The Massey Ferguson GC2400: Small Tractor, Big Jobs

In 2010, John and Beth Barth of Bushnell, Fla., realized they needed a tractor to maintain their land and tend to their grove of olive trees. “We didn’t really know what to buy,” John says. “We wanted a small tractor.”

The Barths drove to Brooksville, Fla., 30 minutes away and purchased a shiny red GC2400. “We knew it was a good name,” says John of the Massey Ferguson® brand. They also purchased a rotary cutter, a front-end loader, a potato puller and a disk for all the needs on their property.

John Barth on the GC2400.

In the five-plus years the Barths have owned the tractor, John has put more than 285 hours on the machine. “I’ve spent hundreds of hours with the front-end loader, moving wood chips, soil and driveway stone,” he says, noting it’s a small but powerful tractor, especially considering he uses it to maintain 10 acres.

“It’s not a big machine,” John explains, “but it’s perfect. It’s quick; that’s one of the nice things about it. The tractor gets around the front yard and house real fast.”

John also cites comfort. “It’s saved my back a million times,” he says.

“The tractor has been a godsend, a blessing for us,” John adds. “It always runs! That’s the main thing. Our tractor has been a very, very good thing for us.”

For their full story, see Liquid Gold: Growing Olives in the Sunshine State.