Vin to Win: MF 5455 – Progress update
15th March 2022
We are now well underway with the Ultimate Refurb of our Vin to Win prize winner’s MF 5455.
While Nigel and Robert Bowyer have been given a Massey Ferguson loan tractor for the duration of the Ultimate Refurb, the MF team at Beauvais have been busy carefully dismantling their well-loved tractor, diagnosing what needs to be addressed and getting stuck into the refurb.
The Bowyers have had their MF 5455 since they bought it as an ex-demonstrator from their dealer. Over the course of 18 years it has been well used, completing 18,000 hours of work in that time, including handling the majority of their ploughing, power harrowing, paraploughing, mowing and bed forming. The strength of the linkage allowed them to upgrade from a 3-furrow plough to a 4-, and it’s been the main loader tractor on the farm, moving thousands of tonnes of spuds, cereals, maize, bales, muck and soil. The fact that it is still in good working condition is why the Bowyers purchased a second MF 5455 last year.
Nevertheless, our main prize is to carry out the Ultimate Refurb of the Bowyers’ MF 5455 and so the team have gone above and beyond to separate each element of the tractor, checking and replacing any parts showing signs of wear, to ensure the tractor will be up for the next 18,000 hours of work back at the farm!
Here’s an update from the head technician of the MF Refurb team, Alexandre and supporting technician Louis:
“The reconditioning of the tractor started with a subset separation, which allowed us to inspect each element independently and to understand the next steps for the Ultimate Refurb. We noticed as we took the tractor apart that this 18-year-old tractor is in good general condition, which - considering the high hours - we found impressive. However, as this is a special prize for the winners, we will replace all the wear parts, whether in the cab, the engine or the transmission, using parts from the AGCO Reman range where possible to ensure we are doing this in a sustainable way.
“Today, the front and rear axles have been overhauled. We have rebuilt the cabin and are now working on the gearbox. After that, the main focus will be the engine – as it’s at the high end of service with 18,000 hours of use, we will pay very special attention to bring it back to as-new condition. Then the tractor reassembly can begin.
“Renovating a tractor of this type has been a great experience, as it requires us to use many diverse and varied skills on systems we don’t see everyday, such as the engine with mechanical injection and the Speedshift transmission. Also, as we are getting to tackle the whole tractor, we’ve found this project very rewarding. We look forward to presenting the completed MF 5455 back to the Bowyers for many more years of useful service.”
Want to find out more about Vin to Win competition and the refurbishment of Robert’s MF 5455?
Meet the Team
An introduction to the expert team behind Robert's refurbishment - find out what they’re excited about, what concerns they have, and why they'll be giving 100% to this project, no matter what.
Meet The Winner
Join Robert and family at the Bowyer farm in Llanbadoc, Wales, where they're preparing to say goodbye to their MF 5455 as it begins its refurbishment journey.
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