Published by Classic Tractor, June 2006.

TWO classic McCormick tractors came out of retirement in Suffolk this spring to recreate a scene that wouldn’t have been out of place 40 years ago. David Dedman, of Primrose Farm, near Hadleigh, put the 1959 McCormick International B-250 and 1969 B-275 to work pulling a set of zig-zag tooth light harrows and a grain drill to plant 13 acres of spring barley the old-fashioned way.

It wasn’t the first time that the two tractors had worked side-by-side as both had originally been bought by David’s father, Ted, to work on the family’s farm. It had been 14 or 15 years, however, since they were responsible for getting the crops in on time.

And while David still owns the B-275 – occasionally using it to cart the odd bale of hay around – the B-250 was sold several years ago to local agricultural contractor Robert Self. As David regularly works for Robert when he’s not busy on his own farm, it wasn’t a problem getting the older of the two tractors back for an honest day’s work.

But why go to the trouble of getting the old implements out at all? “That’s easy,” David told Classic Tractor: “I wanted to show my children, eight-year-old Adam and six-year-old Niamh, how things used to happen.”

What made this particular demonstration unique was the fact that all the equipment was in original condition – in its working clothes if you like. None of the machinery has had much more than routine maintenance throughout its life, and although it might not have been in pristine condition, it got the job done.

David Dedman took on the task of piloting the B-275, which was pulling a Massey Ferguson 29-7 Grain and Fertiliser Drill. The tractor was in daily use at Primrose Farm until 10 years ago and, according to David, he learned everything he knows about farming on it.

“As far as I’m concerned it will never leave the farm,” he added.

Affectionately known as Peggy, the origins of the tractor have been unfortunately been forgotten with David’s father not sure where it came from. What is clear, however, is that it carries the serial number 54621 and was originally registered as RBJ602F. It has completed 5,429 hours to date.

Apart from a replacement crown wheel and pinion many years ago, and a replacement wiring loom after a small fire while mowing hay, the tractor has had nothing but routine maintenance. It has, however, gained a Lambourne safety frame that Ted Dedman bought at a farm sale at the end of the 1970s.

Another interesting feature of David’s B-275 is its two sets of driving wheels. As well as the standard rubber tyres, Peggy also has a set of skeleton wheels that had been fitted for pulling the drill when Classic Tractor visited.

“I don’t know where they came from, but they’re excellent for this sort of work as they don’t leave any tyre tracks,” David said, adding the warning that they do tend to dig into the ground if you try to reverse too quickly.

The Massey drill is a 10-foot model with the serial number F7163. It has 15 coulters at 7.5-inch spacings. Designed to drill seed accompanied by fertiliser, the drill has a dual-hopper with the front section taking the seed.

The drill is mechanically driven from the left-hand wheel only, meaning that the drill has to run clockwise on the headlands to maintain the seed rate when turning. A pull rope – with the help of some clever engineering – is used to drop the drill into work and to lift it back out again.

Originally supplied by M Bloomfield & Sons, of Debenham, Suffolk, the Dedmans bought the drill second-hand from a local golf course.

The McCormick International B-250 carries the registration number 448CBJ and, perhaps understandably, a bit more is known about its origins. The tractor was, in fact, the first one bought by Ted Dedman for Primrose Farm and had previously been a demonstrator with dealer Ben Cooper.

“It used to do everything on the farm,” said David, “including pulling two- and three-furrow conventional ploughs to carry out all the farm’s cultivation.”

The tractor, which carries the serial number 18319, spent its whole working life with the Dedmans. It was sold to Robert Self when Ted Dedman retired in 1994, although he subsequently gave the tractor to his son, Harry, on his thirteenth birthday two years ago.

Taking the wheel for the B-250’s return to work was David’s wife Claire who, despite carrying the couple’s third child, was game enough to get into the driving seat. The tractor may well be in its 47th year, but it made light work of pulling the chain harrow.

This implement was probably the oldest in the field, most likely dating back well into horse-drawn days, but it was working as well as it did when it was new following the drill in the Dedman’s well-frosted crumbly soil.

David estimated that the old-style drill and harrow would take about four times as long to complete the 13-acre field as his modern kit, but that the exercise was well worth it. The two old McCormick tractors were an impressive site as they proudly worked the soil under the vast Suffolk sky and it would be nice to think that there might be a nice malting premium for David’s barley when it’s harvested this autumn.

THE McCormick International B-250 was quite a trailblazer when it was launched at the 1955 Smithfield Show. The automatic hitch and differential lock were considered especially noteworthy, as were the inboard disc brakes which, it was claimed, worked just as well in reverse as going forward.

The B-250 was a small tractor by today’s standards, rated at just 30hp. The power was transmitted to the rear wheels via a five-forward/one-reverse gearbox.

The tractor also boasted International’s ‘live’ hydraulics, which meant that the system was totally independent of the clutch.

The B-250 was built at McCormick International’s Bradford factory, as was the B-275 which was launched exactly three years later in December 1958.

The new tractor was pretty much identical to the B-250 other than it had eight forward and two reverse ratios by virtue of its four forward/one reverse gearbox with a high/low splitter. It also had more power with the engine uprated to 35hp.

The B-275 from McCormick International was a direct reaction to the MF35 and Dexta models from Massey Harris and Fordson, both of which boasted dual-range transmissions.

TED Dedman moved into Primrose Farm on a County Council lease in 1958. The farm was in such poor condition that he got the first year rent- and land-free in return for tidying it up. The following year he took on 65 acres of land and started farming in earnest.

The majority of the land was planted in arable crops, with a few acres in grass for a small beef herd that was kept until 1980. David Dedman took over the tenancy in 1994 when his father retired, adding an extra 35 acres at the same time.

Two years ago David got the chance to expand again and took on the house and 160 acres at the nearby Pond Hall Farm as well as part of the restructuring of Suffolk County Council’s farm estate.

David now grows wheat, oilseed rape and winter and spring barley as well as a small amount of sugar beet. An area of the farm is also given over to grassland for horses and a small livery enterprise.

While the McCormick International B-250 and B-275 were the first two tractors on the unit, a succession of more-modern machines have seen action on the farm. The B-250 was replaced with an IH374, while the next major purchase was a IH585XL in 1990. The farm’s first Case IH 4240 arrived in 1995.

The front-line tractors today are a 1992 Zetor 5211 complete with loader, a 1997 Case IH 4240 and a 2001 John Deere 6310. Both the final two are due for replacement and will probably be replaced by one, although David hasn’t decided what he wants yet.

It may seem a lot of power for 260 acres, but David uses his own tractors for his contract work with Robert Self and as well as silage and sugar beet carting, carries out about 700 acres of maize drilling each year.