Last year, the Massey Ferguson 390/390T was the most popular second-hand tractor registered in Ireland. Even taking into account the changes in road tax legislation late last year which saw many off-radar tractors being registered for the first time, a total of 116 MF 390/390T tractors is quite a figure.

This tractor is representative of the MF 300 series’ longevity and popularity among farmers. So, this week we take a look at this icon whose heritage can be traced back to the popular MF 188, or even 165.

We speak to MF experts Ned Murphy and Tom Murphy (no relation), who shed some light on the differences across the production run of the series. They give us some hints on what to look out for when buying a second-hand MF 390/390T.

Ned has 38 years’ experience with the MF brand, 25 of these with J. Donohoe Ltd of Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. Tom has 35 years, MF experience, having served 15 of these with Flynn’s of Tullow, Co Carlow, before establishing his own MF-based business. The 80hp MF 390 and more powerful turbocharged 93hp MF 390T were the most popular models of the 300 series in Ireland. To add to the interesting history, one of Moffett’s MFT-Multi Function tractors with rear-mounted industrial-type loader, was based on a Massey Ferguson 390T skid unit.

These tractors were produced roughly from 1986 to 1997, which is a pretty decent production run. Through the years there have been many changes as the series evolved, giving used tractor buyers many variants to choose from.

A benchmark model of the series was the MF 390T introduced around 1991/1992. At this time, Massey Ferguson also introduced its 12/12 shuttle transmission with the shuttle lever located under the left hand side of the steering wheel.

This represented a change in thinking for loader tractor design. It allowed the driver to use one hand on the loader joystick, and the other hand to steer the tractor.

Across the lifespan of the MF 300 series tractors, there were a variety of transmission options, including the early 12x4 version with three floor-mounted gear sticks in the middle. Shuttle versions included an 8x8 shuttle with two gear sticks in the middle on the floor and with the shuttle lever under the steering wheel. Then there was the popular 12x12 shuttle with single gear stick to the right incorporating four speeds and the three ranges, plus the shuttle lever under the steering wheel.

Range changes on the 12x12 shuttle version were made with the same gearstick by taking it out of gear and pushing the stick to the right. High, medium or low could be selected sequentially (like a motorbike) by pushing the gear stick forwards or backwards before returning to the desired gear. An 18x6 Speed-shift (Multi-Power) version was also introduced. It featured all the gears on the right-hand mounted stick, plus a button for changing the power-shift speeds.

The MF 390T was introduced as a lighter duty version of the MF 398 which was geared towards heavier tillage-type work. With its 12/12 shuttle transmission, it proved to be very popular. The facility to combine the oil flow of the main and auxiliary hydraulic pumps giving a hydraulic output of almost 65 litres per minute made it doubly popular as a loader tractor.

Both Tom and Ned would agree that it was almost the perfect tractor for loader and general farm work. Even two wheel drive versions featured a heavy front axle.

There were issues to begin with, the most notable being the famous spring in the transmission, costing approximately €5 to buy but taking a number of days in the garage to replace. That aside, the other main issue for the 390 and 390T is that some could be difficult to start. If considering a second-hand one, make sure to start it from cold and that it’s not a warm start when you go to look at it.

There can be a number of reasons why some are difficult to start. Regardless of reasons, it’s best to not go looking for one with problems. The availability of high-speed geared starters has had some impact, but, again, if difficult to start from cold, walk away from it.

From a cosmetic perspective, the 300 series appears to have been very well built. Despite our dampish climate, the cab and bodywork is generally well-suited for a long life here.

Ned had five examples of 390 and 390Ts in two- and four-wheel drive from different stages throughout production. From even looking at these five tractors it is clear that the series was evolving on a rolling basis with numerous differences throughout from cab colour to hitch type and dash design. For more Massey Ferguson 390 and 390Ts see the Irish Farmers Journal’s Toplink.ie website.