ALL ABOUT TRACTORS

BY PAUL WALLEM

Lessiter Media publishes No-Till Farmer magazine for farmers and Farm Equipment magazine for farm equipment dealers. Mike Lessiter asked me to look back over farm equipment history and its changes since I started my first dealership 55 years ago.

The article I gave him reflected the biggest changes I witnessed since 1968. They are listed below, and because they greatly impacted the tractor business, I want to share some of them with you, the consumer. Here they are:

- Early 80’s arrival of computers significantly improved dealer parts reordering.

- The 1969 merger of Minneapolis-Moline, Oliver, and Cockshutt into White Motors.

- The massive impact of the IH 5-month strike 1979-80 which accelerated the IH downfall.

- The “Perfect Storm” starting in 1980 for dealers and farmers involved 21 percent interest rates, a drop in farmland value, an extreme drop in machinery purchases, and the grain embargo, which resulted in the number of U.S. dealers (and farmers) plummeting.

- In any town where both IH and Case dealers operated, one had to close.

- Multiple dealer ownerships started to become popular, and by the 1990s, ownership of five or more locations became common.

- The incorporation of AGCO started a major consolidation, including Deutz/Allis, Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Gleaner White, Hesston, etc.

- Then came the 1994 GPS and Precision Farming.

Following closely behind these, digital agriculture appeared. Nearer the present, electric tractors and other autonomous equipment put a strain on dealers and farmers both to deal with these rapid changes and find skilled help.

On top of everything else comes the uproar over access to codes needed for repairs by the owners. Farmers have a huge task keeping up with the changes both in product education and repairs.

Some of you reading this would add changes that impacted you. These are the events that I have personally given high priority.

COMMENTS FROM BOOK BUYERS

I’ve saved a lot of interesting letters from buyers of my two IH books. Some of their comments are listed below. I hope you enjoy them as I did.

From Wisconsin: “I’m a really old boy (78) and enjoy reading your books.”

Missouri: “I have about 150 pieces in my toy tractor collection – of all makes. I think it is important to preserve history with these farm toys.”

Michigan: “My Dad inherited my grandfather’s IH implement business. The dealership held both Deere and IH franchises, and when Dad took it over, both manufacturers said he had to choose one and drop one.”

Wisconsin: “I’m sending you a check for your IH book. IH has always been my second choice for favorite tractor behind Oliver. I have seven older IH and nine older Olivers that I farm with.”

Oregon: “My father had one of the first two IH hay presses. It was a 50AW. I didn’t see anything in your book to say that machine was a dud. We had more broken bales than anyone else. As kids, my brother and I were assigned to go to the field and pick up all the broken bales.”

Illinois: “I was discing corn stalks with our F-20 when I was eight years old. I was too short to reach the clutch - had to slide up on the channel iron support to reach the clutch.”

New Zealand: “My grandfather migrated from England a long time ago and started an IH dealership.”

Iowa: “I was supervisor of Axial-Flow combine production at East Moline for 37 years.”

Wisconsin: “The last tractor our Dad purchased was a year-old 1971 1066 Demo. I still have the purchase receipt. The total price he paid was $8,595.”

From Orion Samuelson, WGN Chicago: “As a kid growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm, one of the most memorable days of my life was in 1939 when the International Harvester’s dealer truck pulled into our farmyard and unloaded our brand new Farmall F-20. I became a red tractor fan, and as I walked with friends one mile to and from school, I defended my choice in the near-daily arguments around which tractor was best: red, blue, cream-colored, or any one of the myriad of others. The arguments seldom got beyond good-natured ribbing, but that wasn’t the case with other groups: the companies that made the tractors and the dealers who sold them.”

Paul Wallem was raised on an Illinois dairy farm. He spent 13 years with IH in domestic and foreign assignments. He resigned to own and operate two IH dealerships. He is the author of THE BREAKUP of IH and SUCCESSES & INDUSTRY FIRSTS of IH. See all his books at www:PaulWallem.com. Send comments to pwallem@aol.com.