Old ad for Harvester Plow Company, Pratt, KS

[Timmycornpicker]

Another obscure shortline I came across recently . . . .

 

[David from Kansas]

Less than 100 miles from Pratt, farming all my life and never heard of it.
There was another short line of disks and chisels made in Hutchinson, KS in the 60's called "Wilbeck". They were good, heavy duty implements. There were several other short-line products made in Kansas. Crustbuster made tillage and hoe and disk drills at Spearville, later moving to Dodge City.

 

[Rick Remmert]

Back in the 60's there was a Shafer Disc company in Pratt, Ks. We had a 14' tandem disc and a 16' one way. The disc was all bright yellow and had two sets of tandem tires. The one way was yellow on the frame and the hitch and disc scrappers were bright orange. When you went to pull it down the road, you pined the hitch to the tractor up and out of the way. The farrow wheel would swivel straight out and it had about a 4' tongue on it that you hooked to the drawbar and towed it length wise down the road. We went to the factory a couple of times and they painted the yellow frames by dipping them in a pit of yellow paint. Being only 12 or 13 years old, that was really cool to see.

 

[55 50 Ron]

Back in the 60's there was a Shafer Disc company in Pratt, Ks. We had a 14' tandem disc and a 16' one way. The disc was all bright yellow and had two sets of tandem tires. The one way was yellow on the frame and the hitch and disc scrappers were bright orange. When you went to pull it down the road, you pined the hitch to the tractor up and out of the way. The farrow wheel would swivel straight out and it had about a 4' tongue on it that you hooked to the drawbar and towed it length wise down the road. We went to the factory a couple of times and they painted the yellow frames by dipping them in a pit of yellow paint. Being only 12 or 13 years old, that was really cool to see.

Shafer in Pratt, KS also built some 4 wheel drive tractors. A place where I volunteer (Farmamerica) has one. I'll see if I have a picture of it that I can post. It is yellow and has an Allis Chalmers engine. Some were made with International engines.

 

[1948CaseVAI]

Less than 100 miles from Pratt, farming all my life and never heard of it.
There was another short line of disks and chisels made in Hutchinson, KS in the 60's called "Wilbeck". They were good, heavy duty implements. There were several other short-line products made in Kansas. Crustbuster made tillage and hoe and disk drills at Spearville, later moving to Dodge City.

As a summer job in 1971 I hauled iron out of Crust Buster in Spearville and also Krause Plow out of Hutchinson for Roth Case Equipment at Larned. A descendent of the Wilbecks is now a chiropractor in Wichita. Small world. But like you, I had never heard of this manufacturer in Pratt.

 

[shaun wallace]

Less than 100 miles from Pratt, farming all my life and never heard of it.
There was another short line of disks and chisels made in Hutchinson, KS in the 60's called "Wilbeck". They were good, heavy duty implements. There were several other short-line products made in Kansas. Crustbuster made tillage and hoe and disk drills at Spearville, later moving to Dodge City.

I remember Wibeck discs. JD dealer in Princeton Mo sold them in late 70s early 80s. They had a Miller line of tillage equipment too

 

[shaun wallace]

I have Phares and Wilkins disc made in Lubbock Tx. They dont make discs any more but still in business making other equipment.

 

[55 50 Ron]

Shafer in Pratt, KS also built some 4 wheel drive tractors. A place where I volunteer (Farmamerica) has one. I'll see if I have a picture of it that I can post. It is yellow and has an Allis Chalmers engine. Some were made with International engines.

I found the photo of the Shafer 4 wheel drive tractor.

 

[Rick Remmert]

Thanks for the picture. I find that very interesting. All the time we were in for parts and just driving by, I never saw one of these.

 

[Timmycornpicker]

Went from not knowing about this company to finding another old ad for them! They either moved during the time between these ads or they built different machines at different shops. Maybe they aren't even the same company?

 

[Rich'sToys]

I found the photo of the Shafer 4 wheel drive tractor.

Here are a couple more photos of the same tractor.