bluegreen Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Well Im finally ready too launch the retro 90s farm ...............so why 1991? Heres the background , firstly it caught that moment in time where tractor electronics and GPS systems were still in their infancy compared to today. So it was more man and machine up against the elements, than todays computerized machine with satellite guidance system up against the elements . Also it was the time when all the major brands were making their most charismatic tractors ever, such as John Deere SG2 cabbed machines, Ford generation three 10 series /TWs etc, Massey 3000 / 3600s and early CASE Magnum and Maxuum ranges. The Ford models had been dominating the local farms all around even though the dealers Ernest Does were miles away, and Thurlow Nunn (MF dealer) was right in the middle, but they got little sales of 600s & 2000 series models...............JD were starting to make in roads on the local farms however, usually at the expense of Ford TWs and MF 2000s, especially with the 160hp 4450 tractor which did very well in 1987,88 I recall, and subsequently paved the way for 6000 and 7000 series machines to dominate by the mid 90s. The MF 3000 and 3600s also were replacing Ford 10 series in the 100 - 150 hp sector. It was also the time I remember most fondly in farming times as I spent harvest 91 working on a Suffolk farm with JD kit, having worked on sugar beet harvests elsewhere in the late 80s. I was no skilled tractor driver but In the four year spell leading up to 1991 I got to drive to a lesser or greater degree all of the following, several of which Im trying to incorporate on the Highwood estates. Ford 7610, 7810 and 8210.......JD4650, 4450, 3650, 3140, 2850, 2140.........MF290, 699, 2680, 2725, 3080, 3125, 3655 The one I enjoyed driving the most albeit fairly briefly was a brand new 1987 September delivery JD3650 on a "E" plate and I believe it was the first one sold by Blyth and Pawsey the JD dealers (Now Ben Burgess). A beautifully balanced tractor that was superbly built and very comfortable, if not a little cramped. My favourite tractors in general were MF3650, Ford TW15, JD4450 with the blue marque most liked The farm I worked on in 1991 had an exclusive bedding contract with Newmarkets largest stud farm, which meant lots of small baling of both hay and straw using a Claas Markant baler behind the farms JD1085 Hydro4 combine. They stockpiled this straw in various old open barns and did three times weekly delivery runs by tractor and trailer (and telehandler ) to the stud farm throughout the entire year. Model wise the retro farm has only become possible with recent releases of Ford 10 series and JD SG2 cabbed tractors by UH,Britains and Schuco so its really only now that I could have considered collecting a fleet of classics to fill the farm yard. In the next post I will outline the acreage, crops and machinery that are part of the merged Highwood estates Farms 1991...............Fords had the majority share of business but JD were making their moves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justy 46 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 These are the kinda diormas I like. 80's & 90's era.. Looking forward to seeing your progress on this project .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 Highwood estate Farms is the result of a merger between two neighbouring estates. One owned by myself (Highwood Farms) and handed down by generations of my family, it is largely arable with 1400acres in hand. This is made up of 1100 acres of combinable crops including Barley, Wheat, Rapeseed and Beans. Then we have 250 acres of Sugarbeet and 50acres set a side for hay. Our land ranges from lightish to some heavier clay soils at one end of the farm, but mostly medium soils. We have a few 50 acre plus fields but a fair few of 5 to 20 acre fields as well. The other part of the merger is the 800 acre Lidgate Farm, whos owner is retiring with no heir. They still wish to own the farm but for me to run it in conjunction with my own under a long tenancy. The retirement was forced a little earlier than the owner had intended due to health issues so the agreement for the merger was rushed through on January 22nd 1991, although the merger of machinery and man power would be delayed until after spring drilling had all been completed and a plan worked on. Lidgate Farm also has Barley, Wheat, Rapeseed & Beans over 700 acres plus 100 acres of Sugarbeet. The land is medium to heavy and they have a lot of smaller sub 20 acre fields. For 1991 we will be cropping 550 acres winter wheat, 150 acres winter Barley, 350 acres Winter Rapeseed, 150 acres Winter Beans. ................................................400 acres Spring Wheat, 100 acres Spring Barley, 100 acres Spring Rapeseed & 350 acres of Sugarbeet. A total of 1800acres Combinable crops, 350acres of Beet and 50 acres for Hay..........plus whatever other hay we can lay our hands on in time for June baling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeere6910 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Sounds like this will be an excellent topic. Those tractors will be doing long hard hours with 1800 acres of combinables and 350 of beet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 Both farms have plenty of machinery with our own farm having more newer kit than the neighbours. We also differ on the make of tractors we run. My farm is a long time user of Ford tractors, whereas Lidgates favour John Deeres. My farm runs 8 Ford tractors currently and Lidgates run 4 John Deeres.............................We employ 5 full time operators and Lidgates 3 but with another retirement due shortly plus a departure, both farms will lose a man. That leaves 6 men to operate the farm and Equine bedding enterprise full time with hired help at peaks. I have decided to run a mixed fleet too keep both the Ford dealer DOEs and John Deere dealer Blythe and Pawsey on their toes with regard to tractor business My farm will therefore retain the following tractors, Ford TW25.., Ford TW15, Ford 7810 x 2, Ford 7610 2WD & Ford 6410 Lidgate Farm will add to the fleet their one season old John Deere 4755 which will effectively replace my old Ford TW35 ...1985 bubble cab tractor , the driver of which has just retired..........................an old 1984 Ford 7710 is also leaving the fleet. Lidgates other three JDs are high houred 3140 models and one of these was set for replacement, with an order already agreed prior to the new farm merger, for spring delivery of a new John Deere 3650 115hp. Due to the two drivers joining us from Lidgate farm both being staunch JD men, I have honoured the order and the tractor will be delivered later in April. The other 3140s will be sold shortly. Due to us having many small fields a bigger articulated tractor is just not an option for us, but to increase our fire power a little we will be upgrading the six year old Ford TW15 for a second 150+hp tractor on August 1st as yet to be decided The merged fleet will be as follows: John Deere ..4755........190hp.......August 1990 (H reg)............................Primary Cultivation..........................1 season Ford... gen 2 TW25.......154hp.......March 1989 (F reg)............................Primary cultivation...........................2 seasons Ford ...gen 1 TW15.......132hp...... August 1985 (C reg.............................secondary cultivation / combi drill....6 seasons..........Due for change in August John Deere 3650........115hp.......April 1991 (H reg)...........................general purpose/ spraying................NEW Ford.. gen3 7810.........100hp.......Sept 1989 (G reg)..........................." " " " "..................2 seasons Ford.. gen2 7810.........100hp ......August 1987 (E reg)...........................Top work/ drilling / trailer ....................4 seasons Ford.. gen3 7610 2wd .100hp 4cyl Sept 1990 (H reg)...........................Sugarbeet drilling ,Hoeing, Spraying ..1 season Ford.. gen3 6410...........80hp 4cyl Sept 1990 (H reg)...........................Straw and hay duties...........................1 season Combines Claas 108sl ..........17ft cut .....220hp..Aug 1987 (E reg)......................4 seasons (Highwood farms) Claas 98sl.............17ft cut......180hp Aug 1988 (F reg).....................3 seasons (Lidgate farm) Combines under review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justy 46 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 103HP in the 7610 & 7810. The Gen 3 7610s acctully had 105 !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Certainly sounds interesting and well thought out but how much of a physical display will there be? Yards, fields etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.watson Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 This topic will bring back memories. As you say, a great time when tractors really had some grunt and the e u emissions police were nowhere to be seen. Blythe and pawsey were a great firm, our local branches here in essex were taken over by tuckwells, and some of the staff from the ridgewell depot still work at gt dunmow where they were transfered to. I remember on our farm when our F registered jd 3350 arrived, we still have it, and it has clocked up 8900 hours and all it has had is a clutch and a set of tyres. It lives on the hedge cutter and rolls now but used to do all the ploughing, power harrowing and drilling. We had an opico turbo fitted at 350 hours so she pushed out 125 hp and she has a wonderful girgle from the stack when you rev here through the gears. One model that I wish could be made that we had on the farm back then is a 4 meter hestair bettinson tc4 drill. I still say that all the drills that are around today don't put seed in the ground as well as the bettinson or the massey 30 did back in the day. Look forward to future updates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 i will also be looking forward to this Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 Thanks guys, I remember doing something similar to this when I was much younger but back then I didn't have a computer and the models weren't available either To be honest Ive done this to support the models Ive got and give them a touch more realism and identity. That way I wont keep changing the fleet every six months as I was prone to do with the modern day stuff .............................I wont be having a large diorama, just the MDF open farm yard........................As a young man I used to visit the local farms on a Sunday by way of driving past the farmyards and seeing what tractors were parked up in them ............I enjoyed that almost as much as being in the field with them when working. So instead of a out in the field working diorama, it will be machines parked up or moving about in the farm yard and reports from what they had been doing on here, with pictures of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 Justy, I tend to go by the rated hp figures as opposed to the maximum power, otherwise the TW25 would have to be over 160hp, the TW15 over 140hp and as you point out the 7810s and 7610 at 105 or 103hp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Look forward to following this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEP Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 As other members have said, looking forward to following this topic. Great period for farm machinery - classic era in my opinion. Will you be modifying a Dom 96 for the 98? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justy 46 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Justy, I tend to go by the rated hp figures as opposed to the maximum power, otherwise the TW25 would have to be over 160hp, the TW15 over 140hp and as you point out the 7810s and 7610 at 105 or 103hp No problem. They were just the figs on the sales brochures or the official Ford power ratings . Your going by DIN HP I take it. 105 HP was serious power in a 4cyl Turbo in the late 80's tough. Pocket rocket.. Anyway enough on the power ratings. This project is a good one Phil. Looking forward to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 JEP , No I wont be doing a 98sl as it will be going shortly..............I will create something in time for harvest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 April on Highwood estates has seen the completion of the beet sowing, with all 350 acres drilled into good seedbeds at a steady pace as the weather allowed since March 27th. A comfortable 30 acres a day was easily achieved with the 7610 2wd Ford and our 12 row drill. The 7610s compact versatility in our smaller fields make it perfectly suited to the task. We preferred to move the beet drill by a lowloader pulled by the little 6410 Ford as the Gilles Beet drill becomes a little unwieldly when folded for transport behind the 2wd tractor. The 7610 and its driver will also be responsible for all spraying and hoeing of the beet crop throughout the next 6 months or so. We worked down the land with both TW tractors dependant on availability as both had been doing some winter ploughing through Feb and March as well. Just a few pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Looks lovely Phil. Nice tractor, good story and good equipment! Looking forward at following it through the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Very nice thread to read Phil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bahiafen Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 looking forward to seeing this topic develop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 A few days ago the new John Deere 3650 was delivered to replace an older 3140........................the tyres look relatively narrow to me so the tractor will be paired up with a new sprayer which we are currently researching. The current Chafer sprayer will be retained for Sugar beet mainly and run behind the 7610. Ive added painted wheels, aerial, beacon, front weight and a numberplate on a new plate holder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Always nice work Phil ,the jd looks a cracker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.watson Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Very nice deere you have there, looks all the better for a few upgrades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigJ Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 That 3650 looks mint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 It's a shame no more pictures came from this post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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