Tractor Firsts

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I am writing an article for our local tractor club newsletter. I'd like to list some firsts by brand.I'll start.

Allis Chalmers was the first to put rubber tires on a tractor.

What are some more firsts.
 
IH made the first tractor you could not drive in the fog--the nose was too long you knocked over light and telephone poles at the end of the field!!!
 
Sorry Royse, Ferguson built the first 'Black tractor' with 3 point Then David Brown produced it for him. 1936-1939 Ford produced them from 39-46
Sam
 
First factory turbo- AC D19

First live or independent PTO Oliver

First shift on the go without clutch (power shift) Farmall MTA

Gary
 
Never knew Farmalittle had a powershift before a Ford Jerk-o-matic. Always thought it was atorque amplifier, and not a really good one, at that.
 
I don't know, mine was new in 54 and never been rebuilt and still works on my MTA.

How did it amplify the torgue? By shifting to a slower speed.
 
(quoted from post at 21:13:44 10/08/12) Sorry Royse, Ferguson built the first 'Black tractor' with 3 point Then David Brown produced it for him. 1936-1939 Ford produced them from 39-46
Sam
I was thinking US models.
I forget about Ferguson's prototype 'black tractor'.
Thanks for getting the right info out there!
 
Mechanical hi-lo clutch, not really a 'powershift' by a long shot. And A-C had a hi-lo bar on theirs pretty early also, which gave them a form of 'live' PTO on some WD's. The MTA was still a gear drive tractor with 5 speeds and the TA. The Ford Jerk-o-matic was about the first automatic, and later bought by JD and turned into a smoother 'powershift', available in the -010 series. There might have been a few other attempts at a powershift transmision, but I never saw them around here. The first IH machines I can remember having a true powershift tranny were the Hydro's, I think in the -56 series in the mid 70's.
 
I guess I shouldn't have called it a power shift. I was just using that as an example. It was the first shift on the go without a clutch.

gary
 
Key word you should have used it first "successful" as in reliable and mass produced because you can nitpick some of the tractor "firsts" if you dig deep enough like some on here are doing. Like the first turboed factory tractor goes to AC but there were Wagners with turboed Cummins running around out here in MT couple years before the D-19. But not very many Wagners were made and they are not known well enough like AC which is why they get the nod.
 
Yep 1918 IH offer PTO as an option, first tractor to have it. And as standard equipment in 1922 on a McCormick Deering 15-30.

Gary
 
Cockshutt was the first to test a tractor at Nebraska test in 1947 with live PTO but Oliver came out with it in 1946.
 
I believe Oliver had the firs overhead valve 6 cylinder with full electric system as "standard equipment. 1935 Oliver/Hart Parr 70.
 
Cochshutt invented the live PTO showed it at the Nebraska trials but didn't have pattened so Oliver stole it to put on there tractor.
Walt
 
IaGary 1946 Cockshutt model 30 had live pto and was the first in Canada. Oliver was the first American made tractor with live pto and came out in 1947. Got info. out Cockshutt archive history.
 
Nope...In the '20's the PTOSHart Parr's used on their last series of horizontal engined tractors ran off the right hand side were live, but there wasn't really enough PTO driven equipment available at the time for them to realize what a plus that was.
 
MF might have had a prototype before they put it into production. I can't remenber what tractor first had multi-power but I did read that MF claimed it was the first no clutch hi/low.
 
JD didn't buy the ford Select-O-Speed. Deere's design was their own, and it is a totally different approach. The false/misleading rumors regarding Ford/JD are the result of the lead engineer from Ford (who was responsible for the 8N) left Ford when they pushed the Select-O-Speed into production before it was ready. He went to Deere and was chief engineer on the 4010/4020 (among other things) Deere already had begun their design later introduced as the PowerShift. ALL this is well documented.
 
First spinout wheels, and PA front wheel axle, Again Allis Chalmers!
First rear engine cultivating tractor, the G, first over 100hp, the D-21, in 1963, first fuel cell tractor, the list goes on!
 
Oh...And by the way, Deere's PowerShift wasn't first available on XX10 series. It was first offered on Xx20 series on 1964 model year tractors.
 
