Technical register for agricultural, construction and commercial machinery · sourced data

Massey Harris 20

Built: 1946-1948 · Series: Other models

More machines from model year 1946

The Massey Harris 20 is a tractor built in 1946-1948.

It runs on petrol or kerosene; the engine is water-cooled. It was replaced by the Massey-Harris 22.

Massey Harris – other models: collective page of tractors outside the named ranges, from the Big Bull to the Pony and Pacer, 8.2 to 34 kW, kerosene, petrol and diesel engines

This page gathers the Massey Harris tractors the register could not assign to a named range – from early large tractors such as the Big Bull to the compact post-war Pony and Pacer models. Massey Harris was formed in 1891 from the merger of the Canadian farm-equipment makers Massey and Harris in Toronto, before the company merged in 1953 with Harry Ferguson's tractor firm to form Massey-Ferguson. TWIN POWER-CHALLENGER and TWIN POWER-PACEMAKER refer to the engageable two-speed PTO reduction. The entry TE-A-20 belongs to the licence-built Ferguson TE-20, briefly sold under the Massey name too in the transitional years after the merger.

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The register lists here 29 versions with 8.2 to 34 kW from two- to six-cylinder engines of 1,021 to 11,403 cm³, unladen weights of 857 to 5,352 kg, lengths of 2,520 to 4,394 mm, widths of 1,422 to 2,075 mm and heights of 1,346 to 2,080 mm; rated speeds range from 750 to 1,800 rpm. Engines came from Massey Harris itself, from Continental and Perkins, and from Chrysler; many early models were started on petrol and switched to cheaper kerosene once warm.

Between the world wars and through the 1940s Massey Harris was among the leading tractor makers of North America and Britain; the sturdy Pony and Pacer tractors served as affordable entry models and were exported to Europe too. The merger into Massey-Ferguson in 1953 ended independent model development.

When buying used, the condition of the cooling system and head gasket, rust on the mudguards and toolbox, and the function of the mechanical PTO and belt pulley matter most. Parts for Massey Harris engines often overlap with early Massey-Ferguson and Ferguson stock; wiring and the carburettor are the most common weak points on the older petrol and kerosene models.

Sources: SpecCodex register, model data: Massey Harris (weitere Modelle)

Technical data

Engine

Fuelgasoline or kerosenecorrect
Coolingwater-cooledcorrect

Drivetrain and chassis

Driverear-wheel driveWDcorrect

Origin and approval

PlantCanadacorrect

Other data

List price when newC$1450correct
SuccessorMassey-Harris 22correct

Frequently asked questions

When was the Massey Harris 20 built?

Production years: 1946-1948.

What to check before buying

  • Check the hour meter against the service records — a replaced instrument is the most common gap.
  • Compare the data plate and chassis number with the papers.
  • Load the hydraulics and watch for sag.
  • Ask about parts availability for this build year — the running costs hang on it.

A general list for this type of machine — no substitute for an inspection or an appraiser.

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This page carries 8 individual figures for this model. They come from 1 recorded source; every figure can be traced there. What we cannot document is not here — we leave gaps open rather than estimate them.

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Sources: Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki (retrieved August 2026) · How we check the data

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