|
|
Ford Tractor
The Ford Tractor
Henry Ford was born and raised on a farm. He understood the hard work and
what he would call "the drugery of farming", Henry Ford held a life long dream of make farming
easier. He achieved that
dream, revolutionizing and changing the farming industry in the process.
In 1906, Henry created his first farming endeavor: the "Auto-mobile Plow." Lighter than other
tractors, the AutoPlow was powered by a 24-horsepower, Model B, four-cylinder, vertical engine
. Howe ver, in 1908
a Ford Motor Company board of directors that was
well satisfied with the sales and profits from the Model T
force Henry Ford to put tractor production on the back
burner.
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
Fords first tractor
ushered in a new era in tractor history by introducing automobile industry mass production. At the same time, the
Fordson tractor touched off a bitter commercial rivalry that had lasting consequences. Technical innovation and Fords unwillingness to improve the Fordson
proved to be the decisive factor in the competition for the tractor market, and in the process it altered the nature of the tractor itself.
Left 1917 Fordson click on image to
enlarge
|
The first popular Ford Tractor wasn't a tractor the Ford company or Henry Ford
produced instead it was the Ford Model T or Model A car converted into a tractor.
Several companies including the Pullford Company got its Model T
tractor conversion
kit to market
several years before Henry Ford'
s own highly successful Ford tractor, the Fordson The Pullford
Company also stayed in business longer than Fordson. These kits became so popular even mail order giants
Sears, Roebuck and Co and Montgomery Ward sold the ford tractor kits.
Therefore it appears that one of Henry
Ford'
s toughest competitors in the tractor market was his own popular Model T.
|
 |
 |
Ford 8N
Ford began production of the
Ford 8N
tractor
beginning in 1947. Equipped with the Ferguson System three-point
hitch and 4-speed transmission,the
8N Ford
was destined to become the top-selling individual tractor of all time in North America.
The most noticeable differences
between the 8N and its predecessors was the inclusion of a 4-speed transmission instead of a
3-speed in the 2N and 9N, and an
increase in both PTO and drawbar horsepower.
Left 1947 Ford 8N click on image to
enlarge
|
 |
Ford 9N
The first Ford 9N tractor was built in 1939. It used the company's own four-cylinder engine,
which carried a 3-3/16 x 3-3/4-inch bore and stroke. The unique feature of the 9N tractor was
the fact that it was equipped with Harry Ferguson's unique three-point-hitch system.
Ford 8N
Ford 8N tractors made their debut in 1947, with
production continuing until 1952. This model
used a Ford-milt four-cylinder engine with a 3-3/16 x 3-3/4-inch bore
and stroke. |
|
|
In 1938 Ferguson and a small staff took his plow-tractor combination to Ford and the two formed a partnership that favored both sides. It provided Ferguson a manufacturer for his idea and Ford an idea to manufacture. Ford invested $12,000,000 in tooling costs and helped Ferguson finance his new distribution company. In 1939 Ford introduced the 9N tractor that became known as the
Ford Tractor with the Ferguson System. The 9N had rubber tires, power takeoff, Ferguson hydraulics, an electric starter, generator, and battery and it was priced at $585.
The Ford 9N Tractor and the Ford 2N tractors certified the engineering ideas
Harry Ferguson had struggled for decades to prove. Yet when Ford introduced the 8N that utilized
Ferguson's invention Ferguson's name was no longer on the tractor and no royalties were paid to
Ferguson. The handshake agreement between Ford and Ferguson was dissolved and Ferguson filed a
law suit against Ford that dragged on for four years and resulted with Ferguson receiving a $9.25
million settlement from Ford. |
|
|
 |
|
FORD
8N |
|
Ford 8N tractors made their debut in 1947, with production continuing until
1952. This model used a Ford-milt four-cylinder engine with a 3-3/16 x
3-3/4-inch bore nd stroke. |
|
|
Fierce
competition