MF might claim first hi lo shift on the go by prototype but everyone had prototypes and some are lost to history. Allis built a WD with a 5 speed full power shift as a prototype in the late 40's or early 50's and also the D or F in the early 40's that may have had a few with a shift on the go. It doesn't count.

I'm not sure if these are firsts but they are very early for Allis...........
Alternator- D21 1963

Turbo- HD21 1955/ D19 1961

power shift rear wheels- WD 1948

roll shift front axle- D14 1957

PFC hydraulics- 7030/7050 1973

common use of high strength steel- 1934 WC

tilt steering wheel- D21 1963

dry air cleaner- HD21 1955?

large operator's platform- D21 1963

right hand console controls for throttle, hi-lo shift, remotes, 3 point, PTO- 190 1964

ground level fuel tank- 7030/7050 1973

telescoping steering wheel- 7030/7050 1973

helical gear transmission- HD14 1947/ CA 1950

torque converter transmission- 1947 HD14

rubber ag tires as option- U 1931

rubber ag tires standard equipment- U 1932

standard equipment electric lights and starter- WC 1938

styled tractor- B 1937

wasp style tractor frame- B 1937

sleeved engine- 1918 E

optional electric starter- 10-18 1914

remote adjustable rate of flow- WD 1948

remote rate of flow control in cab- 7030/7050

Most powerful 2wd- 7080 1974

Most powerful rowcrop- D21 1963

Most powerful rowcrop- D21 Series II 1965

rear 3-point hitch control from behind tractor for easy hookups- D21 1963 or 190 1964

Electric hour meter that runs only when tractor is running and not just when key is on- 7000 series 1976

quietest tractor cab- 7030/7050 1973

extendable lower 3-point links- 1963 D19

Shall we talk combine firsts or early developments?
 
MF might claim first hi lo shift on the go by prototype but everyone had prototypes and some are lost to history. Allis built a WD with a 5 speed full power shift as a prototype in the late 40's or early 50's and also the D or F in the early 40's that may have had a few with a shift on the go. It doesn't count.

I'm not sure if these are firsts but they are very early for Allis...........
Alternator- D21 1963

Turbo- HD21 1955/ D19 1961

power shift rear wheels- WD 1948

roll shift front axle- D14 1957

PFC hydraulics- 7030/7050 1973

common use of high strength steel- 1934 WC

tilt steering wheel- D21 1963

dry air cleaner- HD21 1955?

large operator's platform- D21 1963

right hand console controls for throttle, hi-lo shift, remotes, 3 point, PTO- 190 1964

ground level fuel tank- 7030/7050 1973

telescoping steering wheel- 7030/7050 1973

helical gear transmission- HD14 1947/ CA 1950

torque converter transmission- 1947 HD14

rubber ag tires as option- U 1931

rubber ag tires standard equipment- U 1932

standard equipment electric lights and starter- WC 1938

styled tractor- B 1937

wasp style tractor frame- B 1937

sleeved engine- 1918 E

optional electric starter- 10-18 1914

remote adjustable rate of flow- WD 1948

remote rate of flow control in cab- 7030/7050

Most powerful 2wd- 7080 1974

Most powerful rowcrop- D21 1963

Most powerful rowcrop- D21 Series II 1965

rear 3-point hitch control from behind tractor for easy hookups- D21 1963 or 190 1964

Electric hour meter that runs only when tractor is running and not just when key is on- 7000 series 1976

quietest tractor cab- 7030/7050 1973

extendable lower 3-point links- 1963 D19

Shall we talk combine firsts or early developments?
 
Deere was first with factory power steering, rack and pinion axle adjustment,closed center hydraulics and roll over protection,to name a few.
 
IIRC the Roll-o-matic was offered to IH first but their tests indicated that it was not cost effective. Jim
 
The roll-o-matic was invented by Adolph Ronning in Boyd, MN. He originally took it to IH since he had sold other patents on sileage choppers to them, but they weren't interested.
He took it to Deere and the rest is history.
Adolf was very smart, he invented the self propelled road grader also.
 
