Classic Tractor Issue 265​​ December 2025

Original Classics: ​​ Originality is definitely the theme with this amazing collection of​​ Ford​​ classics.

Power Station MF: ​​ A​​ Massey 1250​​ that spent 40 years at a power station is now doing farm work.

Fleet Profile:​​ Seven​​ Deutz-Fahr​​ tractors, all classics with air-cooled engines, are compared.

Farming Diary: ​​ The Suffolk Bunch go ploughing with some interesting tractor/plough outfits.

Lifeboat Countys: ​​ We find out how the RNLI uses its 32 Countys and keeps them in great shape.​​ 

Top of the Drills: ​​ The story behind the development and launch of the​​ Massey Ferguson​​ 30 drill.

From the Archives: ​​ A retired​​ Deere​​ employee delves into the design features of the​​ 7000 series.

Claas Collection: ​​ We visit​​ Claas’​​ museum and inspect its rare prototypes and preserved machines.

Classic Tractor Issue 295 November 2025

Fleet Profile:​​ This Scottish farm is powered by a fleet of mint Deere 10 and 30 Series models.

Reader Rebuild:​​ This prize winning Valmet 705 may be the only fully refurbished one in the UK.

HARVEST SPECIAL – Combine Comparison:​​ A Claas Matador and MF 500 go back to work together after a 30-year break.

HARVEST SPECIAL – Original Classics:​​ A pair of 1980s John Deere 1075s are the chosen combines on a Yorkshire farm.

HARVEST SPECIAL – BM-Volvo S950:​​ Machines and operators return to where they first worked together 50 years ago.​​ 

HARVEST SPECIAL – Rotary Massey:​​ Friends buy a rare MF 8590 rotary and make a 700 mile road trip to collect it.

HARVEST SPECIAL – Show Report:​​ This show had everything from binders through to some more recent combines.

HARVEST SPECIAL – Combine Round-Up:​​ Owners go cutting with older combines in a season of ideal harvesting weather.

Farming Diary:​​ Suffolk Bunch​​ members head west and visit a US event with some top classics.

History of Howard:​​ The final part of our series on Howard explains how and why it failed in 1985.

Classic Tractor Issue 294​​ October 2025

Fleet Profile:​​ A family from Suffolk finish their final harvest and prepare for their farm sale.

Reader Rebuild:​​ A show winner reveals how attention to detail has been rewarded with trophies.

Show Report:​​ All the classic action from a first-time working event held in Co. Fermanagh.

Meltham Made:​​ These Yorkshire contractors depend on tractors made locally at Meltham Mills.

Case Study:​​ We visit 15 farms and enthusiasts who run 17 John Deeres built at Mannheim..

Farming Diary:​​ Suffolk Bunch​​ members meet up with an iconic Big Bud in New York State.

History of Howard:​​ After massive growth in the early ‘70s, the Howard business went into decline.

Lost & Found:​​ Luck played a big part in these owners locating their family’s former tractors.

Classic Tractor Issue 293​​ September​​ 2025

Fleet Profile:​​ This enthusiast has switched from collecting old David Browns to Deeres.

Reader Rebuild:​​ This project was inspired by memories of a Same Leone 70 with a V4 engine.

Low Riders:​​ Lowered Leyland and David Brown classics get to work harvesting crops of kiwi fruit.

Farming Diary:​​ This Belgian plant contractor uses IH and Fendt classics for heavy haulage.

Market Shares:​​ Our analysis of tractor market shares in 2024, using data sourced from the DfT.

Memory Lane:​​ Memories of photographic work in the 1970s, involving MF 1200 and 1250.

History of Howard:​​ Reflecting on the huge success of the Howard rotavator in the early 1970s.

Classic Tractor Issue 288​​ April​​ 2025

Fleet Profile:​​ This Yorkshire business has​​ been using​​ Massey​​ tractors for more than 50 years.

Reader Rebuild:​​ We look at a refurbished​​ 1987 JD 4350​​ and tell the story of this unusual model.

