Farmall was a model name and later a brand name for tractors manufactured by International Harvester (IH), an American truck, tractor, and construction equipment company. The Farmall name was usually presented as McCormick-Deering Farmall and later McCormick Farmall in the evolving brand architecture of IH.
175-579: The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated IH or International ) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household equipment, and more. It was formed from the 1902 merger of McCormick Harvesting Machine Company and Deering Harvester Company and three smaller manufacturers: Milwaukee; Plano; and Warder, Bushnell, and Glessner (manufacturers of Champion brand). Its brands included McCormick, Deering, and later McCormick-Deering, as well as International. Along with
350-440: A brand architecture during the first half of the 20th century, when the concept was still new. IH capitalized on farmers' familiarity with its older brands stretching back to individual entrepreneurs of the earliest days of agricultural mechanization ( Cyrus McCormick , William Deering ), which is why legacy company brands McCormick and Deering were used. The Farmall name itself began as a model name and then evolved to encompass
525-510: A "Fordson version of the Farmall " with tricycle design and high clearance, was prototyped at Dearborn in 1930-1931 but waited until 1936 to be produced, when Ford Ltd of Britain produced it as the Fordson All-Around. (It was not without precedent, for the aftermarket had presaged it , although not with the high clearance; in 1939, Ford filed a patent for raising and lowering the clearance on
700-430: A bright, distinctive color scheme in 1936 helped to further strengthen the branding effort. The Fordson was the first truly mass-produced, light, affordable tractor, and thus the first to tap the market of small to medium family farms on a large scale. Its design was excellent in many respects, including design for manufacturability and the low cost that it allowed. But one task that its design had not been tailored to
875-492: A class of machine that various companies were building and selling in the late 1910s and early 1920s. As the name implies, these were self-propelled cultivators in the simplest sense—little more than a horse implement with a motor added. The IH motor cultivator and another all-purpose tractor, the Moline Plow Company 's Universal, both sold several hundred units in the late 1910s. IH's machine was not particularly successful;
1050-421: A dealership meeting the new "50 Series" of tractors, which included the 136 hp (101 kW) 5088, the 162 hp (121 kW) 5288 and the 187 hp (139 kW) 5488. IH also released the "30 series", which included the 81 hp (60 kW) 3088, the 90 hp (67 kW) 3288, the 112 hp (84 kW) 3488 Hydro, and the 113 hp (84 kW) 3688. These new tractors proved once again that IH
1225-417: A decision was made to change the entire tractor (frame, sheet metal, engine, and wheels) to a new color, 'Farmall Red'. It was around this time many tractor manufacturers began using bright, distinctive colors for branding (e.g., Allis-Chalmers orange). A farmer could look out across the fields and see his neighbor's tractor from a great distance and know what make it was; this provided a sort of advertising in
1400-509: A few miles from Detroit , Michigan in the late 19th century. At the time, farm work was extremely arduous, because, on the typical farm, virtually nothing could get done without manual labor or animal labor as the motive power. As his interest in automobiles grew, he also expressed a desire to "lift the burden of farming from flesh and blood and place it on steel and motors." In the early 20th century, he began to build experimental tractors from automobile components. Four years after founding
1575-433: A fire under the tractor to warm up the crankcase and gearboxes to make it crank easier. The tractor, when in use, was fueled by kerosene, but gasoline was required to start it. The Fordson could pull discs and plows that would require at least four mules to pull, and it could work all day long, provided the radiator was continually filled, the fuel replenished, and the water in the air filter tank changed. The carburetor air
1750-455: A high level of maintenance. A farmer near Atlanta in 1921 listed the cost of his Fordson repairs for the year as $ 1,246. He recorded problems in his diary, noting difficulty starting the engine, a broken wheel, engine failure, and the rear end bursting throughout January, totaling costs of $ 1,301 for 620 hours of work. A Colorado farmer telephoned his dealer three times a day to complain about his Fordson. The most dangerous problem occurred when
1925-576: A hurriedly built factory in Dearborn, Michigan , he used the same assembly line techniques he used to mass-produce the Ford Model T. It took thirty hours and forty minutes to convert the raw materials into the 4,000 parts used for the tractor assembly. At this time, the Fordson sold for US$ 750; each cost $ 567.14 to manufacture (including labor, materials and overhead), leaving a profit of $ 182.86. Soon Dearborn
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#17328595108632100-406: A hydraulic lift unit manufactured by either Smiths or Varley. The differential however was of a completely new design. For the first time, Fordson owners could purchase a tractor from the dealer fully equipped with 3PL, PTO, full electrics, and an adjustable-width front axle, allowing the tractor to work row crops. Available in many different versions, such as the crawler conversion made by County, and
2275-588: A leading brand of all-purpose tractors. Its bright red color was a distinctive badge. During the 1940s and 1950s, the brand was ubiquitous in North American farming. Various trends in farming after the 1960s—such as the decline of cultivating in favor of herbicidal weed control, and the consolidation of the agricultural sector into larger but fewer farms—ended the era of Farmall manufacturing. However, many Farmalls remain in farming service, and many others are restored and collected by enthusiasts. In these respects,
2450-573: A lot of work given that the factory had been disassembled in 1923. Ford Ltd bought much of the tooling from Ford of the U.S. From 1930, Fordson tractors were again sold in the United States, via imports from Cork; the Dagenham plant opened in 1933 and took over production from the Cork plant, which was again closed. George and Eber Sherman became the leading importers of English-built Fordsons. After Cork became
2625-456: A model line . With the success of the Farmall, other manufacturers soon introduced similar general- to all-purpose tractors with varying success. In their early years, they often included the word "all" in the name of the product. During the first decade of Farmall sales, IH's advertising even had to emphasize the name's correlation to IH, to protect the brand name from genericization . The shift to
2800-497: A more powerful engine, and renamed it F-20. At this time, IH also added another model, the F-12, a smaller, lighter version of the original. It had no portal axle at the rear, deriving its ride height instead from larger-diameter wheels. Thus, beginning in 1932, the Farmall brand had grown from a single model to a model line, which became known as the F-series . In 1938, the F-12 was replaced by
2975-427: A new rear-hitch system. The 50 Series had an unprecedented three-year or 2,500-hour engine and drive-train warranty, which later became an industry standard. Although no new sales records were set, IH sold a respectable number of these tractors during their short production time. IH also released the "60 series 2+2s" and planned on making the "Super 70 series" 2+2s, but only a handful of these exist today. On May 14, 1985,
3150-409: A number of smaller competitors. Parlin & Orendorff (P&O Plow) and Chattanooga Plow were purchased in 1919. Other brand names they incorporated include Keystone, D.M. Osborne, Kemp, Meadows, Sterling, Weber, Plano, and Champion . In 1924 IH introduced the Farmall , a smaller general-purpose tractor, to fend off competition from Ford Motor Company 's Fordson tractors. Farmall was a leader in
3325-476: A period of time, buying companies and acquiring technology. Its heavy tractor range was an established offering, however IH wanted to offer innovative new construction technology. Significant moves included the purchase of the Frank G Hough company which produced an iconic machine called a PayLoader, and the purchase of French company Yumbo, which produced hydraulic excavators. Between 1956 and 1982 IH developed and sold
3500-525: A policy in 1919 to loan Fordson tractors to educational institutions with vocational training programs. Agricultural colleges could use a Fordson for six months and then exchange it for a new one. Under this arrangement, forty-two tractors were loaned to such universities as Cornell , Idaho , Michigan , Maryland and Prairie View State Normal in Texas. Others went to the orphanage at Nacoochee Institute in Georgia,
3675-440: A powerful fulfillment of his penchant for simplicity and very low cost. His 1938 meeting with Harry Ferguson was the turning point that led to the next Ford tractor, the 9N. The Ferguson system—whose hitch we now call the three-point hitch , or three-point linkage (3PL)—gave Ford the kind of new and special feature that he was wishing to find—something to give a groundbreaking competitive advantage to any new Ford tractor entering
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#17328595108633850-528: A production capacity for large numbers. Just as the Ford Model T helped the public to appreciate how soon cars and trucks might replace most horses in transport, the Fordson helped people to appreciate how soon tractors might replace most horses in farming (advancing the mechanization of agriculture ). As with cars, Ford never had the market to itself but it dominated the market for a time; for tractors, from roughly 1917 to 1925, and again from 1946 to 1953. Ford
