The galloping Major…
The galloping Major…
Restoring an old-stager is a
labour of love for any tractor
enthusiast. But, as
Peter Hill discovers, when
its the machine on which
you learnt to drive, there is
an added attraction
AS a young boy, Mark Doman remembers sitting on his uncles knee, driving – well steering – an old Fordson Power Major.
It was his first taste of the fun and enjoyment to be had working with old tractors. Something he enjoys all the more today having revived and restored that very same Major.
"My uncle bought the tractor second-hand from a local farmer for his smallholding at East Challow, Oxon," says Mark. "But when its useful working life was over, it sat in the yard rusting away until I fancied getting it back into shape and uncle let me take it on."
Tinkering
Restoration work involved little but tinkering at first, until Mark Doman joined Oxon and Berks tractor dealer Oakes Bros as a trainee fitter.
"The more I learned my trade, the more I could do on the tractor," he recalls. "I got plenty of advice from people here who worked on them when the Major was still a popular tractor in the area. I was allowed to use the workshop at times, so local farmers got to see it and took quite an interest.
"And when I won best student award three years running on my Rycotewood course, Oakes gave me £300-worth of spares which helped move the project along nicely."
Fettling the Power Major, built late 1959 at Fords Dagenham factory, has been a gradual process, mostly regulated by time and cash. The gearbox and hydraulics remain original, getting only oil changes as needed.
But the engine was overhauled following a near-seizure during a ploughing match.
"The oil warning light on the dash glows green when the oil pressures low, but to me green suggests that everything is OK," Mark says. "I realised just in time to switch off before it seized up and after that set about overhauling the engine."
The straight four-cylinder diesel, developing 52hp in original specification, got a new engine oil pump, pistons and rings and a thorough checking over.
Other than that, its been a case of stripping off, sand-blasting and re-spraying panels, wheels and other components as necessary to get rid of the inevitable accumulations of rust and debris.
"Its not pristine but its tidy," says Mark. "Ive tried to keep it original as far as possible but there is always something that needs doing."
Equipment that would have been optional when new includes a belt drive pulley – typically used for powering a saw bench or some-such – and a somewhat rudimentary draft control.
This uses a cam and lever arrangement to lift the hydraulic linkage control a tad whenever hard going pulls an implement into the ground.
"It is a system which doesnt work terribly well now and Im told it didnt work terribly well when it was new," says Mark. "For one thing, the driver has to keep pushing the control lever back down to its stop. Its such a contrast to the sophisticated electronic draft controls you see on tractors today."
But then its the seemingly quirky and certainly basic controls and design features that make old tractors interesting to anyone brought up with the clinical efficiency of the modern tractor, with its high levels of performance and driver comfort.
"Its a bit hair raising when the Majors doing 13mph along the road. You certainly have to keep your wits about you," says Mark. "But you just cant beat it on a nice sunny day. I think its a fabulous tractor."
Like their motor car equivalents, tractors of yesteryear certainly seem to have more character than their modern counterparts.
Distinctive nose
From the neat and distinctively styled nose and gull-wing bonnet to those bright orange wheels, the Major has an instantly recognisable stance.
The spring-loaded starter lever, double curved main gear stick and dinky little engine accelerator simply add to its appealing character.
"It even makes a very distinctive noise – partly exhaust note, partly gearbox whine and partly the clacking sound you get from the fuel injection pump," says Mark. "You can hear a Major coming from fields away."