Chistmas tractor TO35 . . and stolen inventions . . .

I’ve been reading about many great inventors that got their ideas stolen, or just weren’t
given proper credit. That includes Dugald Clark that was the first to build and sell a
successful “diesel.” Funny we call it diesel fuel, and not Clark fuel. His supercharged two-stroke-cycle diesel later became the Detroit Diesel.

Also Edward Armstrong that invented FM radio and got his ideas stolen. He fought it in
court for years and finally jumped out a window and killed himself. Years later, he
wife/widow won the huge law suit.

And . . . Harry Ferguson and how he got screwed by the Ford family. That includes Ford
basically stealing his three-point hitch system. Harry won a huge law suit after a long legal
battle.

I’ve got many engines that are of the original Clark design (Detroit Diesel
two-strokes). Also got several old FM radios with the “Armstrong System” logos
on them.

But with all the junk and tractors I’ve got, I have never owned a Ferguson. Massey
Ferguson, yes.

So, just as a weird coincidence, I was telling my wife last week I “need” one. I was
honestly kidding (well, sort of).

Then, today, guess what I came across? A 1959 Ferguson TO-35 Deluxe. Has a live
PTO, hi-low range transmission, a 33 horse Continental gas engine, and came with double-ring tire chains and an
interesting front snow plow setup - that is lifted by a cable-system to the back. Paid $600,
and for that, I figured I couldn’t pass it up. Runs good, but is beat up and been sitting
outside for the last few years. Old guy owned since new but he died.

Ignition crapped out and I was in a hurry to get it into my barn before dark. Also was by
myself with nobody to steer and work the brakes. So, I bolted my little Cletrac to it, rear
hitch to rear hitch and pulled them both in my shop. Little Cletrac is awful handy since it’s
so small.

The subject was brought up recently about he cost of 30 horse tractors with live PTOs and hi-low ranges going high. Well, here's a cheap one.
I don't find good deals like I used to though, but in a way, maybe that's a good thing.

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Some people have all the luck! There was a super nice little 35 Diesel at the auction in Archbold when I was there in July. Would have loved to have brought it home,but it brought $2900.

Nice score! Looks pretty straight, just needs a little rust exchanged for paint.

I enjoy reading about some of your off-beat stuff, like several '80's diesel cars and trucks, and going "off grid". You are what they used to call a "renaissance man".

First I thought Roudolph Diesel invented the first diesel, and it ran on peanut oil? No! Second looks like a good deal, my brother had a MF35 turf special that he sold for 1500 bucks, and the 3pt hitch stopped working! My father in law had a Ford 4000 with a cable plow that ran of the 3pt hitch, very simple and problem free. Have fun with it.... What about that AC English diesel? You gonna get that next?,,,lol JayinNY

Oh, and I see you got that wonderful slick ice on your driveway too!

small correction it was Dugald Clerk

Harry ferguson should have got a huge award. His original lawsuit was for $340,000,000 and dragged on for 4 years with huge legal fee's. In the mean time Ford continued to sell 8N's, over 500,000 of them. Sales stopped after the lawsuit was concluded but Ferguson was only awarded $9,250,000. Tht's a miniscule amount in relation to how much Ford made off the 8N. Harry still felt it was a successful lawsuit because Ford had to redesign their hyd. system on later tractors. Dave

There is no proof of that, one way or the another. Basically, both spellings are correct. Remember he was British, and in his time the word "clerk" in old English was pronounced "clark." Up to the late 1800s, many names got recorded phonetically. So they got written both ways. Rules were not as strict then when it came to record keeping. His name appears in many original records as Clerk and Clark. And, for historical documents, that is not uncommon.

