Massey Ferguson 390T: The Four-Cylinder Hero of the 1990s
Nov 11, 2026
Drive down any country road in Ireland in the 1990s and you'd have passed a Massey Ferguson 390T before you got to the end of it. The 390T was the workhorse of its decade, and for a lot of our customers it's simply "the tractor we had at home".
The 300 Series
The 390T was part of Massey Ferguson's 300 Series, built at Banner Lane in Coventry. The "T" stands for turbo. Under the bonnet is a turbocharged four-cylinder Perkins diesel making around 90 horsepower. That's a lot of tractor for its size. You'll find them with a two-door Hi-Line cab, two- or four-wheel drive, and plenty of loaders bolted on.
Why it worked so well
- Power without the weight. The turbo gave it the punch to handle a round baler or a full trailer without being heavy on the ground.
- Perkins reliability. The four-cylinder Perkins is well known, simple and easy to get parts for.
- One tractor for every job. On a dairy or drystock farm it fed cattle, cut hay and did the road work, often all in one day.
- Built to last. Many 390Ts have 10,000 hours on the clock and are still starting first time.
From workhorse to collector's piece
Good, original 390Ts are now sought after. Prices for tidy ones have climbed as people buy back the tractor they grew up with. On the vintage scene they're becoming the new favourite, much like the 135 was a generation ago.
For anyone who grew up with a 390T
Our Massey Ferguson 390T design comes on mugs and towels, among other things. It's an easy present for anyone who spent their teenage years in that cab.
