The Legendary Doe
The story of the Triple D, DOE 130 and the DOE 150
In the 1950s one of the most popular tractors on British farms was the Fordson Major. Whilst mostly capable, in some areas the Major lacked the power needed to deal with the heavy soil, and for one Essex farmer, the answer was to join two Major tractors together to form one articulated, four wheel drive, 100hp tractor. Resulting in the farm machinery icon we know today as the Doe Triple D.
This programme tells the story of the Doe Dual Drive, which on account of its tongue twisting nature was soon referred to as the Doe Triple D. We trace its origins back to its original conception by farmer George Pryor through to the production of the tandem tractor built by agricultural dealers Ernest Doe & Sons at their Essex base in Ulting, Specially filmed material is supplemented by remarkable and previously unseen archive colour footage shot by Alan Doe in the early 1960s.
With the help of former Doe employees, we unravel the story of the production of this incredible machine and how it developed over the years alongside the evolving Fordson Major skid unit. We talk to the chairman of the Doe Owners Club and show many fine examples of both the tractors and their implements at work. Special features include the history of Ernest Doe & Sons, and another showing Alan Doe’s entire archive footage, compliment this fine programme.
The Doe Triple D caused a huge stir when it was first seen by farmers back in the late fifties and this program shows how, in the 21st Century, this amazing machine still turns heads and also demands high prices at auction. If any farming machine could be described as being a legend in its own lifetime, then it must be The Legendary Doe.
Duration : 110mins
