MONTGOMERY WARDS TRACTOR

Custom Manufacturing Corporation was formed in Shelbyville, Indiana  in the 1940’s by three members of the National Farm Machinery Co-Operative. The first Custom tractors were marketed through an agreement with the Diamond T Truck Company. Over the years Custom built tractors under a variety of names including the Lehr Big Boy tractor for Lehr Equipment of Richmond, Indiana,  Rockol for Rock Oil Company of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and the Regal Custom which was sold by Regal Motors of Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

The Harry A. Lowther Company of Joliet, Illinois purchased Custom in 1950. Lowther continued to sell tractors under the Custom name but also made tractors for Montgomery Ward & Company who sold them as the Wards. Lowther sold the company in 1952 and production was moved to Butler, Indiana for a few months until the rights to the Custom name were sold to George Pusch of Hustisford, Wisconsin which lasted until 1954.

The Wards was powered by a Chrysler Industrial engine with dual exhaust.

TWIN CITY 21-32

Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company was formed in 1902, first to build steam engines but later a line of tractors under the Twin City name. In 1929, M.S.&M merged with the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company and the Moline Implement Company to form Minneapolis-Moline Power Implement Company. The 21-32 had a gear driven oil pump and featured enclosed lubrication for both the gearbox and steering gear.

LAGONDA AGRICULTURAL WORKS

By the late 1800s Springfield, Ohio had become a major manufacturing center for farm machinery. The Lagonda Agricultural Works of Warder, Brokaw & Child would become the Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Company which in 1902 was one of the five firms that merged to form International Harvester Company.

LEADER MODEL D

The Leader Tractor Mfg. Co. of Chagrin Falls, Ohio began producing tractors in 1946. Their Model D which weighed 2,500 pound was powered by a 35 horsepower 4 cylinder Hercules engine. It could pull two 12 inch plows and also featured hydraulic lift, PTO, and a belt pulley.

ALLIS-CHALMERS MODEL U

The "U" was the first Allis-Chalmers tractor to be painted "Poppy Orange"  rather than dark green. The "U"  was also the first production model farm tractor to offer pneumatic tires. Pneumatics were more comfortable and let the tractor be driven at higher speed on the road but most important they required about half the power in the field. It wasn't long before all manufacturers were offering them on their tractors.

WALLIS 12-20

In 1912, Henry Wallis started the Wallis Tractor Company in Cleveland, Ohio but soon moved it to Racine, Wisconsin where it was merged with the J.I. Case Plow Works. Wallis tractors were known for their fuel efficiency and U-shaped steel frame. In 1928, Massey-Harris bought the J.I. Case Plow Works Company then sold the Case name back to the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company. In 1929, the 12-20 was introduced and sold as the Wallis 12-20, Massey-Harris 12-20, and the Certified 12-20. The 12-20 provided the base on which the later Massey-Harris Pacemaker and Challenger tractors were built.

FARMALL REGULAR

The Farmall was the first all-purpose tractor made by International Harvester. Produced from 1924 to 1932, it could pull plows and cultivate crops. On many farms it would be a tricycle row crop Farmall that replaced the horse and set the style of tractors for years to come.With the introduction of the Farmall 20 the original Farmall came to be referred to as the "Regular". 

INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER TITAN 10-20

IH produced the Titan for the Deering man. The engine was started on gasoline and once warm was switched over to kerosene. Water injection was used to prevent pre-ignition.

FORDSON MODEL F

The Henry Ford and Son Company, which was wholly owned by Henry Ford, built the Fordson tractor. It would not merge with the Ford Motor Company until all non-family stockholders of that firm had been bought out in 1919.

The Fordson changed the configuration of tractors and began a price war. With over 750,000 sold in the U.S. from 1917 to 1928 it was the Fordson more than any other tractor that introduced farmers to power equipment. It is even credited with having saved the people of Great Britain from food shortages in both world wars. 

GAAR-SCOTT STEAM TRACTION ENGINE

 

In 1842, Abraham Gaar started building stationary steam engines and threshing machines in Richmond, Indiana. In 1870, William Scott joined the company to create Gaar-Scott. Gaar-Scott would eventually be bought by Rumley which then became the Advance-Rumley Company, which in turn became part of Allis-Chalmers.