4025-412: A range of off-road dump trucks , which were known commercially as 'PayHaulers '. International manufactured and sold an extensive range of heavy equipment . In 1974 IH renamed this division the 'Payline' division. The original payloader model was literally a tractor which had forks welded to the front. Frank Hough was the man who invented the concept and Hough's company worked closely with IH until it
4200-443: A runaway, market-changing success. His idea for a tractor with one large drive wheel was extensively developed, but the prototypes did not perform well. Various people who worked on it have wondered whether it was just a ruse to mislead Ford's competitors about his real intentions for a coming model, but it seems that he was quite serious about it and was probably disappointed that it did not work out; if it had worked, it would have been
4375-546: A settlement with Henry Ford for permission to use their already-trademarked name. However, Ford thwarted them by using another name. The prototypes of the new Henry Ford & Son tractor, which would later be called the Fordson, were completed in 1916. World War I was raging in Europe, and the United Kingdom, a net importer of food, was desperate for tractors in its attempt to expand its agriculture enough to feed Britain despite
4550-418: A simple numbering system. The first 2-3 digits was the horsepower rating, and the last number was the number of cylinders, so a 1486 was rated 148 hp and had a 6 cyl. engine, while the 1468 had 146 hp and a v8 engine. In 1964, IH made its four-millionth tractor, an 806. In 1965, IH introduced its first 100 hp (75 kW) two-wheel-drive tractor, the 1206. Another option became available in 1965 for
4725-433: A single crank pull would start it. However, in cold weather, starting could be difficult, especially once the machines were 10, 20, or 30 years old and worn out. In cold weather, the oil congealed on the cylinder walls and the clutch plates. The engine had to be hand cranked repeatedly with great effort. Strong men took turns cranking between intervals when individual ignition coils were adjusted. Sometimes farmers would build
4900-418: A strategy to drastically cut costs and improve profit margins. Unprofitable lines were terminated, and factory production was scaled back, resulting in profits reaching their highest levels in ten years by the end of the year, although cash reserves remained low. This strategy led to growing dissatisfaction among union members. In anticipation of labor disputes, IH braced for a strike. On November 1, 1979, just as
5075-677: A substitute tractor. By 1933, the deal fell apart, as the Great Depression damaged the economy, and dealers and aftermarket builders could also import Cork-built Fordsons and, starting in 1933, Dagenham-built Fordsons. The United tractor became the Allis-Chalmers Model U. Given Ford's shutdown of U.S. Fordson production, the next big Soviet orders of American tractors via the Amtorg Trading Corporation went to IHC and others. The Roaring Twenties had certainly been good for
5250-404: A towed implement became immovable: the stoppage of the implement would cause a reaction through the transmission that would flip the tractor over backward, sometimes killing the driver. This condition was caused by the low-geared worm drive, lightweight, and short length so there was an insufficient downward load to counter the reaction torque. The cause is sometimes said to have been introduced when
5425-509: A tractor chassis, fitted with friction drive (one speed forward, one reverse). Between 1911 and 1914, 862 were built. These tractors had varied success but the trend going into the mid-1910s was toward "small" and "cheap". The company's first important tractors were the 10-20 and 15-30 models. Introduced in 1915, they were primarily used as traction engines to pull plows and for belt work on threshing machines . The 10-20 and 15-30 had similar Mogul and Titan versions. Concurrently, IHC purchased
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5600-400: A utility tractor. By 1973, IH had officially dropped the 'Farmall' name from its new tractor models, ending an era that began with the first Farmall Regular back in 1924. However, the Farmall nameplate continued to appear on new 1974 and 1975 tractors until the factories exhausted their inventory of obsolete name badges. On February 1, 1974, at 9:00 A.M., the 5,000,000th IH tractor came off
5775-496: A variety of attachment solutions Bucyrus-Erie made a range of cable and hydraulically operated blades which fitted International-Harvester track type tractors. IH purchased the blades range from Bucyrus-Erie in the 1950s and absorbed these into its machinery division. IH also purchased attachments for the tractor range from Isaacson, including logging arches and dozer blades. Carrying on with its expansion IH purchased Isaacson's attachments division in 1952. Farmall Farmall
5950-460: A while, but they were large, heavy, expensive machines suited to prairie grain farming more than to small family farms in other regions. In the early 1910s, North America and Europe were hungry for small, inexpensive tractors, and many people seized on the Model T as a platform with which to create them . The idea of an auto-like tractor, made using auto-like parts and methods or by conversion from autos,
6125-485: A widely trusted brand (via Ford). Such factors made it possible for the average farmer to own a tractor for the first time. Thus Henry Ford and colleagues had done again, for the tractor, what they had recently done for the automobile with the Ford Model T . Ford incorporated his private company, Henry Ford and Son Inc, to mass-produce the tractor on July 27, 1917. The Fordson tractor went into mass production in 1917 and debuted for sale on October 8, 1917, for US$ 750. At
6300-592: A wider front axle. During the Letter series era, these alternate models were sold under the McCormick-Deering brand; later models were badged with the International brand. Some examples include: The International 544 and 656 Row-Crop tractors were a bit of an anomaly until International dropped the Farmall brand, in that they combined some of the customary features of a Farmall (such as an adjustable wheel width) with
6475-404: A wider variety of capabilities, engines, and equipment options. The smallest of the line, the 'A', utilized the company's Culti-Vision offset engine/front end design, along with a wide front wheel track and dropped axles. The 'B' was the same as the 'A' with the exceptions that it used a narrow, tricycle type front end, and the engine/driveline were placed along the centerline of the tractor. On
6650-450: A year and paying two drivers, which cost $ 1.46 per acre. Despite several early design flaws and reliability issues such as engine failure and unbearable heat, the Fordson established a firm foothold on U.S. farms, with more than 70% market share in earlier years. By mid-1918, more than 6,000 Fordson tractors were in use in Britain, Canada, and the United States. In the U.S., Ford established
6825-424: Is a model BM (British M) with a gasoline engine. This model was built from 1949 until 1954. Detailed tables of model names, years, engine displacements , horsepower ratings, production quantities, serial number ranges, and other statistics are available in reference books on the subject. The Farmall Cub , A, B, 100, 130, and 140 models had the seat offset from the engine, allowing the operator to look directly at
7000-400: Is frequently stirred up into the air). The Fordson carburetor and air cleaner were designed by Holley . In later decades, the water bath would be replaced with an oil bath for better filtering performance. The ignition system was similar to that of the Model T, with a flywheel -mounted low-tension magneto and trembler coils . The ignition timing was manually advanced or retarded with
7175-506: Is owned by CNH . The European division exists today as McCormick Tractors and is owned by ARGO SpA of Italy. International became solely a truck and engine manufacturer and brand and reorganized as Navistar International in 1986. Throughout its existence International Harvester was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois . In 2020 Volkswagen agreed to fully purchase the remaining shares of Navistar. The roots of International Harvester run to
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7350-554: The Berry School at Rome, Georgia, and Camp Dix at Hutchinson, Kansas. Annual production reached 36,781 in 1921 and 99,101 in 1926. By 1925, Ford had built its 500,000th Fordson tractor. Ford was the only automotive firm to sell cars, trucks, and tractors simultaneously from 1917 to 1928, during which time 552,799 Fordson tractors were built. Like the Model T car, a Fordson tractor that was relatively new and well maintained would start easily in warm weather. Under such conditions, often
7525-488: The Burlington Northern Railroad , was appointed as IH's new chairman and CEO. Under Menk's guidance, IH went through a twenty-month reorganization process, and he hired a new management team. Menk also ensured that IH made necessary cutbacks, and it involved the sale of the company's Payline division of construction equipment to Dresser Industries . Further assets were sold to Tenneco, Inc., in 1984. Following
7700-503: The Farmall and Cub Cadet tractors, International was also known for the Scout and Travelall vehicle nameplates. In the 1980s all divisions were sold off except for International Trucks, which changed its parent company name to Navistar International (NYSE: NAV). Given its monumental importance to the building of rural communities the brand continues to have a massive cult following. The International Harvester legacy non-profits host some of
