The Attachment Guide: 12 Ways Your Massey Ferguson Tractor Can Work Around a Smallholding

On a smallholding, the same tractor might top fields in the morning, move logs at lunchtime and sweep the yard in the evening. With the right Massey Ferguson tractor accessories and a well-chosen tractor model, one machine really can do nearly everything.

In this guide we’ll look at:

• Which Massey Ferguson tractor models suit different sizes of smallholding
• 12 practical ways attachments for Massey Ferguson tractors can help around the place
• The essential maintenance parts to keep your Ferguson tractor implements working, not waiting on spares

1. Choosing the Right Massey Ferguson Tractor for a Smallholding

Before we talk attachments, it helps to match the tractor to the job. Here’s a simple way to think about it.

1. A) Small gardens & grass paddocks (1–5 acres)

Best fit: sub-compact / small compact tractors (around 23–25 hp)

Think of these as very capable lawn tractors with proper 3-point linkage and PTO. Great examples are the MF 1GC-type compact tractors.

They’re ideal if you mainly need:

• Lawn and paddock mowing
• Light topping
• Small trailer work
• Yard sweeping and light loader jobs

These work brilliantly with Massey Ferguson compact tractor attachments like small toppers, flails, brushes and log splitters.

1. B) Typical mixed smallholding (5–20 acres)

Best fit: 30–60 hp compact tractors with loader – the “sweet spot” for many small farms.

This is where MF 1800 and MF 2800 series-type compacts shine:

• Enough weight and power for a 5–6 ft topper or flail
• Strong loaders for mucking out, pallet forks and bale handling (within reason)
• Option of cab for comfort in all weathers

If you want a single tractor to do a bit of everything, this range with good Massey Ferguson attachments is a very safe bet.

1. C) Larger or rougher ground (15+ acres, hay making, slopes)

Best fit: 70 hp class utility tractors

For bigger jobs, look at MF 4700/4707-type utility tractors:

• Heavier chassis for hay kit, muck spreaders and heavy trailers
• Still compact enough to work in yards and around buildings
• Comfortable cabs for longer hours

Pair them with heavier Massey Ferguson tractor implements – wider mowers, larger toppers, more substantial loaders – and you’ve got a “proper” farm tractor that still suits a serious smallholding.

Simple rule of thumb

• Under 5 acres: small compact tractor
• 5–15 acres: 30–50 hp compact with loader
• 15+ acres and hay: 60–80 hp utility

Once you know roughly where you sit, you can choose the accessories for Massey Ferguson tractor models that make the most sense for your land.

2. 12 Ways Attachments Turn One Tractor into a Full Team

Now, onto the fun part: what your tractor can actually do with the right kit. These are practical, everyday jobs where Ferguson attachments really earn their keep.

1. Topping rough grass and rushes

A pasture topper or rotary mower:

• Knocks back weeds and rushes
• Keeps pony paddocks tidy
• Stops grass going tall and stemmy

For many owners, a topper is the first of their attachments for Massey Ferguson tractors.

2. Neatening path edges and verges

A flail or verge mower is brilliant for those unruly bits:

• Track and lane edges
• Around fence lines
• Light ditch banks

Compact models are perfect Massey Ferguson compact tractor attachments for small gateways and tight corners.

3. Keeping tracks and yards level

A rear blade or land leveller:

• Pulls stone back into potholes
• Levels gateways after winter poaching
• Dresses drives and lanes

Simple Massey Ferguson tractor accessories like these can transform rough tracks with just a few passes.

4. Carrying everything with a transport box

A three-point transport box is the smallholder’s best friend:

• Logs, feed bags, fencing posts
• Tools, water barrels, bags of fertiliser
• Muck, hedge cuttings, rubbish for the tip

It’s one of those Massey Ferguson tractor accessories that ends up living on the back most of the year.

5. Lifting with a front loader and pallet forks

Add pallet forks to a loader and suddenly you can:

• Unload palletised feed and bedding
• Move IBCs and water tanks
• Stack timber and materials

On compact tractors, light forks are ideal Massey Ferguson tractor attachments for tight yards and low sheds.

6. Splitting logs the easy way

A PTO or hydraulic log splitter:

• Splits rings at a comfortable working height
• Handles knotty timber that laughs at an axe
• Let’s you process a winter’s worth of firewood in good time

If you own woodland or burn solid fuel, this quickly becomes a favourite among your Massey Ferguson attachments.

