Majorman
Well-known Member
- Location
- Scarning, Norfolk, England
In the late 1940's Morris Motors built their first tractor with a petrol or petrol/kerosene engine base on one they had been using in army vehicles during WW2. It was a winner, and the tractor made the Fordson E27N look like something out of the arc, it was so modern in style and operation, and it had five forward gears. By the early 1950's the E27N was selling well using the Perkins P6 engine and by 1951 the New Fordson Major was selling a diesel powered version that, within a couple of years, had outsold petrol and petrol/kerosene tractors with its superb fuel economy, diesel being far cheaper than petrol back then. To keep up, Nuffield had to move into the diesel market and were not prepared, as they did not have a diesel engine that would go in a tractor, so they turned to Perkins and fitted the Perkins P4 into their tractor. This had limited success, the P4 was not an easy starter and had the habit of jumping the timing when being switched off. They were also poor starters being indirect injection. There were still a lot around when I started my apprenticeship at the local Nuffield dealers and I soon learnt how to start them on frosty mornings with a burning, diesel soaked rag held over the open intake manifold.
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