Re: MF 135 vs 2135 industrial - What's the difference? Gerald? Anyone?

Posted by Gerald on April 28, 1999 at 17:58:00:

In Reply to: MF 135 vs 2135 industrial - What's the difference? Gerald? Anyone? posted by Fargo on April 28, 1999 at 11:48:34:

1. I thought the 2135 was a decade later, oh well.

My 68 MF-135 has a continental four cylinder gas engine, model Z-145. There ought to be a nameplate saying that on the engine. If three cylinder (beginning the next year) its a Perkins. The rocker arms of the Continental seem to be easily deprived of oil causing a lot of rocker arm shaft and bushing wear. A full set of new rocker arms can't be bought and though the bushings were designed to be replaceable, the originals haven't been available for a long time. I just installed a hand made set in mine on my new handmade rocker arm shaft. In the process I've cured the design ills. I don't know that my fix will run forever, though I have confidence its better than the original.

2. There's a plate near the front corner of the hydraulics cover, under the front edge of the seat. There USED to be after market hardware to add two or three valves. Mine has the three handle version where the left latching lever switches the oil to the three point or the other two auxiliary circuits. The internal system is closed center. But I understand Cross hasn't made those in a few years.

3. The loader capacity depends on the loader, front pump, and ballast on the back. The bucket of the loader I had on mine was as far from the front axle as the wheel base which made it easy to unload the back tires and make it immobile. There is a limit to what the front axle will support. Mine has been broken once.

4. I'm seeing 135 with loader go up to $6500. Too much demand for estate tractors (though I shouldn't complain, I'm getting mine ready to sell). 7000 hours if true (and there's no laws against tachometer tampering or neglect of tachomoter connections), that's quite a lot of hours, but survivable and rebuildable.

5. The 2135 is lighter than the D-17 and 31 years old, its possible to need as much regular work as the D-17. I helped my loader a great deal (it was a MF-236 a bit heavy for the 135) by putting wide front tires on 8" wide rims. I went to 11L-16, and that helped a great deal. Keeps the narrow tire from sinking into ruts.

Weak power steering can be as simple as a need for fluid (its separate from the other hydraulics) to a worn pump or broken power steering cylinder rod. Mine got that way, MF wanted $472 for the assembly, but a local machinist made a new piston and rod for less than $125. Its power assist, no where near the power steering of the JD 4020.
There's no syncros in my 12 speed transmission, just the Multipower (ala IH TA).

Three point moving without jerk is progress. Likely if the engine oil is dirty, the transmission oil is equally dirty. Dirty engine oil could come from being at the end of the oil change interval or from a worn out float valve that's letting it run rich... Or neglect.

The control arm for the differential lock gets buried in mud on the front of the axle. And the clamp bolt gets loose so the spring (which is supposed to be outside) doesn't pull the sprag clutch out of lock.

I suppose one could look at casting or assembly numbers to compare 2135 with 135 parts in the 135 parts book though my parts book doesn't mention a 2135.

Gerald

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