7875-464: The Ford Model T or Fordson tractor , could meet that requirement. The Farmall was thus similar to a Fordson in its capabilities and affordability, but with better cultivating ability. Descriptions of tractors as "general-purpose" and "all-purpose" had been used loosely and interchangeably in the teens and early twenties; but a true all -purpose tractor would be one that not only brought power to plowing , harrowing , and belt work but also obviated
8050-552: The Ford Motor Company in 1903, Ford finished his first experimental tractor in 1907 on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, referring to it as the "Automobile Plow". Approximately 600 gasoline-powered tractors were in use on American farms in 1908. Fordson tractor design was headed by Eugene Farkas and József Galamb , who had previously been involved in the design of the legendary Ford Model T . Traction engines had been around for
8225-613: The Hinsdale, Illinois , Testing Farm, IH entertained over 12,000 dealers from over 25 countries. The series included the first-of-its-kind six-cylinder 460 and 560 tractors. Unfortunately just a year later, these models were recalled due to final drive component failures. They had not been updated since 1939 and would fail rapidly under the stress of the more powerful 60-series engines. Some customers lost faith in IH and migrated to John Deere's New Generation of Power tractors introduced in 1960. Throughout
8400-652: The Irish War of Independence occurred. Production at Cork never flourished during this first period, although a few thousand tractors a year were built. Ford ended production at Cork in 1922 and shipped the factory's equipment back to the U.S. in 1923. (It would return some years later, as described below.) By 1925, Ford had built its 500,000th Fordson tractor. Annual production reached 99,101 in 1926. By May 1927, total production figures had reached 650,000. In February 1928, Ford surprised his U.S. market by ending U.S. Fordson production. Various reasons have been suggested. One
8575-468: The depression of 1920–1921 and with stiffer competition from International Harvester , John Deere , J.I. Case , Allis-Chalmers , and others, Ford decided to reduce the price of the Model F from $ 625 to $ 395. This sparked a price war in the tractor industry known as the "tractor wars". To compensate for the lower price, Ford had to cut costs and strive for larger-volume production. Meanwhile, in Ireland,
8750-472: The great shipping disruption of the war . In 1917, the British Ministry of Munitions selected the Fordson for both importation from the U.S. and domestic U.K. production. It was thought that domestic U.K. production was preferable because so much Atlantic shipping was being sunk that exporting tractors from the U.S. would be counterproductive, as many would be lost at sea. This was soon modified to exclude
8925-513: The half-tracked version by Roadless . From 1948 onwards the Perkins P6(TA) could be ordered fitted from the factory, giving the tractor a 45 hp (34 kW) power unit, and improving on the design that was let down by the under-powered petrol/TVO engine. The E27N was a popular Machine with Australian farmers, setting the way for large sales of the New Major (E1A). Post-war shortages delayed
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#17328595108639100-529: The hydrostatic transmission would become a defining feature of the 70 Hydro and 100 Hydro models. Fordson tractor Fordson was a brand name of tractors and trucks . It was used on a range of mass-produced general-purpose tractors manufactured by Henry Ford & Son Inc from 1917 to 1920, by Ford Motor Company (U.S.) and Ford Motor Company Ltd (U.K.) from 1920 to 1928, and by Ford Motor Company Ltd (U.K.) alone from 1929 to 1964. The latter (Ford of Britain) also later built trucks and vans under
9275-825: The joint venture , IH lost their up-front investment in the engine plant and ended up selling British truck manufacturer Seddon Atkinson (which had belonged to IH since 1974) to Enasa in 1983. IH over the years used a number of brand names to market their tractor and harvesting products: Along with its prominent tractor division, IH also sold several different types of farm-related equipment, such as balers , cultivators , combines (self-propelled and pull behind), stationary engines , wagons , combine heads, corn shellers , cotton pickers , manure spreaders , hay rakes, crop dusters , disk harrows , elevators, feed grinders, hammer mills, hay conditioners, milking machines, planters, mills, discs, plows, baler twine, and other miscellaneous equipment. IH built up its earthmoving division over
9450-537: The various John Deere L/LA/LI models , one of the "mechanization-resistant" markets it hoped to penetrate was the small, poor, one-mule family farms of the rural American Deep South . But the Cub also sold to owners of larger farms who required a second tractor. Production of the Cub commenced at the newly acquired Farmall Works-Louisville plant (formerly the wartime Curtiss-Wright Aircraft factory in Louisville, Kentucky ) which
9625-414: The "Farmall" name from its tractors, ending a name that had begun with the first Farmall "Regular" in 1924. The 230 hp (170 kW) 4568 V-8 4WD was introduced in 1975. In 1976, the entire tractor line got a new paint scheme and decal pattern; instead of the side panels being all white with chrome and black decals, they were now all red with a black-striped sticker. This was done to clear inventory for
9800-588: The "custom" cab was dropped and the "deluxe" cab was now painted red instead of white. Due to horsepower confusions, the 966 and 1066 Hydro models were restriped; the Hydro 100 and the 666 Hydro became the Hydro 70. On February 1, 1974, at 9:00 am, the five-millionth tractor came off the assembly line at the Farmall Plant in Illinois; IH was the first tractor manufacturer to reach that number. Also in 1973, IH officially dropped
9975-560: The 152 cubic inches (2.5 L) version. The two tractors also had different injector systems and many further differences despite their common platform. The gasoline version of the Dexta had the same Standard engine as the Ferguson TEA and FE 35, one difference being that the starter was relocated to the right side of the Dexta. Unlike the Ferguson, the gasoline Dexta had the same gearbox castings as
10150-606: The 1830s, when Virginia inventor Cyrus Hall McCormick perfected his version of a horse-drawn reaper , which he field-demonstrated in 1831 and for which he received a patent in 1834. Together with his brother Leander J. McCormick , he moved to Chicago in 1847 to be closer to the Midwestern grain fields and founded the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. The reaper sold well, partially as a result of savvy and innovative business practices. Their products came onto
10325-421: The 1930s and 1940s.) Like many other multifuel machines, the Fordson started on gasoline from a small auxiliary tank (just a few quarts/litres) and then switched over to the main fuel tank once warmed up sufficiently (no more than 5 minutes ). To handle the kerosene (or, rarely, TVO), the intake system had a vaporizer downstream of the carburetor . The mixture coming from the carburetor was intentionally rich, and
10500-461: The 1955 lineup was the 300 Utility. In 1957 power was increased in some models and the 230 Utility was introduced. IH would sell 38,000 TD-18 series tractors between 1938 and 1958. The TD-18 would be replaced by an upgraded TD-18A in 1949 and 181/182 variants in 1955. In 1958 the TD-20 crawler was introduced. In July 1958, IH launched a major campaign to introduce a new line of tractors, the 60 series. At
10675-405: The 1960s, IH introduced new tractors and new sales techniques. As producing tractors was the lifeblood of the company, IH would have to remain competitive in this field. They both succeeded and failed at this goal but farming was about to change. In 1963, IH introduced the 73 hp (54 kW) 706 and 95 hp (71 kW) 806 tractors. Until the 88 series, all numbered series tractors followed
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#173285951086310850-460: The 460 and 560 tractors starting in 1958. Large competitors such as Deere and Caterpillar lagged at least two years behind IH in offering direct-start diesel products. The Torque Amplifier (TA) was first introduced on the "improved" Super M of 1954, called the Super M-TA. An auxiliary planetary gearset provided a double-reduction (low) gear ratio for each transmission gear (comparable in function to
11025-402: The 706, 806, and the new 1206: a factory-installed cab (made by Stopler Allen Co.), often called the "ice cream box" due to its shape. It could be equipped with a fan and heater. By 1967, over 100,000 models 706, 806, and 1206 were built. The 276 was also built at this time, becoming popular for smaller farms with tighter lanes and fields due to its lighter weight. In 1967 was the introduction of
11200-477: The C in 1948, which combined the attributes of both models into one tractor, while moving the operator position on top of the tractor in a more traditional layout like the H and M. Though the "Super series" received improvements, these tractors largely followed the design of their predecessors, and like them, were built to last. In 1954, the numbered or so-called Hundred series tractors appeared. The Hundred series models used numbers instead of letters to identify
11375-491: The Dodge Brothers, Horace and John Dodge ) that culminated in 1919. He resigned from Ford Motor Company with the threat (fully realizable) to treat Henry Ford & Son Inc as his new enterprise for all of his future cars, trucks, and tractors (he would begin with all-new designs), which would turn Ford Motor Company into a mere badly led competitor, destroying its stock's value. This maneuver worked; Henry Ford bought out all
