Those who Forged American Agriculture

AGCO Corporation is a major global agricultural equipment manufacturer formed in 1990 after executives from Deutz-Allis led a management buyout of that business from KHD, creating a new independent company headquartered in Duluth, Georgia (now officially based in Duluth with principal operations around the Atlanta area). The firm quickly expanded by acquiring well-known brands, including Massey Ferguson (majority interest in 1994), Fendt (1997), and Valtra (2004), building a broad portfolio of tractors, combines, sprayers, and precision farming technology that strongly shaped modern U.S. row-crop and livestock operations. AGCO’s growth-by-acquisition strategy allowed it to consolidate historic European and North American brands while maintaining their identities under a unified corporate umbrella.

AGCO is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (AGCO) and generated about 11.7 billion USD in net sales in 2024, down from roughly 14.4 billion USD in 2023 as the company navigated cyclical demand and divested its Grain & Protein business. Recent reports put trailing‑twelve‑month revenue around 10–11 billion USD, confirming AGCO’s position among the top global farm machinery manufacturers. The company invests heavily in precision agriculture and smart machines, positioning its brands as technology platforms rather than just iron, including guidance, variable‑rate application, telematics, and data‑driven agronomy tools.wallstreetzen

AGCO’s impact on U.S. farming includes high‑horsepower Fendt and Massey Ferguson tractors, Gleaner and Massey combines, and the integration of advanced electronics, CVT transmissions, and operator‑comfort features that raised expectations for productivity and fuel efficiency. AGCO has also been active in autonomy and robotics, acquiring Precision Planting’s hardware business and other ag‑tech assets over time, and in 2024 highlighted one of the largest ag‑tech deals in the industry as part of its strategy to deliver “farmer‑focused solutions.” The company continues to streamline its brand and dealer network in North America, focusing on higher‑margin, high‑technology machinery and lifecycle services such as parts, retrofit kits, and digital support platforms.

More information: AGCO Website 

Alamo’s tractor‑related story in U.S. farming is best captured through Alamo Group Inc., a Seguin, Texas–based maker of tractor‑mounted mowers, vegetation maintenance equipment, and infrastructure maintenance tools that grew into a global supplier. The business traces its roots to Donald J. Douglass Sr., who built a company around tractor‑mounted mowing equipment in Texas; in 1969 he bought Engler Manufacturing and adopted the “Terrain King” name, then consolidated earlier operations into what became Alamo Group Inc. in the early 1980s. The company’s original location and continuing headquarters have been in Seguin, Texas, supporting U.S. agriculture and roadside maintenance markets with implements that mount on farm and utility tractors.

Alamo developed distinctive products such as tractor‑mounted slope mowers and boom mowers used for roadside rights‑of‑way, drainage ditches, levees, and large pasture management, making it a critical niche player even though it is not a tractor OEM. Its patented Slopemower telescoping boom technology allowed safe mowing on steep banks from the tractor’s shoulder, reducing labor and improving safety for county, state, and commercial crews. Over time, Alamo expanded by acquiring brands like McConnel, Rhino, Tiger, Bomford, and others, broadening its catalog of rotary cutters, flail mowers, and municipal maintenance equipment across North America and Europe.

Alamo Group is still in business today as a public company (NYSE: ALG), positioned as one of the world’s leading suppliers of tractor‑mounted and heavy‑duty mowing and vegetation equipment, plus snow removal and street‑sweeping gear. Various financial analyses put its annual revenue in the range of several hundred million to over one billion USD in recent years, reflecting a diversified industrial and agricultural customer base, though precise latest figures fluctuate with acquisitions and market demand. For U.S. farming, Alamo’s contribution lies in enabling tractors—whether from John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, or others—to perform specialized vegetation‑control tasks via dedicated implements, rather than in building tractors themselves. Its continuing development of more efficient, safer, and more durable tractor‑mounted mowers and cutters keeps it relevant wherever row‑crop fields, hay ground, or pastureland borders need managed vegetation.

More information: https://www.alamo-group.com/ or https://www.alamo-industrial.com/

Allis-Chalmers began as a 19th‑century industrial machinery manufacturer and evolved into a major tractor and farm equipment producer with deep influence on U.S. agriculture. The company’s roots go back to Edward P. Allis’s Milwaukee, Wisconsin iron works in the 1860s, which, after mergers with Fraser & Chalmers, Dickson Manufacturing, and Gates Iron Works, became Allis-Chalmers in 1901 headquartered in the Milwaukee area. Initially focused on steam engines, mining machinery, and industrial equipment, Allis-Chalmers entered farm machinery in the early 20th century and became one of the “big four” tractor makers competing with International Harvester, John Deere, and J.I. Case.

Allis-Chalmers produced several iconic tractor models and contributed key innovations, including the small Model B row‑crop tractor that brought mechanization to smaller farms, and the WD and D‑series tractors known for power‑shifted traction boosters and live hydraulics that improved traction and implement control. The company acquired Monarch Tractor Company in 1928, adding crawler tractors, and bought La Crosse Plow Works in 1929 to expand its tillage and implement line. In 1931 it acquired Advance-Rumely, gaining a respected dealer network and the OilPull legacy, significantly boosting its position in farm equipment distribution. Allis-Chalmers also bought Gleaner Manufacturing in 1955, giving it one of the strongest combine lines, including advanced self‑propelled harvesters.

Financial strain, competition, and diversification into many unrelated businesses gradually weakened Allis-Chalmers in the post‑war decades. By the 1980s, the agricultural division was sold to Deutz (KHD) and operated as Deutz-Allis; this business was later acquired in 1990 by a management group that formed AGCO Corporation, effectively making AGCO the modern inheritor of Allis-Chalmers’ ag legacy. Other Allis-Chalmers divisions were sold off to companies such as Siemens and others, and the original corporation effectively ceased to exist as an integrated entity.

Today, the Allis-Chalmers brand survives mainly in collectors’ circles and through vintage tractors and combines restored for shows and light farm work. AGCO, via brands like AGCO-Allis (historic) and current Massey Ferguson and others, represents the continuation of much of Allis’s dealer and product lineage, especially in the mid‑sized row‑crop tractor and combine markets. Enthusiasts maintain extensive online communities, clubs, and parts networks dedicated to keeping classic orange Allis-Chalmers tractors and Gleaner combines operating as working relics of mid‑20th‑century American farming.

More information: Wikipedia  

About the Tractors Allis-Chalmers

The company typically referenced in tractor history as “Aultman & Taylor” (sometimes shortened or mis‑spelled as Altman Taylor) was founded by Cornelius Aultman and Henry H. Taylor in the 1860s, with roots dating from about 1859 and major expansion after it established operations in Mansfield, Ohio in 1867. Mansfield became the firm’s headquarters and main manufacturing center because of excellent rail connections that allowed efficient shipment of heavy farm machinery.

Aultman & Taylor became a leading U.S. maker of threshing machines, steam engines, and later tractors, and it was widely recognized for innovation. The company produced what is often cited as the first U.S. traction engine in Mansfield around 1880 and pioneered the “vibrator” thresher that became a standard design in grain harvesting. By the late 1870s it was reportedly the largest manufacturer of threshing machinery in the United States, and its steam engines and threshers were top‑of‑the‑line equipment on many farms. In 1910 the firm entered gasoline‑powered tractors with the massive Aultman & Taylor 30‑60 “Old Trusty,” which went into production in 1911 and quickly built a reputation as one of the best prairie tractors of its era for reliability and power.

The Mansfield operation ceased around 1923 as the industry shifted toward lighter, more versatile tractors and combined harvesters, and the Aultman & Taylor business was sold to another firm in Indiana. Historical equipment indexes note that the Aultman‑Taylor Machinery Co. name, registered in Ohio in 1891, was canceled in 1927, and the company was ultimately bought out by Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company. This acquisition folded Aultman & Taylor’s designs, dealer relationships, and engineering talent into Allis-Chalmers, which was building its own presence in tractors and combines.

Aultman & Taylor is no longer in business as a separate company; there is no current revenue to estimate. Its contributions live on through preserved steam engines, threshers, and 30‑60 tractors in museums and private collections, and through Allis-Chalmers’ later role as a major tractor manufacturer. The firm stands out historically for bridging the transition from horse‑powered and steam‑powered harvesting equipment to early gasoline tractors, and for helping make Mansfield, Ohio, a hub of agricultural engineering.

More information:

    Aultman & Taylor in FarmCollector.com

American Tractor Corporation (ATC) was an American manufacturer of small crawler tractors and industrial machines headquartered in Churubusco, Indiana. The company’s modern form dates to about 1950, when entrepreneur Marc B. Rojtman purchased crawler‑tractor manufacturing assets from Federal Machine in Warren, Ohio and moved operations to a plant in Churubusco. Under Rojtman, ATC grew quickly by focusing on compact crawlers and attachments suitable for both agricultural and construction use.

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ATC’s TerraTrac series of small crawler tractors—such as the GT‑25 and GT‑30—were among its best‑known products. These machines were used for light earthmoving, industrial yard work, and in some cases farm tasks where low ground pressure crawlers were advantageous. One of the company’s most important innovations was its development of a backhoe attachment designed for its crawlers, an idea that would later play a central role in the birth of the integrated tractor‑loader‑backhoe concept. By 1951 ATC had reached about 3 million USD in sales and was operating nearly around the clock, but the pace of expansion left it financially stretched.

