The Versatile Massey Ferguson 1700 Series
A tractor for every season and every job.
By Sabra Morris | Photos By Christy Couch Lee
The Colemans’ MF1742 takes guests on a hayride.
For Deena and Larry Coleman, and the staff at Pokagon State Park Saddle Barn, keeping 14 horses happy, healthy and well-fed, all while maintaining the surrounding property, is no small task.
Enter the 42-HP Massey Ferguson® 1742 tractor the Colemans purchased last spring. With the ability to haul and load feed for the horses just as easily as it pulls wagonloads of families on hayrides through the trails at Pokagon State Park, the machine is an all-purpose workhorse.
“We go through a ton of hay every three days,” says Deena. “Those bales weigh about 1,200 pounds, so we have to use a tractor to get them out to the feeder. When we put hay in the feeder, it has to be lined up just exactly right and it has to be level.
“It’s like threading a needle,” she continues, explaining that the integrated loader joystick helps immensely. “It’s quite precise,” says Deena. “The joystick on the loader has helped us be more accurate.”
Indiana is notorious for its hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters, often lasting into mid-March. Yet, the ergonomically designed, climate-controlled cab, complete with heat, air conditioning and doors on each side, keeps the Colemans comfortable no matter the job.
“The cab really fit their bill, between working at the Saddle Barn in the summer, doing hayrides in the winter and clearing snow at home when the park is closed,” explains the couple’s dealer, Don Harter, of Harmony Outdoor Equipment in Arcola, Ind.
“Larry loves it because of the cab,” adds Deena, about her husband. “He can put hay out in the winter and stay warm and dry, and that’s something we didn’t have before, so that’s a big plus. It’s also got a radio so he can plug his iPhone in for music,” she continues with a chuckle.
Deena and Larry say they couldn’t be happier with their purchase. “The tractor is well suited for what we bought it for,” says Deena. “It was the right choice for us.”
<< See their full story, “Life by the Reins: Running a Saddle Barn”