1948 WD had the hand clutch to give live pto/hyd. It"s not "sort of" live- anytime you can STOP the wheel motion without interrupting the other, it is live. "Independent" is when you can start hyd/pto whenever the engine is running. WD hand clutch was not a Hi-Lo........that started with the D Series, 1957.
 
Sheppard would not have been first with direct start diesel, since the Oliver 80 had a diesel option in 1940.
 
who was the first to use an internal combustion engine, an enclosed gear train, a water pump for cooling, a radiator, a mounted loader, a tail lite, a road gear???/ heck,, I"m asking today,,
 
Heider was probably the first tractor with continuously variable transmission. A set of friction wheels was used; the entire engine was moved fore and aft to vary the speed.
IIRC ;-)
 
John Deere actually didn't have the first closed-center hydraulics, Allis did on the WD in 1948, but Allis didn't have the first telescoping steering wheel, Deere had it on the M in 1947. The first tilt-telescope was Oliver in the mid 60s.
 
As some of this may be true, I think, if you check back, powershift was first offered on the 2510 seres. I'm not sure exactly when but they were built from 66 to 68.
 
GARRETT: First steam powered "Traction Engine" - 1868.
CHARTER GASOLINE ENGINE COMPANY: First gasoline powered "Traction Engine" - 1889.
FROELICH: First SUCCESSFUL gasoline powered "Traction Engine"-1892.
HART PARR: Erection of first factory dedicated exclusively for the production of farm gas Traction Engines.
HART PARR: First manufacturer of Traction Engines to refer to them as "Tractors" thus coining the term "Tractor" forever more.
 
We have always called that "constant running", because the other units, like MF and Ford, smaller JD's, etc., have a two-stage clutch to engage the PTO before transmitting power to the wheels. But the clutch has to be depressed to engage the PTO, then released part way to start the PTO, as on the MF 65 series. Live PTO to us is one that is totally independant of the clutch, as with IH, JD and most larger units, where the clutch doesn't care whether it in or out to engage the PTO. Direct PTO is what is found on the older tractors- disengage the clutch, engage PTO, re-engage the clutch, and the tractor and the PTO turn at the same time from the one clutch. The first tractors I can remember with real, honest injun, live PTO were the 50 and 60 series JD's and a few IH Supers.
 
First "continuous running" PTO was introduced by James Cockshutt in 1947, in Canada.
 
By the way, you're etiil somewhat correct- the WD40 was the first wheel tractor with a diesel engine. But Cat beat it to the market by three years.
 
As ALL of what I said was true...And the 2510 didn't go into production until AFTER the 20 series was in full production, the PowerSHift was first offered ON 20 Series Deere's. Just own up to the fact you were wrong and let it go.
 
(quoted from post at 08:00:14 10/09/12) John deere had the most powerful row crop in 1963 not allis

Nope, the 5010 wasn't offered as a row crop until later. Like 1966 or so or maybe whenever the 5020 was offered. I think it wasn't until the late 60's actually before Deere offered that large of a row crop. Late 5020 perhaps.
 

The correct designation is "live PTO" is like on the WD, continous and able to stop tractor motion and keep PTO turning. "Independent PTO" is like an old Oliver, completely independent of tractor motion and you can start and stop whether tractor is moving or not. That's what mechanic classes teach. I know that for a fact.
 
(quoted from post at 08:53:27 10/09/12) Allis built a WD with a 5 speed full power shift as a prototype in the late 40's or early 50's...

power shift rear wheels- WD 1948

I seem to recall one of my Allis Chalmers history books (that comes up as recent as 1984 or so) actually has a small blurb and maybe even a photo of the WD prototype with the 5th gear in it. It stuck out as something of interest when I read through it a few years ago.

Also, the power shift wheels are a very neat feature.
 