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To strengthen its industrial line, J. I. Case Company acquired American Tractor Corporation in 1957. Analyses of Case history describe the deal as mutually beneficial: ATC brought innovative crawler and backhoe designs plus a strong distributor and dealer network, while Case contributed capital and a worldwide distribution system. At the time, ATC reportedly had around 10 million USD in sales but was heavily in debt, and Case needed a stronger presence in crawler and construction equipment. The most significant outcome was the combination of the ATC backhoe with a Case 300‑series wheel tractor and front loader, creating the Case 320 integrated tractor‑loader‑backhoe around 1957, often credited as the first factory‑built, fully integrated loader‑backhoe in the American market.

After the acquisition, ATC ceased to exist as an independent company, so there is no modern revenue or standalone presence. Its engineering legacy lives on in Case construction equipment, now part of Case Construction Equipment and the broader Case IH / CNH Industrial family. The ATC story is particularly important because it marks the transition from bolt‑on aftermarket loaders and backhoes to factory‑engineered, integrated machines that reshaped both farm utility work and construction earthmoving across North America.

More information: Wikipedia 

The Avery Company was a notable American farm implement and tractor manufacturer based in Galesburg, Illinois, with origins after the Civil War. It was founded by Robert Hanneman Avery, who developed a farm implement business that grew into a diversified machinery maker; in 1877 R. H. Avery and his brother C. M. Avery formally established a company under their names in Galesburg. The firm was reorganized in 1899 with increased capital as Avery Manufacturing Company, and Galesburg remained its principal headquarters and manufacturing site.

Avery built a reputation for large steam traction engines, threshing equipment, and later gasoline tractors. Its “undermounted” steam engines, with the boiler slung low under the frame, resembled railroad locomotives and were highly distinctive among traction engines. Avery began producing steam traction engines and grain threshers around the 1890s and by the early 1900s offered huge steam tractors weighing tens of tons, including 40‑horsepower models that were among the giants of their time. In 1909 the company began manufacturing gasoline tractors and became known for large, powerful machines suited to the Great Plains. Manufacturing operations were extensive, with in‑plant trolley systems to move parts and a product range that included plows, wagons, planters, cultivators, and stationary power equipment.

The agricultural depression of the early 1920s hit Avery hard. The company declared bankruptcy in 1924 and reorganized, dropping tractor production for a time and focusing on other implements. It eventually restarted as Avery Farm Machinery Co. in 1936, initially producing combines, separators, and replacement parts. In 1938 Avery introduced the Ro‑Trak tractor, a modern design featuring a six‑cylinder Hercules engine and a convertible front axle that could shift between narrow‑row and wide‑front configurations, giving farmers flexibility for row‑crop work and plowing. Ro‑Trak production continued until about 1941, when World War II and ongoing financial pressures effectively ended Avery’s tractor business; the company closed for good later in the 1940s.

Avery no longer exists as an operating company and has no current revenue. Its influence on U.S. farming is remembered through surviving undermounted steamers, large prairie tractors, and Ro‑Trak machines preserved by collectors and museums. These tractors illustrate the era when massive steam and early gasoline engines powered threshing rings and large‑acreage operations across the Midwest and Great Plains.

More information: Wikipedia and Avery in FarmCollector.com

Several Baker entities intersect tractor history, but two are most relevant: the Baker traction‑engine and farm machinery builder, and the later Baker Manufacturing Co. of Springfield, Illinois, which created front‑mounted blades and bulldozer attachments for tractors. Baker Manufacturing Co. in Springfield was founded in 1908 and operated from Springfield, Illinois, supplying attachments to fit wheel and crawler tractors from other OEMs. Earlier, Baker engineers had also worked on steam traction engines and fuel‑efficient designs following World War I, connecting the brand to the evolution of tractor power.

Baker’s key contributions were not complete tractors, but unique implements that transformed tractors into more versatile earthmoving and road‑maintenance machines. In 1918 the Springfield Baker firm introduced what is credited as the first front‑mounted, fixed backfill blade for wheel tractors, giving farmers and contractors a simple dozer‑style blade for leveling, grading, and backfilling directly on their existing wheeled machines. 

In 1924 Baker produced the first bulldozer for crawler tractors, anticipating the modern dozer configuration that would become standard on tracked machines used in both construction and agricultural land‑clearing. Later, in 1946, Baker pioneered engine frame‑mounted bulldozer cylinders on Allis-Chalmers HD‑19 tractors, improving durability and control versus earlier frame or track‑mounted hydraulic arrangements. These innovations helped define how tractors could be adapted beyond drawbar and PTO work into heavy pushing and grading tasks.

The Springfield Baker company’s products were eventually absorbed into the broader construction‑equipment ecosystem around Allis-Chalmers and later Fiatallis (after Fiat’s purchase of Allis‑Chalmers’ construction division), and Baker does not exist today as a major standalone brand. There is no current revenue figure to estimate for Baker as an independent enterprise. Its legacy persists in the basic architecture of tractor‑mounted blades and bulldozer systems that remain standard on modern crawlers and some large agricultural tractors equipped for land‑forming or feedlot work.

Big Equipment Company is best known as the builder and later restorer of Big Bud tractors, including the famous Big Bud 16V‑747, widely described as the largest farm tractor ever built. The Big Bud story centers on Havre, Montana, where Northern Manufacturing (under Ron Harmon) began producing custom, high‑horsepower, four‑wheel‑drive articulated tractors in the late 1960s. Big Bud tractors were built to handle huge Western and Plains operations, often replacing multiple smaller tractors on very large farms.

The first Big Bud tractors were 250‑horsepower machines delivered in 1968 to Semenza Farms in north‑central Montana; these 250‑series tractors proved that custom, ultra‑high‑horsepower units could be reliable and economical for broad‑acre work. The peak of the line was the Big Bud 16V‑747, a one‑off tractor built in 1977 in Havre for the Rossi Brothers, large cotton growers in California. The 747 was powered by a 16‑cylinder diesel (commonly cited as up to 1,100 horsepower), stood roughly 14 feet tall, weighed on the order of 100,000 pounds, and pulled cultivators up to 80 feet wide, reportedly capable of covering more than an acre per minute in deep tillage. Big Bud tractors became famous for their sheer size, straightforward mechanical design, and use of off‑the‑shelf components that made maintenance practical on remote farms.

Economic downturns and changes in the tractor market eventually ended large‑scale production of Big Bud tractors in the 1980s, but Big Equipment Company in Havre continued as a repair, remanufacturing, and custom‑tractor business servicing Big Buds and other large four‑wheel‑drive machines. The Big Bud 747 itself spent years working in California and Florida, then served as a museum piece in Iowa before being refurbished again and returning to farm work near Big Sandy, Montana. Recent reports describe a “return of the legendary Big Bud” as the company worked on new high‑horsepower units reflecting farmer interest in simple, serviceable big tractors, though the scale is far smaller than major OEMs and detailed revenue numbers are not publicly reported. Big Equipment remains privately held, so only rough statements can be made: it operates as a niche manufacturer and rebuilder rather than as a volume tractor company.

Big Bud’s contribution to U.S. farming lies in pushing the upper limits of tractor horsepower and durability for broad‑acre tillage, demonstrating what one extreme‑capacity machine could do for large Western operations and becoming an icon in tractor history.

More information: Wikipedia 

Bear Flag Robotics is a Silicon Valley agricultural‑technology startup that developed autonomous driving systems to retrofit existing tractors for fully or semi‑autonomous operation. The company was founded in 2017 in California and operated from the Bay Area, working closely with large vegetable and specialty‑crop growers on the U.S. West Coast. Its headquarters and R&D base were in the San Francisco Bay Area, aligning with other Deere‑connected tech operations such as Blue River Technology and John Deere Labs.

Bear Flag’s core product was a retrofit kit that added sensors, compute, and drive‑by‑wire interfaces to standard tractors, enabling autonomous tillage and other field tasks. The system included perception sensors (such as cameras, lidar, and radar), GPS‑based navigation, and a central mission‑control platform that let operators supervise multiple machines remotely. This approach allowed farmers to keep using their existing fleets while gaining autonomy, reducing labor requirements and enabling 24‑hour operations in tasks like ripping and disking. The company deployed its technology with several large West Coast growers and participated in Deere’s Startup Collaborator program starting in 2019. Bear Flag framed its mission as lowering the cost of farming and increasing consistency by automating some of the most time‑ and labor‑intensive field passes.

On August 5, 2021, Deere & Company (John Deere) announced a definitive agreement to acquire Bear Flag Robotics for approximately 250 million USD. Deere cited the acquisition as a key step to accelerate its autonomy roadmap, integrating Bear Flag’s retrofit and perception technology into its broader precision‑ag and machine‑automation strategy. Analyses of the deal note that Bear Flag gained access to Deere’s global production, distribution, and dealer network, while Deere obtained a specialized autonomy team and proven field‑tested systems, complementing its earlier acquisition of Blue River Technology in 2017. After the transaction closed, Bear Flag became part of Deere’s autonomy and intelligent‑solutions organization rather than operating as a completely independent company.

