The simplest way to tell the year of your Massey Ferguson is to check the serial number on your machine. Depending on the particular model of your machine, the serial number will be located either on the tractor frame itself or on a data tag that is attached to the tractor.
If the serial number of your Massey Ferguson begins with a letter, then you can use a Massey Ferguson decoder to understand which year your machine was manufactured in. The first letter of the serial number denotes the year in which it was manufactured, with the following letters and numbers indicating the vehicle’s production run.
For example, the first three letters of a serial number GVE-1345 would indicate that the machine was manufactured in either 1967 or 1977. The 4th and 5th digits, 13, indicate the 13th production run within that year, while the final four digits, 45, indicate the production unit’s individual identity.
You can also look for a date code stamped on different components of the engine – such as the transmission case or oil pan – which can make it easier to determine when the engine was built, even if the serial number has rusted away.
In general, Massey Ferguson tractors produced after 1990 can all be identified using their serial numbers, but for older models you may have to use a different method. If that’s the case, you can try to research the model of your machine, which can usually give you a good indication of the year it was manufactured.