Cumbrian Silage 2022. At the pit with the Massey 390 buckraking in a very low shed. 

Totally agree! Man knows his machine and the environment he’s working in like the back of his hand!

That would be classed as a decent sized outfit back then John. Was it a push off buckrake or something like a Mil trip-tip one?

It certainly does Andrei. No cab to spoil those sleek lines though it will be back on again in a future video where it looks very different. Great comment and thanks for watching. Cheers, David.

Hi Phillip. Yes very skilled operator that knows the machine and building like the back of his hand. Yeh great clutch control, knows exactly what gear to be in and where to spread the grass needs in the shed. It is surprisingly quiet especially as it’s clocked over 10,000 hours, very well serviced as it’s an essential tractor on the farm. Yeh a great machine to see up close. Thanks for watching, your comment and enjoying the video. Greatly appreciated. Cheers, Dave.

They are 12 x 12 shuttle gearbox, shuttle lever is on LHS of steering wheel. Under bonnet exhaust silencer as standard but straight pipe removed for height reasons and home made pipe made to keep smoke and heat away from the operator!

They have a shuttle on the left side of the steering wheel

@@zzirSnipzz1 Thanks, didn't know that. Still some great driving from that lad!!

@@philipoconnor2236 also quicker in reverse than forward tested by my old boy reversing up the land flat out

Yes, every inch counts!

Choked to death by the end of the day with diesel fumes 😂😂

Indeed Alan. He’s very aware of his surroundings.

Skilled he certainly is. Your correct on both counts, there are many indoor clamps in the UK and yes the grass does get covered in plastic. I don’t know the reason why and although I visit many farms with outdoor pits it does seem more common in my region to have an undercover clamp. With either system though I do know that there is some very high quality silage produced at the end of the day. Thanks for watching and your comment, very much appreciated. Cheers, David.

Hi Roger. Ah, Kirkby Lonsdale, a lovely part of the world and that dual-wheeled Massey 35 would have been great to see. Back in the 1970s/80s this farm used an MF 148 on twin wheels, very similar outfit to your uncles and was again a bit short on power and light on the front end but did the job at the time. Thanks for watching and the bit of family history, always great to hear about the past. Much appreciated, cheers, Dave.

I bet he’s ready for his bed at night too Peter! Yes a tiring job but as you say the right set up. I well remember doing exactly the same 40 years ago, 2wd back then though so very light steering! Cheers, David.

Hi Jonny, many thanks for the encouragement on the video. There’s still quite a few 390s like this in Cumbria purchased years ago specifically to work in indoor clamps. The cab as with the others is bolted straight back on after a couple of days buckraking when it goes back to it’s everyday duties as you’ll see in my next post. Essential for working inside as it’s unfeasible to carry out the operation with a cab, rollbar or even an upright exhaust! You maybe won’t see one in Northern Ireland (think there were only 300 odd built and most are in Cumbria) but bet there’s some great tractors over there. Cheers, David.

I've seen quite a few 300 series in my native northern Ireland with Duncan lift off cabs on buckrakes

@@multipower617 I know of at least 5 Duncan cab 390s still working in Cumbria.

Definitely not. 30 years of practice at it!

@@davidwinthrop7077 I don't doubt it. great video 👍👍

@@macfarms Many thanks for that, greatly appreciated. Just been having a quick look at your dairy farm videos over in Canada and have subscribed so I can view them properly later today. Looks fabulous countryside, beautiful! Cheers, Dave

@@davidwinthrop7077 Thanks Dave.

Many thanks once again Steve. Yes there’s some very popular about Massey 300 series tractors, I still regularly watch the MF 399 buckraking video that you posted last year (superb video). Yes he’s an excellent operator isn’t he, knows the machine and the pit like the back of his hand. Cheers my friend, regards David.

Hi Ian. It does look easy and you’re certainly correct in saying it takes a lot of practice, at least 30 years in this case! A very skilled and very aware operator making a great job of filling the pit. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and subscribing, it’s really appreciated. Pleased you enjoyed the video thousands of miles away across the pond! Cheers, David.

Hi Kevin. Yes good tractor with a very experienced operator who knows it well!

