Ferguson TO 20/30 tractor

Hello all! After I located it, I spent nearly a decade trying to buy my Great-Grandfather's first tractor. It took trading off my 1945 US Gov't/US Army-marked 1911a1, but I finally brought it and it's 2-bottom Ferguson plow home. I am thrilled. Papa was a logger/sawmill/ store owner and started his tractor and equipment business with it, in 1950. I ran the numbers and the dash plate states that it is a 1950 TO20, as everyone in the family says it is. The engine number tells a different story: it is from a 1954 TO 30 Continental X-129. When I said that, one Grandson started to laugh, as did my Pa (another Grandson). They said that he always had a standing bet that his "Fergie" would out-pull ANY 8n Ford made. They said, "That's how the old man hedged his bet!" Is this possible? Is it a TO 20 with a TO 30 engine? If so, then I need two manuals, one for the engine and the other for the rest of the tractor. I just need to know if it's possible.

(I posted pictures, but it said my account was too new to do that. maybe soon?)

Yes, the Z 120 and Z 129 will interchange with no problem. Congratulations on finding the tractor you wanted. Well almost. LOL At least that is even more proof it was Great Grandpas tractor. Enjoy it you will make G-Grpa. very happy.

Congratulations... You only need one manual though. The
TO20 and TO30 share the same manual with many
interchangeable parts. Good luck

I wish someone wanted my tractors that bad,congratulations on your find.

A gun for a tractor ain't bad in the worst of deals, but they made about 4 million 45 acp's, but your great grandpa's only tractor is.... one of a kind eh?
When you get the picture business sorted out, take a close up on the serial number plate, and the numbers in the castings on the tranny. Congratulations!!

(quoted from post at 19:05:44 05/28/14) A gun for a tractor ain't bad in the worst of deals, but they made about 4 million 45 acp's, but your great grandpa's only tractor is.... one of a kind eh?
When you get the picture business sorted out, take a close up on the serial number plate, and the numbers in the castings on the tranny. Congratulations!!

Click to expand...

Actually, the pistol is a US Army marked, US Government marked 1911a1 made in 1945 which makes it really desirable. BUT, as you stated, there is only ONE TO 20 that was Papa's 1st tractor! I'm happy! Maybe it'll let me post pics now, I don't know how long you have to be a member for it to do so...

I guess 3 is the limit on pics...here's the business end and the plow.

Huh...wouldn't add the plow, even in "Edit". I'll try again.




I tried out the plow, behind my 1949 8n, and it works fine, nothing missing, but I had to un-stick one coulter, and had to make them swing, as well. Broke an acre without a hitch. The engine isn't stuck, but I want to convert to 12 volt, like the 8n, as she'll be a "Worker", not a "Barn Queen". 2 to restore! Maybe I'll win the Lottery. I feel like I won when I got her! I saved her from the scrap man, by 2 days. I told my cousin that if he sold her to the scrap man, instead of a relative, I'd stomp him every time that I saw him, and would make it a habit to look for him, every day! My Army, Marine Corps, Prison Guard years paid off, I guess! I didn't realize how much it shared with an 8N until I got her home. My Grandson (6-years old) is spending the week with me, and I'll start to see what her true condition is, after he goes home this weekend. Maybe that'll keep me from feeling so alone. haha!

(quoted from post at 13:27:26 05/28/14) Yes, the Z 120 and Z 129 will interchange with no problem. Congratulations on finding the tractor you wanted. Well almost. LOL At least that is even more proof it was Great Grandpas tractor. Enjoy it you will make G-Grpa. very happy.

Click to expand...

What did you mean "almost"? hehe The other Grandson said that he remembered Papa pulling the engine, but Papa just said "it needed work". Everybody laughed and said that a Ford lasted more then 5 years between engines. NOW, we know what he was up to. It holds to the Legend of the Man. He started with nothing and followed his Lieutenant to Texas after WW1 to be a cowboy. He took the money he earned in 3 years and bought a log team and tools, and returned home to start his logging business. He died somewhat wealthy with a few thousand acres of land. They always said that papa's Ferguson "sure pulled harder after he fixed that engine up". Now, we know the secret!

The Cousin that I got it from, inherited it from Papa's Brother. It's been sitting in a shed that fell in on it, since the late 1970's. I guess I should point out that Papa and Uncle Jake (Papa's Brother-in-Law) were/are my Heroes. I moved from Los Angeles to Mississippi at 12, and followed those 2 old men like a puppy. I hung on every word. My Cousins all say they wish they had done like I did. I heard more stories and learned more Life Lessons from those 2 old men than is even fair. They live on in my heart, and I hope to be Max's (My Grandson) version of Papa. I'm tryin'!

Maybe someone will chime in on this. You have a TO 20 oil
pan and filter, no oil filter on the right side of the engine the
way a z129 block is. I don't know if the replacement z129
engines from ferguson for TO 20's kept the original 120 pans
or not.
Can you read the engine data plate on the left side near the
coil?

As Tom said, you have the Z120 oil pan and I don't see a filter either like the Z129 has. I have one of the Z129 replacement blocks they sold to replace the Z120s and it still uses the Z120 pan and they also used the original Z120 pistons and sleeves. The external oil filter boss is on the block but not drilled and the Z129 generator mounting bosses are there but not drilled either. The '9' in Z129 cast in the block is ground off. As for your engine, lots of parts interchange between the Z120 and Z129 and there are overbore sleeve kits for the Z120 that may explain the extra power.
Can you post some close-ups of each side of the engine? Also, I see what looks like a reinforcement plate under the oil pan, is that part of the front bumper?
Nice looking tractor and congrats on finally acquiring it!

Dan

You know, a bit of wire brushing and some sanding would have
her ready for paint if you didn't want a full tear apart
restoration. Spray cans do well and I think a 6 year old would
gat a kick out of helping Grandpa.

WHOA! I missed the messages between the pics. SO sorry! That is a skid plate that Papa put on all of the tractors that they sold. It's a homemade thing that he did, as a logger, because he was afraid of knocking oil pans loose in the woods. Tractors do double-duty, in our family! I'll post more pics, as soon as I can. I got the engine number from the block, left near the coil, as mentioned. I got the body number from the dash tag. And YES, I wanted it pretty badly! I almost cried when my Cousin said the scrap man offered him $800. THAT was when I told him about the but-whoopin' clause. My 17 years as a Soldier and Marine, and 17 more years as a SWaT Prison Guard came into play. He turned white as a sheet, and said, well, I guess I'd rather you get it for $500, anyway. I figure he was lying about the scrap man and the $800. He also knew that I wasn't lying about the butt kickin' contest. I do have a mean reputation...ANYway, I got her, and she's home. If she's nothing more than a monument to my Heroes...she's home!