I hear many mixed reports on Leyland Buffalo’s,never had any experience with them but would be very interested how others found them,I have a feeling badge snobs may give them a bad press but will wait with interest for all comments.
Stillgame:
I hear many mixed reports on Leyland Buffalo’s,never had any experience with them but would be very interested how others found them,I have a feeling badge snobs may give them a bad press but will wait with interest for all comments.
Scruffy bloody things, at least you could have a wash in a Bison.
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Stillgame:
I hear many mixed reports on Leyland Buffalo’s,never had any experience with them but would be very interested how others found them,I have a feeling badge snobs may give them a bad press but will wait with interest for all comments.
Fixed head 500 series engines in the Buffalo were a complete disaster. TL11 engined Buffalos were reliable, but by then it was too late, Leyland’s reputation was shredded, and the Ergomatic cab was outdated.
Worked on the Buffalo when they first came out. It took ages to work out how to tilt the cab, and once we did - we could only laugh!!! We thought the Marathon was a pile of ■■■ but this thing was designed by a Martian. Jim.
P.S. As an 8 wheeler didn’t they look the part though.
gingerfold:
Stillgame:
I hear many mixed reports on Leyland Buffalo’s,never had any experience with them but would be very interested how others found them,I have a feeling badge snobs may give them a bad press but will wait with interest for all comments.Fixed head 500 series engines in the Buffalo were a complete disaster. TL11 engined Buffalos were reliable, but by then it was too late, Leyland’s reputation was shredded, and the Ergomatic cab was outdated.
This Buffalo is probably not one of the model your talking about, Albion 9 litre engine up to 300hp which was big for its time.Fair bit of room in the cab probly room for a bath. 
Dig
Was there not an L12 powered Buffalo? I recall working on an L12 powered 8 wheel tipper with the raised Ergo cab.
cav551:
Was there not an L12 powered Buffalo? I recall working on an L12 powered 8 wheel tipper with the raised Ergo cab.
I think they briefly offered the L12 to appease AEC users , i dont think it worked. I think it was in some Texaco Marathons too but i will stand to be corrected
ramone:
cav551:
Was there not an L12 powered Buffalo? I recall working on an L12 powered 8 wheel tipper with the raised Ergo cab.I think they briefly offered the L12 to appease AEC users , i dont think it worked. I think it was in some Texaco Marathons too but i will stand to be corrected
The L12 was used in the Buffalo, Bison, and Octopus, when the latter was re-introduced after a gap of about 7 years. All the Texaco Marathon Mk. 2 were L12 powered, and the L12 came about because of Texaco’s request for a lower powered tractor unit. The L12 was reliable but not very lively at 203 bhp
gingerfold:
ramone:
cav551:
Was there not an L12 powered Buffalo? I recall working on an L12 powered 8 wheel tipper with the raised Ergo cab.I think they briefly offered the L12 to appease AEC users , i dont think it worked. I think it was in some Texaco Marathons too but i will stand to be corrected
The L12 was used in the Buffalo, Bison, and Octopus, when the latter was re-introduced after a gap of about 7 years. All the Texaco Marathon Mk. 2 were L12 powered, and the L12 came about because of Texaco’s request for a lower powered tractor unit. The L12 was reliable but not very lively at 203 bhp
Yes, Pandoro bought a batch of 20 with the L12, and a 6-speed gearbox - as you say, Graham, not very lively. I never drove one laden, but the drivers complained bitterly about them when their peers had 400 Series with 250 ■■■■■■■■ B Series with 265 Rolls or Marathons with TL12s. The Leyland spares situation wasn’t good then, either, and I recall 17 out of the 20 being VOR on one particular day, mostly awaiting parts. They were superseded on the fleet after only two years, by the 32T version of the Seddon 300 Series.
DIG:
gingerfold:
Stillgame:
I hear many mixed reports on Leyland Buffalo’s,never had any experience with them but would be very interested how others found them,I have a feeling badge snobs may give them a bad press but will wait with interest for all comments.Fixed head 500 series engines in the Buffalo were a complete disaster. TL11 engined Buffalos were reliable, but by then it was too late, Leyland’s reputation was shredded, and the Ergomatic cab was outdated.
This Buffalo is probably not one of the model your talking about, Albion 9 litre engine up to 300hp which was big for its time.Fair bit of room in the cab probly room for a bath.
Dig
No,not that one DIG.
This one chap.
Heres a letter complementing the engine from 1980. 
“Steep hill ahead”
Click on twice.
DEANB:
DIG:
gingerfold:
Stillgame:
I hear many mixed reports on Leyland Buffalo’s,never had any experience with them but would be very interested how others found them,I have a feeling badge snobs may give them a bad press but will wait with interest for all comments.Fixed head 500 series engines in the Buffalo were a complete disaster. TL11 engined Buffalos were reliable, but by then it was too late, Leyland’s reputation was shredded, and the Ergomatic cab was outdated.
This Buffalo is probably not one of the model your talking about, Albion 9 litre engine up to 300hp which was big for its time.Fair bit of room in the cab probly room for a bath.
DigNo,not that one DIG.