11550-475: The F-14, almost identical to the F-12 except for an updated steering column and a higher-revving engine (whose higher rev limit , 1650 rpm instead of 1400, made it more powerful at peak output). All Farmall tractors were painted a deep blue-grey until mid-1936 (around July through September). The color has often been mistaken for battleship grey , but it was actually bluer. The wheels were most often red. In mid-1936,
11725-465: The Farmall era continues. As predicted in the 1980s and 1990s, the growing public understanding of environmental protection , and of sustainability in general, have brought a corollary resurgence of interest in organic farming and local food production . This cultural development has brought a limited but notable revival of cultivating and of the use of equipment such as Farmalls. Being an amalgamation , IH, like General Motors , gradually evolved
11900-524: The Fast Hitch in the 1960s after the three-point hitch was standardized and adopted by all manufacturers. There are kits available from a variety of sources that will either convert a Fast Hitch to a three-point, or add a three-point hitch to tractors that originally only had a fixed drawbar. International Harvester was one of the earliest manufacturers to provide a stepless transmission in a row crop tractor. Introduced first as an option on 656 and 544 tractors,
12075-473: The Ford Motor Company. Even though Henry Ford had to deal with the disappointment of learning that the public would not forever adore and demand his original models of car, truck, and tractor (the Model T, Model TT, and Fordson), his new model of car and truck ( Model A ) was also very successful. Fordson's success continued at Ford Ltd even though it came to an end in the U.S. The Fordson Model N replaced
12250-477: The Fordson Model F. It was an improved variant of the F. Production of the Model N started in Cork in 1927. Production of the Fordson Model N was transferred from Cork to Dagenham in 1933. The Model N featured a 27 HP engine, standard rear fenders (mudguards), a higher voltage ignition system, and optional pneumatic tires. In 1935 power take-off (PTO) was available as an option on the Model N. The Fordson Model N
12425-630: The Fordson brand until 1964. Fordson production took place in the U.S. (1917–1928); Cork, Ireland (1919–1923 and 1928–1933); and at Dagenham , Essex , England (1933–1964). Tens of thousands of Fordsons, most from the U.S. and some from Ireland , were exported to the Soviet Union from 1920 to 1927. Soviet Fordson clones were also built at Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg ) from 1924 and at Stalingrad (now Volgograd ) from 1930. Henry Ford grew up in an extended family of farmers in Wayne County
12600-519: The Fordson brand. After 1964, the Fordson name was dropped and all Ford tractors were simply badged as Fords in both the UK and the US. Between 1917 and 1922, the Fordson was for tractors somewhat like the Ford Model T was for automobiles —it captured the public's imagination and widely popularized the machine, with a reliable design, a low price affordable for workers and farmers, a widespread dealership network, and
12775-520: The Fordson especially, one could buy a crawler tractor, road grader, or self-propelled combine built by an aftermarket firm that used the Fordson essentially as a platform . For example, the original Gleaner self-propelled combines were built by attaching the combine to a Fordson. At least 3 companies offered crawler conversions, and others offered enlarged cleats, including the "overgrown tire chain" type that had led to crawler development not long before. Several companies converted Fordsons to road graders;
12950-558: The IH Model 350, which offered engines using a variety of commonly available fuels: gasoline, diesel, or LP-gas. The diesel engine version had a direct-start feature, and could be started and run using only diesel fuel. In 1957, IH again gave the tractor lineup an overhaul. Although the basic design was still not changed to any significant degree, new white paint was added to the front grille and sides, new engines were introduced, and new number designations were added. Along with these additions,
13125-541: The International Harvester Company. The most important motivation for the merger was elimination of competition in order to increase profits. Banker J. P. Morgan provided the financing. The architect of the merger was George W. Perkins , one of the Morgan executives who Cyrus McCormick described as the "most brilliant negotiator he had ever known." The new company was valued at $ 150 million. In 1919, IH bought
13300-679: The International Harvester name to Tenneco. Navistar International Corporation continues to manufacture medium- and heavy-duty trucks, school buses, and engines under the International brand name. The International Harvester Agricultural Division may have been second to the Truck Division but it was the best-known subsidiary. One of its early products was the Traction Engine, a frame manufactured by Morton Traction Truck Company (later bought by IHC) featuring an IHC engine. From 1902 to
13475-471: The London area because of concerns about its vulnerability to German attacks. Henry Ford decided to build the tractor at Cork , Ireland (which at the time was still part of the U.K.), partly because he wanted to bring jobs to, and foster industriousness in, southern Ireland. But the Cork plant did not begin production until 1919 after the war had ended. As events turned out, thousands of tractors were exported from
13650-522: The McCormick-Deering "standard series" (W-4, W-6, and W-9). For 1941 the MD model was introduced as the first row crop diesel-powered tractor; over a decade later, IH's largest competitor, John Deere, introduced a diesel option on their row crop models. The letter series tractors were updated to the "super" series in 1953 (with the exception of the A, which had become a "super" in 1947, and the B and BN, which were discontinued in 1948). Many of these tractors (especially
13825-400: The Model H proved most popular with customers. The 'MD' Farmall offered a diesel engine, which actually started on gasoline, then was switched over to diesel when thoroughly warmed up. Sales took off, and letter-series production did not end until 1954. Overall, the Farmall 'letter' series, well built and affordable, became not only a defining product line in IH history, but an iconic symbol of
14000-485: The Moline Universal was more successful, but its parent company nevertheless faced dire financial straits. Both models were soon discontinued. Many farmers were content (and could afford) to keep one or two horses or mules around to do miscellaneous light work (such as cultivating). Around 1920, as IH's motor cultivator died, a team of IH engineers had evolved the motor cultivator into an all-purpose tractor, replacing
14175-553: The Parlin and Orendorff factory in Canton, Illinois , a leader in plow manufacturing, renaming it Canton Works. International Harvester was one of the main clients of Product Miniature Company. In 1926, IH's Farmall Works built a new plant in Rock Island, Illinois . By 1930, the 100,000th Farmall was produced. IH next set their sights on introducing a true 'general-purpose' tractor to satisfy
14350-561: The Power Major was introduced with 51.8 hp (38.6 kW) and improved transmission and 'live-drive' hydraulics, Then in 1960 the final version, the Super Major came out with a weight transfer system and differential lock. The Super Major was produced until 1964. These tractors were exported to the US—the first since 1939—badged as Fords. Meanwhile, a smaller new three-cylinder version which
14525-611: The TAs on the "Standard", "Utility", and "Industrial" tractor lines as well. The Fast Hitch was IH's answer to the three-point hitch developed years earlier by Harry Ferguson , and featured on Ford-Ferguson tractors . The Fast Hitch was first offered as an option on the Super C. Fast Hitch was then an option on the 100, 200, 300, and 400 and some later models. However, even the Fast Hitch had three incompatible variants (100—single prong; 200—two small prongs; 300/400—two large prongs). IH discontinued
14700-530: The Torque Amplifier was added to the Model 300 and all larger models. This provided on-the-go shifting to suit varied needs; the operator was offered ten forward gears and two reverse, instead of the usual five and one. Another addition to these tractors was the independent ("live") power take-off (PTO), which meant that the farmer could run the PTO even when the clutch was disengaged (clutch pedal pushed down). Although
14875-421: The U.S. in 1917 and 1918. The tractor used a 20 hp (15 kW), inline four-cylinder engine . The engine was similar to the Ford Model T engine in many respects. Like many engines of its day, it was multifuel -capable; it was usually tuned for gasoline or kerosene , but alcohol could also be burned. ( Tractor vaporizing oil [TVO] existed in 1920 but was not yet widely used. It entered broader use in
15050-494: The U.S. remained mostly inactive for about 10 years after the end of U.S. production, although Ford did experiment with several designs during the 1930s. Most of them never left the drawing board, which was intentional; Henry Ford was interested in continuing R&D (and continued paying Ford engineers to work on it), although he wasn't going to put any models into production until all conditions (design, market) were right for commercial success. A Fordson row-crop model, essentially
15225-433: The US with 114 hp (85 kW). In 1971, IH introduced the 66 series line. The new models included the 85 hp (63 kW) 766, the 101 hp (75 kW) 966, the 125 hp (93 kW) 1066 turbo, the 145 hp (108 kW) 1466 Turbo, and the 145 hp (108 kW) 1468 V-8. The 130 hp (97 kW) 4166 4WD was also introduced. The 966 and 1066 were available with Hydro or gearshift transmissions and
