Massey Ferguson MF 9S — The Tractor That Ended 40 Years of Deere Loyalty at a Retirement Auction

The gravel crunches under 200 pairs of boots. It’s November in southern Iowa. The sky is flat gray. The wind cuts across open corn stubble and wraps around the crowd gathered in a farmard that hasn’t seen this many people since the county fair in 1987. This is a retirement auction. And it’s not just any retirement auction.

Harold Brenamman is selling everything. six John Deere tractors, a 9620R, an 8370R, a 7290R, a 6155M, a 575E, and a 4440 that Harold’s father bought new in 1979, the year Harold graduated high school and came back to the farm full-time. 43 years of green iron. All of it lined up in a perfect row along the gravel drive, freshly washed, tires dressed, paint gleaming under the weak November sun.

Harold stands near the bed of a flatbed trailer where the auctioneer is setting up his microphone. He’s 72 years old. He wears a deer cap, a carhe heart jacket, and boots so worn the leather has cracked into permanent creases. His hands are in his pockets. His face is blank. He’s not selling because he wants to. He’s selling because his heart gave out in a cornrow last April and his cardiologist told him if he didn’t step back the next time would be the last time.

His son Nathan is taking over the operation. Nathan is 46. He farms 1200 acres of corn and soybeans. He runs cow calf on another 300. He’s been working alongside his father since he was 14 years old. And today, Nathan Brenamman is about to do something his father will never forgive him for. The deer line up. The auctioneer starts with the smaller equipment, a disc, a field cultivator, a set of grain wagons.

The crowd is polite. Hands go up. Numbers climb steadily. Nothing dramatic, but everyone knows what they’re really here for. The tractors. When the auctioneer moves to the iron, the energy shifts. People stop talking. They put their phones away. They step closer. The first tractor across the block is the 4440. It’s 45 years old.

It has 11,000 hours on the meter. The paint is faded, but the machine is tight. Harold rebuilt the engine himself in 2003. It starts on the first turn every time, even at 15 below. Bidding opens at 12,000. Within 90 seconds, it’s at 28. A farmer from two counties over wins it at $31,500. Harold doesn’t smile, but his shoulders relax slightly. The 5075E goes next.

then the 6155M. Then the 7290R. Each one sells strong. The crowd is respectful. Harold’s reputation is solid. Everyone knows he maintained his equipment like it was part of the family. When the 8370R crosses the block, a 370 horsepower machine with 4,000 hours and a full service history, the bidding gets aggressive.

It opens at 90,000. It climbs to 120, then 140, then 165. A dealer from Missouri wins it at $173,000. Harold takes his cap off, wipes his forehead, puts the cap back on. Nathan stands 20 ft away, arms crossed, watching. He hasn’t bid once. The 9620R, the final tractor in the deer lineup, is the 9620R. It’s a 620 horsepower machine with tracks, GPS, auto steer, and every technology package John Deere offered in 2019 when Harold bought it new.

It cost him $485,000. He’s put 2,000 hours on it. It’s the crown jewel of the sale. The auctioneer climbs onto the flatbed. His voice booms across the yard. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the one you’ve been waiting for. 2019 John Deere 9620R. 620 horsepower tracks full precision a 2,000 hours.

This machine has pulled everything Harold Brenamman owns and it’s never missed a day. The crowd tightens. Phones come out. People start recording. We’re going to open this at $200,000. Three hands go up immediately. 210 220 230. The bidding moves fast. 250 270 290. At 300,000 two biders drop out. At 3:20, it’s down to a dealer from Nebraska and a farmer from northern Missouri.

330, 340, 3:45, The Missouri farmer shakes his head and steps back. The Nebraska dealer wins it at $347,000. The crowd applauds. Harold nods once. The auctioneer wipes his face with a handkerchief and grins. That’s how you run a retirement sale, folks. But the sale isn’t over. The Massie Ferguson. At the far end of the equipment line, partially hidden behind a grain cart, sits a tractor that wasn’t in the auction flyer. It’s red.

