68 Ford 2000 vs Massey Ferg 65

Guys I have a 68 Ford 2000 gas that has been in the family for 20+ years. Always been a good tractor but a little underpowered for what I want to use it for. I have the opportunity to buy a Massey Ferguson 65 with the continental gas engine. I'm going to go look at it next week. My father-in -law has used the tractor before, as it is a friend of his that owns it. He say it starts right up and runs very good. I know nothing about Massey's. It seems to have a good bit more power according to Tractordata.com..

Are there any issues that would make me want to avoid the Massey? Are parts easy to get like the Ford. I love my little Ford but it cannot turn my new bush hog that a guy gave me as a replacement for destroying my old one. It gave me a 6 footer and the Ford just isn't up for that..

If the Massey 65 is in good running condition what price range should I be looking at?? Guy is asking $2,600. The reason he is getting rid of it is because he just bought a new tractor with a front end loader and does not need the Massey.

If its in good shape, jump on it at $2,600.

for sure!

Make sure has power steering

Good tractor, love my 65. Parts for the Continental aren't as common as most Ford parts, but the Cont. is a great engine and shouldn't need much in the first place. I don't know enough about the later model 2000's to say much, but the 65 should be at about the same tech level.

The massey 65 is a good tractor and about 13-15 more hp than a Ford 2000 which is significant. Price sounds very good and sounds like your dad knows some history on it too which is worth something. The continenetal is good on fuel for a gasser, but it will burn more fuel than your Ford 2000 cause it makes more power.

If it has multi-power then make sure it works as it can be a little pricey to fix (alternatively it can be bypassed with some work in lieu of fixing). Honestly, on a tractor of that age I would prefer no multi-power myself but I like simplicity. (multipower is a lever on the dash that you can shift on the fly without clutching. The multipower effectively doubles your forward speeds from 6 to 12 and reverse speeds from 2 to 4 but the tractor will freewheel in low range on hills so always run in high multipower when on hills for safety sake. Do not confuse the high low multipower terminology with the high low range gear shifter that the tractor will definitely have. They are 2 totally different things).

Only thing that I do not like about the 2 digit (and even the 100 series) Massey's is the funky clutch and brake pedal arrangements. Not great ergonomically at all for taller guys like me, but probably no problem for average size guys. I like the ergonomics of the 200 series much better. (i.e. 255 or 265 would be the closet relatives to the 65). Course they lots newer and lots more money and no more capable.

FWIW: Even a 6' light duty bushog is too much cutter for a Ford 2000 when cutting anything meangful. A heavy duty 6' would be way too much cutter for a Ford 2000. I would make the person who destroyed your original cutter provide a suitable replacement identical in size and brand to what they destroyed. Alternatively you could sell the 6' and buy a 5' replacement cutter and likely pocket some money in the process for your troubles.

If it is everything it is made out to be, the Massey sounds like a great deal. That being said, unless you are hogging some heavy 4' tall areas, I don't know why a good running 2000 won't handle a 6' hog. Are you sure there aren't issues with the brush hog?

2000 is light on hp for a 6 foot in tall.... Even a 3000 will have to grunt a bit. The bigger mf will do well although parts are more expensive to find. A 4000 ford would be even better. For the price, if its in good shape, go for it.

Rule of buying a tractor.
You must be able to sell it if you dont like it and get your money back. And thats about the right price for that tractor in functioning condition.

Thanks for the input guys. the area I bush hog can be 3+ feet tall at times and brushy depending on when I can first get to it in the spring of the year. I love the little Ford 2000, it has had some issues that are now solved but just seems undersized for the attachments I have. I'll try to post a pick of the Massey.

What would be a asking price on a good running 68 Ford 200 3cyl gasser. It is a little rough around the edges, Paint and decals, headlight do not work.

at least 4000, 4500+ w/good rear tires

as RKH said make sure it has power steering.

(quoted from post at 12:35:06 03/23/15) The massey 65 is a good tractor and about 13-15 more hp than a Ford 2000 which is significant. Price sounds very good and sounds like your dad knows some history on it too which is worth something. The continenetal is good on fuel for a gasser, but it will burn more fuel than your Ford 2000 cause it makes more power.

If it has multi-power then make sure it works as it can be a little pricey to fix (alternatively it can be bypassed with some work in lieu of fixing). Honestly, on a tractor of that age I would prefer no multi-power myself but I like simplicity. (multipower is a lever on the dash that you can shift on the fly without clutching. The multipower effectively doubles your forward speeds from 6 to 12 and reverse speeds from 2 to 4 but the tractor will freewheel in low range on hills so always run in high multipower when on hills for safety sake. Do not confuse the high low multipower terminology with the high low range gear shifter that the tractor will definitely have. They are 2 totally different things).

Only thing that I do not like about the 2 digit (and even the 100 series) Massey's is the funky clutch and brake pedal arrangements. Not great ergonomically at all for taller guys like me, but probably no problem for average size guys. I like the ergonomics of the 200 series much better. (i.e. 255 or 265 would be the closet relatives to the 65). Course they lots newer and lots more money and no more capable.

FWIW: Even a 6' light duty bushog is too much cutter for a Ford 2000 when cutting anything meangful. A heavy duty 6' would be way too much cutter for a Ford 2000. I would make the person who destroyed your original cutter provide a suitable replacement identical in size and brand to what they destroyed. Alternatively you could sell the 6' and buy a 5' replacement cutter and likely pocket some money in the process for your troubles.

