OUTTAKES LQ #61

LQ #61 was mailed the second week of January and as of 12/19/25, many subscribers still haven’t received their copy. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the delivery patterns. I know that most of the people in New York have received theirs but the copy we have sent to our home address is still not here. This coupled with the months-long Canadian mail strike, really threw a wrench in the works. I believe that Canadian readers have mostly received the calendars that they ordered back in October. Everything is an uphill battle!

We still have a few calendars left, so if you didn’t get around to ordering one, you still have time. Their sales goes a long way in helping to generate funds to help get us afloat! (#1)

I’m including a copy of the Editor’s Notebook because it focuses on a topic that I find very important. January marks our 61st issue and I have spent considerable time going back over some of my favorite images of the last sixteen years. Starting with this issue and included in upcoming volumes, I will include a section called Then and Now. I will include and describe photos, advertising, reader submitted images and family history that I feel has been an important part of the Massey Legacy. Sadly, many of the folks who originally submitted these images have passed away. However, I feel that this is a good way to revisit memorable moments in Legacy Quarterly history and remember their submissions.

One of the articles featured in this issue is a story written by Dave Link that chronicles the trip to Australia by Dave and his friends Lew Stoms, Jim Esbenshade and Dave Hitchner. They were on the look-out for unusual Massey tractors and equipment to bring back for Jim’s Massey World Museum in Oklahoma. The article is included here. (#3.)

This issue also contains a project that I have been working on for over a year. I had asked if any readers had photos of themselves as children on their parents Massey tractor and could also supply a present day photo of them today on the same tractor. Many had photos of their dad’s or grandpa’s old tractor and some even had managed to track that old tractor down and add it to their collection. At the last minute, I got an email from Quebec resident, Doug Lang, who had just what I needed. He had a photo of his dad’s Mustang with Doug on board when he was just 19-months-old. Doug still owns that tractor and supplied a photo with him at the controls taken last fall. If anyone else has any of these old family photos, please let me know! (#4.)

Another story about growing up with Massey Ferguson tractor was written by Brenda Larson, who remembers her father’s great collection of MF tractors and her favorite Model, the MF 180. A very moving tribute to her late father, Bob, which includes great family photos of Brenda growing up. (#5.)

The feature article is this issue was a history of the first articulated Massey Ferguson tractors, written by the late David Walker. These were the Model 1200 tractors designed by Detroit Engineering but built in Manchester, England. David worked on prototype testing and refining the design of these tractors, which were the forerunners of the US built Models 1800, 1805 and the highly successful 4000 Series. (#6, #7, #8.)

Lastly, I have started to use QR Codes to help save readers time and avoid having to use a computer to locate certain items of interest. It is very simple to use but I fear some readers don’t know how they work. Simply take a close-up photo of the little square, black squiggly box and your phone will take you directly to the complete list of literature that is from sale. You can read it from your phone or print a hard copy for easier reading or later reference. (#9.)

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OUTTAKES LQ #60

It seems like the mail gets slower all the time as readers in Canada didn’t get the issue #60 until the end of October. Prices keep going up and service goes down. Go figure!

Massey Ferguson 95 & 97 Tractors The October issue featured the Minneapolis Moline built Massey Ferguson Model 95 and 97 tractors. It was an in-depth feature that included an extensive history on Massey’s different attempts to build a large horsepower tractor. This actually started with Harry Ferguson’s F-60 or LTX tractor that was abandoned during the Ferguson Massey-Harris merger. The article includes a complete serial number listing for all models that were built from 1958-1965. It is an interesting piece of Massey Ferguson history.

Working Tractors We run this very popular feature almost every fall and it always generates a lot of interest. Readers from the US, Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands and Switzerland, submitted photos of their Ferguson. Massey-Harris and Massey Ferguson tractors hard at work. I included fifteen pages showcasing the tractors of thirty-four readers. The images were outstanding and showed a lot of thought had gone into each contributor’s submission. There are a couple that missed the deadline, so if you have a photo that you didn’t get around to sending me, you still can. Send them to legacyeditor@columbus.rr.com.

This was our 60th issue which means that Sue and I have been cranking out this publication for over fifteen years. It has been an interesting adventure, which has introduced us so some of the finest folks, many who were retired Massey-Harris and Massey Ferguson employees.

There was an interesting Extended Letter from a reader in New Zealand. Don Begley included a brief history of his family’s Massey-Harris collection and how they were used over the years. (photos 1,2,3)

The inside front cover displayed a beautiful Massey-Harris Company Christmas card from 1943. It had originally been sent to dealers that were part of the Ontario Branch. These old cards are getting harder and harder to find and this one is a classic!

Reader and former Massey Ferguson Engineer, Jim Clark, shares another unusual story in his Tales from Engineering of a Massey Ferguson tractor that escaped from its tether on the test track.

A pictorial called Kids and Massey Tractors, featured heartwarming photos of youngsters riding in parades with their parents. It is never too early to get young kids interested in antique tractors.

Rounding out this issue is a story of the generational McCutcheon Farms that has used Massey Ferguson tractors from start to finish.

Lastly, the sales of the Legacy Quarterly calendar goes a long way in helping to financially support the magazine. Advertising is getting harder and harder to come by and the calendar helps to make up some of the difference.

OUTTAKES LQ #59

I’m sorry this is so late coming out. We had a major wind storm, which caused a lot of damage to our trees and fences. We will be a long time getting it cleaned up.

As I write this on July 19th, the July issue has mostly been delivered here in the states. The mail was slower than usual due to the July 4th holiday. I haven’t been notified of any deliveries in Canada as of yet.

I have gotten a lot of good response to the feature article on the Massey-Harris Model 55. There was a lot of information packed into that article. Much of that information was from primary sources that were supplied by Daren Meyers that originated from his family’s Massey-Harris dealership.

There were also articles on: Drive Your Tractor to School Day, the story of Dakota Implement in Devils Lake, North Dakota, Tales from Massey Engineering, an Extended Letters from Richard Rains and Glen Haskell. And of course, eight pages of letters and photos sent in by Legacy readers.

Please take note that the October issue will feature Working Tractors. When we ran that feature last fall, the response was so great that it took us two issues to get all of the submissions published. We include them in the order in which we receive them. So, if you want to be in the October issue, get your submissions in right away. Anything that shows your tractor at work: pulling wagons, mowing, raking, plowing, discing, baling hay, or just entertaining the grandkids. As usual, we will include all submissions, even if we can’t get them all into the fall issue. Digital images are preferred but you can still send me prints if you wish. Be sure to take your photos in the horizontal position–not vertical–and send them full/actual size. If you have any questions, give us a call!

Also, if you still have–or have access to–the original tractors that you grew up with, let me know. I am working on a special project which I hope to put together if I have enough response. If you have an old photo of you as a child with this tractor, that would be even better.

Don’t forget that you can preorder your Legacy Quarterly calendars anytime. We will try to hold the price to what it was last year. With two postage increases, we’ll have to crunch some numbers.

Don’t forget that you can still order many of the back issues. We are out of several but many are still available. See the ad listed here: (7.)

Also, we have a nice selection of posters that are available. Click here to see a selection of the posters that are available.. Postal rates are changing so you will have to call for an exact price. The poster measure 12” high by 18” wide.