Massey Ferguson 165

I bought this 1966 Massey Ferguson 165 back in 2003. My love for Massey Ferguson started when I was about 12. My uncle, a dairy farmer in Milton, Pennsylvania, bought an 1100. When school got out for summer, I headed there to help out. I quickly became the operator of the 1100, cutting hay. My uncle ended up owning about 8 Massey Ferguson tractors before retiring.

I retired and decided it’d be time to restore the Massey Ferguson 165. It looked like it had been painted about three times. Nothing resembled MF Red. I stripped every piece of sheet metal bare and fixed its few dents. The wheels were filled with calcium and had rusted away. Cut out the bad spots and welded in patches. I wanted to use everything original if I could. I rebuilt the starter and alternator. Replaced the radiator since the original leaked under pressure. I painted everything, applied epoxy primer, and then a high gloss AG paint, including all the wheels.

It was a fun six-month project, but it was way more work than I imagined. Sanding and painting both sides of most metal was well worth the time and work! Once I’m done with it, it will go to my niece’s farm in western Pennsylvania. My first day after getting out of the barn ended with a flat tire when I was almost done mowing my food plot. It was the only flat tire since I owned a tractor, of course, with new tires!

Ross Granger


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