Ryder, N.D., 58779
The 40-80 Avery was built from 1913 to about 1924 according to
Clifford Caron, Fairbault, Minnesota in his article in the
July-August 1968 G.E.M. R.B. Gray in his Development of the
0Agriculture Tractor in the United States gives the following
specifications for the 1913, 40-8– Avery 500 r.p.m., 4 cylinder
horizontal double-opposed engine 7-3/4′ bore with 8′
stroke, thermosyphon cooling system with induced draft in cooling
tower; double carburetor for gasoline and kerosene fuel;
high-tension ignition, pump and splash oiling; friction clutch in
belt pulley; final drive, bull gear and pinion; two forward speeds,
1-3/4 and 2-2/3 m.p.h. effected by sliding frame. For a couple of
years each tractor was provided with 3 separate pinions to slip on
end of crankshaft to alter road speeds, by use of the sliding
frame. Later models had two speeds incorporated in the
transmission. In 1914 the price from the Avery catalogue for the
40-80 was $2,650 F.O.B. Peoria. This is shown in the February 1962
E.&E. from Avery catalogue 1914 sent in by Ted Worrall, Loma,
Montana. The tractor is called a ‘Light-weight’ gas and oil
tractor. The weight is listed as 20,000 pounds. The Avery trademark
was ‘The Bull Dog Line.’ Other models shown in this 1914
catalogue are the 20-35 8-16, 25-50, and 12-25.
In an article in the August 1962 E. & E. by Marcus Leonard
describing the Hutchinson Fair and their tractor tests, he says the
plowing field in 1915 was a ‘frog pond’ and the five Avery
tractors were equipped with extension rims.
T.F. Kruger in his Observation in the March-April 1969 G.E.M.
says the Avery Company started enclosing the governors on their
tractors the later part of 1918. If only more people with the
experience, background and first hand knowledge that Mr. Kruger has
would contribute articles, the rest of us would gain a great deal
of information.
The Nebraska test for the 40-80 Avery with engine ZB 1073
Chassis 25259 was test #44 in 1920. The test weight was listed as
22,000 pounds. The rated load belt horsepower was 65.73 while the
rated load horsepower on the drawbar was 46.93. The maximum pounds
pull was 8,475 pounds. Amos B. Stauffer, Ephrata, Pa. in an article
on the Happy Farmer tractor in the September-October 1968 G.E.M.
says the Avery men were delusioned because their prony brake was
out of adjustment. After 1920 the tractor was rated 45-65 by the
company.
B.B. Gray in part II of his book stated the production of the
46-65 horsepower model powered with a 4-cylinder so called
‘Draft Horse’ engine began in 1926. But I think this
paragraph must have gotten in the wrong year in his book. It looks
to me as though this should be in 1921 or 1922. Also the Avery
company changed to the core type radiator with pump and fan about
this time and from a sliding frame to a sliding gear
transmission.
An advertisement in the December 1919 Tractor and Gas Engine
Review lists sizes of Avery tractors as: 8-16, 12-25, 14-28, 25-50,
and 40-80; all built alike with the same standardized design,
including the famous ‘Draft Horse’ motor and ‘Direct
Drive’ transmission. In the June 1920 Tractor and Gas Engine
Review the Avery advertisement mentions the 20-35 hp as being the
firstAvery tractor built. The May 1920 issue of the same magazine
gives the story of the ignition on the first Avery in a K.W.
magneto advertisement. This tractor was bought by Frank Gerry, St.
Charles, Minnesota in 1911.
Pictured is a 1916 40-80 Avery seen at the Makoti Threshing
Association. Herb Schaffer is the driver.
The 40-80 Avery #5301 here at Makoti was unloaded in Plaza,
North Dakota in 1916. Mr. John Scholtz of Parshall helped unload
this one and one other from the railroad car. One was bought by Bob
Rasmussen of Raub. This one John Scholz drove, breaking and seeding
flax with eight bottom plow packer and drill. He said sometimes the
rounds were four miles long. They had a large enough crew so the
tractor could be run day and night beginning in the spring as soon
as the frost came out of the ground and working into the early
summer until the people thought it was too late for a flax crop to
mature in the season. One crew worked a twelve hour shift so the
crews changed off.
The other one was bought by Jessie Schaffer, Roseglen, North
Dakota. This is the one Clarence Schenfisch bought and restored for
the Makoti Golden Anniversary in 1961. He had to replace about 60
of the copper tubes in the radiator, along with other restoration
work. In the 1969 show the tractor was driven by Jessie’s son,
Herb Schaffer, with help from Don Nelson, Makoti.
Some other Avery tractors of this size in the area are as
follows; engine ZB723 chassis 17968 owned by John Sandstrom,
Lonetree. Roy Peterson, Ryder, has a 45-65 model. Clifford Ruff,
Edgley, is restoring a 40-80. Then at a recent auction sale one was
sold and it will be restored and will appear at New Rockford. This
is a 40-80 chassis 1067, about a 1913 model. George Hedtke is from
Davis Junction, Illinois. There is also one pictured at Grand
Island, Nebraska. This is in the September 1964 E. & E., a
later model Avery 45-65 which is now in the Stuhr Museum. This
tractor was purchased for the late John Thieszen, Henderson,
Nebraska. This tractor was bought from South Dakota and John
restored it. The one on the cover of the January-February 1971
G.E.M. is also pictured in the February 1963 E.E. showing the
tractor in use in 1914. This one is owned by Wm. Morganfield,
Winner, South Dakota. The cover picture for the 1971 G.E.M. is with
the negative wrong side up. The Avery has the belt pulley on the
right side not the left.
Does anyone know the history of the Avery Company? When and how
did the Avery Company begin? Where did the name Avery come from?
What became of the Avery Company?
Does anyone know what happened to the Avery Company production
tractor records? How did the Avery Company number their tractors?
Did all models use the same series of numbers for a given year or
did each model have its own number system? Does anyone have any
parts books with Avery serial numbers for the tractors?