Farming Diary:​​ A rare​​ Schlüter​​ goes to work again and a newer,​​ heavier Challenger is acquired.

Reflections:​​ Jim Frost looks back at his varied farm machinery career in the UK and abroad.

Euro Scene:​​ Classic​​ Deutz tractors​​ rule on Jan and Gerd Smoes’ arable farms in Germany.

Ford Select-O-Speed:​​ A former Ford engineer weighs up the pros and cons of Select-O-Speed box.

Show Report:​​ A​​ report on the​​ Ford​​ special theme and exhibits at the Somerset Tractor Show.

Memory Lane:​​ Paul Brown concludes his series on his 28-year career with​​ Renault​​ in the UK.

Classic Tractor Issue 292 August 2025

Reader Rebuild:​​ A 1996 Fiat Winner F130 is treated to a full refurbishment by its Irish owner.

Farming Diary:​​ Suffolk Bunch members get to drive a Deutz DX8.30 during a trip to Holland.

SILAGE​​ SPECIAL: From the Archives:​​ Archive photos provide a reminder of when trailed foragers ruled the market.

SILAGE SPECIAL: Modern Classics:​​ Modern classic Case-IH, New Holland, JD and Mengele machines go to work.

SILAGE SPECIAL: Jaguar 695 Project:​​ The refurb of a Claas Jaguar 695 Mega is completed, then it goes back to work.

SILAGE SPECIAL: Campaign Veteran:​​ This contractor’s repowered Ford 7700 has clocked up a massive 32,000 hours.

SILAGE SPECIAL: Fleet Profile:​​ The emphasis is on a long working life in this Co. Tipperary contracting fleet.

SILAGE SPECIAL: Working Event:​​ Classic fans put their machines to work for an impromptu silage harvesting day.

History of Howard:​​ Our Howard Rotavator series moves on to the Company’s successes in the ‘60s.

Show Report:​​ Some of the classic highlights from the IH themed display at Carrington Rally.

Track Marshall TM200:​​ Rushed into production, problems soon emerged with customers’ new TM200s

Classic Tractor Issue 291​​ July​​ 2025

Fleet Profile:​​ A fleet of Ford, NH and David Brown models power a Lancashire dairy farm.

Reader Rebuild:​​ The rebuild and upgrade of a 1981 DB 1490 is finally completed after 11 years.

Reflections:​​ Operators of John Deere’s seldom seen 4350 gives us their views on the model.

History of Howard:​​ The story of​​ how the Howard Rotavator originated in Australia and then took off.

From the Archives:​​ Bill Richardson shares his photographsof machinery working in the classic era.

Farming Diary:​​ The Suffolk Bunch get busy with spring work and visit a rally with a Cat theme.

Memory Lane:​​ Retired MF photographer Ted Everett recalls his MF 600 Series assignments.

Track Marshall TM200:​​ As soon as the Track Marshall TM200​​ entered production, problems surfaced.

John Deere Powershift:​​ How JD’s game-changing eight-speed​​ powershift became a 15-speed gearbox.

Classic Tractor Issue 290​​ June​​ 2025

Fleet Profile:​​ This mixed fleet on an upland farm has​​ tractors from Meltham Mills at its core.

Reader Rebuild:​​ A 1973 Muir-Hill 121 Series II receives​​ a full refurbishment and modernisation.

Prairie Monsters:​​ The story of a Versatile 1150 that came​​ to the UK in 1981,​​ but didn’t stay long.

From the Archives:​​ Delving into the rich 90-year history of​​ McConnel and its best-known products.

Case Study:​​ Landini Legend owners in Ireland give​​ their views on their Italian-built models.​​ 

Farming Diary:​​ A Same Laser arrives, a Cat’s head gets​​ removed and Belarus rarities are driven.

Original Classics:​​ How the Waltanna Trac was developed​​ and became the Track Marshall TM200.

