Vintage Thursday. Massey Ferguson 550 hitch.

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[@ClarenceFudWeasel]

That adapter plate for the manifold is a nice piece of work. I thought all 550 came with a pickup hitch too. Every day's a school day. Thanks for sharing.

[@davay42]

Great vid Dan got my 80 year old dad watching he's realy enjoying them all the vintage tractors he grew up useing

[@mikeclifton7778]

Another excellent video there Dan. The pickup hitch I remember on the 165 my late father drove was all attached to the three-point linkage, with a cross bar between the two sides and a latching top link which locked the link in the up position. The cross bar was also used to hang a homemade concrete weight on, to counterbalance the loader with it's two by two by two Saunders One Man Bale Loader. It would be interesting to see if you have similar on any of the older tractors on the fleet.

[@CowfarmerDan]

Yes, I have a couple of T bar hitches on TE20s and 35s.

[@nigelgribble8736]

We bought a single door 550 when I was 13 and then traded it for a 2 door when I was 15. 2nd one had a pick up hitch which a revelation back then. I took over my old man's 250 4 years ago no runner at time. Slowly restored it getting some.parts was easy others non existing. Wheels are very rusty so when money is available I will shot blast and repaint but I've decided to leave the rest original. Use tractor every day in summer checking cows and love it.

[@cloudmaker]

Well Dan I have never before been impressed by another man's knob until I saw yours been made. All that stuff you got to put on the 550 is all the stuff we used to take off ours when they arrived new. It would all get stored then when we sold them they all had brand new lift arms and hitches that had never been used. Ours never used the hydraulics either so the rams were bolted to a Land Drive drawbar which bolted directly to the tractor. The PTO's were also permanently bolted to the shafts too. We did this with tractors from the 100, 500,600 and finally the 300 series tractors for our lime spreading business. As most were two wheel drive the Land Drive spreaders gave us four wheel drive until the 300 series when that was a four wheel drive tractor giving us a six wheel drive machine that was almost unstoppable. As for Multi power we never had one but my Uncle had everyone of his with it fitted, he did have a bit of a runaway with one though once which didn't endear them to us. Enjoyed the video Dan and that was a nice bit of work on the lathe, well done.

[@CowfarmerDan]

Great story

[@johnmooney5693]

Great video Dan. I love watching all that sort of work👍

[@gavinhusband181]

Your a master man 👍 another proper vintage Thursday Dan👌

[@philipjmcloughlin2299]

Great video Dan . Vintage thursday is always good 👍

[@masseyman6290]

Great work Dan, tractor looks so much better with the complete PUH fitted.

[@masseymadgalway4613]

Great video dan, she’s coming along lovely. 👍

[@graemebowyer4901]

Yep, another really enjoyable video. Really enjoyed the Lathe element, as I recently bought a wood lathe to help me through Lockdown. Keep them coming.

[@byrneagri]

Another enjoyable video. I drove a 550 on a couple of occasions for a local contractor in my youth, it sadly developed a terminal engine condition when I was behind the wheel one afternoon drawing bales of silage but after many counselling sessions I have almost convinced myself that it wasn't my fault.

[@philipbutler9404]

Great video Dan like the making of the ball to go on pick up handel

[@adrianohalloran1395]

Super job keep them coming 👍👍

[@HootMaRoot]

Nice shout out fud Weasel has a great channel

[@calumanderson5617]

Nice Lathe work you've done there Dan. 👍

[@OutofTownwithRobinBell]

Good work Dan love the nob turner 😂

[@vintagetractorollie9421]

Good find there dan

[@charleshart6992]

Great job!

[@paul3506]

Top job Dan

[@mightymoo8292]

Nice one Dan! Iv just bought a 600 series puh to fit to my 590. You may not approve not being the right one but they are hard to find as you say. Great video as always.

[@upthereds4939]

Good job Dan you may get yourself over to Ollys to sort out his 1200 😄

[@tedhead3162]

Magical Dan🔮

[@bobpaterson1845]

Great work on the hitch Dan 👍 wishin u success on your hunt for an exhaust manifold the tractor just doesn't look right at all with the exhaust where it is 🙄 👍👍

[@bedfordpump]

Loving your series on the 550. I didn't realise the 550 had a left and right levelling box.

[@CowfarmerDan]

It shouldn't have.

[@bedfordpump]

@@CowfarmerDan Thanks for confirming Dan.

[@julianhawker7672]

My plan B for the exhaust would be a welded steel pipe fittings 2" ? a 90' a couple of 45's all fabricated up to that plate that you already made! Just a case of tacking it up with a few short bits of pipe to suit. I reckon it would work a treat, be easy to do and look smart with a coat of high temp black log burner paint out of a rattle can....... HTH. Cheers

[@CowfarmerDan]

That's plan C!

