Massey Ferguson 8140 vs. John Deere 4555

[remillertransport]

I am looking at a Massey 8140, thinking about trading our 4555 in on it, we need another tractor that has 540 pto on it. Just wandering how these tractors are as far as reliability, and if parts are readily availible for them. I thought they were supposed to be a good tractor, then I have heard a few people say, the dynashift transmission was troublesome. Any info is apreciated!

[masseyred]

We have an 8160 and not had hardly any problems with it. We purchased it as a lease return unit. The only major issue we had with it was the first spring we had it the computer that runs the transmission went out, dealer replaced it and we have not had any problems since. Ours has been pulled pretty hard and is holding up well. Compared to our 50 series Deere the trans is very smooth and I would rather run the 8160. As long as you know where the tractor came from or can get the service records you shouldn't have any problems.

Just one ? though, unless you are wanting to move the 4555 wouldn't it be cheaper to buy the 540 stub shaft and switch out the 1000. Our 4455 has both the 540 and small 1000.

[onionfarmer]

The 8100 series are good sold tractors.

[remillertransport]

Thanks on the input, actually masseyred, the 4555 and up are 1000 rpm only, the 4455 had the switch shafts you could change. My grandpa got this tractor years ago when he sold some land to the JD dealer, and it came with the deal. We pull a 15ft notill drill and thats about it with it. We do most of our work with a 2096 case and a 1135 massey Trying to talk dad into making some changes and getting rid of it and maybe the 1135 for a good 130-140 hp tractor, but he doesn't like to change things much. (He is especially hard to talk into buying another Massey) thanks!

[masseyred]

after I posted that I wondered about that I had forgotten that the 4555 was a larger frame than the 4455

[calicocat]

Yeahhh right ? Are you being funny? I have a 8140 with 1700hrs that is EXTREMELY troublesome!!! I will say the front end(engine) is bulletproof. The rear end...well is a REAR END. Last winter at dealer 7000.00 thank you very much fastforeward to may 08. Planted for roughly 90 hrs with no low16 gears. Real nice to back up planter for refills in high!(this is not why it crapped this time)
Not used after till Nov when went to hook up grain cart..>> now will not go in any gear..>> now sitting at dealers, tore apart and they humor me with a 16000.00 bill. Dont know how long it will go now. It has not had a hard life, but dont tell me they are wonderful trouble free dynashift trannys.
Anyone want to buy a low hour money pit? contact me!
On the better side, WHEN it runs, it runs fuel efficiently, drives smoothly and is a perfect sized tractor for what I do....but....need I say more.

[headacker]

sounds like my old case mx135 .. trany probs to no end.. cost me 23000$$ plus ....sent down the road.. bought a mckormick..love it so far,.

[connor]

What about it? Different motors than Massey, White made a huge upgrade going from the Perkins to the Cummins motors in the mid 80's. Different tranny's than the Massey 8100 series, which the 8200's did get Whites powershift. As for the rearend and hydraulics, we've had this argument before. The 86 and 8710 we have looks to me to be the same as what we had in our 6175. I've worked on both. And that 6175 wasn't like the Massey's at the time since they were still seperate companies at the time that tractor was made. Maybe White/Allis and Massey outsourced nearly the same parts for their systems before they were eventually combined. Sure they went to the Massey style cab on the last series of Whites and Allis which as I've said before was a joke by that time compared to Deere and Case. And now finally Agco is pulling their head out of their a** and coming out with a good and up to date cab.

You don't see Whites, that's fine. I was just saying we don't see any hint of Massey for a long ways around here, even where there's a dealer. Even when I was away in college there was a Massey dealer nearby and you still didn't see any Massey anywhere. Silver and Orange were representing the Agco stable in that area and not red. I even talked to the owner of that dealer about a year ago and up til that point he hadn't sold a new Massey in a while, the last new one he had sold was an 8100 series Dyna-shift. Makes you wonder how he keeps going if he can't sell any new equipment. Unfortunately for him we're not in Europe.

[orange]

Calicocat,
With experiences like yours, Mr. Richenhagen will be out looking for you. According to him, this is the product line that is going to "straighten out AGCO" for the US market. It's us "bobbleheads" (quote from a previous post) that like orange that are the problem. You should be singing the praises about this tractor regardless of your experiences.

[calicocat]

Not a chance! You can put sugar on a turd, but it's still a turd!!
Last gd AGCO product I'll buy. And I am not married to any one color.