Bear Flag thus no longer reports independent revenue; its technology and staff are embedded within Deere & Company, which itself generates tens of billions of dollars in annual net sales across agriculture, construction, and forestry equipment. Its contribution to U.S. farming is the acceleration of tractor autonomy—helping move from guidance and assisted steering toward fully autonomous field operations, particularly in tillage and other repetitive, high‑horsepower tasks.

More information: John Deere acquisition 

The Beeman Tractor Company was founded in 1915 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by Fred Beeman, an inventive engineer who set out to create a lightweight tractor for small farms and gardens. The Beeman headquarters and early plant were in Minneapolis, where the company developed compact, single-cylinder machines marketed as “garden tractors,” designed to serve the needs of truck farmers, orchardists, and gardeners before large-scale mechanization reached smallholders.

Beeman tractors were unique for their simplicity, light weight (often under 900 lbs), and air-cooled engines from Wisconsin Motor Company or Cushman. The Beeman Garden Tractor, introduced around 1918, was among the first small power cultivators in the U.S. It could handle plowing, orchard weeding, and row-crop cultivation, using attachments such as plows, harrows, and planters. This pushed mechanization into an underserved sector during WWI when labor shortages made small-scale mechanization appealing.

Though early reviews were positive, Beeman struggled with economic downturns and competition from larger manufacturers. The post-war recession of 1920–21 hit small farm machinery firms hard, and Beeman was forced into receivership by the mid‑1920s. Limited production continued briefly under new ownership, but the brand faded by the early 1930s.

The Beeman name is not in business today, but its tractors represent a pivotal early move toward the garden and compact tractorsegment now dominated by firms like Kubota and John Deere’s compact series. Surviving Beeman machines are prized collectors’ items at early tractor shows.

Bolens originated in Port Washington, Wisconsin, founded in 1850 as J.E. Bolens & Company, a small manufacturer of farm equipment that evolved into Bolens Manufacturing. The company focused on hand cultivators and small implements before pioneering the first practical U.S. two-wheel garden tractor in 1919, later introducing its hallmark Husky 600 and Ride‑A‑Matic garden tractors in the 1950s.

Bolens’ innovation was its emphasis on suburban and small‑farm mechanization long before compact garden equipment became mainstream. Its Ride‑A‑Matic, introduced in 1957, allowed homeowners to mechanize mowing and snow removal using small attachments, essentially inventing the homeowner tractor concept.

Bolens was acquired by Food Machinery & Chemical Corporation (FMC) in 1946, which expanded the brand internationally. The company changed direction in the 1970s–80s as demand for suburban power equipment boomed. Later, Bolens became part of Troy‑Bilt and MTD Products, now under Stanley Black & Decker’s Outdoor Division (as of 2024).

Today, Bolens products—mostly residential mowers and small tractors—are widely sold through retailers. Annual revenue is consolidated within Stanley Black & Decker’s ~15 billion USD outdoor segment. Bolens’ legacy lies in its creation of the small‑tractor category bridging agriculture and consumer lawn care.

The Bull Tractor Company, founded 1912 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was among the earliest true tractor manufacturers in America. Its “Bull Little Tractor,” designed by C.H. Bull, targeted smaller farms that found early gas tractors too expensive.

The Bull’s 1913 model became one of the first mass‑produced lightweight tractors sold through department stores like Sears Roebuck. It used a single rear drive wheel and two small front support wheels—a radical but unstable three‑wheel configuration. Despite shortcomings, it sold well in 1914–15 as farm mechanization accelerated.

Competition and reliability issues ended Bull’s momentum quickly. Lawsuits, injuries from rollovers, and weaknesses in field performance reduced confidence. The company failed by 1919, leaving behind critical lessons about stability and ergonomics in tractor design.

Though defunct, Bull’s aggressive marketing and affordability helped popularize the idea that every farm could own a tractor, influencing mass-market strategies later perfected by Fordson and International Harvester. Collectors still admire its distinctive single-wheel drive design.

The C.L. Best Tractor Company was founded in 1910 in San Leandro, California, by Clarence Leo Best, son of Benjamin Holt—one of the original inventors of the crawler tractor. Best’s company was a direct successor to Holt Manufacturing’s experimental work on tracked tractors used in logging and construction.

C.L. Best produced both wheeled and track‑layer tractors, introducing the “Tracklayer” line by 1913, improving the undercarriage and reliability over Holt’s versions. Best’s key innovations included better track tensioning and smoother multi‑roller systems. The Best Model 60 Tracklayer became one of the most successful early crawlers, widely used for farming in soft or hilly terrain.

By 1925, fierce competition and patent disputes with Holt led to a merger—forming Caterpillar Tractor Co. headquartered in San Leandro, later moved to Peoria, Illinois. Best became vice president of the new firm and retired in 1951, remembered as a key figure who drove crawler tractor evolution.

Caterpillar remains in business as one of the world’s largest machinery manufacturers (2024 revenue: ~67 billion USD). C.L. Best’s designs and patents still form the basis of modern Caterpillar tractors and track systems.

More information: C.L. Best – Caterpillar Historical Overview

Jerome Increase Case founded the Racine Threshing Machine Works in 1842 in Racine, Wisconsin, making threshers before expanding into steam traction engines in the 1860s. By the early 1900s, J.I. Case was building both steam and gasoline tractors, becoming one of the “Big Four” with John Deere, International Harvester, and Allis‑Chalmers.

Case’s early cross‑motor gasoline tractors and Model L and R series of the 1930s were known for rugged build and powerful drawbar pull. Case continued producing stationary engines and threshers alongside tractors. Its famous “Eagle on Globe” logo symbolized global export success.

Major acquisitions included the American Tractor Corporation in 1957 (for backhoe technology) and David Brown Ltd. (UK) in 1972. In 1985, the oil and industrial conglomerate Tenneco merged Case with International Harvester’s agricultural division, forming Case IH, which later became part of CNH Industrial (Fiat‑controlled).

Today Case IH continues globally with roughly 20 billion USD in combined ag‑equipment annual revenue, innovating in precision farming and autonomous technology. The Case legacy—spanning from 19th‑century steam giants to modern Quadtrac tractors—marks one of the longest unbroken lines in tractor history.

More information: Case Company History – Encyclopedia.com

About the Tractors Case

 Caterpillar Tractor Company was formally created in 1925 from the merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company (Stockton, CA) and the C.L. Best Tractor Company (San Leandro, CA). Both firms were pioneers in crawler‑type tractors, and the new company’s headquarters moved soon after to Peoria, Illinois, which remains Caterpillar’s historic home base even though its legal headquarters have since shifted to Texas.

The firm’s name came from the nickname “Caterpillar,” coined around 1905 for Holt’s early track‑layer prototype because of how the track treads appeared to “crawl.” Caterpillar revolutionized farming, construction, and military logistics by replacing wheels with continuous tracks for better traction on soft ground.

In agriculture, Caterpillar’s early Sixty and Ten models were prized for their ability to work in muddy or hilly terrain where conventional tractors failed. During World War II the company’s crawler tractors supported Allied operations around the world, further cementing its industrial reputation.

By the 1950s and 60s, Caterpillar diversified into diesel engines and motor graders and gradually exited the purely agricultural market, though many early Cat crawlers remained farm staples in rice and grain regions. Modern Caterpillar Inc. now focuses primarily on construction, mining, energy, and defense sectors.

In 1986, the corporate name became Caterpillar Inc. The company remains one of the largest machinery manufacturers in the world, with 2024–2025 revenue near $67 billion USD. Caterpillar’s contributions to farming endure through technology shared with its CNH Industrial and ag‑engine partners, and through precision diesel and power systems used in agricultural equipment.

More information: Caterpillar Official History

 The Centaur Tractor Company originated in Greenwich, Ohio, around 1913, founded by Carl and Charles Buick (not related to the automobile family) to build small, affordable farm tractors for medium-sized operations. Its headquarters later relocated to Shelby, Ohio.

The Centaur line was known for mechanical creativity: models such as the Centaur KV and KVL were compact, lightweight, and powered by single‑ or twin‑cylinder engines, using belt‑driven transmissions and chain final drives. Some versions used air‑cooled Wisconsin engines; others used water‑cooled Hercules units.

In the 1930s – 40s, Centaur developed the “Klear‑View” tractor, notable for its semi‑offset operator seating and enhanced front visibility—features decades ahead of mainstream ergonomics. These tractors appealed to vegetable growers and small farms requiring maneuverable power.

In 1940, Centaur was purchased by the Cletrac Corporation (Cleveland Tractor Co.), which wanted to expand into small crawler and wheel machine markets. Shortly thereafter, production of Centaur‑branded tractors ceased, though Cletrac incorporated some drivetrain ideas into its own compact crawlers.

Defunct since the early 1940s, Centaur never recovered post‑war due to consolidation, yet remains admired for pioneering “small‑acreage” tractors that bridged large field and garden models—a niche later filled by Bolens, Ferguson, and Kubota.