[@theballyglassfarm2448]

Trailer pipe on the left. Return in the middle

[@russellpetrie119]

niceley done

[@patwatters8205]

Nice video Dan,some of the Massey 500 series were built in Coventry others were built in France.The Coventry built had a reputation of being better.I drove a 590,8 speed,1 door cab from new in 1976 and in later years I owned a 575 4wd also 8 speed,2 door cab

[@CowfarmerDan]

Yes, all the 550s were from Coventry, all the 595s and anything 4 wheel drive came from France.

[@masseydriverb3582]

I had a 2 door 590 Coventry built French approved great tractor to work

[@gtills]

Great video Dan. Really enjoy the vintage Thursday videos. What lathe do you have? I’m on the look out for one after being inspired by your engineering work you’ve shown on the channel! Thanks

[@CowfarmerDan]

The one in this video is a Colchester chipmaster, we also have an older Colchester master.

[@claesmansson9070]

Only one in the collection that does a little work? ok, guess the 1200 must be disappointed to hear that.

[@philipoconnor2236]

Great job Dan! So was the 550 basically a newer version of the 135 before the 240? I think the obsession with pickup hitches comes from them probably having been a "modern" upgrade when you were a lad? My favourite bit was when you turned the knob. Never seen a ball being turned before. Makes sense that the cutter would have to archv around. Great to have access to a lathe and to be able to make your own bits and pieces when needs be.

[@CowfarmerDan]

The 550 is closer to a 148, but largely similar to a 135. The 135 stayed in production alongside the 550 for a few years.

[@msheep66]

I do like the 550. I thought the late ones came with a PUH as standard. What are the brakes like? I have a 230 and the brakes are not that good. We used to have a 250 which had wet brakes and they worked very well.

[@CowfarmerDan]

I thought they were standard, but this one has never had one fitted. The brakes are excellent, the best drum braked tractor I have. I don't know what linings it has though.

[@TheStevenWhiting]

No link? EDIT - Was a bug in the Android KZbin app not displaying it. See it now when push all the vids on right to the top.

[@paulthompson8467]

Excellent video Dan we fitted the same hitch to our 135 few years ago great job 👍 ps are they international lift arms on your 550 🤔

[@CowfarmerDan]

They could well be International, all I know is they're not right!

[@andrewstephens6860]

I think they are international 434 type ones I’m sure they have a bushes hole for the pick up hitch Very lucky to pick that up Dan you have to grab these things when you see them been there a few times myself

[@IanFletcher1970]

Excellent video Dan. Where did you get your ball turning tool from?

[@CowfarmerDan]

Ebay

[@multipower617]

Excellent work with the lathe, what is the difference in 550 and other hitches? I put a 398 hitch on my 65, fitted straight on

[@CowfarmerDan]

The belly plate mounting studs are smaller on the 3 cylinder tractors and the way the lift rods fit to the upper lift arms is different.

[@multipower617]

@@CowfarmerDan I forgot about the lift rods, I think I used 135 ones on my 65, I only used the bits from under the 398 as I replaced them with 600 series type deluxe hitch

[@laytonphillips6667]

Great enjoyable video dan, lovely looking tractor. Sugar beet drill on it this year?

[@CowfarmerDan]

Hopefully, depends on wheel settings.

[@laytonphillips6667]

@@CowfarmerDan normal width if I remember right of 72 centre to centre of tyre.

[@petewilde5058]

Hi iam going to get some parts for my 550 from a breaker’s next week do you want me to see if it has a long exhaust elbow

[@CowfarmerDan]

Yes please, no harm in asking. Which one are you going to?

[@petewilde5058]

@@CowfarmerDan Richard Hoyland

[@CowfarmerDan]

👍

[@petewilde5058]

@@CowfarmerDan I’ve been to breakers today there is a long exhaust elbow but it has a crack in vertical part think it is frost damage I reckon it would clean up and braze sparex list one part number is S.68232 if that helps let me know if you want breaker’s contact details

[@richardl7161]

There's a blank hole above the trailer pipe/return. Why can't the other one go in there?

[@CowfarmerDan]

Hopefully it will, will have to investigate why it wasn't put there in the first place.

[@unbigmacpourgignac8301]

Hi I’m a professional mechanic and elbow looks like you can just turn it to line up with the other holes? Why you not do this?

[@CowfarmerDan]

The holes do line up, but put the outlet at approximately 45degrees from vertical.

[@unbigmacpourgignac8301]

@@CowfarmerDan oh is that an issue

[@CowfarmerDan]

Yes, a fair big issue

[@Irk66]

Did u see Ollie blogs new purchase. Any advice for him .

[@CowfarmerDan]

Yes, I've been in touch with him a couple of times.

[@Irk66]

@@CowfarmerDan good on you that would be a good vid it watch ye colabrating on it . He has aloy of work to do on it enjoyed the vid he recommended of the family doing up one for their father . Keep up the good work .

[@KiwiJim13]

Dan which agricultural college did you ho to?

[@CowfarmerDan]

Lackham

[@anthony342]

would you rather it was a 590

[@CowfarmerDan]

No, everyone has a 590 😁