Equipment: A uncommon MF Quattrino leads to Co. Clare

The Massey Ferguson Quattrino 4120 shouldn’t be a mannequin that even many followers of the marque are conversant in, which isn’t to be judged too harshly, as not more than 20 had been ever made, and it may have been even much less.

It would even be requested whether or not it’s a true Massey Ferguson tractor because the design and development was undertaken by one other firm fully, Roux Industrie SA, of Montaun in southern France.

An actual Massey

The query is legitimate, but the tractors had been created along side Massey Ferguson engineers at Beauvais, carried Massey Ferguson serial numbers, had been offered by means of the corporate dealership community and, to start with, carried the red and gray livery of Massey Ferguson tractors.

There may be little question that these are correct Massey Fergusons which, it’s usually believed, had been constructed to tackle the MB Trac and different mid- or forward-cab machines such because the Deutz Fahr Intrac.

Nonetheless, whereas the 2 German machines had been initially conceived as real options to the usual tractor format, the Quattrino is an adaption of a MF 3120 skid unit, which got here with a 32-speed transmission and a six-cylinder Perkins engine.

The date of manufacturing of this explicit instance is considered 1991. The MF 3120 itself was launched in 1990 with 111hp, this was elevated to 120hp in 1992 earlier than being discontinued fully in 1994.

Fundamental development

Though the MB Trac had equal-sized wheels all spherical, the essential drawback with the association stays, and that’s that it restricts the entrance wheel lock and therefore the turning circle of the car. Smaller wheels give larger manoeuvrability however much less traction.

Massey Ferguson sought to beat this basic drawback by steering all 4 wheels collectively, which was not a brand new idea, but it surely did require a system to regulate the turning of the wheels.

The corporate opted for an early digital system with a number of steering modes, enabling it, so far as is thought, to be front-wheel-steer solely, all-wheel-steer or crab-steer.

Sadly, the system is not working, but MF seller, Joe Whelan is assured that resulting from it being made up of easy wires and solenoids activating the steering rams, it may be found out and put again into use with out an excessive amount of stress.

Quattrino chassis

If electronics had overcome the issue of steering, there was nonetheless the difficulty of becoming steering axles and offering a rear load platform.

This was addressed by inserting a meaty body between the skid unit and two Carraro steering axles, elevating the general peak and, with giant equal-sized wheels, matching the traction potential of a County or Muir Hill.

To supply the rear platform, the transmission was cut up close to the gearbox, which needed to be specifically constructed to accommodate a drop field to which the 2 drive shafts had been connected.

The three-point linkage was then moved to the rear permitting a sprayer or fertiliser spreader to be mounted above the rear axle.

Altogether, the design has an air of a unexpectedly conceived conversion reasonably than a rigorously thought-out challenge, however any misgivings about its oddities are quickly dispelled by the sound of the Perkins 6.354 straight six, which rumbles and roars like an enormous engine ought to.

Historical past

The provenance of the tractor is considerably hazy. It had, sooner or later, been transformed to function a trenching and cable laying implement and was most likely utilized in France for that function.

From France it made its manner throughout the channel to a UK collector who saved it for a few years earlier than needing the room for an additional tractor, and that is the place Joe Whelan discovered it and introduced it dwelling to Kilrush, Co. Clare, the place the household owns the native Massey Ferguson dealership.

The tractor is displaying only one,813 hours on the clock, very presumably a real studying as there seems to be little or no put on on the controls or seat.

It’s painted white as a result of after Massey Ferguson pulled the plug on the Quattrino challenge, Roux Industrie SA made a number of extra which had been completed on this color.

Joe Whelan is now occupied with altering it again to the extra vigorous Massey Ferguson livery with a full and correct restorative respray.

The intention is to have it rejuvenated inside the subsequent few months and Agriland seems ahead to visiting it once more when all is completed and it’s operating as meant.