Heider Tractors equiptment they made

[Whirly]

I found this site through a search on Heider Tractors that were made in Carroll Iowa. I have found out they sold this to Rock Island Plow Co. & then Heider continued to make the single & double trees for horses that they were famous for makin. Heider also made a strong wooden step & extension ladder & a coaster wagon. Heider also made a wooden barge box & flare box wagon for farm use. The coaster wagons were made from scrap wood left over from other wood projects. In 1909, Hieder got a patent for his 'Non-tipping auto steering' front end for the coaster wagon. The latest knoweldge I have found was the coaster wagon was made up to the days of WWII when steel was rationed. The first coasters he made were outfitted with wooden spoke wheels & wooden box. The last ones has a metal box but the wheels made several changes,from wooden spokes to a mallable cast wheel, then a wire spoke wheel, then a full solid rim with rubber wheel, some just had a solid rim & no rubber.
In the 1980's Heider went out of bussiness & the place was sold to Scranton Mfg.
I worked for the new owners as a maintance man who was involved with cleanin out the Heider buildings in Carroll. I was allowed to keep a few mementos from the Heider company. One of the items I found in the factory is a "salesman's pocket type book that has a listing of the things Heider sold, I think this book dates to about 1940, as it has pictures of the items in it along with prices of the items. Also in this book I find a couple of items made by the 'Thieman' company, who did make a 'Thieman Tractor'. Thieman company was located in Albert City, Iowa. (which today there is an annual Steam & tractor show there).
I will allow anybody to send me a E-mail to me @ whirly659@yahoo.com if they put Heider in the subject line to obtain any more info I know about wat I have said here.
I did find a website heidertractor.com, I had the site up last nite but can't get it up tonite.
 

[SweetFeet]

Whirly,

Just tried...and could not access the site either.

Saw one Heider at a show in Forest City, IA. It was neat - but my picture turned out blurry.
 

[Paul Searl]

After Johns sale last year, he shut down the website, but put the bulk of it back up if you can direct link to various pages, the front page though is dead.

http://heidertractors.com/Catalogs.htm should get you back in.

I will send you an email, I run http://RockIslandPlowCo.com which covers the Rock Island Plow company and the Heider Tractor line. I cover some of the company history for Heider, but it is mostly pre 1916 when they sold the tractor company to Rock Island. We have a couple of RI Heider tractors and a coaster wagon, I have a brochure for the coaster wagons as well. If your interested in anything specific I can see what I have, but most of it is tractor related and from the RIPC days. if your interested, I can also post some pictures from Johns sale, he had a few things from the factory and later products.
 

[GordoSD]

I have one of those wood Heider wagons. My grandfather got it as a gift when he bought a full size Heider wagon (corn/grain. My Dad played with it some (1924) but he wasn't allowed to take it outside and get it dirty. After he grew up Grandpa hung it in the barn for 40 years until I spied it and asked to have it. Grandpa said "When I die". When he did, Grandma put it in my truck after his funeral.
It still has all the original red trim paint and the black lettering "Heider" on both sides. It has stamped iron wheels and solid rubber tires.
 

[SweetFeet]

GordoSD,
If willing to post a photo of your wagon, it would be really neat to see it.