Navy Massey Harris I-330 Only one!!

Some of you have asked for pictures of the Massey Harris I-330 made fro the Navy in 1954. They made 6 for the Navy and this is the only one that survuved. We just finished restoring the tractor and we are still looking for information about its use. It was sent to Miramar Naval Station in 1954 ended up in the Stockton CA Naval Surplus Yard.

If you have additional information we would like to know it!! Thanks

Gary - Indiana

looks GREAT!

I attended an auction in Yuma AZ in March 2007 that had probly the biggest collection of antique tractors In the country. I remember seeing a very rare tractor (among literally hundreds of other very rare tractors) that I think was a model built for the Navy--------would this be it??

Nice job, Jim

there is a 1953 I-162 on craigslist
http://southjersey.craigslist.org/grd/2447074090.html

Hi Jim,

This would be the same tractor. Don't get me started on the auctioneer that day but at least I got the tractor. I had tried to buy it when it was auctioned in Philly as well but could not beat Larry!!

This is the tractor from Yuma!!

Gary

Hi Jersey,

I seriously looked at that 162 but had to pass on it without the brass tags. It is definitely an Army tractor of only 26 built. This one made #7 as to known ones to exist!!! Nice tractor but for the asking price just too much without the tag and the holes in the fender.

MasseyH

Nice restoration on that tractor.

HOLY CRAP!!! THAT is just TOO COOL!
I was there watching the bidding, then about the time it ended the other people bidding acted like they didn't realize the placement of the decimal point of the number involved!!??

Much confusion and so-called misunderstanding.

Then they started over and good lord it went high,REALLY STUPID high. OUCH!

Does my memory serve me or was this what happened for this tractor (or maybe I've attached this memory to another bid).

There was so much going on there it was hard to follow it all. And to think this was just the bone yard accross town. The real collection was in town in the 2 museums!

LOL! That's the only "history" I got on the ol' girl for you--glad you got it-you fought like $@LL for it.

Jim

Cool!

Go out on patrol and plow the tater patch!

That is interesting. I knew Massey H. made some for the mil., along with IH, la tourneau, USTRAC, etc, however, I did not know they were so rare.

Deere used some for the mil, that weren't designated, and some for plane tugs, mowers, etc.
Is this what Massey did?

Awesome restoration! The rarities are always cool to see brought back from the dead, much more so than everyday MVs....

Hey Jim,

That story is one in the same!! When Kruse got to $3100.00 he started asking for $31000.00 and I said no. First time I was ever at an auction and the crowd started booing the auctioneer!! To say the least, I really had to pay for("really stupid high") it the second time. The only person I was bidding against was the auctioneer. He got his money back. It was an ugly story but I finally did get the tractor.

So where are you from and why were you in Yuma for the auction!?!?!?

Feel free to email me at MasseyH@aol.com

Gary

PS Massey only made 3 different tractors for the military and I have all three of them - I-330 for the Navy ( 1 of 6 only one left), I-162 for the Army (1 of 26 1 of only 7 known) & I-244 one of 272 for the Air Force and Navy.

Hi Danger,

We are not sure how this tractor was used but I would guess it sat on a dock somewhere in CA. With the dual wheels smaller rear tires and the wear on the hitch, it seems it just went forward and backward. the hole wear is about at a 60 degree angle. I would love to find someone who might have driven them or at least seen the tractor in action.

Plan to take it to a ship dry-docked r at least a military air show to get some good photos. We will see. Closest ship I know from Indiana is the Alabama in Mobile!?!?!?

Gary

A friend of mine in Iowa made the replicated armored JD A's with the machine guns. Great conversation tractors!!

Good job restoring it...

duals, and smaller tires? how about a mowing tractor. JD had some to pull reel mowers around bases and stuff. just an idea...

Good looking tractor but what caught my eye was that it was stationed at Miramar and so was I.

Any idea when it was there?

Hi SW,

Maybe you saw it and didn't even know it!! If you would still have contacts there that might know something about the tractor I would appreciate you sharing their contact information or have them get in touch with me.

All I know on the timeline is the tractor was sent to Miramar in the fall of 1954. I finally was sold to a private individual in or around the mid 1980's. Somewhere before the late 1990's it ended up in an auction in Philly, PA (that is where I first saw it). It was sold to a friend in Yuma AZat that time then it came back up for auction in 2007 when I purchased it.

As for Mr. Danger's suggestion that it might have been used for mowing, I would personally think it might ave been too heavy for that task (over 9000 lbs.) I think it sat in one location and just pulled seeing the wear on the hitch tongue. Whatever t pulled was heavy and was off it the tractor's left side.

Let me know if you know anyone that might have been at Miramar at the time or would know something about their surplus equipment.

Thanks

Gary

OK, my second guess is rail cars. Deere (my main area of knowledge, sorry) used tractors around plants to pull cars along tracks (off to the side like you said)

With no mil experience, I am guessing here, somewhat edumacately. lol.

Hi Danger,

Nice pic of the industrial JD. (I have a nice 530 and H in the barn as well!!) I really have no idea how they might have used the tractor. I am hoping some of the mil guys can help me out. Rail use would certainly be a possible use. Did the Navy use the rails much in the 50's?? Beats me. If I can find a picture of the hitch I will post it. Definitely worn into an unusual shape.

Thanks for the pic!!

Gary

You are very welcome, I am as perplexed as you on this, and would love to know more also. I find that Weirddeere.com has a ton of info on the industrial JD stuff, and many more pics. It is an old site though. So do books and etc....