Massie Ferguson MF9S425, 425 horsepower, stage V engine, full CVT transmission, suspended front axle, LED light package, GPS ready. It’s a demo unit. The local Massie Ferguson dealer brought it to the sale that morning and asked the auctioneer if he could run it through as a lot. The dealer’s been trying to move it for 6 weeks.

He figured a crowd like this might generate interest. Harold didn’t know it was going to be there. When he saw it roll onto the property at 7 that morning, he walked up to the dealer and said, “You’re wasting your time.” The dealer just smiled. Now, with the deer iron sold and the crowd still buzzing, the auctioneer gestures toward the back of the lot.

All right, folks. We’ve got one more machine here. This is a dealer consignment. Massie Ferguson MF9s425 demo unit 400 hours full factory warranty. Stage V emissions. And for those of you who know that means simpler deaf system, less regen, better fuel economy. A few people in the crowd shift. Most of them don’t move.

This is a deer crowd. We’re going to open this one at 250,000. Silence. 250. Anyone at 250? Nothing. All right. How about 225? A hand goes up near the back. It’s Nathan Brenamman. Harold’s head snaps toward his son. The auctioneer doesn’t hesitate. 225. I’ve got 225. Do I hear 230? No response. 2:30. 230 anywhere. The crowd is quiet.

The auctioneer scans the yard. All right, we’re going once at 225, twice at 225. He raises the gavvel. Sold. $225,000 to the gentleman in the back. Nathan lowers his hand. Harold doesn’t look at him. He turns and walks toward the house. The silence. The auction wraps up 30 minutes later. People shake Harold’s hand.

They tell him he ran a good sale. They tell him the equipment brought strong money. They tell him he should be proud. Harold thanks them, but his eyes are somewhere else. Nathan handles the paperwork for the Massie Ferguson with the dealer. He arranges transport for the following Tuesday. He signs the financing agreement. He shakes the dealer’s hand.

When he walks back toward the house, the crowd has thinned. His father is sitting on the porch steps. Nathan stops 10 ft away. We need to talk about this, Nathan says. Harold doesn’t look up. No, we don’t. Dad, you just bought a red tractor at my retirement sale. It’s a good machine. It’s not a deer. Nathan’s jaw tightens.

I know it’s not a deer. Then what the hell were you thinking? Nathan takes a breath. I was thinking I need a machine I can afford to run. I was thinking I need something that doesn’t spend half the spring in the shop. I was thinking you were thinking you know better than 40 years of experience.

I was thinking I have to make this work with the numbers I’ve got. Harold finally looks at him. You just humiliated me in front of 200 people. Nathan doesn’t respond. Harold stands. I’m done talking. He walks into the house and shuts the door. Nathan stands in the yard for a long time. Then he gets in his truck and drives home.

The first week, the Massie Ferguson MF9s pipe 425 is delivered to Nathan’s farm on a Tuesday morning. It rolls off the trailer and into the machine shed next to a 7210R John Deere that Nathan bought used 3 years ago. The 7210R has been reliable. It’s a 210 horsepower machine. It handles tillage and light field work without complaint.

But Nathan needs more horsepower. He farms 1,200 acres, 600 corn, 600 beans. He also runs a custom bailing operation in the summer, 1,800 acres of hay across four neighboring farms. The MF9s is built for that kind of workload. Nathan spends the first two days going through the operator’s manual, setting up the CVT, calibrating the GPS, and running the tractor through basic diagnostics.

Everything checks out. On Thursday, he hooks the Massie Ferguson to a 12 row Kins planter and pulls it into a 160 acre field that needs cover crop seeding before winter. The tractor settles into the work immediately. The CVT transmission is smooth. The engine doesn’t labor. The fuel consumption is lower than Nathan expected, nearly 20% better than the 9620R his father ran on the same field last spring.