15400-550: The Wehr ( video ) is well remembered. The first tricycle cultivator version of the Fordson was available as an aftermarket conversion by the Moline Implement Company as early as 1920 or 1921, which was 3 to 4 years before the Farmall was introduced, a full decade before Dearborn prototyped the Fordson All-Around, and a full decade and a half before Ford Ltd produced that model. It lacked those tractors' high clearance but
15575-464: The accidents resulted from inexperienced drivers, saying any tractor could be dangerous if improperly handled. Satisfied customers praised the Fordson, saying it made farm work easier and performed ideally in orchards and truck farms. As described earlier , because the Fordson was born in 1916, its production site choices and export/import were shaped by the Allied war effort for World War I. Almost all of
15750-555: The assembly line at the Farmall Works plant in Rock Island, Illinois. IH was the first tractor manufacturer to officially accomplish this production threshold In 2004 Case IH reintroduced the Farmall brand, initially as a line of small utility tractors with less than 55 horsepower (41 kW), intended for small-acreage farms. The brand includes a return to letter designations according to size. Generally tractors were marketed by
15925-412: The bigger and more powerful 56 series tractors as replacements for the popular "06" series. These new models included the 65 hp (48 kW) 656, 76 hp (57 kW) 756, the 101 hp (75 kW) 856, and the 116 hp (87 kW) 1256. The "ice cream box" cab was still an option. In 1969 IH introduced the 1456 Turbo at 131 hp (98 kW). Also that year, the 91 hp (68 kW) 826
16100-450: The choice of two-post roll over protection structures (ROPs) or two different cabs, the "custom" and the "deluxe". Both could be equipped with air conditioning, heat, and AM-FM radios. In 1972, the 666 replaced the long-running 656, the 150 hp (110 kW) 1568 V-8 replaced the 1468, and the 160 hp (120 kW) 1566 and the 163 hp (122 kW) 4366 4WD were introduced. Also later that year, four-post ROPs replaced two-post;
16275-472: The company announced a $ 1.8 million bonus for McCardell, the United Auto Workers called a strike the following day. The protracted strike eventually cost the company almost $ 600 million, equivalent to $ 2.5 billion in 2023. By 1981, IH's finances were at their lowest point ever, and investors had lost faith in the company and its management. In 1982, Louis W. Menk , who was a former president and CEO of
16450-495: The company was officially incorporated in July 1917. Another implies that February 1918 marked the first use of "Fordson" in a cablegram. Regardless, by April 1918 the name "Fordson" was established as the brand, and its eponyms were obvious. In that month, U.S. sales began under County War Board distribution rules. The Model F designation (for essentially the same model, with improvements) began in 1919. Sales boomed in 1918 and 1919. There
16625-448: The company. As tractor production was a mainstay of the company, IH realized they would have to modernize and re-engineer their tractor line, lowering costs where possible in order to remain competitive. The massive boilerplate frame and iron housings of the old IH tractors were slowly phased out for lighter, less-expensive components. The streamlined exterior of the earlier tractors was replaced by straighter, more angular lines, updating
16800-528: The competition. The diversification of the agricultural tractor range into genuine construction equipment whetted appetites for further expansion. In 1937 IH engaged designer Raymond Loewy to revamp its product line and logo. In 1938 the first such model was the TD-65 heavy tractor, later renamed the TD-18. For model year 1939, Raymond Loewy created the styling for the Farmall "letter series" (A, B, BN, C, H , and M) and
16975-623: The corporation produced torpedoes and their components, artillery systems and their parts, artillery shells and some civilian products for the military like bulldozers and truck engines. In 1946 IH acquired a defense plant in Louisville, Kentucky , which was adapted for production of the Farmall A, B, and the new 340 tractors. It acquired the Metropolitan Body Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1948. The commercially successful Metro line of forward control vans and trucks were produced here from 1938 until 1964. In 1970, Pacific Trucks
17150-413: The day; additionally, because of the second group, the Farmall could also, like previous tractors, perform all the other duties a farmer would have previously achieved using a team of horses . A tractor could yield lower overall operating costs than horses as long as it was priced right and reliable (and its fuel supply as well). The Farmall, mass-produced with the same low-cost-and-high-value ethos as
17325-463: The design proved to be unsuccessful. However, the new tractor did its many jobs well and hence sold well, and by 1926, IH was ready for large-scale production at its new Farmall Works plant in Rock Island, Illinois . Although the Farmall never reached the per-year production numbers of the Fordson during the 1920s, it was the tractor that prevented the Fordson from completely owning the market on small, lightweight, mass-produced, affordable tractors for
17500-459: The development and introduction of his company's first V8 engine , which was introduced by Ford on March 31, 1932, and was an immediate success in Ford cars and trucks. Experimental V8-powered tractor prototypes were built, but no production occurred. By the late 1930s, Henry Ford's enthusiasm for reentering the tractor market was growing, but he still did not have a design or features that could ensure
17675-458: The development of an entirely new tractor. In 1952, the "New Major" entered production with a new Ford engine range. The 4D engine was designed and manufactured in the UK at Dagenham and was available as Diesel, Petrol, or Petrol/Kerosene. The tractor had a 6-speed modified version of the E27N transmission. The driver sat significantly lower, which led to the E27N being nicknamed the 'High Major'. In 1958,
17850-556: The diesel version. Like Model T cars and trucks, the Fordson tractor provided the basis for a large and varied aftermarket in accessories and conversions. A pair of articles in a 1922 issue of the Chilton Tractor Journal describes the business environment and gives photographs of many of the attachments and conversions available. As with most other tractors, farmers and construction contractors could buy aftermarket governors , ignition parts, hitches, and drawbars; but with
18025-569: The drive worm was relocated below the main drive pinion on the differential. However, the problem already existed, but was made worse by the higher differential position, which was accompanied by larger rear wheels, which required more torque to give the same drawbar force. One Indiana farmer believed the Fordson to be so dangerous that it should have been banned by law. The Eastern Implement Dealer claimed that Fordsons killed 36 drivers in 1918. Pipp's Weekly further claimed that Fordsons had killed 136 men up to August 1922. Ford spokesmen maintained
18200-547: The early 1920s, the McCormick and Deering dealerships kept their original branding with Mogul tractors sold by McCormick and Titan tractors at Deering due to the still-present competitiveness of the former rivals. IH produced a range of large gasoline-powered farm tractors under the Mogul and Titan brands. Sold by McCormick dealers, the Type C Mogul was little more than a stationary engine on
18375-531: The emerging row-crop tractor segment. Following the introduction of Farmall, several similarly styled "F Series" models were introduced while the original design continued to be produced as the "Regular." In 1932, IH produced their first diesel engine for the McCormick-Deering TD-40 crawler . This engine would start on gasoline and then switch to diesel. Other diesel engines of this era were difficult to start in cold weather and using gasoline allowed
18550-607: The engine block, oil pan, transmission, and rear axle stressed members constituting the frame . By eliminating the need for a heavy separate frame, costs were reduced and manufacturing was simplified. Ford held a patent on a unit-frame tractor. The rear wheels were fabricated steel, spoked and cleated . The earliest ones were 12-spoke; a 14-spoke version followed. Several models of the front wheel were used, including 10-spoked fabricated steel and 5-spoke cast iron . Industrial models also used other wheels designed for specific tasks, including aftermarket wheels. In 1916 and 1917,
18725-532: The engine on gasoline, then manually switched it to diesel fuel after warming up the entire engine. This two-in-one engine design, also known as a "gas-diesel", was unique to IHC agricultural products from 1935 to 1958 and IHC construction/industrial products from 1935 to the early 1960s. Other companies used different yet elaborate means to crank and warm their diesels, such as a pony motor, compressed air, hot bulb, or black powder, among other things. The Farmall Super MD, Super M-TA Diesel, 400 Diesel, and 450 Diesel used
18900-522: The engine to thoroughly warm up first. In 1935, it was used in the WD-40, becoming the first diesel tractor on wheels in North America (the world's first diesel tractor was Germany's Benz-Sendling BS 6 in 1922). The market for industrial tractors grew in the 1930s. The TD-40, the first of IH's heavy-equipment crawlers, was suited for a wide range of environments. As demand for construction equipment grew, so did
19075-489: The excitement caused by the new introduction was short-lived. The following June, IH recalled the 460, 560, and 660 tractors after reports of mechanical breakdown in the field. IH, who wanted to be the first big-power tractor manufacturer, had inexplicably failed to substantially enlarge or re-engineer critical drive components on the new six-cylinder tractors. The tractors' final drives, which were essentially made up of unaltered Letter Series components, (the 460 carried over from
