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Utility Tractors
International Harvester Company (IHC) with its McCormick Deering division along with the J.I. Case were the pioneers of the utility tractor commonly referred to as Standard Tread Tractor or Industrial tractor.
From almost the very beginning, Tractor companies had a knack for getting
the most from its tractors. Early Case steam Road Rollers were a
classic example of an adaptation of existing machinery to the
Construction Equipment market.
bottom Construction and Construction Equipment was nothing new to the tractor industry
as seen in this turn of the century postcard depicting a Case 10 ton steam toad roller
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These machines provided a profitable sideline for Tractor companies due to the fact that engineering and production costs were lower than building an entirely new machine.
In the early 1920's Intentional Harvester Company began to
explore the potential for a simpler brand of utility tractor. Standard tread tractors
were useful for far more than simply plowing; the company merely needed to get the
tractors into the right location.
Rather than complex conversions, a utility tractor could be created with little more than a paint job a new set of
stickers and wheels and possibly a different seat Despite the simplicity of creating a industrial tractor, getting
into the industrial market was an entirely different matter.
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With tractor dealers in location that served the farmer most all dealers couldn’t support
expanding into industrial tractor sales or later into construction equipment sales
For decades sales and distribution of the utility tractors would be a obstacle that hindered
tractor companies from expanding into the construction equipment industry.
Despite the challenges IHC With a concentrated effort of
advertisements and sales people, put its tractors to work on an incredibly diverse range of jobs.
The Birth of the Utility Tractor
The first utility tractor adapted for industrial use was the 1922 McCormick-Deering 10-20 The tractors were simply 10-20s with the serial numbers indistinguishable from other McCormick-Deering 10-20s.
1923 the McCormick-Deering 10-20 sold to industries was designated the Model 20.
Cast iron disc wheels were used front and rear A foot accelerator, suspended front end, high-back seat, Down mount muffler, dual rear tires, and rear-wheel brakes were added in 1924. Development continued for 1925, and highspeed (10.4 miles per hour!)
top gear and transverse leaf front suspension were added. Front and rear bumpers and an assortment of wheel lugs were added as options.
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Sales for 1925 are listed as "several hundred" and The company responded to the demand by adding an "IND"
suffix to the serial number in 1925. In 1926, production of Model 20s reached 1,400 units, and the Model
20 was assigned unique serial numbers that began at 501 and were coded "IN." |
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Case Utility Tractors
Cases President Leon Clausen felt strongly about the industrial
marketplace for Case equipment and repeatedly stressed the importance of industrial applications of
farm tractors. On April 14, 1928, a newly released Model L was equipped with a crawler unit.
Following extensive tests, Model L and smaller Model C industrial tractors were soon in production. In February 1929, Clausen required
engineering to provide a high road speed for LI tractors to be used in California. |
These units
had a spring in the front axle because of the
the hard rubber tires and the high gear
speed used for road work. A seat backrest
was provided as standard equipment
for Model LI tractors and a foot
throttle was standard. Since the cast
wheels were heavy enough, agricultural
wheel weights were not needed.
In a June 6, 1930, memo to engineering,
Clausen asked that the following be
added to Model LI units:
• Provision for a 5th wheel to pull trailers.
• Rear wheels with expanding ring rims to make tire
changing easier.
• Heavier rear wheels to avoid bolting on
agricultural-type weights.
• A pulling point for chains to be built in, front and
• Provision for extension rims to be added for more
traction.
• Arrangements for crawler track applications to
take the side thrust of grader blades.
• Heavier front axles to take the weight of cranes,
shovels and excavating equipment.
• The addition of a very low and very high gear
speed.
In 1930, a Bates track conversion was also tested. A
Trackson unit soon followed |
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Case Military Tractor
There's little doubt Case's
successful Industrial Tractor
was the reason Case was
choose to supply tractors to the military during World War II.In a time of government
restricted production of new tractors Case produced more than 15,000 for military use.
left
special shielding on LAI tractors
(which had replaced the LI in 1941) prevented electrical equipment from sending out unintended
radio signals; these tractors were sold to Britain under the Lend-Lease program
notice military issue
black-out lights..
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Antique Farming Top Links |
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Massey Harris Tractors
Take a look at the roots of the Massey Ferguson Tractor
Company visit our Massey Harris Tractor page
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John Deere Tractor Model M
John Deere's Utility Tractor designed to replace the John Deere Model H,
John Deere Model L and Model LA
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Manuals
and
Brochures
require
Acrobat
reader
Click to
download
click on images to view file
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ALLIS CHALMERS IB |
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Allis Chalmers
announced the Model IB tractor in the 1939,
early sales literature for the "IB" Allis-Chalmers noted that it "drives like a car as it has similar
controls with a foot controlled throttle, clutch, and brake. In addition there are
individual hand brakes on each rear wheel." The low, compact construction of the
IB industrial tractor made it ideal for work in small, cramped areas.
It used the same four-cylinder, 3% x 31/2 inch engine as the general
purpose Allis-Chalmers B tractor.
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McCormick Deering W30 |
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The
McCormick Deering
W30. The W30 tractor seems to have been little more then a 15-30 with a few more option the W30 demonstrate IHC commitment to the Standard or utility tractor. with option including rubber tires., lower low gear and differential lock
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McCormick Deering
10-20 |
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McCormick Deering 10-20
This was the
International Tractor
that followed the
McCormick Deering
Titan. It came out in 1923 and was discontinued
in 1939. A total of 219,000 were made and the peak production year was 1929.
It was slow and cumbersome, but was excellent for plowing
as well as on the belt. It carried the same four cylinder
engine as the "Regular Farmall" introduced that same
Year by
International Harvester
Company.
In 1923, the 10-20 was listed at $785; the 15-30 at
$1250. By 1939, the 10-20 was listed at $950 with
steel lugs, and $1158 with rubber tires.
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FARMALL
REGULAR - F20 |
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International Harvester
Company built 135,000 regular
Farmall Tractors
between 1923 and 1932, when the name was changed to "F-20." (The F- 12 was also introduced in 1932 by IInternational Harvester and 132,000 F-12's were built between 1932 and 1938.)
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