By the end of the day, Nathan has covered 80 acres. No issues, no warning lights, no regen cycles. He shuts the tractor down at sunset, climbs out, and stands in the field for a minute. He pulls out his phone. He thinks about calling his father. He doesn’t. The neighbor Nathan’s farm sits three miles east of Harold’s Place. Between the two properties is a 900 acre operation owned by a man named Carl Dietrich. Carl is 64.

He’s run deer equipment his entire life. He and Harold have been friends for 30 years. They trade labor during harvest. They share equipment when something breaks. They drink coffee together every Sunday after church. Carl heard about the auction. He heard about the Massie Ferguson. And on a Saturday morning in mid- November, Carl drives over to Nathan’s place unannounced.

Nathan is in the shop changing oil on the 7210R. Carl walks in without knocking. Heard you bought a red tractor. Nathan wipes his hands on a rag. Word travels fast. Your dad’s not talking to you. I know. Carl crosses his arms. You realize what you did, right? I bought a tractor. You bought a tractor that isn’t a deer at your father’s retirement sale.

In front of everyone, Nathan sets the rag down. I bought a tractor I can afford to operate. That’s not how it looked. I don’t care how it looked. Carl’s expression hardens. You should care. Your dad built his reputation on that green iron. People respect him because he runs good equipment and he takes care of it. You just told everyone that wasn’t good enough. Nathan’s voice stays level.

I told everyone I’m running my own operation now and I’m making my own decisions. Carl shakes his head. You’re making a mistake. Maybe that Massie is going to break down and when it does, you’re going to wish you’d listened. Nathan doesn’t respond. Carl turns and walks out. Nathan stands in the shop for a long time. Then he goes back to work.

Winter December passes. January passes. Nathan doesn’t see his father. Harold doesn’t call. Nathan’s mother calls once in early February and tells Nathan that his father is doing fine, but he’s still upset. He’ll come around, she says. Nathan doesn’t believe her. In the meantime, Nathan uses the MF9s for everything.

He pulls a disc through frozen ground to prep Springfields. He hauls round bales to his cattle operation. He runs a snowplow blade to clear his driveway and the county road after a February storm. The tractor doesn’t complain. The engine starts every time. The CVT transmission handles variable loads without hesitation, and the fuel efficiency continues to surprise him.

He’s tracking every gallon. Compared to the A370R his father used to run on similar tasks, the MF9s is burning 18 to 22% less diesel. Over a full season, that’s $15,000 in savings. Nathan keeps a spreadsheet. He doesn’t show it to anyone, but he knows the numbers are real. Spring planting. March comes in wet. April stays cold.

By the first week of May, Nathan is two weeks behind schedule. The fields are finally dry enough to work. He hooks the MF9s to a 16 row Kinsa planter, a machine his father bought used in 2017 and never had problems with. Nathan starts in a 200 acre field on the west edge of his property. The MF9s pulls the planter at 5.2 mph without strain.

The fuel consumption stays low. The engine runs quiet. No warning lights. No issues. By the end of the first day, Nathan has planted 140 acres. His father, running the same field with the 9620R last spring, planted 160 acres in a day, but his father also burned $480 in fuel. Nathan burned $310. He does the math in his head. Over,200 acres.

That difference compounds. By the end of planning season, 18 days of work across corn and soybeans, Nathan has saved nearly $4,200 in fuel costs alone. He also hasn’t made a single service call. No region issues, no DF system failures, no software errors. The MF9s just runs. The breakdown, but not his.

In midMay, Carl Dietrich calls Nathan at 6:00 in the morning. I need a favor. Nathan is sitting at his kitchen table drinking coffee. What’s up? My 8370 is down. deaf system through a code. Tractor’s in limp mode. Dealer can’t get here until Thursday. What do you need? I’ve got 120 acres left to plant.

Can I borrow your 7210? Nathan pauses. The 7210 is too small for your planter. Carl goes quiet. Then what about the Massie? Nathan doesn’t answer right away. You want to borrow the Massie Ferguson. I don’t have a choice. If I don’t get this corn in by Friday, I’m losing yield. Nathan leans back in his chair.