19250-410: The factory. For large orders, any color scheme could be accommodated at the factory. Although IHC's very first diesel-engine tractor was a "Standard" model WD-40 built from 1935 to 1940, the very first "Farmall" diesel tractor was the model MD released in 1941. Like many agricultural and construction/industrial diesel engines of the time, the early IHC diesels were not direct-start; the operator started
19425-465: The favorite row-crop tractor of America, outselling all other competitors (such as John Deere 's). In 1931 came the first variation of the original Farmall. The F-30 was bigger, heavier, and more powerful. The original Farmall became known by the retronym Regular . (It may never have been an official name for branding, but it was common among farmers.) In 1932, IH updated the Farmall Regular with
19600-458: The first generation of over 30 years of Axial-Flow combines. In 1979 IH introduced two tractors, the 3388 and 3588, known as the 2+2 4WD line. These were built by taking two 1086 rear ends and hooking them together with a transfer case. A year later, the 3788 was introduced. Although these tractors performed well in the field, they never sold well. As the 1980s began, IH faced a stable economy, yet an unknown fate. In September 1981, IH announced at
19775-480: The first tractors went to the U.K. in 1917. In 1918 and 1919, sales spread to Canada and the U.S., and U.K. production began in pre-independence Ireland. Ford signed a contract for a large consignment of Fordson tractors to the Soviet Union in 1919, which soon became the largest customer of the company. From 1921 until 1927, the Soviet Union imported over 25,000 Fordsons. These inexpensive and robust tractors became
19950-598: The fly. ) The idea of variable front track for row-crop tractors was also considered at Ford during this era. Achieving it via pivoting cantilevered wheel mounts was one of the options, although Ford never put that method into production (it later reached production in the form of the Avery Ro-Trak in 1938). The thought devoted to the topic paid off later, when the Ford 9N achieved it with another, simpler method. Between 1928 and 1932, Henry Ford's attention became consumed mostly by
20125-581: The forthcoming Pro Ag Line. In September 1976, IH released their 86 series Pro Ag Line. The models included the 80 hp (60 kW) 786, the 90 hp (67 kW) 886, the 101 hp (75 kW) 986, the 104 hp (78 kW) 186 Hydro, the 135 hp (101 kW) 1086, the 146 hp (109 kW) 1486 and the 161 hp (120 kW) 1586. These tractors had a new cab dubbed the Control Center that came standard with air conditioning, heat, and several radio-CB options. The driver sat well ahead of
20300-424: The ground under the tractor. This feature was called Culti-Vision because it was created to give the operator an excellent view of the cultivator teeth as they cultivated the vegetable row. ( Cultivating in this context refers to breaking up the soil next to the vegetable row, which kills weeds by uprooting them and/or burying their leaves). The Farmall A, B, and C used a sliding-gear four-speed transmission, while
20475-449: The horse in every job including cultivating. By 1923, they settled on a configuration, and their informal name for the project, the "Farmall", was selected as the product's official name. As IH management was concerned that the new high-riding, tricycle design—a rather spindly -looking thing to eyes of the early 1920s—might turn off customers, the Farmall was initially released only in Texas, in order to minimize potential embarrassment if
20650-418: The horse team entirely. This latter step is what changed the financial picture to heavily favor the mechanization of agriculture. The Farmall was so successful at total horse replacement that it became a strong-selling product. With the success of the Farmall line, other manufacturers soon introduced similar general- to all-purpose tractors with varying success. In later decades, the Farmall line continued to be
20825-480: The intensely competitive tractor market. The F-series tractors lasted until 1939. In late 1939, the famous Letter series of Farmall tractors was introduced. The model name letters were A , B , C (which replaced the B in 1948), H , M , and MD(M diesel). IH commissioned an industrial designer , Raymond Loewy , to give the new Farmall general-purpose tractors a sleek new streamlined look. Designed for small-to-medium size American farms, IH's new machines offered
21000-415: The larger models, the 'tricycle' type, narrow-spaced front wheel design was retained, as it provided quick steering and a considerable improvement in maneuverability over competing tractors such as the Ford 9N . IH took care to produce a model for almost every farm and every need. The Farmall A, B, BN and the later C offered compact size; the H and M series provided extra plowing capability and power, while
21175-426: The larger, more powerful Farmall H and M were fitted with a five-speed transmission. The extra gears of the Farmall tractors helped maximize the engine's power band and road speed, giving a sales advantage over the competition. The A, B, and C all used essentially the same engine but the C ran at a higher RPM and so yielded higher horsepower. IH Farmall Red became the standard Farmall tractor color after 1936, and
21350-436: The largest agriculture related events in the United States. Following years of financial and economic decline, International began selling its separate equipment divisions, starting with the sale of the construction division to Dresser Industries in 1982. In November 1984 IH finalized a deal with Tenneco to sell the farm equipment division to Tenneco's subsidiary Case Corporation , and the brand continues as Case IH , which
21525-449: The largest, the H, M, and W models) are still in operation on farms today. Especially desirable are the diesel-powered MD, WD-6, and WD-9's. The letter and standard series of tractors was produced until 1954 and was a defining product in IH history. In 1947, the smallest tractor in the Farmall line was introduced, the Cub . With a 60-cu. in., four-cylinder engine and a 69-inch wheelbase, the Cub
21700-503: The last IH tractor rolled off the factory line, a 5488 FWA. In the late 1970s, IH entered a deal with Spain's Enasa to build diesel engines there as Internacional de Motores . After a downturn in the market coupled to problems with Spain's entry into the European Economic Community threatened the profitability of this project, International Harvester withdrew in 1982. In return for being allowed to escape all conditions of
21875-548: The look and requiring less-complicated equipment to manufacture. The new machines also became vastly more complex, though easier to operate. Bowing to inevitable sales pressure and bitter price competition from other manufacturers, IH tractors, while still well-made, could no longer be relied upon to last indefinitely. Many Farmall tractor models have one or more mechanically similar models under another IH brand designed for other uses, such as industrial, utility, orchard, or wheatland use. These models have lower ground clearance and
22050-569: The major enticement for Soviet peasants towards collectivization and were often seen on Soviet posters and paintings during the era, such as in The First Tractor . As also happened with Ford cars and trucks imported in the early 1920s, the Soviets immediately began their domestic production of replacement parts and clones. In 1924, the Leningrad plant " Red Putilovite " (Красный Путиловец) started
22225-705: The market just as the development of railroads offered wide distribution to distant territories. He developed a vast support network to demonstrate field operations. McCormick died in 1884 and his company passed to his son, Cyrus McCormick, Jr. , whose antipathy toward organized labor helped spark the Haymarket affair , the origin of May Day as a labor holiday. In 1902, the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company and Deering Harvester Company , along with three smaller agricultural equipment firms (Milwaukee Harvesting Machine Co., Plano Manufacturing Co., and Warder, Bushnell, and Glessner —manufacturers of Champion brand) merged to create
22400-505: The market. After the 1939 introduction of this new line of "Ford" tractors made in the U.S. (the Ford N-series tractors ), there was very little importation of English Fordson models to the U.S. The Fordson E27N Major was an upgrade to the Fordson N and was made in England from March 1945, having the same engine and transmission as the Model N, but in a new casting which allowed for a PTO and
22575-419: The market. One of IH's suppliers, a company named Heil Earthmovers, manufactured a range of scrapers called 'Heiliners.' Rather than spend money on R&D and enter the market at a later date, in 1953 IH bought Heil's road machinery division, incorporating a range of motor and towed scrapers. IH International had a supply agreement for its heavy tractor attachments with a company called Bucyrus-Erie . Amongst
22750-516: The merger, tractor production at Farmall Works ceased in 1985. Production of the new Case IH tractors moved to J.I. Case in Racine, Wisconsin. Production of IH Axial-Flow combines continued at the East Moline, Illinois, factory. The Memphis Works plant was closed. The truck and engine divisions remained and in 1986, Harvester changed the corporate name to Navistar International Corporation , having sold
22925-459: The minority shareholders of Ford Motor Company in 1919, and then consolidated ownership in the Ford family : fifty-five percent in his name, forty-two percent in son Edsel's name and the remaining three percent in wife Clara's name. He merged Henry Ford & Son into the Ford Motor Company in 1920. Annual production reached 36,781 in 1921. The Fordson had established a firm foothold on U.S. farms. In February 1922, after-sales had suffered from