More information: Centaur Tractor History

 Champion Tractors emerged in the early 20th century as one of several short‑lived regional producers (circa 1910–1915), likely based in Wisconsin or Ohio, specializing in medium horsepower “Champion”‑labeled tractors for threshing and drawbar work. These machines featured twin‑cylinder engines and chain drives common to the period. Exact founding information varies by source, since “Champion” was also used as a product name by other builders such as Advance‑Rumely’s “Champion Line” and later by Champion Road Machinery.

The most widely recognized agricultural “Champion Tractor” was the Champion 25‑12, built around 1915 – 1916, equipped with a 2‑cylinder opposed engine and steel wheels with grousers. Like many early entrants, the company struggled to scale production and suffered from the post‑WWI farm depression.

Although Champion Tractors disappeared by 1920, its designs influenced later light‑tractor makers, demonstrating that simplified two‑cylinder, chain‑drive concepts could be mass‑produced. No known successor operated under the same name; the name “Champion” was repurposed by unrelated grader and road‑machinery manufacturers in the decades that followed.

Champion is defunct, but collectors occasionally locate examples at early tractor shows in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

 The Choremaster brand was produced beginning in the 1940s by the General Appliance Manufacturing Company of Greensburg, Indiana. It was conceived as a compact walk‑behind and small‑rider multi‑purpose tractor for homeowners and dairy farmers needing an affordable machine to manage chores (“chores + master”).

Choremaster units generally used small Briggs & Stratton or Clinton air‑cooled engines driving tillers, snowblowers, and carts through chain or belt reductions. Unlike full farm tractors, these machines were early utility and garden tractors, ancestors of modern lawn/garden tractors.

During the boom in suburban mechanization after WWII, Choremaster competed with Simplicity, Wheel Horse, and David Bradley, emphasizing attachments such as tiller blades, sickle bars, and snow removal gear. Production continued through the early 1960s, after which the brand name disappeared amid mergers and appliance‑industry consolidation.

Today Choremaster survives only in collector and restoration circles, representing mid‑century U.S. ingenuity in home‑and‑farm mechanization.

The Cleveland Tractor Company, founded in 1916 by Rollin H. White of Cleveland, Ohio, produced the first commercially successful rubber tracked crawlers for agricultural use and trademarked the name “Cletrac.”

Headquartered in Cleveland with manufacturing later expanded to Elyria, Ohio, Cletrac introduced tractors such as the Model H and Model E, pioneering differential steering and streamlined crawler layouts. The compact crawler format gave farmers traction advantages over heavy wheels, especially on clay or steep ground.

By the 1930s, Cletrac offered several successful series—the AG, BG, and HG—light enough for orchard work but powerful enough for plowing. They became known for dependability and operator comfort. Cletrac also supplied tracked vehicles to the U.S. military in WWII.

In 1944, Cletrac was acquired by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company, which integrated its crawler expertise and maintained production under the Oliver Cletrac name for several years. Following further mergers (Oliver → White Motor Co. → AGCO timeline), the Cletrac lineage ultimately fed into AGCO’s heritage portfolio.

Though defunct, the Cletrac brand has an enduring collector community. Oliver’s later crawlers—and even modern compact tracked tractors—trace their concept lineage to Cletrac’s early engineering.

More information: Cleveland Tractor Company – Wikipedia

The Cockshutt Farm Equipment Company was founded in 1877 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, by James G. Cockshutt as a small plow works that grew into a regional powerhouse for farm implements. By the late 19th century, “Cockshutt Plow Company” was already exporting widely into the Northern United States, establishing sales branches across the Midwest and Great Plains.

By the 1930s, Cockshutt developed into a full-line manufacturer offering grain drills, threshers, and wagons, but its most influential move came after 1939, when it began developing self propelled tractors. In 1946, it introduced the Cockshutt 30, considered the first production tractor with a live power take off (PTO)—a breakthrough allowing independent control of engine power to implements. This innovation transformed efficiency and safety in tractor operation and was quickly copied across the industry.

Through the 1950s, Cockshutt released the smaller 20, medium 40, and high power 50 models, plus a successful combine lineup. Many U.S. tractors were sold under the Blackhawk or Golden Eagle names through a dealer network reaching from the Midwest to Texas.

Financial pressures amid post war consolidation led to Cockshutt’s acquisition by White Motor Company in 1962, which folded the brand into its Oliver and Minneapolis Moline lines. The Cockshutt name disappeared by the early 1970s, but collectors still prize the vivid red and cream tractors for their live PTO innovation.

Although no longer in business, Cockshutt’s engineering DNA passed down through AGCO, which inherited Oliver/White assets. The live PTO remains a fundamental feature on every modern tractor—a lasting testament to Cockshutt ingenuity.

More information: Cockshutt Farm Equipment History – Farm Collector

Coleman Tractor stories generally refer to the Coleman Four Wheel Drive Company of Littleton, Colorado, founded in 1914 by brothers George and Max Coleman, which pioneered four wheel drive tractor and truck technology decades before it became mainstream.

The Colemans began with conversion kits for 2 wd trucks and tractors, then engineered complete, custom built 4×4 agricultural and utility tractors. Their Model 4 50 (built during the 1940s) was one of the first American farm tractors with equal size tires and articulated steering, built primarily for the U.S. Army and rural utilities.

Although Coleman produced few farm units compared with mainstream OEMs, it supplied heavy 4WD chassis to Allis Chalmers and others during the 1950s. The company remained a respected military and industrial vehicle supplier through mid century before exiting agricultural markets.

Coleman was later absorbed into broader industrial partnerships and ceased independent tractor manufacture by the 1960s. Its four wheel drive configurations foreshadowed the massive articulated tractors introduced by Steiger and Versatile, and its influence persists in all wheel drive agricultural design principles still used today.

The Colt Manufacturing Company, founded circa 1961 in Blue Earth, Minnesota, targeted the growing garden tractor market created by suburban expansion. Founded by Elmer Pond—a former founder of Wheel Horse—Colt produced small, gear driven tractors using Kohler engines with quick attach implement systems.

In 1965, Colt was purchased by Case Corporation, which sought a smaller companion brand to its full size farm tractors. Case immediately rebranded the line Case Lawn and Garden Tractors, retaining Colt’s drive components and hydraulic implement lift systems. The Colt 14 horsepower hydrostatic model became Case’s proof of concept for compact hydrostatic transmissions—a technology that later reached full size agricultural tractors.

Colt ceased as a brand after 1966, but the engineering survived through Case “Ingersoll” garden tractors, now produced by Eastman Industries. Collectors value Colt’s short production run for its innovation and high build quality, often likening the Colt models to the pioneers of today’s sub compact utility tractors.

More information: Colt, Case, and Ingersoll Garden Tractor History

The Continental Cultor Company, operating from Peoria, Illinois, entered the market around 1915–1917, producing small “cultor” or cultivating tractors designed to replace horses in row crop work. The term “Cultor” stemmed from “cultivating tractor,” emphasizing its role as a selective, precision cultivation machine rather than heavy tillage power.

Continental Cultor tractors were small, two wheel drive machines powered by 2 cylinder water cooled Continental motors. Some were built under license for regional implement dealers. Their light weight and narrow construction made them popular for truck farms and market gardens, though production volumes were modest.

Records suggest Continental Cultor discontinued around 1923, unable to compete with Fordson’s massive market dominance. The brand did not merge into a successor firm but influenced subsequent market garden tractor designs sold by Shaw and Planet Jr. in the 1930s.

No surviving corporate entity exists, but the “Cultor” idea resurfaced in later European compact cultivators. Surviving machines appear occasionally in antique tractor shows as early examples of purpose built cultivating tractors.

Fiat Trattori began in 1919 in Turin, Italy, as the agricultural machinery division of Fiat S.p.A. Its first production model tractor, the Fiat 702, was designed for European farms recovering from WWI and quickly gained international markets, including exports to the U.S.

Throughout the 20th century, Fiat Trattori became one of the largest global tractor makers. Acquisitions included Someca (France), OM, and Hesston U.S.A. In 1977, Fiat purchased Allis Chalmers’ construction division, and in 1984 merged its agricultural operations with International Harvester’s to create Case IH under Tenneco Fiat influence.

By 1999, a corporate consolidation formed CNH Global N.V. (Case New Holland) and in 2013 became CNH Industrial, headquartered in London and Amsterdam. Brands under CNH include Case IH, New Holland, and Steyr. The company’s 2024 revenue surpassed $23 billion USD, employing over 60,000 people worldwide.

Fiat’s legacy is pervasive—its tractor engineering expertise and broad acquisitions unified multiple lineages (Ford, IH, New Holland, and Case) into one of the world’s most powerful agricultural equipment groups.

More information: CNH Industrial

The Flour City Ornamental Iron Works, founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the 1890s, was best known for its cast iron and steel manufacturing before entering the tractor industry as the Flour City Tractor Company around 1912. Minneapolis—the “Mill City”—was already a hub for engines and threshing machinery, making it a natural location for Flour City’s expansion into motorized power.

Flour City produced some of the earliest practical gasoline farm tractors for large acreage grain farms. The most famous models were the Flour City 40 70 and Flour City 20 35, weighing nearly 18,000 pounds with four cylinder kerosene engines. Their characteristic red paint and low, broad construction gave them stability and reliability in the vast fields of the upper Midwest and Dakotas.