Thought of a couple more. Deere had the first tractor to provide 4 sources of power: drawbar, belt pulley, PTO and power lift. (Model GP) Also first articulated 4 wheel drive with row crop capability (7020 and 7520) First to use an intercooler on turbo tractors (4620)
 
(quoted from post at 17:00:11 10/09/12) Thought of a couple more. Deere had the first tractor to provide 4 sources of power: drawbar, belt pulley, PTO and power lift. (Model GP) Also first articulated 4 wheel drive with row crop capability (7020 and 7520) First to use an intercooler on turbo tractors (4620)

Deere may have beat Allis by a year or 2 with an intercooled turboed tractor but I guarantee Allis had intercooled turboed engines before Deere. They were building them for industrial purposes like dozers and large mining trucks by at least the early 60's. Of course they were building V12 engines by that time with 2,035 cubic inches too.
 
(quoted from post at 17:00:11 10/09/12) Thought of a couple more. Deere had the first tractor to provide 4 sources of power: drawbar, belt pulley, PTO and power lift. (Model GP) Also first articulated 4 wheel drive with row crop capability (7020 and 7520) First to use an intercooler on turbo tractors (4620)

I believe White's A4T-1400 and A4T 1600 (also produced as Oliver, MM, and Cockshutt models) came out in 1969 with row crop capability. A year or two before the 7020/7520. Also Massey-Harris produced a row crop articulated 4wd in 1930.
 

Allis was involved in building the first Atom bomb.

The first betatron x-ray machine in the US was built by Allis

Allis invented the first multi v-belt drives

Allis built the largest engines in the world in the 19th century and the largest in the world for the first half of the 20th century. These engines provided power for large cities.

Allis had the largest milling machines and foundries in the world through most of the 20th century.

Allis built the largest crawlers in the world when they introduced the HD19, then the HD20, HD21, then the monster HD41.

Allis was building turbochargers during WWII for B17 Flying Fortresses and P51 Mustangs.
 

Combine innovations by Gleaner and Allis

There is a long long list like variable speed cylinder, electrohydraulic controls, stone protection, auto reel and corn head speed that my old L2 has, bin full alarm, corn head, quick attach heads, hydraulic variable ground speed, easy access cylinder, reversible cylinder bars, rasp bars, rubber faced cylinder and concave bars also known as rub-bars, fan volume control from the operator's platform, low profile corn snouts like on the 1940's corn picker, adjustable stripper plates to prevent shelling also on the old corn pickers, auger feed for the grain head, rotary combine by 1930 or so, grain loss monitor by 1972 in the L, torque sensing drives also on the 1972 L, visual tailings return, variable speed cylinder control from the operators platform, automatic flip up bin extensions, 12 row corn head, 8 row corn head, 315 bu. grain tank, 245 bu. grain tank, accelerator rolls and there's a bit I've forgotten.
 

Combine innovations by Gleaner and Allis

There is a long long list like variable speed cylinder, electrohydraulic controls, stone protection, auto reel and corn head speed that my old L2 has, bin full alarm, corn head, quick attach heads, hydraulic variable ground speed, easy access cylinder, reversible cylinder bars, rasp bars, rubber faced cylinder and concave bars also known as rub-bars, fan volume control from the operator's platform, low profile corn snouts like on the 1940's corn picker, adjustable stripper plates to prevent shelling also on the old corn pickers, auger feed for the grain head, rotary combine by 1930 or so, grain loss monitor by 1972 in the L, torque sensing drives also on the 1972 L, visual tailings return, variable speed cylinder control from the operators platform, automatic flip up bin extensions, 12 row corn head, 8 row corn head, 315 bu. grain tank, 245 bu. grain tank, accelerator rolls and there's a bit I've forgotten.
 
(quoted from post at 04:50:32 10/10/12)
Allis was involved in building the first Atom bomb.

The first betatron x-ray machine in the US was built by Allis

Allis invented the first multi v-belt drives

Allis built the largest engines in the world in the 19th century and the largest in the world for the first half of the 20th century. These engines provided power for large cities.

Allis had the largest milling machines and foundries in the world through most of the 20th century.

Allis built the largest crawlers in the world when they introduced the HD19, then the HD20, HD21, then the monster HD41.

Allis was building turbochargers during WWII for B17 Flying Fortresses and P51 Mustangs.
Sorry, Jack, you just invalidated your entire rant for me. No turbo on a P-51, so pretty hard for allis to build it. Did you do more research on the rest of your tidbits?
 