7. Chipping branches and hedge cuttings

A PTO chipper:

• Turns branches into mulch for paths and beds
• Reduces brush piles to a few bags of chips
• Cuts down on bonfires and waste

Great for hedgerows, orchards and windblown trees.

8. Sweeping yards, lanes and driveways

A yard brush or rotary sweeper:

• Clears loose bedding and dust in front of sheds
• Sweeps leaves from driveways
• Cleans up grit and debris after winter

These Massey Ferguson tractor implements keep hard areas safe and tidy with far less manual sweeping.

9. Spreading fertiliser and seed

A fertiliser spinner helps you:

• Apply fertiliser evenly to paddocks
• Broadcast grass seed when overseeding
• Spread other granules (always follow label guidance)

Even on a few acres, accurate spreading saves money and improves sward quality.

10. Harrowing for healthier grass

Chain or spring-tine harrows:

• Break up and spread dung pats
• Scarify moss and dead thatch
• Freshen up poached or compacted paddocks

Simple Massey Ferguson tractor attachments that can really lift grassland condition.

11. Digging post holes

A post-hole auger:

• Drills neat, consistent post holes
• Tackles tough or stony ground
• Speeds up fencing, gate hanging and orchard planting

Huge time-saver if you’re doing a lot of fencing on your smallholding.

12. Handling muck and manure

With the right Massey Ferguson tractor accessories:

• Muck forks and grabs load trailers and spreaders
• Manure spreaders return nutrients to the land
• Buckets clean out sheds and yards

Good muck management keeps everything cleaner and makes best use of what your animals produce.

3. Maintenance Matters: Parts to Keep Your Attachments Working

Once you’ve invested in attachments for Massey Ferguson tractors, you want them ready to go when the weather and your availability line up. That’s where a small shelf of maintenance parts is worth its weight in gold.

Here’s a sensible, smallholding-friendly list.

1. A) PTO and driveline spares

Most powered Massey Ferguson attachments depend on the PTO shaft, so keep:

• Spare PTO shear bolts (correct grade and size)
• 1x universal joint kit for your common shaft type
• A good PTO guard or replacement guard ends if yours gets damaged
• A couple of safety chains and yokes pins

If the PTO is healthy, toppers, flails, chippers and log splitters can all keep earning their keep.

1. B) Blades, flails, tines & edges

For cutting and ground-engaging implements, stock:

• Topper blades and blade bolts
• A few spare flails / hammers for flail mowers
• Bale tines and nuts if you handle bales
• Harrow tines and clamps (if you use spring-tine harrows)
• Replacement rubber or steel cutting edges for yard scrapers and rear blades

These are the components that wear fastest on your Massey Ferguson tractor implements.

1. C) Belts, chains and hydraulics

Driven equipment like mowers, finishers and chippers often use belts or chains. Keep:

• One full set of drive belts for each belt-driven implement (label the sizes!)
• A few chain links and joining links
• Common-length hydraulic hoses and spare quick-release couplers
• A small O-ring kit for hydraulic leaks

That way, a minor leak or snapped belt doesn’t write off a perfect working day.

1. D) Pins, clips and linkage bits

You can never have too many:

• Top link pins (Cat. I & II)
• Lower link pins
• Assorted linch pins, R-clips and clevis pins
• Stabiliser parts or check chains

These tiny, cheap items are vital for attaching your Massey Ferguson tractor accessories safely and securely.

1. E) Oils, grease & general consumables

Finally, keep the basics:

• Grease cartridges / tubs for all those nipples
• Gear oil for topper and auger gearboxes
• Hydraulic oil if you run splitters or attachments with their own system
• Assorted nuts, bolts and washers (M10–M16 covers most things)

Grease and oil are often the difference between attachments lasting “a few seasons” and “many years”.

4. Bringing It All Together

A well-chosen tractor plus the right Massey Ferguson tractor accessories can turn your smallholding routine from hard slog into smooth, efficient work:

• Pick a tractor size that matches your acres and heaviest jobs
• Add a core set of Massey Ferguson tractor attachments – topper or flail, transport box, loader with forks, yard brush, log splitter, harrows, spinner, and so on
• Keep a compact maintenance kit so your Massey Ferguson compact tractor attachments and larger implements are always ready to go

Do that, and one tractor can mow, sweep, lift, dig, split, spread and tidy – becoming the most versatile worker on your smallholding, seven days a week.

Browse and Buy parts to maintain your tractor and implements on our online shop here. 

Have a query and would like to speak directly to a member of team? Please Contact Us.