ALL ABOUT TRACTORS

BY PAUL WALLEM

 New model fast track 1953-1967

Some tractor models that we remember best – and that collectors frequent – were brought to the market for a short time and then quickly replaced.

During World War II, tractor production was replaced by military needs. After the war ended in 1945, pent-up demand created strong sales for the tractors that had been designed and built from the late thirties.

When demand grew for more horsepower and modern features, the manufacturers began introducing new, bigger models. Many of these were then updated in an abbreviated time. Here are examples:

JOHN DEERE built the model 70 for three years, from 1953 until 1956. Then came the 720 for only two years, 1956 until 1958. It was replaced by the 730 from 1958 until 1961. The 2-cylinder engine finally ended as the 4010 came on the market from 1960 until 1963. These four Deere models existed for 10 years.

INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER replaced four of their large horsepower models in a 13-year period from 1954 to 1967. The 400 lasted from 1954 to 1956. The 450 was built from 1956 until 1958. The 560 came on the market for five years, 1958 to 1967. Then came the 806 from 1963 until 1967.

Some historians believe the rapid introduction of new models in a shorter time was a major factor when Deere surpassed IH in total sales during 1958 and after.

ALLIS CHALMERS marketed three new models during a 19-year period. The WD-45 was on the market from 1953 until 1957. Then came the D-19 from 1957 until 1967. The 190 was built from 1964 until 1972.

Other tractor manufacturers followed a similar path, increasing their engineering staff and rolling out new models as rapidly as possible. The well-known models listed above had relatively short lives, an historical point in US tractor history.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)

This topic continues to receive a lot of attention in the agricultural press, due to its long-term potential as a consumer of farm products.

Jaqui Fatka, Farm Supply & Biofuels CoBank, was recently quoted as follows:

 “SAF goal for 2030 is three billion gallons per year. 2021 production was 5 million gallons. Current production annually is 50 million gallons. Companies such as SouthWest Airlines and airports such as Midway, Minneapolis and Detroit are leaders in this usage.

Numerous ag products such as soybean oil are used in SAS production.

Views of a former dean of University of Illinois College of Agriculture

Robert Easter was dean of the College of Agriculture, University of Illinois, from 2002 to 2009. Later he served as U of I president from 2012 to 2015. He is also a farmland owner, and still has his 1936 John Deere B.

He is a long-time friend, and we had lunch recently. I believe you will find his comments interesting.

He believes the capacity for information is growing more rapidly, including AI, and will play a major role in agriculture change the next 10 years. For example, nitrogen requirement for an ever-smaller area will become more obvious as information increases.

Another gradual change is the amount of no-till acreage that increases as younger generation farm owners see the long-term advantages and are more willing to change old practices.

Personally, my U of I degree involved ag mechanization, leading to my job with International Harvester. The U of I continues to play a significant role in all areas of agricultural research.

From days past

I just found an old newspaper in my father-in-law’s possessions. My wife was a toddler when he took them to the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The 5-cent newspaper was a daily report of events that July. Here are some of the prices listed:

Casino of Nations Restaurant - lunch 65 cents, complete dinner 95 cents, sandwich 25 cents, 10-ounce beer 10 cents, coffee 5 cents.

It’s been a long time since beer was one cent per ounce! 

Please email me your predictions for changes that may happen in the next 10 years, particularly in tractor design and fuel usage.

Thought For the Day:

Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out - John Wooden

Paul Wallem was raised on an Illinois dairy farm. He spent 13 years with corporate IH in domestic and foreign assignments. He resigned to own and operate two IH dealerships. He is the author of THE BREAKUP of IH and SUCCESSES & INDUSTRY FIRSTS of IH. See all his books on www.PaulWallem.com. Email comments to pwallem@aol.com.