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I personally like multipower... especially the hill hold feature. If you are going up hill and you are in high multipower, mash the clutch halfway in and the tractor will lock and not roll backwards. You do not even have to touch the brakes. Of course that only works in high multipower.

I like multipower too....great feature until it fails and it will eventually. Then it costs some coin to fix properly or some effort and serious work to bypass it properly if opting for the cheapskate fix.


When dealing with tractors 50 years old like this one well I like my chances better if it the unnecessary items are simply not there to start with. I like International's TA too until it fails....then the same issue would prefer the tractor had the TA delete from the factory at that point

Nice lookin 65 picture. Looks like a straight, honest, well cared for old tractor. I would say you done well.

That all said, even that 65 may not play with the 6' hog in all conditions especially if a hd one. In some conditions you may have to take less than a full cut, or alternatively use some of the really slow gears that that the 65 does at least have. (Many Ford 2000's were only 4 speeds and first gear is fast although there were 6 speeds and 8 speeds too)

You could compare the Nebraska Tractor Tests of the two tractors for a head-to-head comparison of specifications.

Test #659 MF 65 gasoline

Test #894 Ford 2000 gasoline (1965).

(quoted from post at 12:31:57 03/23/15) Nice lookin 65 picture. Looks like a straight, honest, well cared for old tractor. I would say you done well.

That all said, even that 65 may not play with the 6' hog in all conditions especially if a hd one. In some conditions you may have to take less than a full cut, or alternatively use some of the really slow gears that that the 65 does at least have. (Many Ford 2000's were only 4 speeds and first gear is fast although there were 6 speeds and 8 speeds too)

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Thanks, My Ford2000 is a 4 gear and I have to do 1/2 laps to keep RPMs up. I only get to bushhog about once a month if that often. I have no clue what people are talking about rolling backwards and "multipower". Are you saying the high/low gear ranges go out? I am a flat lander, no real hills to speak of. As far as power steering. I'm pretty sure it does NOT have it. Neither does my Ford. Can I not drive it with the brake pedals like my Ford?

Check the bearings in the planetaries (wiggle back wheel at the top side to side). They can get expensive to repair. Also, brakes are difficult to get to (remove axle trumpets) but all in all, a fairly solid tractor model.

As I said in my other post do not confuse the high and low multipower with the high and low gear range shifter as they are 2 separate things.

If the tractor has multipower then it effectively gives you 12 forward speeds and 4 reverse speeds instead of the 6 forward and 2 reverse speeds that you have without it. The multipower hi and low is engaged and disengage with a little lever by the steering wheel on the dash and it can be shifted on the fly without clutching.

Multipower is a great feature when it works, but they fail and are expensive to repair when they do although they can be bypassed for not much money but it takes work and effort to bypass them.

No matter what though the multipower will free wheel if you have it in low. (again does not matter if the range shifter is in high or low as that is different). So if you are on a hill always be in high multipower as otherwise it is like coasting down the hill in neutral with zero engine braking to hold you back. Real dangerous if say you are pulling a wagon load of hay that is pushing you or even to a lesser extent bushogging down a hill. Gravity will try to pull you faster than you wanna go and the only thing you can do to slow down is hope the brakes are strong enough to slow you.

Plowing down a hill with a moldboard plow in low multipower will not be a roblem as even though you have no engine braking gravity is not going to exceed the load of pulling the plow. In other words, the plow will hold you back and you will not need the engine or the brakes to do hold you back on the hill.

Always remember: Only in high multipower do you have engine braking. Of course you can use the foot pedal brakes to brake or steer with at any time.

Typically the multipower will stick in low when it fails. Tractor can be driven for years like that but it has no engine braking in low so can be dangerous depending on application being used. Unscrupulous sellers will remove the little multipower lever and say tractor was a mutipower delete model instead of fixing it properly.

Disregard the whole hill hold feature post unless stopping in the middle hill while going up it is something you think might be beneficial to you. In all my 30 some years operating a tractor I have never needed this feature. I was taught years ago, to never stop in the middle of a hill whether on a tractor, dirt bike, quad, etc. Stop at the top and on flat land when at all possible. Course I do not farm hill country either. Regardless this feature only works in high multipower so the root premise of always being in high multipower when on hills still applies.

Price range seems fair for what it is.. so long as it's in fair working order. It should run your hog quite a bit better than the 2000.

Rod

The 65 has another big advantage over a 4 speed 2000. It has a 2 stage clutch that gives you live PTO. Push the pedal down half way to stop the ground travel without interrupting the PTO. Push it all the way down to stop the PTO too.

I'm pretty sure it does have power steering.

I think the MF 65 is a fine tractor - plenty of power too.

I've got a MF 50 and have punished it with a 5 ft bush hog, still keeps ticking along.

I would not hesitate to buy a 65 if the price was right and the tractor in good condition.

Good luck,
Bill

(quoted from post at 19:56:09 03/23/15) I'm pretty sure it does have power steering.

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I sure hope it does. That would be great. the reason I said i think it does not is that the owner and my father-in law says it is a bear to turn, but I also know my Father-in-law does not use brake pedals to assist turning.

THe power steering on my 65 has never worked, although I plan to fix it. It's still easier to steer than my 800 Ford. If a 65 is hard to steer I'm thinking someone needs to get busy with a grease gun and to air up the tires.