Massey Discussion Forums > Massey Talk > Massey-Harris 12-20
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RE:Massey-Harris 12-20

It is a long time since this 12-20 thread has had a boost.

My recent trip South West to the Malvern show took me via Bristol and The Oakham Treasures Museum, here M-H 12-20 serial number 105455 is on public display.

Back in the 1980's this tractor with another 12-20, both very weathered and needing extensive restoration were part of the Derek William's, Symonds Yat Country Museum near Ross On Wye Herefordshire. He tried to persuade me to restore one and offer me the other as payment, the offer was declined and eventually they were sold. This tractor was restored and eventually sold again in the Malvern Show auction  a few years back where it was bought by it's present owner, it is now residing in a very comfortable home.

Malcolm.
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RE:Massey-Harris 12-20

Here is another British 12-20 seen out last weekend at the Norwich Tractor Show, serial number 100861 and owned by well known Norfolk collectors Gordon Carson and Bryan Beba.

Malcolm.
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RE:Massey-Harris 12-20

Thanks for the massey harris 12-20 pictures Malcolm, that's the oldest massey 12-20 I have seen. The frame looks a little rusty to make out the frame number but I assume the engine matches the 471 rule? Is that an original export tractor?

hoping to move our 12-20 massey into the shop after the spring cleaning and new tool purchases lately.

RE:Massey-Harris 12-20

Malcolm,

That's a really nice looking 12-20 why didn't they put a Massey Harris Serial tag on it instead of the Wallis Tractor tag? It looks to be a new tag plate I would have thought if it was a Massey Harris 12-20 it should have had the tag that looks like this. Right?

Joe
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RE:Massey-Harris 12-20

Joe / Tom,

This early M-H 12-20 was restored in the North West of the UK during the 1980's, it was then sold to it's present owners a few years ago through the Cheffin's vintage auctions near Cambridge, since then it has had a new Rosewood manifold fitted, together with a new serial number plate from Chris Astell at Vintage Brass Plates here in UK, I am surpised they went with the Wallis 12-20 plate too.

The tractor was subject to a very intensive restoration which was done very well in the 80's, it had been seubject to our bad weather for many years as you noticed Tom.

I am surprised with the early serial number that this tractor does not have the round tubular steeriing shaft post bolted to the footplate, has it been converted to the angle iron one bolted to the fender? I know of one or two other early examples with this feature.
 My Wallis 12-20 has the three holes in the footplate for the round tubular base plate, but again it has the angle iron support..

Malcolm.

RE:Massey-Harris 12-20

Lately work on our Massey 12-20 Orchard has been slow but we are thinking about getting back to working on it. One little piece that has always had me interested is the carburetor float. I have a small collection of about 7-8 brass floats for the smaller L3 Kingston carburetor used on the 12-20 and the Challenger / Pacemaker but when I need one they all seem to find a way of filling up with gas even though they look really nice. Ervin and I have been discussing ways to make these new and I finally found some time to get the first step done. These pieces hopefully will form the lower half of the brass float. I stayed late at work a couple days last week as well as tonight to finish this up. I have about 4 hours of work into it so there wont be a huge disappointment if it doesn't work. Anyway I thought you guys would like to see some pictures and hopefully in the next few days I can get some .010" thick brass to try it out. If this does not work I can modify half of it to try hydroforming the brass. 

(It is hard to get decent photo's of these with all the glare, hopefully you can see what's there.)
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RE:Massey-Harris 12-20

Had a little trip to Saskatchewan last week and came home with this nice Wallis 12-20.
It has a very good manifold but is missing the radiator, so if any one has a spare radiator or just the Wallis top tank I'm looking for one.
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