Massey Ferguson Square Balers - What's the Skinny?????

Years ago when I bought a John Deere 14T, I was advised to avoid the MF square balers. Impossible to get parts, knotters were different than NH or JD and much cursing of these balers when trying to tie a bale.

Struck a friendship about 5 years ago with a fellow and his Dad is a MF man through and through. He's got a MF 255 tractor he bought and a MF square baler too. Before I knew this, I mentioned the MF balers were not so desirable - from my understanding. Being the nice guy he just smiled....

So what's the skinny on MF balers? Which models are good, bad and great? Over the years, I think I've seen for sale MF-3, MF-9, MF-10, MF-12, MF-124, MF-224 balers. I look at the videos on youtube and the MF balers look like they crank out a decent bale too - although I wouldn't want to get my arm caught in that feeder fork system, even though it looks drop dead simple in function.

What is your opinion on MF balers?

Just curious.

Thanks!
Bill

I've never heard anybody dump on MF balers such as they do with the older IH units though IH wire ties sold fairly well here. The big thing locally with Deere and NH was that there was always shade tree mechanics (retired dealership employees) that were willing to come out on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to get a guy up and running. They also worked for a very reasonable wage. It seemed like most dealers did not want to hear from a customer on a down baler anyways so everybody was happy.

Parts situation is more of 'what kind of dealer' is a hours drive or less away. If the Massey dealer has been in the area for 10 years or so and about half the farms have Massey equipment the baler parts will be on shelf or a days stock order away. Massey may not be around in some southern states area but northern Midwest, northeast areas may have plenty in competition to the red and green dealers. NH, Massey, Oliver, Case made some good enough designs, Fords got lots of special to the 3 point hitch in early N days that worked also- the maintainence parts situation was dealer network in area. JD reputation for old equipment is good- but part of that is because JD dealers or dealer network has the parts yet and can ship all over for their retail price, catalogs haven't had to change part number due to a merger or buy out or a bankruptcy sale as the IHC/CASE/NH/FIAT whatever they are now called or owned by situation or the Oliver/white/Moline combination Agco with duplicating parts numbers. Massey is relatively straight company history without too much confusion on side equipment, tractor development of models- the old MF35 is up to a 135 with some prefix variation and still a good world seller with the 165 variations close to it in sales yet, 35 to 80 hp equipment still supported and made for European market and some comes to US and Canada, old parts for the older models mostly still available and designs of the time were usable, sold in competition to the IHC and JD, AC standards. Some design features were patent dodges, others were tooling compatible just as good ideas. Massey owners aren't griping much are they about the performance of the equipment? RN

As a kid I hauled a lot of hay. I have worked behind JD, NH, IH and Massey balers. All of these were twine tie units.

If maintained correctly all did a good job.

Having worked behind all 4 brands I preferred the MF and NH units as across the area where I was working they were consistently more reliable and made better bales.

Not to ruffle feathers here but some of this could have been due to a lack of maintenance on JD and IH units as there were one of each that I worked behind that were as good as the MF and NH.

Just my experience on the older units 1983 and older.

(quoted from post at 17:54:19 06/17/15) Years ago when I bought a John Deere 14T, I was advised to avoid the MF square balers. Impossible to get parts, knotters were different than NH or JD and much cursing of these balers when trying to tie a bale.

Struck a friendship about 5 years ago with a fellow and his Dad is a MF man through and through. He's got a MF 255 tractor he bought and a MF square baler too. Before I knew this, I mentioned the MF balers were not so desirable - from my understanding. Being the nice guy he just smiled....

So what's the skinny on MF balers? Which models are good, bad and great? Over the years, I think I've seen for sale MF-3, MF-9, MF-10, MF-12, MF-124, MF-224 balers. I look at the videos on youtube and the MF balers look like they crank out a decent bale too - although I wouldn't want to get my arm caught in that feeder fork system, even though it looks drop dead simple in function.

What is your opinion on MF balers?

Just curious.

Thanks!
Bill

Click to expand...