By the end of World War I the competition between several tractor manufacturers
was fierce. International Harvester could no longer simply rely on their past successes. Chief competitors included Massey-Harris,
Case, and Deere who had just entered the tractor business in 1919 when they purchased the Waterloo Boy outfit. In addition to these
established companies, the automaker Henry Ford had established a separate company called Henry Ford and Son for the purpose
of producing farm tractors and in 1917 Ford's tractor company introduced the Fordson. This smaller, lighter tractor was so well
accepted that in 1923 Ford produced more than 100,000 of them.
International Harvester countered with the 10-20
McCormick-Deering
in 1922. This was a smaller version of the 15-30 that they had introduced in
1921. Case and John Deere also brought out new, smaller, lighter, less expensive models. However Ford still had more than 60% of the market.
Tractors in 1910 averaged 500 lbs per horsepower and the American farmers were ready for smaller tractors. International Harvester Co. took
the lead ahead of Hart-Parr. Competition was fierce. Henry Ford had shipped 7, 000 small Fordsons to England by 1918. In 1918
International Harvester come out with the International 8-16 which weighed 3,300 lbs or 206 lbs per hp. The Fordson tractor that Ford
introduced that same year weighed 2,700 lbs or 150 lbs per hp. Fordson passed International Harvester's tractors in production. To
force a showdown, Ford cut his price by $230, to $395. International Harvester was forced to fight back by cutting the price of the
Titan 10-20 to $700 and the International 8-16 to $670, including a plow. At this point both companies were selling below cost.
International Harvester did not have the auto revenues that Ford had so they were fighting for their existence. Their salesmen
turned every Fordson demonstration into a field contest, and International's tractors won each time. By the end of 1924,
International Harvesters sales increased as their engineers continued to test general purpose tractors targeted at the Fordson's
failures which included low ground clearance and its wheel placement that required too much maneuvering room.
|
|
|
|
 |
1952 Ford 8N with
Dearborn Road Maintainer
Dearborn's catalog was
extensive and included
this Meili-Blumberg
Model 19-35 road grader
for mounting on Ford's
8N or 2N models.The
Model 19-35 stretched
out the small tractor,
yielding a 14-foot
wheelbase and a 39-foot
turn circle. Combined
weight was 6,900 pounds. |
|
On April 9, 1952, Harry Ferguson accepted U.S.
Judge Gregory Noonan's settlement agreement with
Ford. Dearborn Motors reimbursed Ferguson $9.25
million for patent infringements. During the 54 weeks of the trial, many of
Ferguson's patents had entered the public domain. Ford agreed to discontinue
production of the hydraulic system using
Ferguson's reservoir-side hydraulic pump by the end of the 1952 model
year.
Ferguson, who had begun producing Ford 9N look a likes
that he marketed as Ferguson TE-20 and TO-
20 (for Tractor, Europe, 20 horsepower, and Tractor,
Overseas, 20 horsepower), suffered in the final settlement
for his success. He had manufactured nearly
140,000 of the 9N clones without Ford's permission
for the tractor design.
Dearborn Motors already had a successor waiting.
It was Henry II's idea, a tribute to his grandfather
and his devotion to farin tractors, in honor of the corporation's
fiftieth anniversary. DMC's product-planning
groups, always happy to have something new to
plan, produce, and promote, liked the idea and they
pushed for the Golden Jubilee model. |
|
Antique Farming Member
Pictures |
Antique Faming Member pictures.
Pictures posted here were originally post on
Antique Farming Forum
consider sharing your photo's. Many FREE option exist to make sharing photos easy Antique Farming recommends
Picasa Photo organization software .I installed this free software and it found
pictures on my PC that I had long forgotten...Great program
Click on pictures to enlarge
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ford Tractors Dearborn Implements |
|

|
Dearborn Implements
After the death of Henry Ford, Henry Ford II took a close look at Ford's tractor operation and concluded that Ford Motor Company was losing money on every 9N and 2N Series
Ford tractor
it had ever manufactured under the "handshake agreement" with Ferguson.
So after six years of 9N and 2N tractor production Ford ended the "handshake agreement". It left Ford with a tractor, but no implement,
while Ferguson had the implements, but no tractor, although Ferguson had already begun tractor production in England with Fords tractor
design and all of Fords blueprints and specs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FORDSON |
|

|
|
Fordson
Henry Ford made no public announcement before introducing this,
his first
Ford Tractor
. A group of promoters in Minneapolis hired a young man named Ford and brought out "The Ford Tractor"
ahead of Henry Ford, although it was not a success. This was why Ford named his tractor "Fordson." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FORD Ferguson 9N |
|

|
|
Ford Ferguson 9N
The first
Ford 9N was built in 1939. It used the company's own four-cylinder engine, which carried a 3-3/16 x 3-3/4-inch bore and stroke. The unique feature of the 9N tractor was the fact that it was equipped with a unique three-point-hitch system.
The Ferguson System consisted of a combined
linkage and hydraulic control, applicable to a wide variety of implements and was perfected in 1935 after 17 years of engineering development by Harry Ferguson. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FORD NAA |
|

|
The 3PT War
a $9.25 million dollar settlement agreement against Ford. Ford agreed to discontinue production of the
hydraulic system using Ferguson's reservoir-side
hydraulic pump
by the end of the 1952 model year. 1953 saw the release of the Ford NAA Ferguson,
who had begun producing Ford 9N look-alikes that he marketed as Ferguson TE-20 and TO- 20 ,
suffered in the final settlement for his success. He had manufactured nearly 140,000 of the 9N clones without Ford's permissionbi```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ford 8N Ford |
|

|
The Ford 8N
- 1947 to 1952
The Ford 2N was replace by the the Ford 8N in 1947.
Equipped with the Ferguson System three-point hitch and 4-speed transmission,
this model was destined to become the top-selling individual tractor of all time in North America.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|