35X vs 135 v 148 vs 245

I'm from New Zealand where my family run an orchard with a fleet of fergusons. We've got three TEA's, two 35 diesels (one 4 cylinder, 6sp, one 3cyl mulipower), three 135's (one of them with a holset H1D turbo) and a 148.

Here's the quandry. We notice a large power gap between them. The 35X and oldest 135 are lowest on power, I think both have the AD3-152. Next strongest are the two newer 135's also with AD3-152's. But the strongest by far is the 148. I've been hunting around the net and the only references I can find place the 148 as having about 3hp more. But impressions from using them place it as much much more.

The upshot being, we have the opportunity to purchase some 245's from a market garden and sell of the 35's and retire the 135 turbo to less active duty. But unless they'll have the same power as the 148 it'll be a waste of money.

Any advice appreciated.

BTW, the oldest 135 has done over 9000 hours since the turbo was fitted, the only reason it'll be retired is weight. We now own a hill block and pulling 2 ton of water up and down with drum brakes on one axle is a little hairy.

i have a ferguson section on my website

Link

my parents farm in Gisborne, i went to college in CHCH, worked on farms in the south island, now work for a large agribusiness in Kentucky USA

my grandfather has a late 135 (1977 or something), and 135 1967 Gas, and a 1947 and 1951 (with creeper) TEA 20's, we have a mk2 165, and MF285, lol..... .and a fiat L75 for the heavy work

i remeber the 148 as a kid, those were the days when my father had a 148,175,178,188,1100.....and a couple SAME's and a few ISEKI's..... ...he had a lot of tractors in the 80's!

the 245 i think was US sourced?....i could be wrong, i don't think there is a lot of wieght advantage, and i think they have the same brakes as the 135

my advice..... .by a late model 165..... ....later ones had improved brakes or a fiat 450dt or something..... ..(4wd)

pudding

We've ordered a 4wd Antonio Carrero spray tractor, so the main occupation for a 245 will be swinging a 3.5m wide orchard mower, weedspraying and driving a saw bench. Two of our 135's are orchardised, we'll swap the small wheels, shorter lift arms and chopped axles to the 245's. We may swap the turbo across as well depending on how things go. Then we'll probably sell the oldest 135 and the two 35's.

The 165 is an option, my father is looking at orchardising a 178 but I think that's a bit much. At the moment we've got 11 tractors, 13 hydraladders, four forklifts, three motorbikes, 2 bulldozers, an excavator and a couple of trucks. We really need to sell some stuff.

Nice site, I especially liked the lego MF. Here's my site, mainly MTB stuff, but a few pictures of home. Dougal.co.nz

sorry for the delay, kinda busy

i have rode my ATV in alexandra two or three times in that trail ride, fundraiser every december

great place, you live in a great area, i also have a good friend that lives in Alex. I used to work for a contractor in ranfurly, so i know the area pretty well

sounz like you live on quiet an orchard there..... .i guess you grow cherries??

lol..... ..you are at canty in CHCH..... i was at lincoln in CHCH, graduated oct 2001.....with B Com Ag (FM)

thanks for the kind words about the site, i seem to keep filling the domain with pictures and it is getting costly, but i am not broke yet

anyway

take it easy

pudding

Take it easy.
Cheers
Dougal