The rugged and lightweight Massey Ferguson 399

Oct 13, 2016

The 399 could be a hay farmer’s favorite tractor

IN THE SHOP with Rachel

By Rachel Gingell
Farms.com

The 399 is the highest horsepower tractor in the 300 series that Massey Ferguson produced. When first introduced in 1987, the tractor had 85 horsepower (PTO). This increased in the 1989 model year to 90 horsepower. In 1991, the tractor’s horsepower increased again to 104 - where it stayed until the final year of production (which was 1997).

The tractor is built on a proven, rugged Massey Ferguson frame. The transmission and engine are very reliable. It’s easy to get parts for the Perkins engine. The straightforward design means that owners can often do repairs themselves with ordinary shop tools, resulting in big savings!

Compared to most tractors in the 80 to 100 horsepower range, the MF 399 is considerably lighter. It weighs around 7500 pounds (more or less depending on options). This is an unusual feature - depending on your intended use for the tractor, it could be just what you’ve been looking for.

Massey Ferguson 399
Photo: TractorData.com/John Smith

The MF 399 truly excels at making hay and at other applications that are heavy on PTO power. The lightweight design is especially helpful in the wet months of early spring and late fall. Compared to heavier tractors, the 399 will be far gentler on your fields. The tractor easy to haul and fun to drive. It’s a great solution for portable PTO power.

The tractor certainly has enough horsepower to handle additional weight. You can load it up with chloride in the tires and weights, and it’ll still run strong! However, if you keep this up for the lifetime of the tractor, it will put too much strain on the transmission. When shopping for a used MF 399, watch for this sort of abuse. Check all the gears in the transmission carefully, and ask the owners what sort of work the tractor has been used for.

Making hay is hot and dusty work - but the right equipment can go a long way towards making the job bearable. Next time you’re in the market for a lightweight powerhouse, check out the MF 399.

Video: Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

When was the last time you read the label on your honey?

We spent a day at Molenkamp Honey Farms with Michael Molenkamp, who has been keeping bees for 17 seasons and runs three to four thousand hives. In mid-September, he was finishing treatments and getting his bees ready for winter, and he walked us through how Alberta honey gets made.

Alberta has just 150 commercial beekeepers running 300,000 colonies, and together they produce 40% of Canada’s honey. Long summer days and golden canola fields give Alberta honey a light flavour that’s hard to match anywhere else.

Molenkamp calls Alberta beekeepers some of the most resilient farmers he knows. There’s plenty of Alberta honey to go around, but a lot on our shelves isn’t from here, so his ask is simple. Give the label a second look and choose honey made by Alberta beekeepers, or buy straight from a beekeeper near you.