12498 Hth Ave., North Haney, British Columbia, Canada
1927 Fordson tractor photo – 1948.
The 1917 to 1927 Fordson tractor was the most versatile tractor
ever made. It had more ideas on it than any other tractor of that
time, especially the enclosed gears and unit no frame construction.
Its ignition system was not good.
It was used for all kinds of jobs on the farm from plowing,
seeding, haying; as well as pulling binders, threshing and hauling
grain to market, sawing firewood, milking cows and pumping water.
One farm wife used it to run a washer.
All kinds of attachments were available, from high tension
magnetos, battery, coil and distributor ignition, oiless timers,
one system buzzer coils (which all helped to make the tractor
easier to start) oil burning vaporizers and better gas carburetors
and extra oiling systems were available, not to mention air tires,
solid rubber tires, open faced wheels and crawler tracks.
The Fordson was also made over for industrial jobs. They were
used on a kind of stationary platform for belt work in sawmills,
printing presses, and flour mills. They also had flange wheels
front and back and were capable for use as a light locomotive.
Here in the forests of British Columbia, the Fordson was used as
a power unit on logging donkeys. The back wheels were removed and
pinions were put on and meshed with gears on one or two wire rope
drums. One was the main line to haul in the logs and had to be made
to replace missing equipment.
A tape recording was made of an interview with my Father and
with a gentleman who used to operate the tractor. The sounds of the
Titan were also recorded while starting and running. As soon as the
tape is available to me I will send an account of the interviews
along with pictures of the tractor in various stages of the
restoration.
