Our MH 744 tractor was a UK version of the N American 44 tractor. The chassis, tinwork and rear end were brought over to our MH factory, then fitted with UK wheels and a Perkins P6 six cylinder diesel engine - one of the nicest sounding diesel engines ever made.
Mine is of 1954 vintage - the last year in which they were made before evolving to become the 745 with Perkins L4 engine. I bought it out of a scrapyard in about 1972. It was bought new by our local County Agricultural College which was based on the Glynllifon estate. A good friend of mine who by then was working at the University farm where I was based as a student had previously told me about it as he had driven it when almost new. From the college farm it went to a local farmer who wouldn't sell it to me but then he sold it to the scrapyard which was using it to drag cars about - the outlook for it was therefore short! We were lucky to hear on the local grapevine that it had ended up there. My Dad used it on the farm at home to turn the grain drying fan for a few years before it went into retirement and then I straightened it up a bit. With my son I took it to the Glynllifon vintage rally about 20 years ago where it was welcomed back by one or two of the college staff who still remembered it.
The other day the son of the farm manager who used to run the farm brought round two old photos of it from its college days dated 1956. At the college it had a dual role. It worked on the farm and it was also used for demonstrating the ins and outs of tractor mechanics to the students. Attached are two photos of it. One shows it on farm duties in the farm yard and the other with the machinery lecturer pointing out detail to students.
I have seen one of these tractors up in Ontario which apparently was sent from the UK for testing and there was another at the Dome Valley, Yuma sale along with a 745 - both of which went to one purchaser. They looked like pretty sound tractors but were not running at the time. Other than that I am not aware of any others in North
America.
These 744s have now become quite desirable over here with prices of up to £10,000 (about 15,000 USD) being achieved for fully rstored specimens. Mine is in sound original but preserved condition and a nice runner. From the photo you will see that it was fitted with a radiator grill chaff guard which it has never had whilst in my posession. I have checked with my old mate who used to drive it and he advises that indeed it did have one, so I have queries out to find one - can anyone help??
I also attach an old poor photo of a prototype M-H 745 crawler tractor shown at the Scotish M-H factory. As far as we can establish these never went in to production.
The 4th photo is of the day I took it to the Glynllifon rally about 20 years ago
John.