Definitely not!

Certainly is Owen and none the worse for it. 390 easily doing as good a job as the modern 200hp tractors you see now, possibly even better considering the confines of this silage shed!

@@davidwinthrop7077 the 390 Massey has a lot of torque for its size great tractor, have one myself at home

@@owen0379 Yes It’s very torquey. Great tractor and a good investment these days.

That’s a coincidence John as this farm also did back in the 1980s. 2wd 265 then a 4wd 298, both with Duncan lift-offs before the 390 arrived mid-90s.

He certainly isn’t Kieran, getting on with the job really well. Always helps when you know your machine and surroundings well especially when you’re doing this job. It’s always handy having that option of removing the cab as unless you have an ultra modern farmyard there’s always one or two buildings with restricted access, certainly true of a few farms up here in Cumbria. Once again many thanks, always great to read your comments. Cheers, Dave.

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Ah that’s interesting. If I think back that contractor possibly might have been Graham Rae who I seem to remember operating a 390 when the farmer had a low entry silage shed. This one’s been on this farm from new (replaced a Massey 298) but there were quite a few Duncan cabbed 390s sold in the Cumbrian/ Southern Scotland area many that are still on the farm 30 years later. Thanks for watching and your great comment, much appreciated. Cheers, Dave.

Many thanks Colman. Yes nice to see clamp work still being done like this especially as nowadays machinery it seems is getting bigger every year! Very experienced operator that knows the 390 and the clamp inside out as it shows. Thanks for watching and your comment, much appreciated. Cheers, Dave.

That’s a coincidence Dan as years ago I remember a farm near me using a DB 990 selectamatic with rollbar on a Twose buckrake and DB 1212 driving a Tarrup single chop. Big tractors around here back then, I can picture them now. Thanks for watching and your great comment about your past. Cheers, David.

Definitely Brendan, not much clearance in there especially when it’s full at the end! Cheers, David.

MF sold 390s without cabs too. We bought one new just with a roll bar.

Id say that tractor came with a cab but it can be taken on and off easy enough

Many thanks once again Jacob. I’ve known this one and it’s owners for years, lots of photos but actually never got round to filming it. Again another farm your welcome to visit with me if you want to film and take as many photos as you want.

@@mcscotty1625 Ah now that’s interesting. I know a few manufacturers do offer that option even now. Don’t suppose you still own it?

@@davidwinthrop7077 Thanks again David, Would be brilliant at some point, just finding the time is always the problem.

Thank you very much sir. 😀👍❤️ Cheers, David

As would I Eamonn!

Man and machine working in perfect harmony!

Hi Matt, yeh he’s great isn’t he! I know what you mean, no cab suspension on this Massey, well no cab basically!! Cheers, Dave

Hi Jay. It gets well rolled in between filling the pit and the next full trailer arriving back from the fields. Makes such a difference on two counts, firstly a top quality silage product come the winter months and secondly every inch of space is needed in that shed because by just taking one late’ish cut every inch of space is needed. Thanks for watching and your comment. Appreciated, David.

It is a big pit with a hell of a lot of grass in it and at least a couple more fields to come. Your right Padraig, certainly not his first time on this job, same man and outfit been filling this shed for near on 30 years! Thanks for watching and your comment, always appreciated. Cheers, Dave

Correct on all counts Jim. The shuttle made a tremendous difference compared to the earlier 3-stick gearbox especially for loader work and buckraking duties. Yes it’s normally filtted with a Duncan Quick-detach cab that’s only removed for 2-3 days of the year so it can load the pit. Back on to operate the wrapper in my round baling video at the same farm. Thanks for the watch and comment Jim, much appreciated. Regards, David.

Hi John. Yes a very good operator indeed. Regarding the farm yard it’s been more or less the same since the owners moved in over 60 years ago, of course there are much newer and modern buildings in the farm yard and although this section maybe appears dated it still works fine and is fit for purpose. Many thanks for watching and your comment, much appreciated. Cheers, David.

