Sandwiched between the iconic 390T and rangetopping 399, the Massey Ferguson 398 is often overlooked when it comes to the company’s 300 Series.
With so little to choose between it and its smaller sibling, often cited as the ultimate ‘pocket rocket’, the 398 did not make the same impression as the 390T, and this remains the case today. It almost feels like it has been forgotten.
With the help of former Massey Ferguson Product Manager Chris Clack, we explain what the later 398 examples have to offer a prospective purchaser.
The 300 Series first appeared in 1987 and comprised models ranging from the 47hp (DIN) 350 up to the 97hp (DIN) 399. The 398 was first introduced with a black cab with a red roof and was the most powerful four-cylinder model in the range – built at Banner Lane, Coventry.
It replaced the likeable MF 698T, which was famed for its AT4.236 engine, and was, in many ways, a restyled version of its predecessor. With the Synchro 12 transmission featuring three centre-mounted levers and a manual ‘split’, the 398 was very much business as usual until the introduction of cab and transmission options in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
ENGINE
The 398 was the largest four-cylinder model in the 300 Series line-up, although it shared its AT4.236 engine with the 390T when it was latterly introduced to the range. It was this engine that had initiated the creation of a new 600 Series model, following Perkins’ decision to phase out production of the A4.3182.
A unit of similar output was required to fill the gap left by the A4.3182’s departure, and that fell to a turbocharged version of the 236cu in
