Overview & History
The Massey Ferguson 178 tractor was built in 1968 when the company decided to upgrade some of the “Red Giants” with larger machines. One of these was the 175, which became the 178. It was manufactured in the UK and France as well as by Spanish truck and bus maker Ebro in Spain. Production of this model was stopped in 1971.
The 178 had a 73-hp, 4.1-litre, four-cylinder Perkins diesel engine, which had a 101-by-127-millimetre bore/stroke, 16:1 compression, liquid cooling, and electric starter type. This engine ran at 2000 rated RPM and can do 212 lb-ft torque at 1300 RPM. It also had an oil capacity of 14.2 litres, coolant capacity of 27.3 litres, and fuel capacity of 82.1 litres.
This tractor’s PTO can give 62 hp when running at 540 RPM. It came in either 2WD or 4WD and featured power assist steering, dry disc brakes, and an open operator station. It had one of three transmissions: a Multi-Power partial powershift that had 12 forward and reverse gears; six-speed unsynchronised transmission with six forward and two reverse gears; and an eight-speed unsynchronised transmission with eight forward and two reverse gears.
Its hydraulic system featured one or two valves. With an unsynchronised transmission, it can give 11.7 litres per minute hydraulic pump flow, but with the Multi-Power, the pump flow is increased to 30.7 litres per minute.
The 178’s front tyres can fit either size 7.5×16 or 6×19, while its rear tyres were sized 12×36, 15×30, 12×38, or 14×30. The 2WD variant weighed 3,119 kilogrammes while the 4WD weighed 3,519 kilogrammes. Both variants had a wheelbase measuring 213 centimetres and a ground clearance of 44 centimetres. They were also 345 centimetres long, 182 centimetres wide, and 170 centimetres high up to the steering wheel.
The Massey Ferguson 178 can still perform well in today’s farms. Due to its age, this tractor may break more easily than its contemporaries, but spare parts are easy to find.
Massey Ferguson Replacement Parts
G.W. Tractors specialises in sourcing replacement parts for all Massey Ferguson models. Call us on 1800 062 790 to find tractor parts for your Massey Ferguson 178. We may also have Massey Ferguson 178 tractors in our yards for wrecking, and if we do they will appear below. Check out all the tractors we are wrecking.
Who should buy a Massey Ferguson 178
The Massey Ferguson 178 is a good tractor that can perform everyday tasks with ease on small and medium farms.
Buy a used Massey Ferguson 178
G.W. Tractors is the best place to buy a used Massey Ferguson 178 in Australia. If we don’t have any in stock at the moment, give us a call on 1800 062 790 and we have a better chance than anyone else of finding you one. Below are the used Massey Ferguson tractors we have in our yards now. Check out all of our used tractors for sale.
Massey Ferguson 178 Specs
| Series | 100 series | Years made | 1968 to 1971 |
| Next model | Massey Ferguson 185 | Engine overview | Perkins 4.1L 4-cyl diesel |
| Capacity | 4.1 L [247.8 ci] | Cylinders | 4-cylinder |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled | Fuel | Diesel |
| Bore/stroke | 101 x 127 mm [3.975 x 5 inches] | Compression | 16:1 |
| Rated RPM | 2000 | Starter type | Electric |
| Oil capacity | 14.2 L [15 qts] | Fuel capacity | 82.1 L [21.7 gal] |
| 3-point hitch – Rear type | II | Rear lift | 1,769 kg [3,900 lbs] |
| Engine | 73 hp [54.4 kW] | PTO (claimed) | 62 hp [46.2 kW] |
| Torque | 212 lb-ft [287.5 Nm] | Torque RPM | 1300 |
| Transmission types | Partial powershift Unsynchronised | Gears | 12 forward and 4 reverse 6 forward and 2 reverse 8 forward and 2 reverse |
| PTO – Rear RPM | 540/ground | Standard tyres – Front | 7.5×16 6×19 7.5×16 |
| Standard tyres – Rear | 12×36 15×30 12×38 14×30 | Weight (Operating) | 2WD: 3,119 kg [6,878 lbs] 4WD: 3,519 kg [7,760 lbs] |
| Length | 345 cm [136 inches] | Wheelbase | 213 cm [84 inches] |
| Width | 182 cm [72 inches] | Height – Steering wheel | 170 cm [67 inches] |
| Ground clearance | 44 cm [17.5 inches] | Chassis | 4×2 2WD 4×4 MFWD 4WD |
| Steering | Power assist | Brakes | Dry disc |
| Cab | Open operator station | Hydraulics pump flow | Gear: 11.7 lpm [3.1 gpm] Multi Power: 30.7 lpm [8.1 gpm] |
| Battery volts | 12 |
Accessories, consumables and more
G.W. Tractors also has a huge range of accessories and consumables for all makes and models of tractors. We have everything you need to keep your tractor working.