Around 1918, the company became part of the Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company lineage, which later merged into Minneapolis Moline in the 1920s through a series of consolidations. This merger tied Flour City’s early high horsepower engineering directly to Moline’s later 4 plow and Prairie Gold tractors.

Flour City is no longer active but stands as one of the many pioneering Minneapolis firms that made the region a 20th century center for tractor innovation.

Henry Ford, inspired by automotive mass production, applied the same principles to agriculture. Ford began developing experimental tractors in 1907 at Dearborn, Michigan, culminating in the Fordson Model F introduced in 1917. Manufactured by Henry Ford & Son Inc., the Fordson was the first affordable, mass produced tractor.

Priced near $750, the lightweight, all steel, 20 horsepower Fordson ended horse power on many smaller farms. By 1920, Fordson production topped 36,000 units annually, dominating the world market and establishing tractors as essential implements.

Following overseas production moves to Cork, Ireland, and Dagenham, England, the brand shifted toward Ford’s international operations. In 1939, Ford introduced the 9N, created under partnership with engineer Harry Ferguson, featuring the revolutionary three point hitch system. Their collaboration popularized modern hydraulics and implement control.

Post 1953, Ford fully merged its tractor operations under Ford Tractor Division, producing NAA, Hundred Series, and later all blue models such as the popular Ford 3000 8000 series. In 1986, Ford acquired New Holland, forming Ford New Holland. By 1991, Fiat purchased the division, integrating it into CNH Industrial.

Ford’s agricultural legacy persists through the New Holland brand, with CNH Industrial holding about $23 billion USD in annual revenue (2024). Ford’s mechanization and affordability reshaped global farming forever.

More information: Ford Tractor History

About the Tractors Ford

About the Tractors Fordson

The Four Drive Tractor Company (often written “Four Wheel Drive Tractor Co.”) grew out of Clintonville, Wisconsin, in 1911, when engineers Otto Zahnow, William Besserdich, and John and Charles Walter developed the first functional four wheel drive tractor and truck chassis.

Initially, the company produced 4WD road trucks and artillery haulers for the U.S. military before adapting the drivetrain for agriculture. The firm relocated to Clintonville and supplied both military and civilian models, including early 4x4 farm tractors capable of unprecedented traction. Their designs demonstrated the feasibility of equal wheel 4WD decades before Steiger or Versatile popularized it.

Eventually, the company reorganized as FWD Corporation, concentrating on military and municipal trucks after WWII rather than agriculture. Despite limited tractor production numbers, its early patents underpin modern articulated and dual axle machines.

Today FWD Corporation (Wisconsin based) operates as FWD Seagrave, building fire trucks and off road chassis, with a heritage traceable to the first working 4WD tractors.

The Friday Tractor Company originated in Charlevoix, Michigan, founded by Elbert Friday in the early 1950s. It specialized in custom, lightweight, open frame tractors built largely from surplus automotive parts, offering affordable mechanization to small farms, orchards, and municipal maintenance crews.

Friday tractors featured tubular steel frames, removable panels, and Ford automotive components (flathead engines, transmissions). They were simple to repair and easy to assemble, often sold kit style to small dealers or even direct to farmers.

The company produced models like the Friday 15, 20, and later the articulated Model A and D crawlers. Many were rugged orchard tractors used throughout northern Michigan’s fruit belt.

By the 1980s, production dwindled, and the factory shifted operations to maintenance and parts. Small scale manufacture continued sporadically into the 2000s, serving collectors and local farmers.

Although Friday is no longer a major manufacturer, surviving models demonstrate Midwestern ingenuity—hand built machines tailored to community scale agriculture.

Gaar, Scott & Company was established in 1849 in Richmond, Indiana, by Abram Gaar and brothers John and Thomas Scott. It was one of America’s earliest and most respected steam engine and threshing machine builders.

By the late 19th century, Gaar Scott was a major producer of steam traction engines, grain threshers, and implements, employing more than 400 people. Its engines were celebrated for high efficiency and quiet operation, thanks to meticulous machining and advanced boiler design.

When the tractor era began, Gaar Scott experimented with gasoline prototypes but could not transition quickly from steam. In 1911, the company merged into J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company, which consolidated much of the U.S. steam engine market.

Gaar Scott’s importance lies in providing engineering and foundry expertise that shaped Case’s power line. Some surviving Gaar Scott traction engines are still operable at vintage shows, admired for craftsmanship and design elegance.

The Gibson Manufacturing Corporation was founded in 1946 by Wilbur Gibson in Longmont, Colorado, with production soon moving to Seattle, Washington. The company’s goal was to create simple, versatile small tractors for the post WWII small farm and orchard market.

The first production model, the Gibson Model A, used a 6 horsepower Wisconsin engine and a two speed gearbox. Later models—D, E, and Super D—offered more horsepower and power take off options. Gibson emphasized compact design and low cost, allowing small vegetable and dairy farms to mechanize affordably at a time when larger brands targeted higher acreage farmers.

An unusual business model defined Gibson: the tractors were entirely mail order, sold direct without dealers. By 1948, over 10,000 Gibsons were delivered nationwide. However, this strategy also limited local parts and service access, causing customer frustration.

By the early 1950s, competition from better financed manufacturers like Ferguson and Ford forced Gibson to exit tractor production. The company reverted to machine tool and parts work, eventually dissolving in the 1950s.

Still, Gibson tractors are considered the bridge between prewar walk behind cultivators and postwar compact utility tractors. Their light footprints and simplicity foreshadowed design concepts later used by Bolens and Simplicity.

More information: Gibson Tractor History – Farm Collector

The Graham Bradley Tractor was produced by the Graham Paige Motors Corporation in cooperation with the Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog division from 1937 to 1941. Sears sought to expand its farm equipment reach beyond small implements by marketing a full sized row crop tractor.

Manufactured in Evansville, Indiana, the Graham Bradley 103 and 104 series tractors used a 6 cylinder Chrysler industrial engine rated at 24 – 30 horsepower—very powerful for its class. Sleek automotive style sheet metal, streamlined hoods, and automotive conveniences like dashboard instrumentation made the tractor strikingly modern.

The project ended when WWII cut civilian production, and Sears canceled the contract postwar. Only about 10,000 units were built. Graham Bradley’s design influence endured, inspiring later streamlined tractors such as the Allis Chalmers WC and Cockshutt 30.

Collectors prize Graham Bradleys for their rarity and art deco styling; many are displayed at major antique tractor rallies. Sears would later sell other re branded tractors (David Bradley line), but the Graham Bradley remains its only “high style” farm tractor.

Benjamin Franklin Gravely founded the Gravely Motor Plow & Cultivator Company in Dunbar, West Virginia, in 1922 after inventing a powered hand cultivator that could plow a row as effectively as a mule. His guiding principle: “Build a better motor plow and people will buy it.”

Gravely’s early Model D walk behind tractors were compact, durable, and adaptable. They allowed small farmers and gardeners to till, mow, or snow blow with interchangeable front implements. Gravely introduced quick change gearing, a major convenience for small operators.

In 1937, the company relocated to Clemens, Virginia, continuing expansion through WWII and postwar housing growth. By the 1950s, Gravely launched small riding tractors powered by its own air cooled four stroke engines (5 to 8 HP).

In 1960, Gravely was acquired by the Studebaker Corporation, which invested in scaled up production before selling the brand to ARIENS Company in 1982. Under Ariens, Gravely evolved into a leading commercial lawn equipment manufacturer.

Today, Gravely remains in business under the Ariens Gravely banner, headquartered in Brillion, Wisconsin, reporting over $700 million in annual revenue (2024). Its design DNA—compact power with interchangeable implements—directly follows B.F. Gravely’s century old vision.

More information: Gravely.com

The Gray Tractor Company, active 1914 – 1930, operated from Minneapolis, Minnesota, producing distinctive tractors notable for their single wide rear drum wheel—an innovation patented by Joseph D. Gray. The large rear roller distributed weight better in soft soils and was marketed as preventing “plowing under.”

The best known model, the Gray Model 18 36, used a four cylinder engine and could pull three to four plows. The design’s drawback was poor steering in wet ground, but farmers appreciated the machine’s simplicity and power.

Despite its unique engineering, Gray struggled to compete with rapidly innovating competitors like McCormick Deering and Allis Chalmers. The company ceased production around 1932, after the Depression devastated sales.

Surviving “Gray Drums” are among the most dramatic antique tractors ever built—a symbol of experimental early engineering and the creative drive of the 1910s.

Harris Manufacturing Company was established in Stockton, California, in the 1880s by George W. Harris to produce large grain harvesters and combines suited for the wheat fields of the West Coast. Later renamed the Harris Harvester Company, it became the dominant combine manufacturer in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Harris’s pull type combines and self propelled models were crucial to large scale wheat production. The 1920s Harris Model 18 was among the first self propelled harvesters in commercial service.

In 1955, the company merged with Massey Harris to form Massey Harris Ferguson Ltd., creating one of the largest agricultural manufacturers of the mid 20th century. The merger helped Massey modernize combine design based on Harris’s big acreage experience.

