Route 4, Huntington, Indiana 46750
While there was still a demand in the grain belts of the west
and northwest for large tractors, the tendency in the corn belt of
the middle west was for smaller more diversified two and three
bottom tractors. Grain was still being threshed, but the trend was
for smaller 24 & 28 inch seperators powered by two and three
bottom tractors which could be used for a variety of farm uses.
Even in the later teens several companies were making tractors that
drove from the front wheels, and the rear could be mounted on a
farmers own horse drawn implements, such as a corn planters or two
row cultivator. Those tractors were the Moline Universal, Indiana,
Hoke, Allis Chalmers, Boring, La Crosse Model M, Mark V, Shawnee,
and Mohawk.
Also were being made were regular motor cultivators, which also
could be used for planting and light work. Notably among these were
Avery, Heider, Emmerson Brantingham, Bailor, Parrett, Toro,
Centaur, I.H.C., Traylor, and Allis Chalmers. Thus, farmers became
more general purpose minded, and some of companies helped them
out.
In 1924 Int. Harv. Co. came out with the Regular Farmall, the
first tricycle type tractor on the market. It was an instant
success. In 1922 the company made 200 units which they took to
Texas, Arizona and Calif, for general use on the large acreages,
and to work out the bugs. In 1924 they considered it ready for the
market, and in due time came two and four planters and cultivators,
first in hand lift and later with mechanical lifts. After
experimenting four years with mechanical corn pickers, they brought
out the McCormick and the Deering in 1918. Both single row and
ground driven like a grain binder. From 1926 on the Farmall
tractors were made in the old Moline Plow Co.’s factory at
Moline, III. where they are still built.
In 1928 John Deere brought out their IO-20 G.P., a light weight
four wheel tractor with high arched front axle adopted to straddle
a row of corn. With it came a detachable front end mounted three
row planter and cultivator, with a mechanical lift attachment. This
was made for gasoline or heavy fuels, and was a smaller version of
their Model ‘D’.
In 1930 Oliver brought out their Olicer Hart Parr Row Crop
18-28, one wheel in front and high being made by the Toro Mfg. Co.
of Mpls., Minn., and that Toro made it for Rumley but was then
called Do All. It also had a mounted cultivator, and could be
converted back to a standard tractor. Toro made the engine for the
last of the Bull tractors. A man at the Dalton, Minn, show told me
in 1971 that Toro is still in the same place of business and is
making power lawn mowers today. He said he was employed by them
yet.
Jerry 4-wheel drive tractor, A rare one. Made by GFH Corp.,
Denver, Colorado about 6-12, 4 cyl. Le Roi engine. Owned by Robert
Thompson, 4392 North Street, Columbus, Ohio.
In 1924 Rumley came out with a new light line of tractors, in
four wheel standard type, namely the 30-60 ‘S’, 20-35
‘M’, 15-25 ‘L’, 25-45 ‘R’, in 1927 they
became 20-30 ‘W’, 25-40 ‘X’, 30-50 ‘Y’, and
40-60 ‘Z’. I understand the ‘Z’ was the same as the
‘S’. In 1930 Rumley 6 A 6 cyl. a few less than 900 were
built and there are still a lot left. A very good tractor. Along
with these models came a new vaccum system of crank case
ventilation which cut down crank case dilution. These newer models
sold well, but I never could understand why they made so many,
models so close in size to each other. In 1931 & 1932 Rumley
sold out to Allis Chalmers, and that was the end of a great
company. All the records were destroyed, but there certain are a
lot of monuments around to their memory.
I have a 15-25 and a 20-40 in near perfect shape. You
couldn’t wear them out. Just ask Bill Krumwiede of Voltaire,
N.D. Rumley certainly had a business. In 1912 they shipped two
train loads of ‘F’s’, ‘B’s’ and
‘E’s’ to Canada. Ed Hutchison of La Port who was
employed by Rumley told me that in 1927 the factory was turning out
85 units a week. Will have more on Rumley models and years in a
later issue.
In 1929 The J. I. Case Threshing Co. reduced its name to the J.
I. Case Co. They came out with the Model ‘L’ 26-40 and the
Model ‘C’ 17-27, both standard four wheeled. They had three
main bearings and removable cylinder walls. In 1929 Case made the
CC tricycle type. In 1935 the R. C. 1939 D C, and V C. 1940 the S
C. 1935 Fate Root Heath of Plymouth, Ohio produced the Silver King
Model R 66. A two plow and two row Cultivator. Allis Chalmers: 1930
A.C. All Crop tricycle type. 1931 W.C. later came the W.D. a three
plow tractor. 1935 U.C. three plow Cult. type. 1930 Massey Harris
made their Four Wheel drive with mounted Cult.
