From Vision to Reality – One-of-a-Kind Massey Ferguson 8S Tractor on a Norfolk Farm

An extremely distinctive Massey Ferguson 8S.225 tractor chosen by a south Norfolk-based farmer and contractor has attracted considerable interest from local farmers and tractor enthusiasts since it was delivered to the farm by the Thurlow Nunn Standen (TNS) Attleborough depot team last autumn.

 

The 8S.225 Dyna-VT, which is completely black with gold detailing, was prepared in the new MF by You studio at Massey Ferguson’s Beauvais factory. MF by You allows customers to personalise almost any special finish, equipment or accessories in addition to the more usual items from the price list, and these are fitted by the factory-based team ensuring full manufacturer approval and cover under the MF warranty.

 

“I used tractors of a competitor brand before, but when MF by You became available last year then the TNS Area Sales Manager at that time, Simon Pink, and the MF Regional Sales Manager, Ben Hockley realised that there might be an opportunity to sell me a Massey Ferguson instead,” explained owner John Nurse. “My previous tractor was customised and so is my telescopic handler, and the new MF by You studio made it much easier for them to supply a tractor with whatever finish and specification that I wanted.”

 

Farming and contracting

Trading as John Nurse Farming, John set up his high welfare pig rearing enterprise approximately 10 years ago when he purchased a site near Harleston. There is too much work for one person, so an experienced full-time pigman is employed, and John contributes the extra labour when needed while the rest of the time he provides a contracting service to local farmers using his main tractor and does digger work.

Impressive cab

The new Massey Ferguson 8S is used mainly for applying waste water to arable stubbles and grassland through a 4,000-gallon tanker and dribble bar. It also performs a wide range of arable field tasks including heavy cultivations and drilling. “The cab is the best of any tractor I’ve used,” commented John. “Its size, the all-around visibility, the smooth ride, the low noise levels and the exceptionally high standard of finish all contribute to making it a great place to spend the day. The controls are well laid out, and it’s got the technology I need to work accurately in the field and ensure the correct amount of slurry is applied.”

 

John chose Dyna-VT infinitely variable transmission. “It means I can achieve the ideal speed and engine revs for any task, and it’s an advantage when travelling on the road as I can pull away from junctions in heavy traffic without having to shift through the gears. For arable field work it reduces the workload during headland turns, and it’s always incredibly smooth.”

Bespoke finish

John’s 8S.225 is finished completely in black, apart from the gold decals and badges. Massey Ferguson offers an 8S Black Edition option from the factory, but this has grey cab trims, steps and wheels, whereas John wanted his tractor to have these in black too. He specified Nokian Tractor King tyres which give an exceptionally smooth ride at higher transport speeds but provide plenty of grip for heavy draft work in the field. “When we went through the specification we just ticked all the boxes, apart from a front PTO as they were out of stock with a long waiting list at that time,” he explained. “I was told that my tractor cab had to be removed from the assembly line during manufacture to achieve the finish I’d specified, and the steps were made specially with black colouring in the plastic mix, rather than painting them after.

“My own trading logo is in gold which is why I wanted gold decals too.”

 

All the lights are LEDs rather than the standard mix of halogen and LED. Other accessories sourced and supplied by the dealer included customised roof bars, and a front linkage-mounted Agribumper.

Gold decals for tanker

The Major tanker was already on the farm and had also been supplied through TNS. “When Major heard about my tractor, the company had gold and black decals made up for my tanker to match, and that was exceptional customer service,” stressed John.

 

Easy to order

John said that between the TNS team and Massey Ferguson’s MF by You studio, it proved relatively straightforward to get what he wanted. “Ordering it was easy. The difficult part was explaining exactly what I wanted as it was just my vision,” he explained. “But when I saw the tractor for the first time displayed on the Massey Ferguson stand at the Royal Highland Show I was absolutely delighted. Soon after, it arrived at TNS where the final few accessories were fitted, and then it came to my farm ready to work.”

Proud of the tractor

John usually keeps his tractors until the manufacturer warranty expires and then updates them, but he said he is already torn over what to do with his 8S and doesn’t think he will want to sell it.

“Even though we have a busy pig farm and spend so much time spreading dirty water, I’m meticulous regarding maintenance and keep it clean inside and out,” he confirmed. “I’m very proud of my black and gold 8S.225 and believe that if we do eventually trade it in then we should get most of the additional cost back, as it is so distinctive.

“I realise that it isn’t to everyone’s tastes, and there are plenty of MF enthusiasts locally who tell me that the only correct colour for an MF tractor is red. However, most are very complimentary and I’ve had many requests from charity tractor run organisers to join their events. The TNS team members are proud of it too, although I’m sure that those doing the servicing are extra careful not to mark the decals or paintwork or leave hand marks on the panels or in the cab!”

 

Asked about the additional cost to prepare the tractor, John said that it was significant yet surprisingly reasonable. “I enjoy using it and I’m proud of what the MF and TNS teams created based on my vision, so to me it represents good value. It’s everything I want in a tractor from its distinctive appearance to the superb cab. It pulls well and handles heavy cultivators and the large tanker with ease. It’s a great package and I’m already considering replacing my telehandler with a customised machine from TNS when it’s due for updating.”