Gas Engine - Perkins 3 cyl vs Continental 4 cyl?

Bill VA

Well-known Member
Still haven't ruled out a gas tractor one of these days.

I gather the earlier MF gas tractors used a 4 cylinder Continental and sometime later MF used a 3 cylinder Perkins gas engine.

Probably opening a can of worms, but which is the preferred engine?

Was the MF50 and MF150 the largest tractor to offer a gas engine?

When did MF cut in the 3 cylinder Perkins?

For some reason I'm thinking MF made a gas engined tractor (sold in the US) into the early 80's - several years past when their competitors dropped them?

Thanks for your help!

Bill
 
The largest MF I know of available with a gas engine was the 1100. It used a Waukesha 320 cubic inch 6 cylinder. The 165, 175, 180 were all offered with 4 cylinder Continentals originally and later with 4 cylinder Perkins.
 
The 3 cylinder Perkins gas in our 40B industrial is VERY thirsty, compared to the continental 4 in our 135 and a downright pig compared to the 3 cylinder Perkins diesel in our 30B industrial. MK
 
Interested in a gas for 2 reasons. One is cold starting (no
external power for block heaters, etc at the tractor shed) and
the other is, I'd just like to add one to the fleet.

Thanks,
Bill
 
Thanks everyone - great info.

I knew of the 3 cylinder gas Perkins, but not a 4 cylinder variant.

Always learning something new on YT.

Thanks again,
Bill
 
The AD3-152 Perkins diesels are better in the cold IMO, my brothers 135, and 150 with the AD3-152 Perkins diesel started right up when it was 7 degrees (no pre-heating, or starting fluid necessary). My 2135 industrial with Continental 4 cylinder gas is a real pain to start when it's cold, even when it 50 degrees outside.
 
I have one of each. The z134 or 145 cont have atleast 25% more power than the Perkins gas 3. Of course if it had a forth cylinder, it might be more powerful than the Conts.

My turf 20 with the Perkins 3 came from a golf course, it mowed their lawns well. I mow my lawn with it, because it can do that job well.
Other tougher farm jobs... well, I use the other Fergies and MF's for heavier work. It lags like a diesel, but it ain't a diesel. A lot of degrees on the compass between distributor contacts.

But, I have no complaint about fuel use, 3 US quarts an hour mowing lawn, bout the same as a 14 horse rider, no better or worse than the other jobs it did/tried to do- before then. My MF30 with the 212 Perkins petrol 4 does suck up the gas, but you do have power when you need it.

I rarely see Perkins 3 diesels for sale at any price, they rarely break down or wear out, and keep their value well.

If you can afford it, buy them all.
 
Bill for your operation a Massey 65 or early MF165 with the continental might be the ideal tractor to add if you dead set on owning a gasser.

From my reading the 4 cyl Continentals (both Nebraska test and end user reports) seem to be more fuel efficient than the later 4cyl Perkins gassers that the MF165 eventually got.

Personally, I do not like the clutch pedal and foot rest arrangements on the Massey's until the 200 series, but I am 6' 5" tall.

Early 1965 Ford 4000's (i.e. the blue ones) had a smaller cylinder displacement and better fuel efficiency than the bigger engine that came around 1968 or 1969 and later. Yeah those later ones made more power, but they were slightly less fuel effiicient with it too.

Here are some gasser's that I would buy if I found priced real right:
Farmall 300
Farmall 350
Farmall SMTA (highly collectable and price reflects it)
Farmall 400
Massey 255
Allis Chalmers 170
Allis D17 series IV
Allis D15 (late series only for me)
Ford 4000 (3 cyl models)
Ford 5000
Case 730 (technically 740)
John Deere 2510
John Deere 2520 (highly collectable now and price reflects)
Oliver 1550
Oliver 1555
Oliver 1600

I like gassers myself for my piddle operation as I can fix anything on them myself. While gasser fuel efficiency will never rival a good diesel you can still do pretty well with them if you pick one that is fuel efficient from the start and use a tractor no bigger than you need for the job at hand. Gassers will pretty much burn the same fuel working light or reasonably hard. Where a good diesel will burn lots less fuel working light.

My farmall h can rival a 45 hp diesel tractor on fuel efficiency on jobs requiring only 25 hp assuming throttles set for 540 PTO rpm

My farmall m can rival a 60 hp diesel tractor on fuel efficiency on jobs requiring 37 hp assuming throttles set for 540 PTO rpm.
 
Massey offered the Continental gas engines through 1983. They did make the 165, 175 and 180 tractors with a 4 cylinder Perkins gas engine as well as a 4 cylinder Continental gas. The largest tractor they offered with a gas engine was the 1100 with a Waukesha engine. The big difference with the Perkins gas engines is they ran smoother than the Continentals though they did eat more gas.
 

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