I’ll bring it over this afternoon. Appreciate it, Carl. Yeah, don’t scratch the paint. Carl hangs up. Nathan delivers the MF9s to Carl’s farm at 2:00. He spends 20 minutes walking Carl through the CVT transmission, the GPS settings, and the hydraulic controls. Carl listens. He doesn’t say much. When Nathan finishes, Carl nods. I’ll have it back to you by Saturday.

Nathan drives home in his pickup. Carl’s weak. Carl Dietrich runs the Massie Ferguson MF9s for four days. He plants 120 acres of corn. The tractor pulls his 12 row planter at 5.5 miles per hour without hesitation. The CVT transmission is smoother than anything he’s ever used.

The fuel consumption is lower than his 8370R by a margin he didn’t think was possible. And the tractor never throws a warning light. No regen, no DF errors, no dealer calls. On Saturday morning, Carl drives the MF9s back to Nathan’s farm. Nathan is in the shop greasing the planter. Carl shuts the tractor down and climbs out. He stands there for a moment, then he says, “That’s a hell of a machine.

” Nathan looks up. “Yeah, yeah.” Carl walks over. I’ve been running deer for 40 years. I thought anything else was a step down. And now Carl’s jaw works. Now I’m not so sure. Nathan wipes his hands on a rag. My dad would say, “You’re a traitor. Your dad isn’t the one paying my fuel bills. Nathan doesn’t respond.

Carl looks back at the MF9s. How much did that thing save you on planting? Nathan tells him. Carl does the math in his head. Jesus. Yeah. Carl turns back to Nathan. Your dad’s not talking to you, is he? No, he will. I don’t think so. Carl puts his hands in his pockets. He’s proud, but he’s not stupid.

Eventually, he’s going to see the numbers. Nathan shrugs. Maybe. Carl leaves. Nathan goes back to work. Summer, the hay season. June through August is Nathan’s busiest time. He runs a custom bailing operation. 1,800 acres of hay across four farms. It’s a contract he’s held for 6 years. The work is brutal. Long hours, tight windows, weather dependence, but it’s also 15% of his annual income.

He can’t afford to lose time. Last summer, running his father’s 8370R, Nathan completed the entire hay season in 22 days of active work. He burned $11,200 in fuel. He made two service calls, one for a hydraulic leak, one for a DF sensor failure. This summer, running the MF9s, Nathan completes the same 1,800 acres in 20 days.

He burns $8,400 in fuel. He makes zero service calls. The tractor runs 14-hour days without complaint. The CVT transmission handles the variable loads of pulling a balor, a tedar, and a rake without issue. The hydraulic system never falters, and the fuel savings, $2,800 over the course of the summer, is enough to cover Nathan’s seed cost for the following spring.

He updates his spreadsheet every night. By the end of August, the MF9s has saved him $17,300 in fuel and $4,200 in service costs, compared to what his father’s equipment would have cost over the same period. $11,500 in 9 months. Nathan prints the spreadsheet. He folds it and puts it in his glove box.

He still doesn’t call his father. The county fair in early September. The county fair runs for 5 days. It’s the largest agricultural event in southern Iowa. Farmers come from three counties. There’s a machinery show, a livestock competition, a tractor pull. Nathan doesn’t usually attend, but this year, the Massie Ferguson dealer has a booth, and the dealer asks Nathan if he’ll bring the MF9s to display.

Nathan agrees. On Saturday morning, Nathan drives the MF9s to the fairgrounds. He parks it in the dealer’s booth. The dealer has a banner that reads Ford 25 horsepower stage V CVT, built for performance. The tractor draws attention immediately. Farmers stop. They walk around it. They ask questions. Nathan stands nearby answering, “How’s the fuel economy?” “Better than anything I’ve run.