Hi Richard. I’m afraid I have absolutely no idea but no harm in asking. Cheers, David

Take it you liked the overhead view San? Cheers, David

🤣🤣

Great comment. Yes you have to be always aware of the surroundings and especially those low beams. This farmer has well over 30 years experience of filling the same clamp year in year out and as you say the inexperienced would be climbing over a big mould at the entrance. As shown in the case here it’s a pretty smooth run up and an awareness of the beams. Yeh far easier with the shuttle than the old 3-stick on the floor box, no looking down to change direction! Cheers, Dave.

@@davidwinthrop7077 Heard a story of when the guy my dad worked for when i was around 3 or 4 loaned his brand new 390 to another farmer to buckrake the farmer burned the clutch out in one day lol

@@zzirSnipzz1 Ha, bet he was popular!!

@@davidwinthrop7077 Well neaxt time my old boy was sent down and was told not to let anyone else drive it bloody crazy one day and burned out lol

@@zzirSnipzz1 😂😂

It certainly is a lovely tractor. Been on the farm for nearly 30 years and has been really well looked after. Yes silage pit very neat, operator well on top of the job. Thanks for watching and your comment. Much appreciated. Cheers, Dave

Ha, I’m sure somebody has!

If only the invented everybody with deep pockets !!

@Richard Homan Great answer. There’s one silage cut a season on this farm and being pretty late it means a lot of grass so to avoid making a lot of round silage bales (especially with the price of wrap)as much of the shed capacity is used hence the cab on the 390 being removed and also the side facing exhaust otherwise it would defeat the whole object! Thanks for watching and the comment, both much appreciated . Cheers, Dave

@Richard Homan Hi Richard. That’s a great story and I can just picture it in my head! I’m interested in that Case Maxxum 5220, that’s a model that was never sold over here in the UK so I’m going to have to Google it and look it up. Great to hear about farming in Canada, it’s a country I’d love to visit and see how farming is done over there! Thanks for watching and taking the time to post your great comment. Greatly appreciated. Cheers, David in the UK

@Richard Homan there are wheel loaders without a cab. I'm pretty sure they're even capable of storing the grass even higher. Wheel loaders are a lot more versatile.

Hi Alan. It’s the north side of Carlisle, not my farm but a farmer that I’ve known for years. 390s with Duncan lift off cabs really popular in Cumbria, still quite a few of them about. Would like to see your partners family 390 buckraking as I keep meaning to look over that way maybe next year. Pleased you enjoyed the video and thanks for the comment Alan. Much appreciated, cheers Dave

@@davidwinthrop7077 they're kind of old school in their silage making her dad buckrakes with the 390... my gf leads with her mf 4000 series and her mother who us well in her 70s drives a ford 7740 and chops the grass with a claas jag 51 chopper...like they say their place isn't set up for big contractors so they just have always have done it that way so just keep going... with 2 marshall single axle silage trailers... no big contractor bills at their house...👍

@@alanyoung7655 That I would definitely like to see Alan. Maybe you could get in contact with me next year if you think on. Nice one, Dave.

Many thanks Jack, pleased you enjoyed it. Cheers, Dave.

A few farms round my way used a similar setup in the 80s, even into the 90s. Ford 7000/5000, Massey 185, Leyland 270s..

😊😊😊😊😊

Hi Michael. They were chopping a couple of fields away from the farm but as it was the back end of June was a really heavy crop and the trailers were filling up fast. Yes a lot of grass but the pit man and the 390 kept well on top of the job. Thanks for watching and your comment, greatly appreciated. Cheers, David.

No room for a roll bar 😂😂

Not having roll over protection is perfectly legal in this situation

Mwe mwe mweeeee

​@@casvandenbroek8360p

x mmn lw 😢😮😮😮😮😮😅😅

No room for a roll bar that close too the roof 😂😂

Don’t you know it’s different rules for farmers, “it’s my land and I do what I bloody well want “! Until I kill myself.⚰

Les hasn’t been around many farms I see!!

He certainly isn’t David. Bashing on with filling the pit but making a really tidy job of it too. Cheers, David

@davidwinthrop7077 Yes, ,the pit is perfectly rolled .it's not his first time doing it

@@davidbrennan3613 Years of practice David