23100-474: The model H, the 560 did the same from the model M), failed rapidly under the stress of the more powerful 60 series tractor engines. IH's competitors took advantage of the recall, and IH lost customers in the ensuing months. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, IH introduced new tractors and new methods of marketing, but conservative management, an unwieldy corporate organization, and a policy of in-house promotions tended to stifle new ideas and technical innovation at
23275-416: The model. The new models were given slightly different looks and a few new features, but were still essentially the famed Letter series tractors. The Farmall Cub continued unchanged, but in 1955 a new 'low-boy' version was added, featuring a shortened 62.5-inch wheelbase and a frame eight inches lower than the regular Cub tractor, which improved the machine's center of gravity. 1956 saw the introduction of
23450-532: The name "Fordson" was not yet used as the tractor's make or model name, nor was "Model F". During this period, terms such as "the [real/genuine] Ford tractor" or "the Henry Ford tractor", as well as "the MOM tractor" (because almost all output was going to the British Ministry of Munitions ), were used. "The Ford Tractor Company " had already been registered on March 15, 1915, by W. Baer Ewing and Paul W. Ford. In early 1918,
23625-426: The name "Fordson" was trademarked, and within a few months, it was being marked on the tractors. Published sources vary somewhat on the origin of the name. All agree that the name reflects the contemporary name of the tractor company, "Henry Ford & Son", and its obvious eponyms: Henry and Edsel . Some claim that the company had been using the cable address "Fordson" for several years, which would mean even before
23800-410: The needs of the average American family farmer. The resulting 'letter' series of Raymond Loewy -designed Farmall tractors in 1939 proved a huge success. IH dominated the market through the 1950s despite stiff competition from Ford , Allis Chalmers , Massey Ferguson and John Deere . IH ranked 33rd among United States corporations in the value of World War II production contracts. Different plants of
23975-426: The new series. A computer monitoring system (Sentry) was developed, and IH became the first manufacturer to add a computer to a farm tractor. Other innovations included a "Z" shift pattern, an 18-speed synchronized transmission, a forward air-flow cooling system which sucked air from above the hood and blew it out the front grille, "Power Priority" three-pump hydraulic system, color-coded hydraulic lines and controls, and
24150-450: The new tractors did improve sales, IH's innate conservatism and reluctance to update their tractor line in response to changing times was becoming apparent. At the Hinsdale, Illinois Testing Farm in July 1958, IH entertained over 12,000 dealers from over 25 countries. IH showed off their new 60 series of tractors: including the first of their kind, large six-cylinder 460 and 560 models. But
24325-585: The number of 16" width plows they could pull in average soil to indicate their power. Here is a list of plow ratings (see footnotes) for all Farmall tractors produced for North America : Notes: There were also some Farmall models unique to the European market: DF-25 (comparable to the H), DGD4 (comparable to the Super H), BMD (British MD) and B-450 (British 450). These models all utilized direct-start diesel engines. Also there
24500-414: The operator. The drive worm was relocated to solve this problem and also allowed larger rear wheels which improved traction. Several changes were also made to simplify manufacture. The Fordson used the Model T coil magneto system ; and water and oil pumps were eliminated in favor of the simpler thermosiphon cooling and splash lubrication . Despite design and assembly improvements, Ford's still required
24675-452: The plow encountered an obstruction. Many people complained that the traction would be better if the tractor were heavier, although Henry Ford always countered that merely adding weight was not a smart way to maximize traction. Ford began shipping Fordson tractors to Ford Motor Company Limited in Britain in 1917 to meet an order from the British government for 5,000. Between the time the order
24850-455: The production of Fordson-Putilovets tractors (Фордзон-путиловец). During the 1920s, the Soviet versions had a reputation for insufficient quality. Much of this was because the metallurgy and heat treatment were wrong. For example, no matter how perfectly one machines a shaft or gear, it will fail early if the hardness is wrong. As Soviet industrialization progressed in the 1930s, the worst of
25025-453: The prototypical American small-farm tractor. Many machines (especially the two largest models, the H and M) are still in operation on farms today. In 1947, the smallest tractor in the Farmall line was introduced, the Cub . With a 60 cu. in. four-cylinder engine and a 69-inch wheelbase, the Cub was aimed at small farms such as truck farms, horse farms, and other small acreages that had previously continued to rely on horse-drawn equipment. Like
25200-490: The quality problems were solved. By mid-1918, more than 6,000 Fordson tractors, all U.S.-built, were in use in Britain, Canada, and the United States. After World War I ended, production began in Cork , Ireland, in parallel with U.S. production. Fordson tractors quickly shaped the U.S. tractor market and held over 70% of the market in earlier years. Henry Ford had a power struggle with Ford Motor Company's shareholders (including
25375-399: The rear axle, and the fuel tank was mounted behind the cab over the rear axle. This improved balance and ride. Also in 1976, the 62 hp (46 kW) 686 along with the "86" series four-wheel-drives were introduced, including the 4186, 4386, 4586, and 4786. In 1977, International Harvester introduced the first Axial-Flow rotary combine. This machine, produced at East Moline, Illinois , was
25550-409: The rear. The design of the rear was patented for its ease of manufacture and service. Brakes were not provided on early Fordsons, as high-ratio worm sets generally transmitted rotation in one direction only, from the worm element to the gear element, because of the high power loss through friction. To stop the tractor, the driver depressed the clutch . Ford engineer Eugene Farkas successfully made
25725-415: The same IHC gasoline-start engine design as the MD, but with larger displacement (more cubic inches). The first Farmall tractor with a direct-start diesel was the model 350, which appeared in 1956. The 350 could also be ordered with a gasoline or LP-gas engine. The 350's direct-start diesel engine was built by Continental Motors . IH subsequently developed their own line of new direct-start diesel engines for
25900-438: The small or medium family farm. Its narrow-front tricycle design, high ground clearance to clear crop plants while cultivating (helped by a portal axle [drop gearset]), power take-off (a feature on which IH was an early leader ), and standard mounting points for cultivators and other implements on the tractor's frame (a Farmall first ) gave it some competitive advantages over the Fordson, especially for row crops, and it became
26075-514: The sole production site in 1928, exports to the US were limited to 1,500 a month. This disrupted the business of countless firms, including Ford dealerships and aftermarket equipment makers (which was a large industry both for the Model T and the Fordson). Many of these firms formed a conglomerate called the United Tractor & Equipment Corporation, which arranged a deal with Allis-Chalmers to build
26250-404: The spark advance lever mounted near the steering column, which rotated the timer. The cooling was by thermosiphon . (In later decades, a high-tension magneto and a water pump would be added.) The transmission was a three-speed spur gear (the three forward speeds ranged from approximately 2 1 ⁄ 4 to 6 1 ⁄ 4 mph ). A worm drive reduction set and a differential made up
26425-403: The tasks needed on the farm that the need for hired hands was reduced and for working horses or mules eliminated. The original Farmall is widely viewed as the first tractor to combine a set of traits that would define the row-crop tractor category, although competition in the category came quickly. Although it was not the first tractor to have any one of these traits, it was early in bringing
26600-528: The tractors began to be labeled as Fordsons, and U.S. domestic sales began. Sales boomed in 1918 and 1919. Henry Ford experimented with auto-plows and heavier tractors. In August 1915, at a plowing demonstration in Fremont, Nebraska , he introduced a newly designed tractor known as the Model B. It used a 16 hp (12 kW), two-cylinder, horizontally opposed engine , a spur gear transmission and three wheels—two front drivers and one rear steerer. The Model B
26775-510: The two-speed rear axle on a commercial truck) that allowed for a quick downshift via hand lever, without using the clutch, to gain torque at the drive wheels. The popular TA attachment was seen upon most of the new 300 and 400 Farmalls that first appeared in 1955, and on the 350 and 450 produced 1956–1958, and on later models through the 1960s. Although the TA was appreciated on the Farmalls, IH also offered
26950-489: The vaporizer heated it and mixed it with more air to lean it out to the final ratio before entering the inlet manifold . The intake system also had a water bath air cleaner to filter the dust out of the air inhaled by the engine (an invention that did not originate at Ford but that was still rather novel in 1917). Air cleaning is critical to engine lifespan, even for road vehicles and most especially for farming and construction vehicles (which work in environments where dirt
