

It isn't all red and grey. The blue team also get a good mention, as the owner of 1985 Ford TW-25 tells us what was involved in bringing it back to factory-fresh condition, while we also visit a farm in Shropshire that has just bought back the very same Ford FW-60 it purchased new in 1981.

For those who like their modern classics, the owner of a Claas Challenger 55 and 85E, and a Xerion 3300 Trac VC, puts them to work in the same field for the first time, recreating a sight not seen since the early 2000s.

We could go on, but that would be spoiling it! There's all this and so much more in the 148-page January 2026 issue of CLASSIC TRACTOR.

If for some reason you are struggling to locate a print copy in the shops, don't worry as you can always order one direct by visiting our online shop: https://sundialmedia.escosubs.co.uk/store/products,297-january-2026_656.htm

Another useful tool is our Store Finder, which will help you to find a local stockist. Click on the link below, enter Classic Tractor and your postcode, and it will then show you where you can buy a copy of the UK and Ireland's best-selling tractor magazine.

https://frontline-group.co.uk/store-finder/

Classic Trucks & Tractors is rolling into Edinburgh 28th Feb and 1st March! Expect rows of gleaming retro trucks, beau...
07/11/2025

Classic Trucks & Tractors is rolling into Edinburgh 28th Feb and 1st March!

Expect rows of gleaming retro trucks, beautifully restored tractors, live displays, and a celebration of all things classic and mechanical.

Packed with lovingly restored machines, hands-on heritage displays, and a gathering of enthusiasts who know their Massey from their Mack!

28th Feb & 1st March 2026.
The Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh
Tickets on sale now! www.classictruckandtractorfest.co.uk

Follow &tractors for updates, reveals, and maybe a few blasts from the past!

Fair bit of Massey mayhem going on here! If you've been involved in a machinery mishap, either recently or in the past, ...
05/11/2025

Fair bit of Massey mayhem going on here!

If you've been involved in a machinery mishap, either recently or in the past, please share your photos of that moment with us.

We would love to see your machinery 'Oops' moments in the popular Machinery Mishaps page at the back of CLASSIC TRACTOR. All you need to do is e-mail them to us at:

[email protected]

If you have a bit of info to go with your photo/s, then great, but if you want to remain anonymous, then no problem either.

PLEASE don't post your photos here - it spoils it for the readers of the printed publication.

It seems to have been a long time since the last issue of CLASSIC TRACTOR hit the shelves on 26 Sept. The good news is, ...
31/10/2025

It seems to have been a long time since the last issue of CLASSIC TRACTOR hit the shelves on 26 Sept. The good news is, the wait for your monthly classic fix is over as a brand new issue has gone on sale TODAY (31 October).

Where do we start? How about with the super rare and unique set of five unequal-wheel drive County models on the cover? These low volume gems are part of an impressively large collection of very original Ford and Ford conversions owned by an enthusiast from Suffolk.

Then we have the exclusive story, told for the first time, of the development of the Massey Ferguson 30 grain drill during the late 1960s and early 70s. There can't be many people in arable and mixed farming areas who haven't either used one of these drills, worked on a farm that had one or knew someone who had one in the local area. Or maybe even salvaged some period Goodyear 12.4/11x28 tyres from an MF 30 drill to fit a classic tractor!

One of our contributors, a former member of John Deere's European management team, delves into the design and development of the John Deere 7000 Series, while another of our journalists provides a reminder of what Deutz-Fahr was offering its customers in the 1970s, 80s and early 90s, courtesy of the owner of seven of the manufacturer's machines from these decades.

Other highlights include a profile on the RNLI's fleet of 33 County tractors, all still in active service; a look inside Claas' secret 'shed of dreams' containing many examples of its past products and prototypes; and a special section covering the results from 11 recent farm machinery dispersal sales.

Mentioning anything else would be spoiling the surprise. All in all, it's another pretty special issue of CLASSIC TRACTOR, one packed with content that you won't find anywhere else, not even on social media!

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