(quoted from post at 11:40:33 10/10/12)
(quoted from post at 04:50:32 10/10/12)
Allis was involved in building the first Atom bomb.

The first betatron x-ray machine in the US was built by Allis

Allis invented the first multi v-belt drives

Allis built the largest engines in the world in the 19th century and the largest in the world for the first half of the 20th century. These engines provided power for large cities.

Allis had the largest milling machines and foundries in the world through most of the 20th century.

Allis built the largest crawlers in the world when they introduced the HD19, then the HD20, HD21, then the monster HD41.

Allis was building turbochargers during WWII for B17 Flying Fortresses and P51 Mustangs.
Sorry, Jack, you just invalidated your entire rant for me. No turbo on a P-51, so pretty hard for allis to build it. Did you do more research on the rest of your tidbits?

Nope, going by memory. Could have been the P38 but you are splitting hairs as Allis did build turbos for WWII war planes and the exact model plane is of little consequence.

BTW how was I ranting and how does a mistake in a plane model invalidate everything I typed?
 
(quoted from post at 13:12:19 10/10/12)
(quoted from post at 11:40:33 10/10/12)
(quoted from post at 04:50:32 10/10/12)
Allis was involved in building the first Atom bomb.

The first betatron x-ray machine in the US was built by Allis

Allis invented the first multi v-belt drives

Allis built the largest engines in the world in the 19th century and the largest in the world for the first half of the 20th century. These engines provided power for large cities.

Allis had the largest milling machines and foundries in the world through most of the 20th century.

Allis built the largest crawlers in the world when they introduced the HD19, then the HD20, HD21, then the monster HD41.

Allis was building turbochargers during WWII for B17 Flying Fortresses and P51 Mustangs.
Sorry, Jack, you just invalidated your entire rant for me. No turbo on a P-51, so pretty hard for allis to build it. Did you do more research on the rest of your tidbits?

Nope, going by memory. Could have been the P38 but you are splitting hairs as Allis did build turbos for WWII war planes and the exact model plane is of little consequence.

BTW how was I ranting and how does a mistake in a plane model invalidate everything I typed?
And General Motors built tanks and Fighter planes, that they had nothing to do with the R&D of. Means very little. Talking about tractors here. And CAT crawlers have outdone A-C for years :p
 

You must be the posting cop. Sorry I offended your eyes by typing something that didn't deal exclusively with tractors.

I would hope Cat crawlers have been out doing Allis crawlers for years as they haven't made an Allis Chalmers crawler since about 1974.
 
Nope, not the posting cop, just love poking brand loyalists like you. As for crawlers, read the nebraska tests of cat D8s VS. the GM engined allis HD series. There is a reason Allis stopped making them in `74 :D
 
(quoted from post at 13:34:41 10/10/12) Nope, not the posting cop, just love poking brand loyalists like you. As for crawlers, read the nebraska tests of cat D8s VS. the GM engined allis HD series. There is a reason Allis stopped making them in `74 :D

I'm not going to get into a shouting match over which is better a Cat or Allis dozer built in the 1940's. Nebraska testing was the best testing they had but is subjective as sometimes whather had some to do with it. I also don't doubt a D8 was good as there ar plenty out there that attest to that.

When th ice storm of 1991 hit Minnesota, a company that was working in the area out of Iowa had all Allis crawlers working to put the large power lines up throughout the winter. Thre were many (more than a handful) and this was after Allis was out of the crawler business for almost 20 years. They couldn't have been too bad. A friend of mine that used to work in a local quarry said it wa alwas a race to see who got to operate the Allis dozer cause of so much more work it could do. They could really bare down and push. Too much at times as the finals in some models failed and the torque from pushing so much was what tey blamed but they always could push more than a Cat. Were they the best? I don't know but they were good. My father still has an HD11 on the farm and it's been a great tractor and it's the easiest starting diesel I've been around. I don't know why that 516 starts so good while most of the 426 and 301 Allis' start almost as hard as an old Deere.
 
