Grey Fergusons

Google. Edmund Hillary Ferguson
Has info etc regarding an expedition to the South Pole by Sir Edmund Hillary using three te20 Fergusons in 1958.
Shows what great little tractors these must have been

I think the fact that most grey Fergy's can still do an honest days work at 60 years old is a testament in itself, let alone working in these conditions.

I have photos up somewhere, but can't find them fast.
I attended the 2006 Ferguson tractor rally at Wentworth (NSW). marking the 50 anniversary of the floods when the government ordered the town to be evacuated and abandoned, but the fruit-block Fergie grey tractors saved it. They were common in the region because they were cheap, and the right size for small fruit blocks, and to fit been rows of vines or citrus trees. That made them ideal for delivering sandbags along levee banks. There is one preserved in a pole in Fotherby Park there, at the height with the 1956 flood reached. The 2006 rally attracted 347 tractors, of which 298 were Fergie greys. Most were in running order; some were trailed in over local and long distances. There was a 60th anniversary rally earlier this year.

I have a photo of a preserved Antarctica version. IIRC, it was at an HCVC Clunes rally.

The photos following are of the 2006 rally, and I am in the lower one. The outline of a Fergie was marked on the oval. As the convoy arrived from Curlwaa, tractors parked on the marks to form the picture.

Roderick

This was out Fergy, horrid little thing. Photo looks like we're stripping cane prior to planting.
Think every farm back in the early 60's would have had one stashed away somewhere, they were cheap to run (petrol/kero) and anyone could drive them.
But even as school kids, we all knew of so-and-so, killed when she tipped end over end so we drove them pretty carefully.
They were stupidly unstable and ours with the front end cane loader was hilarious. Very fast road speed for the day, no power steer of course and the "pedals" were designed to slip your foot straight off. Just a bit of ¾" round bar.
If it had more than an armful of cane on the front the rears would come off the ground. She ended up with a broken mill roller shaft strapped on her 3-point linkage.
The ONLY good thing was they were very easy to hand start.
The old man had a solid bar for towing his Bulldogs around Qld. to various field trials. Our Bullies always had flat batteries so I'd crank up the Fergy or the Farmall, fit up the solid bar and tow the Bulldog to top of a hill. Disconnect everything and clutch start the Bulldog. If she didn't fire up, do the whole lot over again. It wasn't turned off until going home time.
I started on the Farmall and Fergy when I was 9, couldn't push the Bulldog's clutch in. By 11 I was firing up the old blow lamp Bulldog (P Model ???)
Things sure have got easier these days.

Jeffo I dont reckon they are as good as people make out they were they would have been a lot better than than a E 27 Fordson or a lot of other stuff
They had no position control turned them selves up side down in a heart beat broke plenty of arms and whats the go with those foot rests LOL

I guess they are like a lot of old trucks people collect and say how wonderful they are , they maybe fun running to shows but when you gotta make a dollar out of them the shine can soon were off
You only have to go 10 years or so newer and the tractors are good enough to still make a dollar with today

Paul

Sounds like you've been on one too and not just at a vintage rally.
They really were dreadfully dangerous. You could slip off the foot pegs or any of the pedals and next thing you were under a rear wheel.
I'd forgotten about the arm breaker steering, ours was so overloaded it didn't have a hope of spinning lock to lock.
Just admiring the safety gear in the old photo. Dad's wearing his flashest sandshoes, big sister is in thongs, I'm on the Farmall and didn't even wear shoes until grade 8 metal work and they were my sister's hand-me-downs.
Bulldogs were like a Rolls Royce when compared to those machines, but of course a way more expensive tractor.
Also the reason I'm as deaf as a post these days.

I remember trying to hop on one next door when I was around 5-6yr old and stood on one of those round pegs, didn't know what a clutch pedal was then, damn fool thing took off backwards into the chaff cutter its belt was attached to.
Not had much to do with the greys, Picked up one for a rellie who had chosen it for his local school and had to fix a few things, change rear axle bearings and brake shoes. Drove it on me truck and the stupid front wheels were that skinny they near fell though the joins in the floorboards and broke one altogether. Drove it round the school on delivery and can see why so many complained of how dangerous they is, when coming up to a bank with the slasher going was yelling a few WHOA BOYs as went over other side. One of those overun clutches were bought pretty quickly.


Was out Ballandean way south of Stanthorpe a couple years ago goin past an apple orchard and found quite a few of em still earning their keep. Though the best tractor there is on the far back left.

Back in the day I don't think the aftermarket over-running clutches on PTO shaft were available.
I never saw one and lots of us went straight through fences, clutch pushed hard down, wondering why she wouldn't stop that's for sure.
Then as Paul said, advance 10 years and the machines came standard with all the right gear.
Even had a seat that wasn't an arse shaped bit of tin covered with an old fertiliser bag.

Think Harry may have fashioned the tin seat to suit the amply equipped in the botty department Mrs Ferguson. Can't seem to find the attraction in having stools made from the old tractor seat.
I think the overrun clutch was perchased some time about mid 80's.Certainly wouldn't have been available when greys were new and then they brought on the 2 stage clutch.
Missus father had a grey with a bucket on the front with an extension pole/jig on that and used it lift up the poles for the water tank supports, he still laughs about how he got away with doing this job and barely surviving.