This is my Ransomes MG2 Motor Cultivator crawler tractor. It has been exhibited at many rallies in England since I finished its rebuild. It is also used on my allotment garden to help produce vegetables for home consumption.
A Little History
The Ransomes of Ipswich Company were involved in the manufacture of Motor Mowers in the 1930s. For their larger mowers they were using a 600cc side valve engine made by the Sturmey Archer Cycle Gear Company which seemed to have potential to be used for a light tractor.
They therefore entered into a tripartide design co-operation with the Roadless Traction Company, the Ford Motor Company and themselves. The end result of this was the launch of the Ransomes MG2 Market Garden Tractor in 1936. It was an immediate hit and large numbers were made over a 30 year period of manufacturing and design improvement evolutions. At the end, in 1966, as the MG40, it had a diesel engine and rear mounted implements which were hydraulically lifted.
Its use of a directly mounted rear tool bar frame, single furrow plough, ridgers etc. were later emulated by the far more famous Ferguson, albeit with Harry Fergusons much more sophisticated three point linkage system.
A total of 15,000 Ransomes Motor Cultivators were built in the 30 years of production. This gave rise to a whole industry of small companies manufacturing implements to mount on the rear of the MG2s. An example shown in the pictures below is the "Demon" Spray Pump made by A & G Cooper, Engineers of Wisbech.
The MG2 Picture Gallery
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The Ransomes Video Gallery
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This is my little grey Fergie tractor. It has never been "restored" but is undergowing a slow "rolling restoration" ie. if something breaks I repair it and paint it. It is used in my garden to help lift and move other heavy items such as the engine of the Phoenix Pump featured in the stationary engine section of this web site.
It is now slightly unusual in that it has magneto ignition and therefore does not require a battery to be maintained for it. A big advantage when you use your tractor only once or twice a month.
A Little History
Harry Ferguson talked the Standard Motor Company in England into producing his lightweight tractor design after a troubled liasson with the Ford Motor Company manufacturing it in America. In 1947 the "Little Grey Fergie" went into full scale production at Banner Lane Coventry. It was an instant success. The Ferguson Hydraulic Implement System had finally found a permanent stable mate at Standard Motors. These tractors started as petrol powered machines and then evolved through petrol/paraffine (Gasolene/Kerosene for those of you over the pond) to diesel.
My Tractor is an early petrol/gasolene only machine and its chassis number is TEA38672. I bought it as a running wreck and it is now a running wreck with a lifting crane.
The TEA20 Picture Gallery
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Copyright ©1999 Jim Rushton