Ford Implements

[1955]

I've been watching old Ford promotional videos from the 50's and 60's on you tube.

Wondering....who made all the Ford branded implements, like the corn pickers, balers and plows?

 

[Fordfarmer]

Ford built some of their own plows, like
the 101. Most (at least the later models)
were built by White.
Disks were Pittsburg, White, or Sunflower.
Ford may have built so.e models.
The corn pickers were originally Wood
Brothers, but Ford bought them (in the
50's?), so later ones like the 601 and 602
were Ford.
The 670 and 670 choppers were IH... unless
New Idea made them for Ford AND IH...
they were sold under all 3 names.

 

[DanielW]

It also makes a difference whether you're referring to Ford in North America, or abroad. In the UK, Ransomes built a lot of implements with the Ford-Ransomes name on them, which ended up all over Europe, but I don't think any/many ended up in North
America. The balers were built by a few companies, depending on the model.

 

[showcrop]

Ford built a combine for just one year in 1959.

 

[Fordfarmer]

The pull type, right? Pretty sure that was
a Wood Bros. design.

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley]

When FORD began designing the 9N tractor, they also needed to begin designing new implements as well, all now with the 3-PT LIFT TYPE SYSTEM. Everything was new having
never been built before. Ferguson only brought a crude a plow, a ridger/middlebuster, and a 3-row cultivator with him from Ireland when he demonstrated the new Draft
Control System on his 1936 Ferguson-Brown Type A Tractor in November, 1938. The only implement FORD ever built themselves was the plough on the early 9N basing design
on the Oliver ploughs. After 1942 they were outsourced to the BUDD CO, DETROIT. BUDD also supplied wheel hubs. ALL implements with a FERGUSON-SHERMAN/FERGUSON CORP;
DEARBORN, and FORD ID TAG with a model number were built by outside suppliers who had years of experience building pull type implements. Working with FORD engineers
under contract, they all modified and developed the LIFT TYPE Implements, numbered all parts and models with FORD part numbers. Examples are: PLOUGHS = OLIVER;
Cultivators = Pittsburgh Forging and EMPIRE PLOW CO, Pickers/Harvesters/Mowers = WOODS BROS and Detroit Harvester Co; CORDWOOD SAW = DELLINGER CO; BLADES/SNOWPLOWS/V-
PLOWS = ARPS CORP; FARM RITE IMPLEMENT CO = DISC HARROWS/SPRING TOOTH HARROWS; FARM TOOLS = DISCS & HARROWS, ROTARY HOE, MOLDBOARDS; POST HOLE DIGGER = DANUSER, just
to name but a handful. In 1947 DEARBORN CORP became the new tractor and implement supplier as Ferguson had been fired a year earlier. Most suppliers kept with Ford and
were now under contract to Dearborn/Ford and all had new model and part numbers with many also being revamped with better designs. In 1954 DEARBORN dissolved and
morphed into the FORD TRACTOR & IMPLEMENT DIVISON. Model and parts numbers retained the same numbers only now ID Tags showed FORD not DEARBORN. If you want to learn
more about the implemenst FORD TRACTOR used, there is a good book called FORD TRACTOR IMPLEMENTS by Chester Peterson and Rod Beemer with a ton of good info and
supplier history. The book is not a complete comprehensive source of every implement ever made but most are listed in the back index. Harry Ferguson went on to build
HIS tractor, the TE20, and his line of implements in England. There is a good book of Ferguson Implements and some Ford stuff too called, FERGUSON IMPLEMENTS &
ACCESORIES by John Farnsworth, with great text info/history and pictures.

Tim Daley (MI)

 

[Fordfarmer]

I'm trying to remember some more of them.
The 501 (and 515?) mowers were Ford, but the mower-condtioners were Owatonna or IH, depending on the model.
I've heard several theories about the baler, but the most likely/best supported is Long built the 530, 532, and 542.
Gehl built the round baler. (Just saw another one of those a few miles from me last weekend)
The 503 rake (and similar ground driven version... can't remember the model) were Ford, but the 513 was New Idea. (Also built for Allis Chalmers).
The 612 and 680 choppers were made by Allis Chalmers.
The 611 combine was an Oliver, with a Ford engine. The 620, 622, 630, 640, and 642 combines were built by Claas, with Ford engines.
The equipment sold by Ford under the Big Blue name was built by Cobey.

 

[1955]

Wow! Thanks a lot everyone. Some real good information there.

I'll have to get that Ford Implement book. I just got Classic Ford Tractors by Pripps and Morland.

 

[Majorman]

Ford self propelled combines could have also been built by Claas in Germany or Ransomes in England.
I watched Ford combines coming down the production line in the Claas factory in 1980. Also saw Ford
badged Ransomes combines at the Ipswich factory.

 

[Fordfarmer]

The Ransomes combines must have been for the European market. Other than the Oliver-built 611, all the Ford self propelled combines sold in the U.S. were rebadged Claas.
After Ford quit selling combines, Claas arranged for their combines to be sold through Ford dealers in the U.S. They were badged as Claas, but painted blue and white, rather than the traditional Claas green and white.
I have a blue and white Dominator 106.

 

[ford1956tractor]

You may be right about Gehl on the baler but I always thought Heston built mower/conditioner and round baler?

 

[Tony Jacobs]

I like how you conveniently left out that Ferguson started building TO20s , TO30s , TO35s and F40s here in DETROIT , MI in 1948 right after the Lawsuit was settled .

 

[1955]

I just found out there is a Ford combine sitting in a field here not far from me!
Apparently there were a few farms here that used all Ford equipment back in the day.
I only remember a lot of Massey Ferguson and John Deere in this area.

 

[Fordfarmer]

My Grandpa owned Hesston mower-conditioners from that era... completely different than the Fords.