TE20 Comes Home

The original Ferguson TE20 used by the conservationist Sir Peter Scott to landscape his world-famous bird sanctuary at Slimbridge in the UK has been fully restored and is now on display at the site thanks to support from Massey Ferguson.

Barry George, WWT Slimbridge’s resident mechanic, carried out the full restoration on Sir Peter Scott’s tractor and was delighted to find out that just how many original parts are still available for the 60-year-old machine.

Sir Peter, son of Antarctic explorer Robert Scott, bought the TE20 in 1950 and used it personally for all kinds of duties when he first set up the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Reserve (WWT) in Gloucestershire.

In 2009, an owner of a local garage discovered the tractor being stored on a nearby farm and bought it. When staff from Slimbridge heard about the discovery, he agreed to sell it back to them. Massey Ferguson funded the purchase and also provided parts through its 10+ programme to help restore the machine to working order.

Said Nick Rew, Parts Marketing Manager: “We were very pleased to help WWT Slimbridge. The parallels are obvious – just as Sir Peter Scott was a pioneer of world conservation, Harry Ferguson – the tractor’s designer – changed farm machinery forever with his revolutionary design.”

Have you nursed an old Massey Ferguson tractor back to good health?