Reviews, Tractors

Massey Ferguson 5455 review | Top Tractor Shootout 2014 – Winner of Best Engine

At this year’s Shoot Out the judges learned more about the MF 5455 and were not disappointed by its pulling power combined with its simple and robust design. Jaiden Drought writes.

Full list of Top Tractor Shoot Out 2014 reviews

Second in our line-up of high-end farmer tractors was the Massey Ferguson 5455, fitted with a Stoll loader.

Dave Cameron, from Piako Tractors in Morrinsville, was on hand to give us a tour of the Massey’s many attractions, including the trusty Perkins engine, intuitive Dyna 4 transmission and, for increased comfort, the optional cab suspension.

 

 

CONTENTS

Build quality

Engine and Transmission

Cab and controls

Linkage and Hydraulics

Performance

Serviceability

Verdict and Awards

Specificatiions

 

MASSEY FERGUSON 5455 BUILD QUALITY

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Overall, the Massey has a top quality feel to it, the cab is light in colour and well put together, and the way the bonnet is sloped and curved was immaculately finished.

The large rear guards and sturdy front fenders mean the mud (or dust, in our case) is kept at bay.

Small things, like the little rubber plugs for the rear hydraulic couplers and small mirrors, let the machine down a little. Otherwise, top marks in this department.

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MASSEY FERGUSON 5455 ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION

The test 112hp (82.4kW) (125hp [92kW] boosted) MF 5455 obtains its get up and go from the 4 cylinder, four-valve, common-rail Perkins Tier 3 engine.

All 4 cylinder models (including the 5455) feature a ‘cross-flow’ cylinder head, which improves combustion, giving lower fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The 13hp (9.6kW) engine transport boost feature allows larger towing capacity and improved up-hill performance (which is important with only four splitters).

The only negative feature about the engine is its transport boost, which provides extra power and torque when the tractor is in third or fourth gear on the road, but unlike most other brands, it does not offer the boost feature during PTO work.

The Dyna 4 transmission gives four-speed Dynashift (powershift) changes in each of the four gears, giving you a 16-speed transmission, with the duplicate in reverse, all via the stubby little T-shaped gearstick.

The power control lever allows you to forward/reverse shuttle and powershift change up and down (both forward and reverse), which leaves the right hand free to operate the loader or implement. The lever is both extremely easy to use and lightweight, and a simple flick up or down easily changes through the powershift gears.

Overall, we found the Dyna 4 transmission very easy to use and the ability to transfer through all 16 gears without having to use the clutch is a huge advantage for any application.

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MASSEY FERGUSON 5455 CAB AND CONTROLS

The Massey Ferguson was one of three tractors with the six-pillar cab, which may be considered ‘older styling’, but the judges felt that while sitting in the driver’s seat you get a very clear view of what’s going on around you.

Massey has stuck with the curved rear side windows, which provide good sideways visibility, and a small sight window at the rear of the cab provided one of the clearest linkage and rear hydraulic visibilities of all the tractors we tested.

Most will be familiar with the 5400 Series cab as it’s been around since 2008 and controls are a mixture of large analogue and small digital readouts.

The controls are well located, clustered all on the right-hand side of the tractor with large selective control valves (SCVs) levers located high and comfortable to use along with switches for four-wheel drive, diff-lock, and power take-off (PTO) operation.

When operating the Massey it felt like this machine had a split personality — some things are genius and others not so.

We felt the ELC (electronic linkage control) was located quite low compared to the seat and the depth control dial was a little awkward to operate if doing repetitive movements.

Active transport control (ATC) is a shock-absorbing system that works to reduce bouncing, particularly with heavy linkage-mounted implements, and this combined with the cab suspension was noticeable driving across the very bumpy ground.

We all felt small things let the Massey down in the user-friendliness department, like small wing mirrors, a fiddly handbrake that beeped at you, and the rear wiper and motor were located at eye level, which badly obstructed the view to the rear.

Overall the cab is a pleasant and comfortable place to spend a day, with a bright and roomy feel to it and a smart transmission.

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MASSEY FERGUSON 5455 LINKAGE AND HYDRAULICS

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The 5,000kg lift capacity is not class leading by any means however, it will be more than sufficient for almost anything operators throw at it, given these tractors are targeted towards the livestock sector rather than contractor market.

The linkage was a little fiddly to operate from in the cab when hitching the power harrow, although the buttons on the mudguards worked very well.

We liked how the rear of the tractor was uncluttered, allowing you to adjust and mount implements.

When large oil-flow rates are needed, a 100-litre ‘combined’ flow is available.

A bright blue switch in the cab allows the operator to achieve the 100 litres per minute oil flow by combining the tractor’s two hydraulic pumps.

Once the switch is activated, the three-point linkage is locked and the higher flow is available for either faster loader operation or constant flow for large rear implements.

The major downside with the hydraulics was, of the three remotes, only one had float and only one had the external flow adjuster, which again left it trailing the pack.

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MASSEY FERGUSON 5455 PERFORMANCE

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At the PTO, it performed closer to its rated horsepower than any of the other contenders, which is impressive for a new tractor.

The Massey wasn’t the heaviest tractor but the power harrow never felt like a struggle behind it and, just like the torque curve shown on the dyno, its ease with the power harrow was more proof of how perky the Perkins is.

We felt this machine performed well at loading, primarily due to the power control lever.

The Stoll loader came with a large bucket, which meant we weren’t tea spooning it into the trailer and with the adjustable shuttle, all four judges could vary the take up for their personal preference.

The sloped-nose version of this machine is also available, which combined with the Dynashift and adjustable shuttle is up there with the best loader tractor in terms of visibility and ease of use that money can buy.

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MASSEY FERGUSON 5455 SERVICEABILITY

The Massey’s 500-hour engine and 1,000-hour trans intervals sat right along the median line for the group. The large one-piece bonnet allows easy access for regular maintenance and servicing.

The radiator is mounted on a slight angle, which is genius as it allows you to get in there to remove debris without jamming your hand between that and the intercooler, like on most other brands.

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THE VERDICT

This tractor is perfectly suited for any farmer who wants a simple machine that is well built and offers high levels of operator comfort. The strong heritage of the Massey Ferguson brand cannot be ignored, although, with these tractors, it’s brilliant one minute and brain explosion the next.

Stand-out features for the judges include the engine, which came closest to its rated power out of all the tractors we tested.

This carried through to excellent torque levels on the power harrow in the concrete (er, I mean soil) at the Grasslandz event, making this the clear winner for the Best Engine category.

Top Tractor Shoot Out 2014 Awards Won:

 

Best Engine

 

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MASSEY FERGUSON 5455 SPECIFICATIONS

Make/model: Massey Ferguson 5455

Engine: Perkins 4 cylinder, turbocharged with intercooler

Max. output: 112hp (82.4kW) (125hp [92kW] with transport boost)

PTO Dyno: 110hp (80.9kW)

Transmission: Dyna 4 16×16

No. of powershift: Four speeds, four ranges

Hydraulic flow: 57 litres per minute or 100 litres per minute with combined flow

PTO speeds: 540 / 540E/ 1,000 / 1,000E

Rear lift capacity: 5,000kg

Fuel tank capacity: 130 litres

Service intervals: 400hr engine / 1,200hr transmission

Price as tested (incl. loader): $122,000

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For the full test report, get a copy of NewFarmMachinery magazine issue 11, on-sale July 14. Subscribe to the magazine to never miss an issue.

 

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