Here In Western NY the small square baler is turning into a thing of the past. I have only seen about 3 MF balers in person and hunderreds of JD's and NH's. The smaller farms have sold out the the big farms. With in a 20 mile drive of my farm I can visit all the different colors and these are definalty some of the larger dealers out there. They all stock parts, but there product line is so vast over the last 50 years or so they can't stock everything. They only stock the things that they know that they are going to need. Alot of the parts for these "old" small square balers are not stocked anymore becuase they are slow movers. With that being said, I have never had an issue getting a part from Deere as long as if I had the order placed before 5pm I can have it the next morning at 10am. Regardless of color, it is only as good as the service that you can get for it. Alot of times thats the difference between dry hay and rained on hay.

I had a 124 for 18 years ran it till it was worn out good baler the only problem was part at the end no dealer.When I got my NH 570 it made it look like a toy.

Good balers, have a 224, I think the knotter is a little simpler made than the jd or the nh balers. I also have a 24t jd and a 268 nh.

We had a worn out 224 but when it was running it was a heck of a baler. You could not plug the pick up, I've baled late first cut with the bales coming out double stacked, ie the bale would fall off the chute and the next bale would be half over top one after another for stretches.

It had been farmer repaired for many years with 16,000 bales a year put through it. Just plain worn out.

I had a chance later to use a mf 228 in good shape, much nicer and enjoyed the huge pickup.

Far as I know they were good. Just only one MF dealer per 20+ deere deelers and that many NH dealers as well. So it just depended on dealer.

I grew up in an area with 3 very good and very aggressive Massey dealers. A majority of the farmers used Massey balers (and all massey quipment).
The old Massey 12 baler was very common. Farmers loved them. Tough old baler. Parts still available. You can usually buy one (Massey baler) for less than a JD or NH, because a lot of people buy paint color before anything else and pay dearly for it.

But don't leave a Massey baler out in the rain...the plunger will stick ...and fast.

Thanks everyone for the info on MF balers. Who knows - might be a deal lingering out there somewhere..... ;-)

Bill

I have a 224. I bought it at auction because it looked like new and wasn't going very high. Like Ken said it will really eat some hay. One place at the outside of one of my fields is where I think that there used to be a barnyard. There is moisture, and deep dark dirt, and shade from a weeping willow. When I was using my JD 336 I would break a shear bolt there pretty much every year, despite creeping in my lowest gear. When I got the MF I would still crawl along there, and the tractor would shake and shudder and I would have twelve inch long flakes from the bales that came from there, but it just kept eating the hay, and it has broken maybe two shear bolts in about twelve years. I usually bale onto wagons, but another time I was baling around a tree and accidently snagged a second windrow while baling a double already. I pushed in the clutch and waited for the bang, but it just kept pulling the hay in and pushing bales out so that one slid out right on top of another. The only problem that I have had is when hay dogs got hung up, it would miss tying. I don't believe that I have ever bought a part for it. Just twine and a lot of grease and oil.

I run a 124 and have found it flawless. Only thing I don't like is the 5' pickup in double windrows , I dream of a six foot pickup in corners. I clean the chaff away from the knotters when Its convenient and I have found it simple to work on. The packer fork system on my 1474 series 124 had grease zerks, my 2183 series did not so I put some in. I've seen a couple machines with busted packer drive cranks but those gearboxes were bone dry. I filled mine with corn head grease this season.
I'm a believer. It hasn't ever let me down.

I had a MF9 for a few years, first baler I owned. I previous owned had run a fence post through it & broke the needles & some other stuff. I was worried about the repairs but never had a problem with it, I broke a spring on the knotter but the dealer was able to get it. It would miss a tie once in while but it was pretty good. Only thing I can tell you is it liked a good size windrow to make a nice bale. I have a NH 273 now & feel it does do a better job.

Have a MF 124 and a NH 310(really solid baler). I figure running old junk it is prudent to have a backup. Plan is for the 124 to be the primary... It just works.

My dad did custom work with a new #9 back in the day. 10,000s of thousands a year behind a DB 990. I think he plans to put his newer 990 in front of the 124 and drive for me this year if the rain ever stops.

Is some one shipping these out of the country??? At the big local consignment sale, they seem to collect them for a years or so, then a whole truckload(10+) disappears at once. 124, 224, 228s.