Though Harris no longer operates under its name, its principles—high capacity, self propelled harvesting—formed the basis for modern combines worldwide. Factory sites in Stockton later became part of Massey Ferguson’s West Coast network.

The Hart Parr Company was established in 1897 by Charles W. Hart and Charles H. Parr, mechanical engineering classmates at the University of Wisconsin. They started in Madison, Wisconsin, but relocated in 1901 to Charles City, Iowa, where they built the first factory dedicated exclusively to gasoline tractors.

Hart and Parr introduced the term “tractor” (from “traction engine”) in a 1903 product brochure—marking history’s first recorded use of the word. Their 22 45 and 30 60 Oil Pull tractors (1907 onward) were powered by kerosene and used efficient two cylinder horizontal engines with oil cooling—a breakthrough in reliability and simplified fueling.

By the 1910s, Hart Parr tractors were prized nationwide for durability, while their stationary engines powered shops and elevators. The company merged in 1929 with Oliver Chilled Plow Works, Nichols & Shepard, and American Seeding Machine Co. to form the Oliver Farm Equipment Company.

Oliver continued the Hart Parr Oil Pull line into the 1930s before retiring the name. Later Oliver models carried “Hart Parr” decals in tribute. Eventually, Oliver merged into White Motor Corporation, part of AGCO Corporation today.

Hart Parr’s legacy endures as “the founders of the tractor industry”; their innovations fundamentally transformed U.S. agriculture from animal to mechanical traction. Charles City now hosts the Floyd County Museum’s Hart Parr tractors as a national heritage site.

The Heider Manufacturing Company, established about 1903 by Henry Heider in Carroll, Iowa, produced farm wagons before moving into tractors in 1914. Heider Tractors were known for simplicity and their variable friction transmission, eliminating gear shifting through a cone pulley drive—offering smooth speed changes years before modern CVTs.

Model Heider C and D tractors delivered 12 – 25 HP and became popular for threshing and belt work through WWI. The economic slump after 1920 led Heider to partner with Rock Island Plow Company, which acquired the line and marketed it as the Rock Island Heider tractor.

Production ended in 1937 when Rock Island merged into Avery Company, and later corporate successors wound up within Minneapolis Moline.

Heider’s friction drive design presaged variable ratio transmissions used decades later, securing him an enduring legacy in drivetrain innovation for farm power.

Benjamin Holt founded the Holt Manufacturing Company in Stockton, California, in 1883, originally producing combine harvesters for the grain fields of the American West. In 1904, Holt introduced a self propelled steam traction engine on continuous tracks—creating the first practical crawler tractor. A photographer reportedly observed it “crawling” across a field, inspiring the nickname “Caterpillar.”

During WWI, Holt supplied the U.S. and Allies with hundreds of tracked tractors for artillery towing and field transport, influencing Britain’s tank design.

After fierce patent battles and financial pressures, Holt merged in 1925 with his rival C.L. Best Tractor Company to create Caterpillar Tractor Co., headquartered in San Leandro, California—later Peoria, Illinois.

Caterpillar ultimately became the world’s premier heavy equipment manufacturer (2024 revenue ≈ $67 billion USD). The essential Holt invention—the continuous track—remains the principle behind modern crawlers and half track tractors worldwide.

The Huber Manufacturing Company was founded in 1875 by Edward Huber in Marion, Ohio, producing threshers, stationary engines, and steam traction engines famous for rugged quality. Huber’s first steam tractor appeared in 1898, followed by gasoline models in 1912.

The Huber Light Four (Model B) and later Super Four earned fame during the 1920s as affordable, dependable farm tractors. Huber also produced high capacity road machinery, graders, and rollers, bridging farming and road construction.

During the Depression, Huber focused increasingly on construction machinery, though tractor manufacturing continued through 1942. The company was later reorganized as Huber Corporation, a road equipment brand that persisted into the 21st century.

Huber tractors symbolize Midwest versatility—machines designed to work across fields, roads, and industrial sites. The Huber Heritage Center in Marion preserves the firm’s poured metal castings and blue gray paint originals.

The Indiana Tractor Company, active in Indianapolis, Indiana, during 1917 1925, was a short lived but characteristic entrant in the first independent tractor wave. Its main product, the Indiana 20 35, used a four cylinder Waukesha gasoline engine and chain final drive.

Designed for two plow farms, it was well built but priced above mass competitors. Like many peers, Indiana faced collapse when Fordson’s low cost tractors flooded the market after WWI.

The company’s manufacturing facilities were later absorbed by truck and parts firms in Indianapolis’s industrial belt. Few examples survive, but the Indiana’s sturdy design typified early Midwest tractor engineering and the spirit of rapid innovation that predated corporate mergers.

The Intercontinental Tractor Company operated briefly in the late 1940s to early 1950s**, likely based in the Midwestern United States—with trademarks registered in St. Paul, Minnesota. Formed after World War II, Intercontinental focused on providing small gasoline tractors built from surplus jeep and truck components, part of a wave of postwar startups catering to returning veterans and small acreage farms.

Intercontinental’s best known model, the Intercontinental Harvester (not related to IH), used Willys or Continental F head engines and mechanical parts from wartime vehicles. These tractors were practical, low cost alternatives to mainstream brands, designed for vegetable growers and household farms transitioning out of animal power.

Production volume was limited; by 1953, competition and capital shortages forced closure. However, its reuse of military components anticipated the sustainability methods later seen in short run tractor builders like Empire and Utilitor. Surviving Intercontinental tractors remain collector rarities, emblematic of America’s brief post war “independent tractor boom.”

International Harvester Company was formed in 1902 in Chicago, Illinois, through a landmark merger of McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, Deering Harvester Company, and three smaller firms orchestrated by financier J.P. Morgan. The merger unified reaper and binder technology under one powerful enterprise, soon setting global standards for mechanized agriculture.

IH’s first gasoline tractor lines, the Titan (1910s) and Mogul (1911 15), were large prairie machines, followed by general purpose models that evolved into the Farmall Regular in 1923. Farmall’s maneuverability for row crop work revolutionized U.S. agriculture. By the 1930s – 1950s, IH was one of the “Big Four” (with John Deere, Case, and Allis Chalmers), producing tractors, trucks, combines, and refrigeration equipment.

IH innovations included hydraulic “Lift All” systems, torque amplifiers, and diesel tractor engines. The letter series (A, B, H, M) and numbered series (Super C, 400, 560) defined mid century farming.

After financial crises and labor strikes in the 1970s 80s, IH’s agricultural division was acquired in 1985 by Tenneco, merged with J.I. Case to form Case IH. IH’s truck operations became Navistar. Today, CNH Industrial carries the legacy, producing red Case IH Farmall and Magnum tractors.

At its zenith, IH employed over 100,000 workers worldwide. Its impact on U.S. farming mechanization is unmatched—combining broad product lines, dealer reach, and technological leadership.

More information: Case IH Website

About the Tractors - International Harvester

Though recognized for military defense, the Jeep brand—originating during WWII under Willys Overland Motors (Toledo, Ohio)—played a brief but vital role in post war mechanized agriculture. The Jeep CJ 2A, launched in 1945, was marketed as the “Universal Jeep,” equally suited for fieldwork, industry, or recreation.

The Agricultural Jeep (AJ series) came equipped with power take off (PTO), three point hitch, belt pulley, and drawbar attachments—transforming it into a light multipurpose tractor. Willys even published farming brochures showing the Jeep plowing, threshing, and pumping water.

While Jeeps couldn’t match dedicated tractor traction, their adaptability, highway speed, and versatility appealed to small farmers. Willys sold specialized PTO accessory kits until the 1950s.

After a series of corporate transitions—Kaiser (1953), AMC (1970), Chrysler (1987), and Stellantis (2021)—the brand evolved solely toward vehicles. The Agricultural Jeep laid groundwork for today’s side by side utility vehicles (UTVs) now ubiquitous in American agriculture.

Modern Jeep remains part of Stellantis N.V., producing over 1 million units annually (≈ $45 billion USD revenue 2024). The brand’s rugged, flexible DNA traces back to its farming experiments after WWII.

Deere & Company was founded in 1837 in Grand Detour, Illinois, by John Deere, a blacksmith who built the first successful self scouring steel plow. This invention transformed prairie farming by cutting through sticky soil that clogged iron plows.

By the late 19th century, Deere & Company (headquartered in Moline, Illinois) became a leading implement maker. It entered tractor manufacturing in 1918 by acquiring the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company, maker of the Waterloo Boy. The low, two cylinder design became Deere’s signature, evolving into models A, B, D, and G, the most recognizable tractors of the 20th century.

Deere advanced with live hydraulics, the Power Trol, and later the New Generation 10/20 Series (1960 70s), cementing its leadership. Global expansion followed with combines, sprayers, and precision ag equipment.

As of 2025, Deere & Company employs over 80,000 people in 30+ countries, generating about $60 billion annual revenue. The company leads in digital farming—autonomous tractor technology, GPS guidance, and “Ops Center” data platforms driving smart agriculture.

The leaping deer logo, introduced in 1876, remains iconic worldwide—a symbol of mechanical reliability and rural progress.