John Deere Powershift:​​ Deere’s innovative transmission was a​​ very successful early powershift ’box.

Classic Tractor Issue 289​​ May​​ 2025

Fleet Profile:​​ We visit a Northumberland farm with a great fleet of older​​ Deere​​ prime movers.

Original Classics:​​ Three young farmers with a passion for​​ Fords​​ get together for a cultivating day.

Reader Rebuild:​​ The first​​ Fendt​​ sold by UK distributor Bill Bennett is looking like new again.

Original Classics:​​ A farm which cultivates with crawlers puts three classic tracked​​ Fiats​​ to work.

Dyno Day:​​ Over 30 classic and modern tractors are power tested at a fund-raising dyno day.

Terex T250:​​ The Michelin tyres on this 10,000-hour​​ Terex telehandler​​ are the original ones.

County 1884:​​ The only​​ County 1884​​ in New Zealand has been restored by a British engineer.

Euro Scene:​​ We look back at some of the​​ Fritzmeier​​ cabs produced during the classic period.

Show Report:​​ The classic highlights and results from the bustling​​ 2025 Tractor World Show.

Classic Tractor Issue 287​​ March​​ 2025

Reader Rebuild:​​ Two mad-keen young tractor fans have refurbished a repowered​​ 1978 DB 1412.

1975 Review:​​ A​​ review of the farm machinery that was new on the market 50 years ago.

From the Archives:​​ Launched​​ in 1979, the​​ John Deere​​ 40 Series​​ was a great success in the UK.

Modern Classic:​​ The​​ Deutz-Fahr Agrostar 6.81​​ was the flagship of the range in the mid-1990s.

Ford Select-O-Speed:​​ A former Ford engineer delves into the details of the Ford powershift gearbox.

Farming Diary:​​ Crawlers in action and a visit to drive a rare-in-the-UK​​ Ford Versatile 9030.

Memory Lane:​​ Paul Brown recalls highlights from his 28-year sales career with Renault UK.

Classic Tractor Issue 286 February 2025

Carting Crew:​​ Five classics take turns carting potatoes away from a modern​​ Grimme harvester.

Original Classics:​​ These low-hour 1990s​​ Case-IH 4230s​​ still look and drive just like new ones.

Farming Diary:​​ The Suffolk Bunch team puts new-to-them tractors to work on autumn jobs.

Newark Tractor Show:​​ We look at the best classics on display at Newark Tractor Show in November.

Memory Lane:​​ A former​​ Renault​​ employee remembers the brand’s early days in the UK market.

Reflections:​​ A farmer from Cambridgeshire recalls the combines he has driven since 1960.

IH 1420 Axial-Flow:​​ The history of the Axial-Flow 1420 and a visit to see one still at work in the UK.

Retro Beet Harvest:​​ Classic East German machinery comes together to harvest a farm’s fodder beet.

Classic Tractor Issue 285 January 2025

Reader Rebuild:​​ A Kinze-style repower has boosted this John Deere 5020​​ to around 300-350hp.

Farming Diary:​​ A​​ Xerion​​ goes moling and a​​ Lanc-Trac​​ spreader gets a cab off an NH combine.

BASILDON @ 60: Plant in Pictures:​​ Images from the​​ Ford​​ Motor Company​​ archives of manufacturing at Basildon.

BASILDON @ 60: Life on the Line:​​ A journalist recalls being a member of a team that assembled a new​​ Ford 6610.

BASILDON @ 60: Two-Millionth Tractor:​​ The story behind the livery on the two millionth tractor to be built at Basildon.

Memory Lane:​​ Retired MF photographer Ted Everett reflects on his​​ 4200/4300 Series​​ work.

From the Archives:​​ John Deere 1974​​ machinery and prices are compared with the current offering.

Reflections:​​ A member of Farmhand UK reflects on his early experiences using​​ round balers.

Prairie Monsters:​​ Plans are being hatched in South Africa to start making big​​ ACO​​ tractors again.