27125-416: The wartime Curtiss-Wright Aircraft factory in Louisville, Kentucky ). Selling for $ 545 in 1947, the Cub proved extremely popular and its design continued largely unchanged mechanically until 1979. For 1955 in IH tractors, the numbered "hundred series" was offered. Although given slightly different styling and few new features, they were still updates to the models introduced in 1939. The only new tractor in
27300-560: The winning combination to market. The traits included (a) 'tricycle' configuration (a single front wheel or narrowly spaced pair), high ground clearance , quickly adjustable axle track , excellent visibility all around and under the machine, and light weight; (b) sufficient power for plowing and harrowing, and a belt pulley for belt work; and (c) all at low cost, with a familiar brand and an extensive distribution and service network. The first group of traits allowed for more nimble maneuvering and accurate cultivation than most other tractors of
27475-400: Was cultivating the rows of young row-crop plants to kill the weeds. IH recognized motorized cultivating as an unmet need in the marketplace. It was also under intense competitive pressure to build a "Fordson beater" soon, lest the Fordson go on to dominate the entire marketplace of agricultural equipment , imperfections or no. IH's first effort to solve this problem was a motor cultivator,
27650-552: Was a prominent brand in the 20th-century trend toward the mechanization of agriculture in the US. Its general-purpose machines' origins were in row-crop tractors , a category that they helped establish and in which they long held a large market share . During the decades of Farmall production (1920s to 1980s), most Farmalls were built for row-crop work, but many orchard , fairway, and other variants were also built. Most Farmalls were all-purpose tractors that were affordable for small to medium-sized family farms , and could do enough of
27825-419: Was accepted and when production started, Ford overhauled the design to solve several problems. The car-type radiator was enlarged to 11 US gal (9.2 imp gal; 42 L) capacity to cure overheating problems. The additional weight also helped hold the front down. In early Fordsons, the drive worm was located at the top under the driver's seat. During heavy operation, the heat became unbearable to
28000-444: Was aimed at small farms which had previously relied on horse-drawn equipment. Like the various John Deere L/LA/LI models , one of the "mechanization-resistant" markets it hoped to penetrate was the small one-mule family farms of the rural American Deep South , but the Cub also sold to owners of larger farms needing a second tractor. Production of the Cub commenced at the newly acquired and updated Farmall Works-Louisville plant (formerly
28175-479: Was expanded, remodeled and re-equipped. Selling for $ 545.00 in 1947, the Cub proved extremely popular, and the original design continued in production without significant alteration until 1979. The Letter series tractors were updated to the Super series beginning in 1947 with the Super A, 1951 for the Super C, 1952 for the Super M and 1953 for the Super H, the B model having been dropped from production and replaced with
28350-426: Was filtered by bubbling it through a water tank. On dry days, the mud would build up in the water tank after a few of hours of operation. The mud would then have to be flushed out and the tank refilled. The Fordson Model F was not without flaws it shared with other brands. These problems included practical limits to traction , especially under muddy, snowy, or icy conditions, and the habit of rearing over backward if
28525-401: Was innovative. Designed and styled by IH industrial designer Gregg Montgomery (Montgomery Design International), the new stylish design of the 50 and 30 series changed the look of tractors from that time forward. IH spent over $ 29 million to develop this new series, and the result was the last great lineup of tractors from International Harvester. Many technology-related innovations were used in
28700-433: Was introduced with the option of gearshift or hydrostatic transmissions . The "ice cream box" cab was dropped and replaced with a new "custom" cab made by Exel Industries which could be equipped with factory air-conditioning, heat, and an AM radio. Another milestone was the 1970 introduction of the 1026 Hydro, basically a hydrostatic version of the 1256 and at that time the most powerful hydrostatic transmission tractor made in
28875-557: Was named the Dexta had been launched to compete with the success of the Massey Ferguson 35 , of which it shared the basic gearbox and differential casings as well as many other parts. The Dexta and later models MF35 (early models had a Standard 3-cylinder diesel engine) featured the Perkins A3 engine, with a few differences. The engine was at 144 cubic inches (2.4 L) in early Dextas, whereas later machines and Perkins engined MF 35s had
29050-533: Was never produced but did gain enough publicity to let the world know Ford was interested in developing a tractor. Knowing there was a demand for a Ford-built tractor, a group of entrepreneurs in Minneapolis organized The Ford Tractor Company , paying a company clerk surnamed Ford for the use of his name, to get sales and attention from the confusion of this "Ford" company with the well-known Ford Motor Company. The company built and sold some tractors, but anticipated
29225-423: Was nothing about the Fordson's design or farming capabilities that was a "first-ever" among tractors (Ford's version of a unit frame was novel for tractors, but that didn't give it special farming advantages). But it was the first tractor that combined all of the following factors: it was small, lightweight, mass-produced, and affordable; it had a large distribution network (dealers nearby in many locales); and it had
29400-446: Was probably the most important tractor in the United Kingdom during World War II . The Dagenham plant produced over 136,000 Model N tractors during the war. Ford of the U.S. also exported Model 9N tractors to the U.K. during the war. After U.S. Fordson production ceased in 1928, Irish-built and later English-built Fordsons were imported to the U.S.; Eber Sherman was a principal importer. The development of new Fordson/Ford tractors in
29575-410: Was purchased in 1952. The terminology came to mean any type of front loader machine, and loaders were manufactured in a number of varieties, included wheeled and track loaders, rear wheel loaders or an articulated steering design. In the early 1950s contractors worldwide began using motor scrapers as a means of shifting dirt. IH had a hole in its product range; it did not offer a motor scraper product to
29750-741: Was purchased. In 1974, the five-millionth IHC tractor, a 1066, was produced at the Rock Island Farmall plant. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, despite good sales, IH's profit margins remained slim. The continual addition of unrelated business lines created a somewhat unwieldy corporate organization. Overly conservative management and a rigid policy of in-house promotion tended to stifle new management strategies and technical innovation. IH faced strong competition and increased production costs, primarily due to labor and government-imposed environmental and safety regulations. In 1977, International Harvester named Archie McCardell as its new CEO, who embarked on
29925-523: Was ripe. American engineer, inventor, and businessman Henry Ford built experimental tractors from automobile components during the early 20th century and launched a prototype known as the Model B in August 1915. Further prototypes, with a dedicated tractor design, followed in 1916. With World War I raging in Europe, the first regular-production Henry Ford & Son tractors were exported to the U.K. in 1917 to expand British agriculture. In 1918, exports continued,
30100-430: Was sending knock-down kits to final assembly plants in various U.S. states, including New Jersey, Iowa, and Missouri. The core of Fordson production later moved to the new Ford River Rouge Complex . The Fordson succeeded in being cheaper to maintain than horses, as the Ford Model T had previously done. A government test concluded that farmers spent $ .95 per acre plowing with a Fordson compared to feeding eight horses for
30275-515: Was that IHC's Farmall and other competitors had taken away the mystique of the Fordson in the U.S., and Henry Ford was not content to compete in the U.S. tractor market on a mere commodity basis; he wanted decisive competitive edges. Another is that he envisioned moving all production to Ireland and England because Europe, including Russia, was set to become the most important Fordson market. Henry Ford did not elaborate on his reasons. Ford of England restarted Fordson manufacture at Cork, which involved
30450-438: Was the only automotive firm to sell cars, trucks, and tractors simultaneously from 1917 to 1928. For a decade between 1928 and 1939, Ford of the U.S. left the tractor business. During that decade, Ford of Britain continued to build Ford and develop new variants, which it exported widely. In 1939 Ford of the U.S. reentered the tractor market with an all-new model , this time with the Ford brand. Ford of Britain continued to use
30625-484: Was used through the 1970s. The only factory color variations known are Highway Yellow (generally used for municipalities ), Demonstrator White , used for dealer demo models during the 1950s, and Demonstrator Gold —actually a red-and-gold color scheme used only during the International Demonstrator program in 1970. Farmalls in other shades are known to exist; these were most likely custom ordered from
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