Jack a, I have no problem being corrected but the original poster asked about tractor firsts. Many things such as turbos were used in construction and military equipment long before they made it to farm tractors. I was wrong about Deere having the first 4wd articulated row crop, I had forgotten the Olivers were actualy a couple of years older. I was aware of the Massey Harris of the 30s but it was not articulated or even considered successful for that matter. Someone else mentioned the Allis WD having closed center hyd, I knew they were unusual in being high pressure and low volume but I thought they were an open center pump with an unload valve. We had an early D17 with the same system. Ours had an auxilary valve to run an ordinary 2 way cylinder. It plugged into the one way cylinder coupler on the rockshaft. You had to have the lift lever locked in the raise position to feed it pressure. I would describe as barely adequate. By the way, on the subject of firsts, wasnt Allis the first to go belly up in the 80s farm slump? Just razzing you. :>)
 
I think AC was first with the feature that would automatically shift the transmission into neutral when going down hill with a load behind????

Just pulling yer chain.

The only thing that really matters is that AC, IH and others went belly up while JD and Cat are still alive. The blame for the failures cover a wide range, from management to poor dealer networks to series of tractors with problems.

Rick
 
(quoted from post at 18:59:49 10/10/12) Jack a, I have no problem being corrected but the original poster asked about tractor firsts. Many things such as turbos were used in construction and military equipment long before they made it to farm tractors. I was wrong about Deere having the first 4wd articulated row crop, I had forgotten the Olivers were actualy a couple of years older. I was aware of the Massey Harris of the 30s but it was not articulated or even considered successful for that matter. Someone else mentioned the Allis WD having closed center hyd, I knew they were unusual in being high pressure and low volume but I thought they were an open center pump with an unload valve. We had an early D17 with the same system. Ours had an auxilary valve to run an ordinary 2 way cylinder. It plugged into the one way cylinder coupler on the rockshaft. You had to have the lift lever locked in the raise position to feed it pressure. I would describe as barely adequate. By the way, on the subject of firsts, wasnt Allis the first to go belly up in the 80s farm slump? Just razzing you. :>)

Success or not the MH GP 4x4 was a row crop 4wd. No one said anything about articulated I don't think. Not going back to look but if we are talking ariculated then Steiger was way out in front and Deere built the failed 8010/8020 in 1959.

The WD was open center with a manually adjustable rate of flow and worked great using Allis or high pressure cylinders. The D17 offered an optional auxilary pump with 2 way valves that was compatable with low pressure systems but very few were ever ordered with it as the Allis system worked fine when using Allis equipment. The pump was just like the pump on the Series IV D17.

Allis wasn't the first to go under. IH was a year earlier. Razz all you want I can take it. :)
 
(quoted from post at 19:34:01 10/10/12) I think AC was first with the feature that would automatically shift the transmission into neutral when going down hill with a load behind????

Just pulling yer chain.

The only thing that really matters is that AC, IH and others went belly up while JD and Cat are still alive. The blame for the failures cover a wide range, from management to poor dealer networks to series of tractors with problems.

Rick

Allis had really good equipment especially by the 1970's-80's. The combines were king in the US and the 7000 series were nearly bullet proof excluding the 7080. Every company had lemons. Allis had the 7080 and the first N series to mention a couple. By 1981-82 with the Series 3 N's the problems were pretty much taken care of. Deere had the failed 8010/8020 the dogs known as the 5020/6030. The 8630/8640 and the first 3010/4010's. The first 6600/7700 combines were lemons the 9400 was no barn burner. IH had the TA for almost 3 decades and the 560 troubles. The 815/915 combines were lemons especially the high profile ones. Ford had the 6000 and the select-o-speed and their nightmare Ford combines. Should we talk Massey? They are one of the largest tractor producers in the world today but had plenty of lemons.

Allis stuck all their profits, of which 95% came from the ag division, back into losing divisions like ship engine building and hydro dams. For example they had built 4 large engines standing 20 feet tall for the Navy back in 1980 that got cancelled by Carter. They should have sold off divisions lkie that long before but the old managemet was very loyal to what built Allis in the first place and that was things like flour mills, rock crushers, hydro dams, and the list goes on. There are books written about the demise of Allis, once one of the largest manufacturers in the world.
 

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