super99

Well-known Member
Maybe I'm just getting old, the 550 is a nice little tractor, but it's a PITA to get on and off of!!! Has anyone added anything to the footrests to make it more old man friendly?? I'm thinking about trying to make them wider so there is room to turn your foot when dismounting. Any ideas?? Thanks, Chris
 
It?s also easier if you have the correct steering wheel. I have two 550. One is the Special with no power steering. It has a wider steering wheel so it?s a bit easier to steer but hard to climb on too. The other has power steering and a smaller diameter steering wheel and is very easy to climb on too.
 
It may seem like blasphemy, but having been on a 550, a Massey 135, and a Massey 165, the 165 was by far the easiest to climb onto and to operate.

When the 165 didn't have a loader on it dad made a simple step to help get on,it bolted into the foot rest on the left side. You still had the transmission between your legs, but I found that shifting it was easier, and with the multi-power it was much more convenient than just the straight 6 gears on the 550. The steering wheel was never in the way on the Massey. It also came with a decently cushioned and upholstered seat as opposed to the cold & hard seat pan on the Oliver.

Put a loader on the 550 and it just plain sucked to get on and off. Didn't seem to affect the 165 much and we had 2 different loaders mounted on it. If anything, it made a better step onto the tractor and didn't get in the way.

The 550 I have been around was a 59 or so. Not sure what year the 165 was, but it was an early one with continental gas engine., so it would have to be mid to early 60's. Not sure when Massey switched from the 65 to the 165. Some guys would complain about the MP, but it was a good system that was much more dependable than the TA in the IH's.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
I should probably talk about the 135 as well, since that's a little bit closer of a comparison, but the 550 seems to be in between those 2 models.

The 135 I didn't think was too hard to get on or off either. Again didn't have as much transmission between your legs so was easier to step over to sit down or get off of. All of them are fairly nimble and very capable tractors, and I don't think you could go wrong with any one of them if their condition were the same.

As far as modifying to make it easier to get on and off,a few pieces of angle iron welded up to make a bolt on step isn't too hard to accomplish. Not much can be done about the transmission between your legs though.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 

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