[Justin]

We currently have a massey 135, old but reliable. However, it's not very novice friendly and my girlfriend really doesn't enjoy driving it. We also could really do with a set of loader forks which don't seem to be available for the 135.

Today we went and had a look at some Siromer compact tractors which seemed very useful. A bit smaller and less intimidating to drive and available with all the toys, ahem tools, that we plan to get such as front loader forks, finish mower, log splitter and chipper etc.

Trading in our 135 for a Siromer 244E, 30hp, model would cost about £3k then the cost of the tools on top. They seemed comfy, easy to drive and capable. Dealer is less than an hour from us so backup is available.

Anyone have experience or comments on them?

[Fleecewife]

It depends really on just what you want from it.  Over the years ours has had problems with the hydraulics, an O ring and various odds and ends that I can't remember.  Mr F has replaced as many of the bits and bobs as possible with British bits, because you can get hold of them quickly and cheaply, and they are better quality than the Chinese originals.
We retro fitted a fork lift and bucket on the front, and Mr F managed to turn it over  by having it high, with stuff in it, then a front wheel hit a pot hole. Managed to pull it upright with the David Brown.  The weight the fork lift can cope with is a bit restricted, so you wouldn't fill it with rocks, but it copes well with muck and so on.
There is a definite limit to what it can cope with, certainly not a baler, as it just doesn't have enough power, but for rotavating, rolling, raking, topping, carrying hefty weights in a back box, ploughing with a single furrow plough and towing a small trailer it's great.
Sizewise, I'm 5'4" and find it a perfect size.  I can use the David Brown, but I have to sit a bit sideways to depress the pedals fully - the Siromer is definitely small lady sized.
For a low cost tractor I have only praise for it.

Where's the tractor icon when I need it 

[stufe35]

My advice would be to keep your 135, you can get loaders and forks for them. It will still be going strong and you will still be able to get parts for it years after a siromer bought today has fallen to bits and people have forgetten they ever existed. It will always be worth more too.  You can get finishing mowers chippers the lot to suit your 135.

If you want to make it  easier to drive treat yourself to a power steering kit for it...especially if you have a loader on it.  It will transform the driving experience.

You've already got the best. 

[Justin]

Thanks for the advice. Had a long think about it and spent some time browsing the net for information on loaders and power steering kits, neither of which I knew you could fit to the Massey. During that search, I found that you could pretty much get every last nut and bolt for the Massey from a variety of places and, as you've mentioned, this means it is repairable long into the future.

So, we've decided to keep it and my girlfriend is going to spend some time learning to get comfortable with it. We'll look at getting a loader and power steering kit and make renovating and tidying it up a project for the future.

Thanks for all the help and advice.

[stufe35]

Justin,

How much loader work to you have to do (and what) ?  You can get rear end loaders to fit the 3 point linkage...they aren't the best , but are suitable for some jobs and are much cheaper than a front loader and easy to take off.

Any tractor with a front loader starts to become a bit of a handful in tight spaces and though they are detachable its not something you want to be doing regularly.

Keep posting your ideas and thoughts and ill help where I can (as you can see do others)

I have a few fergys and numerous attachments...if you wernt so far away id invite you to show and discuss ideas. Im in Nth Yorkshire...a fair trip from Devon !

PS My advice would be get the power steering kit first and sooner rather than later..it will transform its handlability and its ease of use.

[Justin]

Thanks for such a detailed reply.

Loader work, well as we're not a 'working' farm, we won't really be doing things like moving hay bales etc, what we envisage is being able to pile things up and move them around more easily, things like put a pallet down with a dumpy bag on it, fill it with stuff that needs moving then use the loader to move it. Also, moving logs around to put them where we need for processing, moving the odd pallet of feed or bricks etc. Also, having the bucket available to move soil, manure etc would be very useful.

I looked at the rear end loaders but figured that a proper front loader would be more use and probably a bit easier to use.

Found a couple of places doing power steering kits that listed 3 options

61331 old bent type axle

61225 new straight type axle

62170 original type

I think mines a straight axle but have to check so that I'm getting the correct one. The kit is the first thing on the list to buy, along with a finish mower to cut the newly seeded fields that will become the campsite. Also looking to get another set of wheels with turf tyres for the summer and keep the agri tyres for the winter.

North Yorkshire's a fair drive, if I'm up there anytime I'll drop you a note.

Thanks again.

Justin.