” “How’s the service?” “Haven’t needed any.” “How’s the CVT?” “Smoost transmission I’ve ever used.” By noon, a small crowd is gathered. One of those people is Carl Dietrich. Carl stands at the edge of the group, arms crossed, listening. When the crowd thins, Carl walks over. You’re turning into a damn salesman, Carl says. Nathan grins.

I’m just telling people what I know. You’re making deer look bad. I’m making deer look expensive. Carl doesn’t argue. He looks at the MF9s for a long moment. I’m thinking about buying one, Carl says. Nathan’s grin fades. Seriously? Seriously? My 8370s been back to the dealer three times this summer. I’m tired of it.

What’s Harold going to say? Carl’s expression hardens. Harold doesn’t pay my bills. Nathan doesn’t respond. Carl walks away. Harold shows up. At 3:00, Nathan sees his father. Harold is walking through the machinery exhibits with Nathan’s mother. He’s wearing the same deer cap, the same Carheart jacket. He stops at the John Deere booth. He talks to the dealer.

He looks at a new Adar series tractor. Nathan watches from 50 ft away. Harold doesn’t look in Nathan’s direction, but Nathan knows his father has seen him. Harold and Nathan’s mother walk through the rest of the exhibits. They stop at the livestock barns. They buy funnel cakes.

And then on their way back to the parking lot, Harold stops. He’s standing 30 ft from the Massie Ferguson booth. Nathan is talking to a farmer from two counties over. Harold doesn’t move. Nathan’s mother says something to Harold. Harold shakes his head. He turns and walks toward the parking lot. Nathan watches him go. Fall harvest.

October is dry. The corn dries down fast. By the second week of October, Nathan is running the combine. He’s pulling a grain cart behind the MF9s, hauling corn from the field to the grain bins at a rate of 180 bushels per minute. The tractor handles the load without complaint. The CVT transmission adjusts to the variable weight smoothly.

The fuel consumption stays consistent. By the end of the first week, Nathan has harvested 320 acres. No breakdowns, no service calls, no issues. His father, farming 12 mi west, is running the same operation with the equipment he kept after the sale. Nathan hears through Carl that Harold’s 9620R is having deaf system issues.

The tractor’s been back to the dealer twice. Harold is two days behind schedule. Nathan doesn’t say anything, but he keeps working. By the end of October, Nathan has harvested 600 acres of corn and 400 acres of beans. The MF9s has run 340 hours since spring. Total fuel cost $18,200. Total service cost.

Nathan updates his spreadsheet. Over the course of the full season, planting, haying, and harvest, the MF9s has saved him $14,800 in fuel and $6,100 in service costs compared to what his father’s equipment would have cost. $20,900 in one year. Nathan prints the spreadsheet again. This time he doesn’t put it in his glove box.

He drives to his father’s house. The confrontation. Harold’s truck is parked in the driveway. Nathan pulls in behind it. He walks to the front door. He knocks. Nathan’s mother answers. Nathan, she says, surprised. Is dad here? He’s in the shop. Nathan walks around the house. The shop door is open. Harold is inside working on a planter unit.

He doesn’t look up when Nathan walks in. I need to talk to you, Nathan says. I’m busy. This won’t take long. Harold sets his wrench down. He still doesn’t look at Nathan. What do you want? Nathan pulls the folded spreadsheet from his pocket. He sets it on the workbench. I want you to look at this.

Harold glances at the paper. What is it? It’s a year’s worth of operating costs, fuel, service, downtime. I tracked everything. Harold doesn’t touch the paper. Why? because I want you to see what that Massie Ferguson actually did for me. Harold’s jaw tightens. I don’t care what it did for you. It saved me $20,000. Harold goes still. What? $20,000 in one year.

Fuel efficiency. No service calls. No downtime. Harold picks up the paper. He reads it. His expression doesn’t change. When he finishes, he sets the paper back down. So, you saved some money. I saved more than some money, Dad. I saved enough to cover my seed cost for next year. I saved enough to pay down the note on that tractor.

