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THE original compact utility tractor
With all due respect, I think you guys all missed the 'big picture' completely.
In the days when 8N's, Farmall Cubs and the like were state of the art they were full on farm tractors. They were used as the primary traction engine on many small farms and were 'chore machines' on larger farms to keep the hours off the big machines, or to do tasks that didn't require big power.
The true 'compacts' back then, IMHO, were the (by todays standards) 1 & 2 wheeled walk-behind units. Some of the most popular were the Shaw (makers of VERY popular Do-All later on) one wheelers. They featured a 3.5 - 6hp engine in front of the driven wheel, and a draw bar to which was fixed a cultivator, plow or anything else, your imagination was the limit.
Up to this point all 'garden work' was done by hand, during WW1 there was a desperate shortage of both food and horses, this inspired the production of these small 'tractors', it enabled a family to grow their own food while also reducing demand for the horses that would have normally been required to do the work. During the depression the demand became even greater and by the time of WW2 the wartime demands pused them to even wider use.
I still have one myself, if I get a chance I'll dig it out and put up a picture.
BTW, ShortMagnum, check your historical data, Kubota hsa been in existance since the 1890's, while they didn't make tractors form day one, I think you will find they were making tractors before Mr. Ford.
Best of luck.
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THE original compact utility tractor
Anyone's view of the big picture probably depends on their direct experience. I grew up in Missouri and we farmed about a thousand acres. The little Ford 8Ns and Farmall Cubs didn't see serious farm duty in my neighborhood. Don't get me wrong, we had and used both models, but they were for special operations even forty years ago, on our farm. We had neighbors that had smaller places with a few head of cattle and some of them used the Ford 8N just like I use my CUT today. The smallest tractor that we ever used for any tillage task was a JD Model A. That was the old two cylinder rotary engine thumper and it was a pretty large sized tractor as I recall.
Over the years, we had several of the JD A's, JD B, JD 720, JD 4020, AC WD, IH Farmall Cub, Ford 8N, and probably one or two others.
We had a large garden. We could have used the Cub or 8N for tilling that area, but when it came time to work that plot, a quick swipe with one of the large plows, discs and harrows would finish up the job in short order. The fine tillage work in the garden was done with a walk behind tiller. It would have been great to have a power tiller for the back of the Ford, but my dad probably figured that he did not need one since he had me.
The Ford 8N had a sickle bar mower and it was also used to tow wagons, hay rake, etc. We used it for hay operations because it was easy to get on and off of. The Farmall cub was used for mowing our lawn. Our house was on five or six acres of trimmed lawn. The Cub could do all but the final trim operations. Trimming was done with a gasoline rotary push mower. The mowers on these two small tractors were the only dedicated implements that we had for them. All of the other implements were fairly universal and pulled from a drawbar.
The Allis Chalmers WD was the most specialized tractor arrangement. We only used that to operate an AC Rotobaler and an AC Combine. The Rotobaler was a hay baler from the 1950s and later that rolled hay into rolls of about 100 pounds in a cylinder about two feet in diameter and four feet long. These bales were "waterproof" and could be left outside for more than a year. Of course the AC tractor could also pull a hay rake or wagon. Many of the older implements such as hay balers, grain augers, elevators and so forth had their own gasoline engines and did not need a tractor to drive them.
I have never seen the walk behind motor driven tractors you mention or any of the implements. I even sold farm equipment at a local dealership for seven years. So I have to say that they were not popular in our area. We did trade for some very old Pre WW2 equipment from time to time. I remember tractors that started on gasoline and then switched over to kerosine and other such oddities. My grandfathers were still using mules and horse teams for some things when I was very young. Only one grandfather ever became comfortable with tractors and power machinery. All of the old gasoline motor driven hay balers and other equipment were eventually sold to Minunite and Amish farmers that still use such equipment today.
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THE original compact utility tractor
I am getting sick of looking at mine in the back of my garage. I need to get my butt in gear and hook up the fuel tank and oil lines. Tighten up the steering sectors and send it down the road. I was in love with it but lost all drive to fix and keep it last year. Started like a gang buster on it but extenuating circumstances had derailed my motivation. Now every time I look at it I am getting more and more ready just to sell it as is. No motivation no drive no need and the worst thing is that I have more time on my hands than ever before in my life. Maybe a weather warm up will change my attitude but for now it is what it is.
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THE original compact utility tractor
There seems to be a bit of confusion as to where the 3-point hitch came from. Harry Ferguson (an Irishman) designed the hitch in the early 30's and David Brown manufactured over 1000 Ferguson-designed tractors (not at all related to the well-known N-series) with the new hitch. (Earlier he had played with his hitch on a Fordson but this was not successful.) This partnership broke apart and Ferguson needed to find another tractor manufacturer to work with. This is where Henry Ford comes in and the "handshake" agreement resulted in the joint-effort Ford 9N in 1939. This was replaced by the 2N in 1942. These tractors were designed and built by Ford (using Ferguson's hitch as standard equipment) and Ferguson handled signing up implement manufacturers to built compatible tools. In 1946 the partnership ended and Ford produced the 8N and Ferguson built the TO20. The two were very similar and resulted in lawsuits by Ferguson since Ford continued to use his hitch design. Lacking a good marketing base in the US, Ferguson had trouble competing with Ford and was outsold by a wide margin. Massey-Harris bought Ferguson in 1953 and combined the names to become the Massey Ferguson we know today.
By the way, this hitch was produced before any ASAE classifications but was used as the basis for the standards when they were written. The 9N hitch became ASAE Category 1.
The hitch was quite advanced in that it utilized a draft control system. A major drawback, though, was the transmission-driven hydraulic pump. In order to operate the hydraulics, the clutch had to be engaged. Most of the 8N's you see today with loaders have aftermarket engine-driven pumps to provide live hydraulic power.
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THE original compact utility tractor
There seems to be a bit of confusion as to where the 3-point hitch came from. Harry Ferguson (an Irishman) designed the hitch in the early 30's and David Brown manufactured over 1000 Ferguson-designed tractors (not at all related to the well-known N-series) with the new hitch. (Earlier he had played with his hitch on a Fordson but this was not successful.) This partnership broke apart and Ferguson needed to find another tractor manufacturer to work with. This is where Henry Ford comes in and the "handshake" agreement resulted in the joint-effort Ford 9N in 1939. This was replaced by the 2N in 1942. These tractors were designed and built by Ford (using Ferguson's hitch as standard equipment) and Ferguson handled signing up implement manufacturers to built compatible tools. In 1946 the partnership ended and Ford produced the 8N and Ferguson built the TO20. The two were very similar and resulted in lawsuits by Ferguson since Ford continued to use his hitch design. Lacking a good marketing base in the US, Ferguson had trouble competing with Ford and was outsold by a wide margin. Massey-Harris bought Ferguson in 1953 and combined the names to become the Massey Ferguson we know today.
By the way, this hitch was produced before any ASAE classifications but was used as the basis for the standards when they were written. The 9N hitch became ASAE Category 1.
The hitch was quite advanced in that it utilized a draft control system. A major drawback, though, was the transmission-driven hydraulic pump. In order to operate the hydraulics, the clutch had to be engaged. Most of the 8N's you see today with loaders have aftermarket engine-driven pumps to provide live hydraulic power.
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