THE MF 590
The MF 590 sits near the top of the five-model 500 Series range, which was produced between 1975 and 1981. These new tractors – 550, 565, 575, 590 and 595 – replaced the successful 100 Series models, and offered more power, a much improved, integral cab and modern styling. All were powered by Perkins diesel engines, with outputs ranging from the 49hp delivered by the three-cylinder AD3.152S in the entry-level 550, to the 88hp produced by the turbocharged, four-cylinder, A4.318 powering the top-ofthe-range 595.
Production of the 500 Series was split between the UK and France and, while some examples were exported to Australia and New Zealand, none ever crossed the Atlantic to seek work on American farms. The range-topping MF 595 launched in France first, but wasn’t released in the UK until May, 1976. Four-wheel-drive variants were available on the top three models, and a Mk. II version was introduced in 1977, which addressed some of the teething troubles encountered with the transmission, hydraulics and PTO on early machines.
The range only remained in production for a comparatively short,