I saved enough to prove that I didn’t make a mistake. Harold’s voice is quiet. You humiliated me. I ran my operation the way I needed to run it. You made me look like a fool. Nathan’s voice rises. I made you look like someone who taught his son to make smart decisions. That’s what you did, Dad.

You taught me to look at the numbers. You taught me to run lean. You taught me not to spend money I don’t have. Harold doesn’t respond. Nathan leans against the workbench. I didn’t buy that Massie Ferguson to embarrass you. I bought it because it was the right machine for the job and I was right. Harold stares at the spreadsheet. It’s still not a deer, he says quietly.

No, it’s not. Harold looks up. And you’re okay with that? Yeah, I am. Harold’s face is unreadable. Then he picks up the spreadsheet. He folds it carefully. He hands it back to Nathan. I’m not ready to forgive you, Harold says. Nathan nods. I know, but I’m not going to stay mad forever. Nathan’s throat tightens. Okay.

Harold picks up his wrench. Now get out of my shop. I’ve got work to do. Nathan walks out. He stands in the driveway for a long moment. Then he gets in his truck and drives home. Spring year 2. By the following March, Nathan’s operation is running smoothly. The MF9s has 1,100 hours on it. No major service, no breakdowns.

Fuel costs continue to stay low. In April, Carl Dietrich takes delivery of his own Massie Ferguson, an MF8S265. He sells his 8370R to a dealer in Missouri. He tells Nathan over coffee that he should have made the switch two years ago. In May, Nathan sees his father at the co-op. Harold nods at him. Nathan nods back.

They don’t talk, but it’s a start. In June, Nathan gets a call from a farmer in the next county. The farmer wants to know about the MF9s. He heard about it from Carl. He wants to see it in person. Nathan invites him over. The farmer spends 2 hours walking around the tractor, asking questions, running diagnostics.

3 weeks later, the farmer buys an MF9S.45 from the same dealer. He trades in a John Deere 9470R. By August, Nathan has heard from four more farmers. All of them are asking about Massie Ferguson. All of them have run dear their entire lives. Nathan doesn’t advertise. He doesn’t push. He just answers questions and the word spreads. The phone call.

In early November, Nathan’s phone rings. It’s his father. Nathan almost doesn’t answer, but he does. Yeah. You busy? Harold asks. Not really. What’s up? I need to talk to you about something. Okay. Can you come over? Nathan’s stomach tightens. When? Now, Nathan drives to his father’s house. Harold is sitting on the porch steps.

Nathan sits down next to him. They don’t talk for a minute. Then Harold says, “I’ve been thinking.” About what? About that tractor you bought? Nathan doesn’t respond. “I was wrong,” Harold says. Nathan looks at him. “What? I was wrong. You made a good decision. I should have said that a year ago.” Nathan’s throat tightens. “You don’t have to.” “Yes, I do.

” Harold looks at his hands. I built my reputation on running good equipment, and I thought that meant running deer. But you showed me that it doesn’t. It just means running equipment that works. Nathan doesn’t know what to say. I’m proud of you, Harold says quietly. Nathan’s eyes burn. Thanks, Dad. They sit in silence.

Then Harold says, Carl bought a Massie. I know. And Jim Coaster just bought one. I heard. Harold shakes his head. You started something. Nathan grins. I didn’t mean to. Well, you did. Harold stands. Come inside. Your mother made dinner. Nathan follows him into the house. Final scene. One year later, it’s November again.

Nathan is sitting in the cab of the MF9s425, pulling a chisel plow through a 180acre field. The tractor has 2400 hours on it now. It’s never had a major breakdown. It’s never missed a day of work. And it saved Nathan more than $40,000 in operating costs over two years. His phone buzzes. It’s a text from his father.

“You still running that red tractor?” Nathan grins. He types back, “Every day.” Harold’s response comes through 30 seconds later. Good. Nathan sets the phone down. He looks out across the field. The sun is setting. The sky is orange and red. And the Massie Ferguson MF9s425 just keeps running.