Tractor heritage, news and features

Ford & Fordson on Film

Fordson had been losing sales to the Ferguson TE, and the Dexta was the answer in the light tractor class, competing also against the IH B-250. There was though great concern that Dexta sales would be gained at the cost of Major sales, so the importance of gaining sales from users of small and horticultural tractors was emphasised, along with taking trade-ins of competitive makes. Shots of the mighty Dagenham factory show the preparations for the new Dexta. The machine shop at Basildon is also shown, built on a new 17 acre site, where tractor and car components were made.

Boston, Lincs, shows the farming operations that went on in the Fens using Fordsons, including a County Full Track. Fordsons were also used for moving goods at Boston Docks, where there are some interesting shots of timber being unloaded in a very labour intensive manner.

Ford were keen that Dexta drivers should understand the hydraulics so that the best would be got out of them, so a film was produced on the subject. The working of Qualitrol Depth Control by draft is shown in detail using models. The Golf film is more interesting than might first be thought, featuring as it does a Dexta in use at the Aldeburgh Course. The film Dexta Owners shows work on real farms with the Dexta, it includes combining and baling with Ransomes products.

The Major Power DVD has 10 archive films. A Swedish Fordson Farming Fair is shown at which products were shown working, including a Doe Triple D with tandem trailed ploughs and locally made Överum products. Something very different is the Mining Anhydrite film, where six Majors were used with scow ended dump trailers below ground for moving the Calcium Sulphate used for making Sulphuric Acid.

A County Full track with Dozer and winch is seen clearing an orchard, something that happened all too frequently in the 1950s through financial assistance under the Marginal Land Scheme and a Roadless half-track equipped Major is shown working with a snow plough in Kent in 1953. Fordson Power shows the range of equipment built by other companies based on Fordson engines or skid units, including Matbro FLT, Chaseside Loaders, Shawnee Trench Digger, Tractair Compressor, Mule Dozer on Rotapeds, Epping Autoshunter, Ski-Hi Loader, Stanhay Shovelall Loader for unloading coal wagons and Shawnee Poole Goose Neck Rear Dump, all backed by the Famous Fordson dealer and spares operation.

The Ford/Ransomes Film showing the advantages of the TS82 One Way (reversible) plough claimed that Ministry tests had shown an 11% saving in costs by using the TS82. The Silage Demonstration Film held at Buckrake inventor Rex Patterson’s farm shows equipment of all makes, including the amazing Walley gang mower loader that was used to cut 6in high grass for zero grazing his dairy herd.

Ford & Fordson On Film – No 5 The Dexta Joins the Major & No 6 Major Power, both running time 85 minutes, £16.99 each (or 4 of the Ford & Fordson on Films DVDs for £49.99) from Second Sight Productions, tel. 01621 817114

www.secondsightproductions.co.uk