More information: Deere & Company History

About the Tractors John Deere

The Pioneer Tractor Company, founded in Winona, Minnesota, around 1910–1914, was among the earliest firms to market small, three plow kerosene tractors. Its founder, Edward B. McDonald, and engineer Robert Pratt built durable machines with two cylinder opposed engines and direct gear drive.

Pioneer’s advertising claimed “mechanical simplicity that any farmer can repair.” At its peak, production exceeded 1,000 units annually.

Like many early competitors, Pioneer collapsed amid post WWI recession and the Fordson revolution; by 1923 operations ended. Surviving examples appear in museums, showing traits that later defined mass market tractors: low frame height, modular engine design, and operator centered controls.

Pioneer’s short run symbolized early 20th century determination to bring internal combustion power to the average farm—a foundation the later giants built upon.

The Planet Jr. brand was created by S.L. Allen & Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, around 1871, originally producing garden seeders and small cultivating equipment under the “Planet Jr.” name.

Though best known for hand tools, the company became an essential step toward mechanized small plot cultivation. In the early 1900s, Planet Jr. manufactured motorized garden tractors, built for truck farmers and greenhouse operations. These compact tractors used single  or twin cylinder engines driving belt reduction systems, with interchangeable attachments for cultivating, ridging, and mowing.

Planet Jr. machines were an early example of modular mechanization—a principle later embodied by Gravely and Bolens. Thousands were sold across North America and exported overseas.

S.L. Allen continued production until 1968 (under Planet Jr. and Flex O Line branding), when corporate acquisitions ended the line. Although no longer in production, the Planet Jr. brand symbolizes the first practical link between human and engine powered cultivation for small scale farmers.

The Porsche Diesel Motorenbau GmbH, founded in Pforzheim, Germany, with tractor roots dating to 1934, originated when Professor Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned by the German government to design an affordable “Volks Traktor.” Mass production began after World War II in cooperation with Allgaier Werke and later Mannheim’s Mann Werke plants.

The brand’s hallmark was simplicity—air cooled single to four cylinder diesel engines using the unique “Synchromesh Direct Injection” system. Popular models included the Porsche Junior (14 HP), Standard, Super, and Master (50 HP) tractors.

Porsche tractors gained a devoted following abroad—especially in the U.S., Canada, and Scandinavia—for their fuel efficiency and robust engineering. Production peaked around 125,000 units between 1956 and 1963.

When the company sought to focus on sports car manufacturing, its tractor division was sold to Mannesmann AG in 1963 and later integrated into Deutz Fahr (KHD), ending Porsche’s agricultural chapter.

Today, restored red Porsche tractors are prized collector’s items blending design elegance with workmanlike function—a rare crossover of luxury engineering and agricultural practicality.

Founded in 1993 in Tremont, Illinois, by Greg Sauder, Precision Planting transformed modern row crop farming through agritech innovation rather than traditional tractor manufacturing. The company focused on high resolution seed placement, depth control, and real time planting analytics.

Its early products—such as the Keeton Seed Firmers and later vSet, vDrive, and SmartFirmer systems—enabled unprecedented precision in spacing and germination consistency.

In 2012, the brand gained global attention when Monsanto Company purchased it for $210 million as part of its Climate Corp. digital agriculture ecosystem. Four years later, in 2016, regulatory approval of Monsanto’s acquisition by Bayer required divestiture; AGCO Corporation acquired Precision Planting’s hardware division, while software remained within the Climate FieldView suite.

Now operating under AGCO’s Fuse Digital division, Precision Planting continues to deliver advanced retrofit technology integrating across brands like Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and Challenger.

Precision Planting does not produce tractors but revolutionized their functionality—turning modern planters into data driven, sensor equipped systems that define 21st century precision agriculture.

More information: PrecisionPlanting.com

Founded in 1857 in Rock Island, Illinois, the Rock Island Plow Company began as an implement manufacturer. In 1914, it started tractor production by acquiring the Heider Manufacturing Company of Carroll, Iowa, inventor of the variable friction drive tractor.

Under Rock Island ownership, the Heider C, D, and Model E tractors continued in production through the 1920s, promoted for their “smooth, gearless” drive and simple servicing. These tractors were especially popular in the Midwest and prairie regions.

By the late 1920s, amid downturns in implement sales, Rock Island Plow Company sold its assets to the Avery Company (Peoria, Illinois), which eventually merged into Minneapolis Moline.

Although dissolving by 1937, Rock Island’s Heider tractors represented significant engineering progress in friction drive transmission—an early form of continuously variable speed control used conceptually today in CVT transmissions.

The Rogers Tractor Company, active during the 1910s – 1920s, operated from Springfield, Illinois, manufacturing heavy kerosene tractors marketed for large acreage farms.

Best known was the Rogers 60 90, a massive, 12 ton machine with a four cylinder, 900 cu in engine, intended to replace steam traction engines in the Great Plains.

Rogers tractors embodied early industrial over engineering—featuring full gear drives, flywheel clutches, and dual cylinder cooling systems capable of pulling large, combined plows and threshers.

By the early 1920s, declining demand for prairie giants and the rise of lighter, mass market tractors led Rogers to bankruptcy. However, its design philosophy—reliance on robustness and diesel era scaling—anticipated the heavy 4WD tractor boom of the 1970s from firms like Steiger and Big Bud.

Rogers’ legacy lives on in antique shows where surviving early giants demonstrate raw mechanical artistry unmatched by later mass production efficiency.

The Advance Rumely Company, maker of the iconic OilPull tractors, was founded by Meinrad Rumely in La Porte, Indiana, in 1853. Originally a thresher manufacturer, Rumely began producing steam traction engines in the 1880s. The revolutionary OilPull line followed in 1910, powered by kerosene burning, cooled head two stroke engines.

OilPull tractors were the first practical heavy tractors successfully using kerosene instead of gasoline, making them cheaper to run and more reliable on large midwestern farms. Models like the 20 40, 30 60, and 40 65 became staples for threshing and tillage. The name “OilPull,” trademarked in 1912, referred to the “oil pulling” thermosyphon engine cooling system.

After 1912, Rumely merged with Advance Thresher Company of Battle Creek, Michigan, forming Advance Rumely Company. It expanded into combines and road machinery but suffered in the post WWI farm crisis.

In 1931, the company was purchased by Allis Chalmers Manufacturing Company, integrating OilPull’s dealer network and technology into Allis’s emerging tractor division.

Although long defunct, Rumely’s OilPull tractors remain among the most collectible antique machines in North America, revered for mechanical durability and their unique “chugging” low RPM sound.

Founded in 1842 in Massillon, Ohio, by Thomas and Nahum Russell, Russell & Co. was one of the earliest American builders of threshing machines and portable steam engines.

By the 1880s, the firm produced a full line of traction engines ranging from 10 to 32 HP, known for craftsmanship and reliability. Russell’s “Simplex” steam engine design featured a balanced valve gear and efficient boiler construction.

The company entered gasoline tractors around 1918 with “Russell Tractors,” built for two  and three plow work, though these never achieved mass adoption.

Russell & Company merged first into the Aultman & Taylor Machinery Company family (Massillon region firms consolidated repeatedly) and eventually disappeared by the 1920s as demand shifted to lighter gas tractors.

Russell’s engineering talent, however, shaped Ohio’s industrial core, contributing to subsequent machinery firms and training countless machinists who fueled American tractor development.

The Sampson Tractor Company operated under the General Motors Corporation (GM) brand from 1917 to 1923, reflecting GM’s brief but ambitious attempt to enter the farm tractor market. Headquarters and manufacturing were in Janesville, Wisconsin, at facilities also used later by Chevrolet.

Based on designs developed by the Janney Semple Hill Company, the original Sampson Iron Horse was a small, three wheeled tractor using a two cylinder engine and friction disc transmission—ideal for truck gardens and dairies.

GM’s purchase in 1917 rebranded it the Sampson M Series and led to full industrial production. The larger Sampson 35 featured a Chevrolet 490 engine and planetary transmission, sharing parts with Chevrolet automobiles.

Despite initial success, pricing and reliability problems led to major dealer losses; GM ended farm tractor production in 1923.

Sampson’s brief tenure nevertheless advanced modular automotive tractor integration, which became standard industry practice by the 1930s.

The Sears Handiman, sold through Sears, Roebuck & Co. mail catalogs from 1936 through 1957, exemplified the rise of small farm mechanization for the post Depression era.

Manufactured primarily by David Bradley Manufacturing Co. (Chicago) and later Simplicity, the Handiman was a lightweight two wheel or small four wheel tractor featuring a 1 ½ to 2 ½ HP air cooled engine. Attachments could plow, mow, or cultivate.

It allowed Sears to offer America’s lowest cost mechanized tractor option—shipped in crates directly to rural customers for self assembly.

By the 1950s, the Handiman evolved into a small riding unit as part of the Sears Suburban line, later produced by Roper and AYP. The brand ceased when Sears dropped farm machinery distribution in the 1970s.

The Sears Handiman democratized tractor ownership, enabling tens of thousands of small and town farmers to mechanize cheaply.