I remember reading that when it was published Dean many years ago , there was another around the same time praising the Buffalo from someone who had set off on a trip in one and was away for a few months and did quite a few thousand miles , it didn
t make much sense but the jist of it was it performed much better than a F10 they had. I dont know how much he had to drink but he wasn`t thinking straight. I always thought the ergo was a decent looking motor but were antiquated towards the endThis one chap.
1
Heres a letter complementing the engine from 1980.
“Steep hill ahead”
Click on twice.
0
We had several fixed head wonders from 500 to 502 mostly in Bison tippers and they gave very little trouble. Coupled with the Fuller 9 speed they were a good general purpose on/off road vehicle. Compared to the Reivers we had run previously they were a revelation. Tyneside
Just after I started out; Southern BRS at Stowmarket landed a bulk sugar contract for BSC based at Bury St.Edmunds. There were about 20 P and R reg Leyland Buffaloes pulling Murfitt bulk tipping tanks running at 32 tons gross. I drove a Buffalo for about two years and OYY 947 R never let me down. A lot of the work was to Bristol and the West Country with full loads of refined sugar from Bury St. Edmunds or Tate and Lyle, Silvertown. The Buffalo would hold 65 mph on the M4, all the way from Chiswick to Membury, without a gearchange. It was rated at 230 bhp and had a 9 speed Fuller gearbox, I thought they went quite well although I know several of the fleet suffered from dropped valves.
I found the Buffalo a good work horse, a driver’s lorry, willing engine and that Fuller box a good combination and you could make fast road progress.
Decent steering and handling, ride good for the day as i recall (better ride than the Marathon i drove now and again) good visibility all round, steering lock to rival a fork truck, you could cover some work in one.
Not a great bonnet design for cab hotel nights out, and the engines didn’t last too long but from a driver’s point of view (driving rather than posing in top of range Swedish machine) you could be stuck in a lot worse motors.
Exhaust stack up the back of the cab meant not blowing dust clouds around off road, i personally liked the wipers being parked at the top of the screen, left and good clear field of vision where it was important.
Posted a fair bit about the Buffalo on page 369 of the Paul Gee thread for anyone who is a fan of the Buffalo.
Hi all, Lucketts of Fareham had one i think it was on an L reg a bloke called Frank drove it when i was there he reckoned you could get the end of the exhaust up the back of the cab to glow red if it was pulling hard up a long steep hill. I believe Mr Tony Mapson (aka Mappo) RIP drove the same truck when it was new. I had one for a short while doing Scotland for a bloke from Portsmouth which i think was also on an L reg good motor, seized a piston coming up the hill out of Marlborough fully freighted with ship’s chain’s and anchor from Rosyth back to Pound’s scrap yard in Portsmouth. Happy day’s no sleeper board across the seat’s 4 night’s every week. 
In 1980/82 I had an R plate Rigid 6 legger skip loader pulling a trailer when on for PDM on the offal, 502 powered and 9spd Fuller. Two trips a day between Manchester Abbatoir and Widnes then back to home Bury. It was on its 3rd engine and was parked up when PDM bought the Widnes site known as Granox Ltd (GRANulated OXen) but they soon had it going so musn’t have been too knackered. They lopped the revs back to 2200 which was dead on 60 mph and it still pulled like a good’un and one of the best I’ve used, no major problems at all,a lot better than an R plate Scania 80 4 wheeler and drag they gave me for a couple of months, I was glad to see the back of that for a number of reasons.
boden:
In 1980/82 I had an R plate Rigid 6 legger skip loader pulling a trailer when on for PDM on the offal, 502 powered and 9spd Fuller. Two trips a day between Manchester Abbatoir and Widnes then back to home Bury. It was on its 3rd engine and was parked up when PDM bought the Widnes site known as Granox Ltd (GRANulated OXen) but they soon had it going so musn’t have been too knackered. They lopped the revs back to 2200 which was dead on 60 mph and it still pulled like a good’un and one of the best I’ve used, no major problems at all,a lot better than an R plate Scania 80 4 wheeler and drag they gave me for a couple of months, I was glad to see the back of that for a number of reasons.
Did it have a Buffalo or Bison badge on it ■■?
We sometimes used to call into Manchester Abbatoir to wash out after unloading pigs at Walls at Godley. Tyneside
gingerfold:
ramone:
cav551:
Was there not an L12 powered Buffalo? I recall working on an L12 powered 8 wheel tipper with the raised Ergo cab.I think they briefly offered the L12 to appease AEC users , i dont think it worked. I think it was in some Texaco Marathons too but i will stand to be corrected
The L12 was used in the Buffalo, Bison, and Octopus, when the latter was re-introduced after a gap of about 7 years. All the Texaco Marathon Mk. 2 were L12 powered, and the L12 came about because of Texaco’s request for a lower powered tractor unit. The L12 was reliable but not very lively at 203 bhp
I wonder why the L12 only produced 203 bhp when the AV760 produced around 220bhp . Wasnt the L12 a non turbo TL12 which itself was a turbo AV760 reworked. Youd think the output would be significantly higher