Big Fergie

The MF 85

The Massey-Ferguson 85 was a product of a long and arduous process following the split from Ford in 1945. Harry Ferguson was having issues keeping his business afloat which led to a merger with a Scottish company by the name of Massey-Harris. Designs began for a large tractor with 60 horsepower and five-plow T-60. Ferguson wanted to apply his signature three point hitch design which would make this the largest tractor in its respective category. The Big Fergie project took off and tests were performed in secret. The stress that was created by the merger led to the blueprints being shredded and the prototypes destroyed.

Return from the grave

Amidst the ashes of the Big Fergie project emerged a hidden gem. A farmer who had aided in the initial testing had the last working model. He had been using it to complete everyday tasks and contacted Massey-Ferguson to get a replacement clutch. To his surprise the company came, retrieved it and he never saw his tractor again. The Big Fergie project was revived and produced one of the largest models on the market and the only one to have a draft-compensating three-point hitch. The MF 85 boasted an 8 speed transmission that had an additional 2 reverse speeds and had a total of 62HP. The Massey-Ferguson 85 was in production for 3 years and approximately 8000 models were made, making them quite rare.