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Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ?

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Way Up Here

11-29-2005 13:45:54




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I've often wondered why Ford didn't build a bigger tractor than the 3 versions of the N series in the 40's and 50's. It's not like there wasn't a market for the bigger stuff. Anyone guess as to why Ford stayed away from that marketplace during those years? You'd have thought that old Henry would have loved to gain a share of that part of the market.




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cdmn

12-04-2005 15:49:28




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Way Up Here, 11-29-2005 13:45:54  
Ford DID build bigger tractors. Not many US farmers bought them, but Canada and overseas farmers did. They were the Model N, the Model E27N, and the Fordson Major. The latter was one of their better ideas. Sold very well in the US as well as overseas. I own a 1950 Major E27N gas, but you could order them with Perkins Diesels.



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Bill(Wis)

11-29-2005 17:41:27




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Way Up Here, 11-29-2005 13:45:54  
Posts below are correct inasmuch as it was Henry I's goal to relieve the 60-80 acre farmer of as much drudgery as possible with a tractor that would outwork a team of horses. Henry's competetion was always the horse. Henry thought that if a farmer finished his work a little sooner with less hard work the farmer would have more time to be with his family. Was the farmer satisfied with that? NO,NO,NO! Once he saw he could do more work in less time he bought out his neighbor and then the next neighbor. And then, guess what? He asked for more power. Ford tried to give the farmer more power (a little bit anyway) by putting thinner steel sleeves in the 8N. That didn't work so well because most of them self destructed in one season. They fixed that by boring out the block and putting in cast iron sleeves. Most 8N's have had that done and they work fine. In 1955 Ford came out with the 800 series with a 172 cu in engine and 45HP. By 1961 Ford introduced the 6000 Commander which was an attempt to power up and go ultra modern with it's well named but ill fated SOS transmission. Parallel to that, they shipped Fordson Majors over to try to keep up with the horsepower wars. I watched it all happen.

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Dan

11-30-2005 06:22:20




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Bill(Wis), 11-29-2005 17:41:27  
Bill - the N Series tractors had the thin .040" steel sleeves in them from day one when the first 9N rolled off the assembly line in 1939 and all the way through the 2N and early 8N tractors as well. These thin steel sleeves worked just fine and would not destruct in one season as you say - they would last many years. While they did go to a thick .090" cast iron sleeve in 1951 mid production on the 8N tractor, it was not because of a problem with the design of the thin steel sleeves, but because you could bore it out to keep you from HAVING to replace the sleeves every time you did an overhaul (which was much harder for the farmer to do himself). In reality, the 119 ci flathead four the N Series used did not get an increase in power from the thin sleeves as you state, and actually had more power by the time they got the thicker sleeves (even though that was not what caused this increase in power). While they did bore the block bigger to accept the thicker sleeves, the inside diameter of the sleeve did not change nor did the piston size. The jump in compression between the 9N/2N tractors and the 8N was not due to the sleeve changes.

HTH,
Dan

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Bill(Wis)

11-30-2005 08:25:57




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Dan, 11-30-2005 06:22:20  
Dan: The thin steel sleeves went in a season around here and it started with the 8N. The sleeves resembled cracked eggshells at best after a short while and had to be replaced. The fact that Ford admitted they had a problem and went to thicker.090 cast sleeves was proof of that. The real problem was that farmers were trying to do too much with them. You can't pull two plows in heavy red clay sod for instance. You can't do a lot of things with them but farmers tried anyway. We considered them amusing little things at the time, but they have found an ideal spot on people's estates mowing lawns, etc. Great.

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barnrat

11-29-2005 16:52:48




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Way Up Here, 11-29-2005 13:45:54  
Ford didn't need to build a large tractor. Fords whole thing was that their little tractor with the ferguson system could do as much work as a large heavy tractor. In fact tractors under 55 hp have always out sold and out numbered all other larger tractors worldwide. makes me think. the other day I was in the local Massey dealer and they had a brand new 431 tractor next to a restored massey 35 and there wasn't a whole lotta diference between them mechanically. Just goes to show those little fords and fergusons are timeless, more so in my opinion then Deere's 4020.

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BobMo

11-29-2005 15:13:41




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Way Up Here, 11-29-2005 13:45:54  
Get a book on the history of Ford tractors and you'll find out they were in the market they wanted to be in and built tractors for that market. They were well in advance of most manufactures. You are looking at it from todays prospective. Put yourself in 1942 and you'll see things as they were.



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Rauville

11-29-2005 14:54:43




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Way Up Here, 11-29-2005 13:45:54  
My Grandfather and Uncle farmed 400+ acres with two of those lil' Fords. When they finally decided to switch colors to green in the 60's...their first new John Deere was a 1010. Their thinking was; why buy a big tractor when you don't need it? If you spend enough hours in the field with a little one, you can still get the job done.



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Hugh MacKay

11-29-2005 14:40:26




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Way Up Here, 11-29-2005 13:45:54  
Perhaps The Ford family approached tractors much the same as they did the auto. Market they were after was a vehicle everyone could afford. Didn't much matter if it was what the buyer needed.

Also I can remember in the 40s and early 50s many families with N series Fords, that tractor was the only vehicle they owned. They farmed with it, went to grocery store with it, some went to church with it, etc., etc., etc. You name it, was quicker than hitching up ol dobbin.

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buckva

11-29-2005 14:26:10




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Way Up Here, 11-29-2005 13:45:54  

Well when you consider all the N series still in use today you get the idea that he was sellin a lot of tractors. Must hae been what people wanted. Consider also that Henry wanted people to consider his tractor to replace a team of mules or horses and they were used to workin a field one or two rows at a time.



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Ray

11-29-2005 14:09:38




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Way Up Here, 11-29-2005 13:45:54  
They made the 860 in the 50's,with live pto and 45 hp and the smaller NAA series.



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sammy the RED

11-29-2005 13:59:18




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 Re: Ford didn't build a bigger tractor - why not ? in reply to Way Up Here, 11-29-2005 13:45:54  
Old Henry was dead in 1947.
Young Henry was calling the shots.
I belive they did make bigger tractors in the 50's.



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