The Shaw Manufacturing Company was founded in Galesburg, Kansas, in 1903 by Oscar H. Shaw, initially producing motorized bicycles and small engines. In 1907, Shaw introduced a motor cultivator powered by a single cylinder engine—the forerunner of modern garden tractors.

During the 1940s – 1950s, Shaw offered walk behind and ride on tractors up to 8 HP under the Shaw Du All and Speed King trademarks. These versatile machines were marketed to truck gardeners, small poultry farms, and homeowners, winning national distribution through Montgomery Ward and hardware dealers.

In 1958, Shaw Manufacturing was purchased by Simplicity Manufacturing Company, integrating Shaw’s small tractor expertise into the Simplicity lineup and leading eventually to the Allis Chalmers garden tractor line.

Shaw’s contribution lies in pioneering accessible, low cost motor cultivators—literally the seed of America’s garden tractor movement.

The Shawnee Manufacturing Company was established in 1957 in El Reno, Oklahoma, by William Nowlin as a continuation of the earlier Shawnee Poole Tractor Attachment Co. The company specialized in front end loaders, dozer blades, and backhoe attachments mountable on standard agricultural tractors—particularly Ford and John Deere models.

Though Shawnee did not produce its own tractors, its attachments effectively transformed ordinary farm machines into multipurpose construction and earthmoving equipment. The Shawnee Loader Model C and the Shawnee Backhoe 8A were pioneers of quick attach hydraulic systems.

During the 1960s, Shawnee became associated with larger OEM partnerships and supplied thousands of implements to Ford dealers throughout the Midwest. Increased competition from factory integrated loaders and the rise of dedicated backhoe loader designs (Case and Deere) gradually reduced demand.

By the late 1970s, operations wound down, but Shawnee’s attachment innovation laid the groundwork for the modern skid steer and tractor loader markets—machines valued for versatility on both farms and job sites. Collectors prize the distinctive orange painted “Shawnee Poole” blade as an emblem of mid century American fabrication skill.

The R.H. Sheppard Company, founded by Raymond H. Sheppard Sr. in Hanover, Pennsylvania, began producing diesel engines in the 1930s. After wartime contracts, it entered tractor production in 1948 with the Model S—the first American built diesel farm tractor designed and built entirely in the U.S.

Sheppard Diesel tractors ranged from 25 to 55 horsepower, featuring smooth running, high compression three  and four cylinder engines built in house. The S 30, SD 2, and SD 4 models were praised for fuel economy and quiet operation.

Despite engineering excellence, Sheppard lacked nationwide dealerships and faced stiff competition from mainstream gasoline tractors. By 1956, production ended after an estimated 1,500 tractors. The company refocused on hydraulic steering systems, which became its enduring specialty; R.H. Sheppard Co. remains a key supplier of power steering components for trucks and equipment today.

The Sheppard Diesel story represents early American commitment to diesel technology—well before other farm manufacturers embraced it. Surviving Sheppards are rare but respected as milestones in efficient tractor power.

Silver King Tractors trace to the Plymouth Tractor Company, founded in 1934 in Plymouth, Ohio, by John White and financed by Charles King. The company produced an affordable row crop tractor known for lightweight aluminum styling—hence the “Silver King” nickname, which became the official brand in 1936.

Silver King’s models — particularly the Model 42 and the 500 series — were powered by Chrysler industrial engines and featured automotive transmissions for easy road travel. Farmers, towns, and even the U.S. Army appreciated them for reliability and high speed (30 mph road travel).

After WWII, ownership passed to Mountain State Fabricators of Clarksburg, West Virginia, but limited capital ended production by 1954.

Silver King’s legacy lies in durability and striking silver finish; many enthusiasts still operate restored units at plow days and local fairs. The brand’s blend of farm and road engineering foreshadowed the utility tractor evolution seen decades later.

More information: Silver King Club of America

Founded in 1922 in Port Washington, Wisconsin, by William J. Nieman, Simplicity Manufacturing built small stationary engines before launching walk behind garden tractors. Its first “Simplicity Garden All” appeared in 1939, designed for suburban and estate maintenance.

During World War II, Simplicity manufactured military parts, then resumed post war consumer production, developing the Model VA tractor (1946) and later the 700 series riding mowers.

In 1965, Allis Chalmers acquired Simplicity to enter the lawn and garden market; tractors bore both Simplicity and AC badges through the 1970s. A management buyout restored independence in 1983.

In 2004, Simplicity became part of Briggs & Stratton Corporation, giving it access to global engine distribution. Today, Simplicity continues as a premium residential and commercial mower brand under Ferris and Snapper divisions.

While best known for lawn tractors, Simplicity’s mechanical concepts—quick hitch implements and hydrostatic drive—trace their lineage to small farm designs, bridging the gap between agriculture and modern landscaping.

Someca, founded in 1951 in Argenteuil, France, originated as a subsidiary of Fiat Trattori S.p.A. to produce Fiat designs domestically for the French market. The brand’s goal was to support European post war mechanization through localized manufacturing.

Someca’s first model, the DA 50, utilized Fiat’s tracteur diesel expertise and quickly gained popularity in Western Europe. Later models, including the SOM 40 and SOM 55, were renowned for simplicity, durability, and economy—suited for family farms undergoing modernization during the 1950s – 1960s.

Someca tractors evolved into the Fiat 680/780 series, expanding globally. By 1979, the brand was fully integrated into Fiat Agri, precursing CNH Industrial (NH and Case IH).

Although defunct as a stand alone name, Someca’s heritage survives in Fiat built tractors worldwide and in Europe’s high regard for the brand’s SOM tractors—icons of the continent’s mechanization recovery.

The Square Turn Tractor Company was founded in 1916 in Denver, Colorado, by engineer Charles W. Hartman. Its innovative name came from the ingenious design of its four wheel steering mechanism, allowing the machine to “square off corners” at the end of rows without backing or large turning circles—an early precursor to articulated steering.

Square Turn tractors featured all gear drive and powerful four cylinder engines rated 20 40 HP, with equal sized front and rear wheels. The design gave exceptional maneuverability for its size and became a marvel at agricultural fairs.

Unfortunately, high production costs and the economic downturn after WWI limited adoption. By 1920, Square Turn went bankrupt after building fewer than 1,000 units. Yet mechanically, it pioneered principles that modern four wheel steer and articulated tractors would later perfect, such as tight turning radii and equal wheel traction.

Today, surviving Square Turn tractors are museum pieces celebrated for their uncommon ingenuity among early 20th century prairie giants.

Steiger Tractor Inc. was founded in 1957 in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, by farmers John and Douglas Steiger and their father. Dissatisfied with the power limits of available tractors, the Steigers built their first machine in a barn using truck components and a Detroit Diesel engine. That prototype inspired a wave of heavy, articulated four wheel drive (4WD) tractors tailored for large acre farms.

By the late 1960s Steiger headquarters moved to Fargo, North Dakota, and production escalated with models like the Tiger and Panther Series. Their bold lime green paint and massive horsepower (200–600 HP) made Steiger tractors famous worldwide.

Throughout the 1970s, Steiger supplied tractors under OEM deals for Allis Chalmers, Ford, and International Harvester, validating their engineering excellence. In 1986, Tenneco Inc. acquired Steiger and merged it with Case IH, establishing Case’s dominance in large 4WD tractors.

Under CNH Industrial, the Fargo plant still produces modern Case IH Steiger Quadtrac models. Steiger remains synonymous with big power tractors—a lasting example of farmer driven innovation evolving into a global legacy.

Tenneco Inc., short for Tennessee Gas Transmission Company, was founded in 1940 in Houston, Texas, as a pipeline and energy corporation. Diversification in the 1950s and 60s brought Tenneco into automotive and farm equipment manufacturing.

In 1951, Tenneco purchased Walker Exhaust Systems and Monroe Shock Absorbers, establishing an industrial manufacturing base. The company entered agriculture by acquiring J.I. Case Company in 1967, investing heavily to modernize Case’s operations.

Tenneco’s major move came in 1985, purchasing the agricultural division of International Harvester and merging it with Case to form Case IH, uniting two historic rivals. The combined brand launched successful machines such as the Magnum Tractor (1987).

By 1994, Tenneco spun off its agricultural holdings into Case Corporation, which later merged with New Holland (Fiat) in 1999 to form CNH Global, now CNH Industrial.

While no longer directly involved in farming, Tenneco’s acquisition strategy shaped modern agribusiness consolidation—proving how financial investment could rescue and advance agricultural manufacturing during economic shifts.

The Terratrac Corporation, founded in the early 1950s in Detroit, Michigan, emerged as a manufacturer of small crawler tractors for farming and construction. Terratrac specialized in compact track layer machines using Chrysler and Continental engines, offering superior traction for vineyards, orchards, and hillside farms.

In 1956, Case Corporation acquired Terratrac to enhance its crawler lineup, renaming the series Case Terratrac. The acquisition helped Case re enter the construction equipment market, directly leading to the development of the Case 450 crawler and 580 backhoe loader lines—mainstays for decades.

Although Terratrac as a brand disappeared by 1960, its lightweight crawler innovation resulted in the foundation of Case CE (Case Construction Equipment) and influenced compact track tractor designs across agriculture and landscaping.