This pretty well takes care of the General Purpose tractors of
the main companies. Many pages could be filled with what has
happened since then. Since we are thinking in terms of antiques we
will have to draw the line somewhere. Many people have asked the
question as to when a tractor becomes an antique. A good question.
I say any tractor made before 1935 is antique. Made before 1925 it
is a good antique and one made before 1920 is a real Choice
antique. I am probably treading on pretty thin ground in making
these last few lines, but it seems to be the opinion of others that
I have visited with, when that subject came up. However I try and
encourage any one to show any tractor at our shows, regardless of
what I have said. Just remember a 1950 model will be an antique
some day, believe me. Of one thing I am certain. If taken good care
of these old tractors will last much longer than they were ever
intended to last.
I am sure each one of you that have attended Rough & Tumble
Reunions will remember the booming voice coming over the speaker
system announcing some event; that was Mr. Eshleman. Or perhaps you
were at our banquet this fall, when he was the master of
ceromonies. In addition Mr. Eshleman contributed important
information for our 25th Anniversary Book.
The gentleman on the right you will remember riding around the
grounds on his little Case Tractor, punching someone here or
pulling someone’s leg there, or maybe just plain down stealing
a hat. Well, that is our President, C. Daniel Brubaker.
The cake, baked by Mrs. Otis Astle, modeled the general feeling
of celebration perfectly.
I am sure everyone had a good time, with the exception of a few
minor incidents. The 1973 four day show ran very smoothly. Oh yea,
there were a few things to worry the management, like the shaker
belt on the large thresher threatening to shed a lacer. We hoped it
would hold [and it did]. This reminds one of the old days when
repairs were only made on rainy days, or at the point of breakdown,
whichever came first. One can fully enjoy a show like this by
becoming involved in its activities, so if you have some old time
threshing dust in your blood, why not dig in and help us ‘Put
the show on the Road.’
Courtesy of Amos B. Stauffer, 1st V-President, Rough &
Tumble Engineers Historical Association, Kinzer, Pa.
FUTURE AUTOMOBILE ENGINES
Washington — ‘Fill ‘er up’ may be replaced by
‘Wind it up’ when future motorists pull into service
stations.
Wind-up cars driven by flywheel energy are just one of the
alternatives to today’s internal combustion piston engines
being considered for the automobiles of tomorrow.
Concern over fuel shortages and air pollution has spurred
research into other types of motors to conserve gasoline supplies
and help clear up the atmosphere.
Some proposed power plants, such as the experimental Anidyne
engine, are new. Many, including electric motors and stream
engines, propelled autos down the Nation’s first highways, the
National Geographic Society points out.
Rotary an Old Concept
Even rotary engines, hailed as the newest on the roads, are
updated revisions of an old concept. Rotary-powered cars were built
in Dubuque, Iowa, from 1904 until 1914. Many fighter planes in
World War I flew with rotary engines.
In these early versions the pistons were mounted in a circle and
the entire engine revolved. The Adams-Farwell automobiles, of which
about 50 were built, had five cylinders spinning around a fixed
shaft, with a chain drive transmitting power to the wheels.
Two of the Al New Family tractors – Summer of 1973. A 25-50
Avery Tractor, No. 26647, operated by Alan New, and 5-10 Indiana
Tractor, No. 2245, operated by Jim New. Boys are sons of Mr. and
Mrs. Al New, Maplewood Farm, Pendleton, Indiana. These tractors
were shown this year at Pioneer Engineers Club Show at Rushville,
Indiana.
Modern rotary engines replace cylinders, pistons, and a horde of
related parts with triangular rotors that perform most of the same
functions. The space saved is devoted to equipment to clean up the
exhaust, making a rotary engine one of the few at present able to
meet scheduled Federal anti-pollution requirements.
But rotary engines do little to save dwindling gasoline
supplies, so researchers are probing other possible power
plants.
Stratified-charge motors are internal combustion piston engines
modified to burn gasoline more efficiently in an effort to get a
cleaner exhaust and coax extra mileage from each gallon of gas.
Powerful Chinese Puzzle
The Anidyne engine is a complex form of rotary-piston in which
two pistons are slotted to move through each other at right angles
within a sperical housing- an arrangement reminiscent of an
interlocking Chinese puzzle. Performance has yet to be
evaluated.
External combustion engines, including steam engines and the
Stirling air engine (first patented in 1816) might burn kerosene or
any other cheap fuel instead of scarce gasoline.
Gas turbine engines could burn peanut or soybean oil. One such
‘whoosh-mobile’ recently obtained excellent acceleration on
tequila.
Electric cars are limited by the frequent need to recharge their
batteries. Hybrids have been suggested that would charge themselves
by running on gasoline engines in the country, then switch to
electric power in congested areas.
Finally, there is the flywheel energy automobile. In the
1930’s a Swiss firm built a 70-passenger bus that ran quietly
and pollution-free with this type of motor. Unfortunately, it had
to be rewound at every stop.
