FORD MODEL 9N & THE FERGUSON SYSTEM

Ford’s 9N was light, small, less expensive than most of its competition but what made it revolutionary was Harry Fergusen’s hydraulic-controlled Three Point Hitch system. Up to this time the various tractor manufacturers used different methods of implement attachment. The changing of implements, which were heavy, usually required more than one man to perform but with the Fergusen System the farmer could back-up to the implement, attach at three points with pins, lift the implement by use of hydraulic arms and move on out to work. At the field, the implement was lowered to the ground, again hydraulically, and its design geometry would control the depth of soil penetration referred to as draft.The hitch also prevented the tractor from flipping over backward which had been a problem with the Fordson. Farmers could even share implements with their neighbors to reduce their operating cost.

2008 FARM POWER OF THE PAST

Here are a few tractors that were displayed at this year's
"Farm Power Of The Past Show"
held in Greenville, Ohio July 10-13, 2008.

In the Minneapolis-Moline area was this 1917 Moline Universal

and this 1934 Twin City 21-32.

Huber of Marion, Ohio was a featured manufacturer. Among their displayed models was this 1938 LC

and a 1936 Huber separator.

Here's an old photo taken about the turn of the last century that shows some of my relatives in front of their Huber during threshing time.

Among other old tractors seen at the show was this
1928 McCormick-Deering 10-20.

A 1929 Case 25-45.

One not often seen, a 1950 Love. It was built by Love Industries of Eau Claire, Michigan. J. B. Love sold the rights to manufacture the tractor to David Friday of Hartford, Michigan who continued to build his version under the name
Friday Tractor until 1959.

There were several Wards tractors shown such as this 1950 model. Wards were actually Custom tractors built to be sold by the Montgomery Wards mail order catalog company. Like the Custom they were powered by a 230 cu.in. Chrysler 6 cylinder industrial engine.

This is a Custom Model B.

2008 DARKE COUNTY STEAM THRESHERS ASSOCIATION SHOW

Pictures from the Darke County Steam Threshers Association Show that took place over the July 4th weekend in Darke County, Ohio.

The Port Huron was this year’s featured steam traction engine. The history of the company started in Battle Creek, Michigan with William Brown in 1851. In 1858, it became Upton, Brown, & Company and then the Upton Manufacturing Company. In 1884, the firm moved to Port Huron, Michigan and a few years later the name changed again to the Port Huron Engine & Thresher Company. Among Upton’s employees had been the Dodge Brothers who would become famous in the Detroit world of automobile manufacturing.

In 1842, Abraham Gaar started building stationary steam engines and threshing machines in Richmond, Indiana. In 1870, William Scott joined the company to create Gaar-Scott. Gaar-Scott would eventually be bought by Rumley which then became the Advance-Rumley Company, which became part of Allis-Chalmers.

The Advance Thresher Company of Battle Creek, Michigan was founded in 1881. A producer of threshers and traction engines, their straw burners were especially popular in the Northwest. In 1915, Advance along with Gaar-Scott and Mansfield, Ohio’s Aultman-Taylor Company became the base that formed Advance-Rumley a company that became well known for the OilPull tractor.

Nichols & Shepard was another Battle Creek based company. They started in 1848 as a foundry and blacksmith shop, moved into producing sawmill machinery, threshing machines, traction engines and with the acquisition of John Lanson Manufacturing Company of New Holstein, Wisconsin, gasoline tractors. In 1929 they were bought out by Oliver Farm Equipment Company.

Sawing boards during the sawmill demonstration.

Another traction engine from the show was this A.D. Baker. Abner D. Baker incorporated his company in 1901 in Swanton, Ohio and produced steamers into the 1920s. He was best known for his invention of the radial reverse valve gear.

OLIVER HART-PARR MODEL 70

The Oliver Hart-Parr "70" was one of the first styled tractors. It was given the Model "70" designation because its' Waukesha six cylinder engine could be run on 70 octane gasoline.

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Later "Fleetline" styled 70s featured the option of pneumatic tires. The Oliver 70 was also sold in Canada as the Cockshutt "70".

THE CASE MODEL RC

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The RC was a general purpose tractor designed to compete with International Harvester's Farmall. Powered by a four-cylinder Waukesha engine it produced 17hp at the belt. It also had a three-speed transmission and the unusual "chicken roost" steering arm.

THE INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER FARMALL

The Farmall was the first all-purpose tractor made by International Harvester. Produced from 1924 to 1932, it could pull plows and cultivate crops. On many farms it would be a tricycle row crop Farmall that replaced the horse and set the style of tractors for years to come.With the introduction of the Farmall 20 the original Farmall came to be referred to as the "Regular".

THE ALLIS-CHALMERS MODEL U

In 1847, Edward P. Allis started a company in New York that sold millstones and water wheels. In 1869, they went into building steam power engines and pumps. Then in 1901, Edward P. Allis & Company merged with Fraser and Chalmers along with the Gates Iron Works to form Allis-Chalmers. The company moved to Wisconsin and there, in 1914, they built their first tractor but it wasn't until the introduction of the 15-30 in 1918 that the company had a really successful tractor. In 1928, A-C aquired the Monarch Tractor Company; in 1931, Advance-Rumely of LaPorte, Indiana; in 1953, the Buda Engine Company of Harvey, Illinois; in 1955, the Gleaner Harvester Company; and in 1959 the French company Vendeuvre. A-C's manufacturing plants became such a landmark in the Milwaukee area that one city even took on the name "West Allis".

In 1929, the company introduced the United tractor which would later be renamed the Model U. The "U" was the first Allis-Chalmers tractor to be painted "Poppy Orange" rather than dark green and was also the first production farm tractor to offer pneumatic tires. Although they were an added expense, pneumatics made for a more comfortable ride and let the tractor be driven at higher speed on roads but most importantly they required about half the power to do field work. Soon all tractor manufacturers would be offering them.