A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER!
The 30 Series, which Ford introduced 33 years ago in 1989, built on the sales success and operational popularity of the well-established TW range. Some skilful cosmetic changes – which essentially boiled down to black-painted radiator grille and mudguards, plus the addition of a Super Q cab and some fresh new graphics – were enough to give the three new 30 Series models a fresh look, and disguise the fact that, beneath the surface, the engine and running gear remained much about the same.
However, it was the new Power Shift transmission that grabbed all the headlines, and rightly so. Ford had opted to specify an advanced, 18-speed, single-lever-controlled transmission from America, and it’s fair to say that that decision proved little short of revolutionary for both the brand and the practical usability of its tractors in the field.
Three-model launch
Three models were made available at the launch, neatly replacing the TW15, TW25 and TW35; these were the 8630, the 8730 and the range-topping 8830, producing 132, 154 and 186hp, respectively. Gone were the spindly, floor-mounted gear change levers found in the TW machines and, in their place, was a single, stubby control lever used to select both forward and reverse as well as individual gear ratios, all without the need to operate the clutch pedal.
"It’s hard to believe that what appears outwardly to be such a modern-looking tractor has been around for so long"
The lever was mounted conveniently on the driver’s right-hand side and could be operated with minimal effort. The direction of travel was selected logically be moving the lever either forwards or backwards, while the individual gears (18 forward and 9 reverse ratios), could be
