It all started in 1847, when Canadian
farmer Daniel Massey opened a machine shop that grew to earn an
outstanding reputation. In 1891, the Massey Company merged with its primary competitor,
a farm equipment manufacturing firm founded by Alanson Harris. The new Massey Harris Company eventually moved into power
farming equipment, which in turn led to its interest in Ferguson
tractors. These
revolutionary machines used an innovative, patented hitch and
hydraulic system developed by England’s Harry Ferguson in the
1920s.
A merger
negotiated in 1953 created Massey-Harris-Ferguson, Ltd., which was later
shortened to Massey Ferguson. This merger ensured
worldwide acceptance of the revolutionary Ferguson System of weight
transfer, which made it possible for small, lightweight tractors to
achieve the performance of tractors twice their size.
Massey Ferguson tractors are still built on
the principles of excellence and innovation that Daniel Massey,
Alanson Harris and Harry Ferguson all embraced over a century and a
half ago. Millions
have proven themselves in worldwide use. A Massey
Ferguson tractor is now sold every
three and one-half minutes around the clock
throughout the workweek. And Massey
Ferguson has been the world’s best selling tractor
brand every year since 1962.