Hi JD. 3rd time for this reply. keep erasing it over and over. Wanted to say ,NICE LOOKING TRACTOR and crawler!!! LIke the pictures.Looks like we aren"t the only ones who takes on repairing equiptment in the DEAD OF WINTER.Hope ours runs. Trying to get it going tomorrow(monday) and home. Now comes the problem of doing away with stuff we have accumulated over the years, and I do believe it would take two dumpsters to put it in. Probably charge us for a NEW LAND FILL. lol Computer weather says 30/o chance of snow. WONDERFULL!!! GRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
OH well, spring is just around the corner or so they say. Keep us posted on your findings with the Ferguson. Interested in what you discover with your BARGAIN. LOU & VICTOR

Clark built his first sucessful diesel in 1878.
Rudolph's first diesel was demonstrated in 1893 and it ran on lamp oil. That's 14-15 years later then Clark and it was a flop. Diesel's successul engine, that ran on many fuels, came out in 1895 and patented in 1898.

Clerk's original design was a supercharged two-stroke-cycle diesel. Winton took it over. In 1930, General Motors bought Winton, and the engine became the Detroit Diesel.

Ya, and throw Herbert Ackroyd Stuart into the mix!He was granted a patent in 1888 in England. From there production began in England and USA in 1893.

GM bought Winton Diesel and built both Detroit Diesel engines in many sizes as well as EMD railroad locomotives of two stroke design.

My Mother used to tell me of how in the mid 1930s, after the days work was done, the whole family would pile in the Studebaker and drive to the Burlington double tracks near Tama, Iowa just to watch the Winton Diesel powered Zepher flash past at 80 MPH on its way to Denver. At the time, it was akin to watching the space shuttle.

Times change but modern two stroke diesels used in large ships are the most efficient internal combustion engines ever built by man.

Dean

Yes, they had some monsters. The first "little" Jimmy was the 71 series, as I recall. Came out in 37 or 38.

I wasn't exactly thrilled about fooling with the tractor in the cold. I'm not as tough as I used to be. In fact, I almost passed it up. But I don't come across cheap tractors like I used to, and figured I'd better get it or I'd be mad at myself later for being lazy (but warm).

wow!!! great find on that one!!! seems like when you are not looking for something,,, something pops up!! bring it over to the shop, i'll put on a pot of coffee and some tunes on the radio, and we'll squirt some paint at it!!! (also have earl grey tea and hot cocoa, with or with out marshmallows)..

how about the Manny , Mc Cormick reaper law suit if i remember the story right some Il back woods lawyer name of Abraham Lincoln was lawyer for Manny
who won the suit.
credit for first successful reaper goes to Mc Cormick. i think this is wrong.

hows about this for a diesel engine, German idea originally, the british 'borrowed' it after WW11, used it in railway locomotives...
Deltic

Hey jd,dont forget Lombard from right here in Maine.He built the very first endless track system and put it on a steam eng..Was called The Lombar Steam Hauler.Used to pull many sleds of wood out of the woods here in Me.There are a few restored ones around.He never patened it and was stollen from hi by Best and Holt. Hoss

also surname indicated what their profession was, so presumeably some member way back could have been a paper shuffler [clerk] thereby the name. who will ever know?

The old story, right place at the right time, but I never seem to find the place.

Funny, I was just thinking about this the other day. My great uncle chuck (RIP) was an inventor and claimed to have invented the electric toothbrush, which was promptly stolen by his patent lawyer. he also invented some stuff for wheelchairs, stuff for stereo speakers and a cool little thing to roll a tube of toothpaste onto.

I own some remote forest in northern NY that once had a logging village and a Lombard, on site. They called it the "Lombard Log Hauler." Same thing you're referring to, I assume. Must of been an amazing thing to see in operation.

I guess when it comes to stolen inventions, I can include Andreas Stihl. His chainsaw design was #1 in the world until he helped the Nazis during WWII. As a result, after we won the war, the USA negated all his patents and copies/clones of Stihl saws popped up all over the world. It's amazing that years later, Stihl made a comeback.

USA also did the same with Robert Bosch and all his stuff that was in the USA. Thus the new "American Bosch" came out with all the stuff we siezed.

It was also used in the PTF Nasty MTB, the follow on generation of the PT boat.

An 8n differential will bolt right up to a To20 Ferguson.Old harry did some stealing of his own.He made off with a complete set of 8n prints.