Getting focused again and back to the title of this thread following a long phone call with Graham in Manitoba earlier this week, his research is going well on these styled 25's, I am sure he will fill us in with more information when he has time.

For now here are a few photographs of what I got up to with mine between 1983 and the early 90's when I spent a lot of my time in local ploughing matches with either a Ransomes of Ipswich UK three furrow RSLD plough which my grandfather bought new or a Massey Harris No 26 two furrow genral purpose plough which spent all it's working life locally here in Lincolnshire.

The first picture shows my dad riding on the fender giving me some instructions.

Malcolm.

From 1983 to 1994 I only found two original import styled 25's in England, the other one had worked all it's life in East Yorkshire and today stands in it's original families ownership with some other very nice U frame Massey Harris tractors.

In 1994 when attending the Wild Harvest National Massey Show at Camp Creek Threshers in Waverley Nebraska I was astounded to see my first styled 25 tractor in North America,  there it was newly restored by it's local owner in time for the Massey Show, all weekend it seemed to attract many people as they had never seen one before and it looked superb, many hours had gone into the restoration by the family who had a lot of interest in Massey's and I appreciated their hospitality when we visited their place after the show.

Malcolm.

So, Malcolm,

In the first black & white photo of the strapping young man ploughing with the Styled 25 (his future was so bright he had to wear sunglasses!!). - Can you date that photo for us?

I am still impressed with the historic photos you guys have on your old Massey's.   Thanks again for sharing!

BTW, if you ever run across a good spare lower oil sump for a Styled 25, the "parts tractor" I saved from the junkman this summer is in need of one of those.  

 Cheers,

    JB

Malcolm, 

Great pictures in action using the low loader.  Interesting seeing how you move those pieces around over there.

Question - What is the pile of chain looking things under the Cub?  Does it have anything to do with the tractor?  I am sure my guesses of Cub snow chains or Cub cultivators are both incorrect!

Thanks!

John,

I am glad you are enjoying some of our "Old Lincolnshire Massey History" had it not of been for my dad with his memories and stories I may not of been so focused on Massey Harris.

As you know there are several other early makes of tractors here in the shed and my early days of  the 1970's  I was interested in collecting older veteran tractors where you can see a flywheel and a few gears flying around and have to make parts to restore them, not just buying parts off the shelf like many classic tractor rebuilds today.

I refer to my collecting as "striving to go backwards" when everyone else seems to be "going forward", I started my tractor collection in 1970 with a 1947 Fordson Major E27N, which then was 23 years old, then I started to go "back wards" and collect true veteran tractors back to the First World War period.

I suppose reflecting now I cannot frown upon these modern classic tractors with cabs at our shows today, as the youngsters with them are just the same as I was in 1970, time moves on and we have to move with it.

To answer your questions John,

The black and white photograph you refered to was taken in September 1985 at  a ploughing match near Revesby, Boston, Lincolnshire.
Sorry don't know of a spare bottom filter housing, but will keep a look out for you.

Drew,

What you see there is a set of what we call "chain harrows" here in England, we use them for harrowing old pasture in the spring to pull out dead grass and level any mole hills etc, unfortunately they are not Massey, they are made by a company called Aitkenhead. They are not a very big load for the Cub to pull, but easy to transport with a tractor to a working demonstration, they don't take up much trailer space.

Malcolm.

Here are a few more styled 25's which I stumbled across in 1996 whilst roaming around Alberta, I am sure several of you have been here and seen them, but for those that don't recognise the scene it was the Stan Reynolds collection in Wetaskiwin Alberta.
I know one of these tractors has a very good home in the South, West of England now, does anyone recognise any of them and know of their location now?.

Malcolm.

Wow that is a huge collection of tractors.  I am sure there were many more than just those pictures.  That was probably a great site to "roam" around!

The 25 with the extentions on sure looks like the one I was looking to buy from Gary Biewer back in Feb of 1998 But I could be wrong?? I know I took pictures of it when I was there but I don't know where to even begin to dig for them now. Gary ended up selling it before I made a deal but I did get a Wallis 20-30 and Wallis OK from him at that time instead.

Joe

Interesting Joe, now I know why you are quicker "off the mark" now!!! we soon learn by our mistakes and who ever got the 25 from Gary ended up with a very nice tractor.

Here are some photographs of one of the ex Stan Reynolds styled 25's which came to England, hope David Parfitt does not mind me posting them, it shows his father Geoff ploughing with their Chain Lift M-H Plough.

Malcolm.

Today's contribution to this Styled 25 discussion is photographs of the two original import tractors to England discussed earlier, the first one is the restored tractor which spent all it's working life in East Yorkshire and the second is my tractor which was my dad's favourite tractor in the collection, he spent many happy hours on it before he died in 1993.

Note the longer F&H round spokes in the 32inch rear wheels on the East Yorkshire tractor. 

Malcolm.