ALL ABOUT TRACTORS BY PAUL WALLEM As in past years, many future tractor owners, drivers, designers and engineers will start their careers with FFA memberships. A good example of that is Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. It is part of the Chicago school system, has the largest FFA chapter in Illinois and fifth largest in the U.S. The school uses a three-part model for ag education, which includes classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experience and FFA. Their 12-point program encompasses the following: ag commumications ag sales ag technology and mechanical systems agronomy creed speaking extemporaneous public speaking floriculture food service & technology forestry job interviews parliamentary procedure prepared public speaking The majority of FFA members nationwide are no longer farm kids. Yet the world of agriculture has become the source of many attractive career opportunities thanks to this kind of training. Collector or not? Ron Jones owns over 500 tractors. Unless you visit his farm, you might call him a collector. But he’s not. Since 1984 he has accumulated tractors of all brands. Most of them are in need of repairs, and the turnover is constant. As an experienced mechanic he may repair and sell them, dismantle them for parts or park them for a source of future parts. The majority are now Internationals, but many colors show up on his huge yard, A large two-story building nearby is full of parts, particularly the popular ones from disassemblies. Ron receives calls from throughout the country for parts that are scarce. His years as a mechanic have served him well, and he sometimes restores models that are popular on the market. One tractor caught my attention. It was an International 424. Back in 1965 while with IH, I had shepherded this model through engineering and manufacturing to the market as we gathered all U.S. dealers together in Mobile for an annual new product announcement. It sparkled under the stage lights. Today as I look at this one, I see it has spent its life pulling a golf ball retriever and has a driver protection cage. Here’s the “before” and “after” of one tractor, 60 years later. Ron Jones is at Rock City, Ill. His email is ronjonestractor@outlook.com if you are searching for a scarce tractor part. Major tractor advancements pre-1960 Farm Equipment Manufacturing News published a 2009 opinion report regarding significant tractor advancements before and up through the first half-century. Here’s a summary of the major ones they included: About 1850 - “Real horsepower” started giving way to “mechanical horsepower” when the portable steam tractor engine followed the development of the stationery steam engine. 1869 - J.l.Case Co. produced the first steam-powered traction engine used to replace draft horses. 1892 - John Froelich invented the first gas-powered engine that could be driven backward and forward. 1923 - Deere & Co. launched the Model D, which remained in their line for 30 years. That same year IH introduced the Farmall tractor, and the name continues to the present at Case IH. 1926 - Harry Ferguson patented the first three-point hitch. 1930 - Massey Harris designed the first 4-wheel drive tractor. 1937 - Allis Chalmers joined Firestone Rubber to develop air-filled rubber tractor tires. 1959 - Wagner TR developed the first articulated tractor, with 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel power steering. When things aren’t going well, remember this quote from Henry Ford: “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that airplanes must take off against the wind, not with it.” Burma Shave sign for this week: Around the curve lickety-split - beautiful car, wasn’t it? Paul Wallem was raised on an Illinois dairy farm. He spent 13 years with corporate 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 AND INDUSTRY FIRSTS of IH. See all his books on www.PaulWallem.com. Email your comments to pwallem@aol.co |
