Tractor Wars

[wjytexas]

My local PBS station recently ran a documentary named Tractor Wars which followed the development of farm tractors from the end of the 19th Century thru about 1930. It focused on the rivalry between McCormick/IH, John Deere, and Ford for market share and how company officials thought with regard to what a tractor should do. Some of these folks were firmly attached to their idea but none so much as Henry Ford. He believed the Fordson was all a farmer needed even if the farmer felt he wanted more. Anyway, it was a nice reprieve from watching world news.

 

[Tramway Guy]

Here is a link to the program:

tractor wars pbs - Google Search

 

[Brown David]

Here is a link to the program:

tractor wars pbs - Google Search

I think this site is blocking your link. I clicked it and a Google page briefly came up then went blank.

Here's the YouTube link.

 

[RedMF40]

Just read the book recently. I'd like to see the show. Henry Ford was riding a wave with his Model T Ford and was convinced that success would carry over to the Fordson tractor. It didn't quite work out, for a variety of reasons.

 

[wjytexas]

Just read the book recently. I'd like to see the show. Henry Ford was riding a wave with his Model T Ford and was convinced that success would carry over to the Fordson tractor. It didn't quite work out, for a variety of reasons.

And he hung on to the flathead engine too long.

 

[Texasmark]

My local PBS station recently ran a documentary named Tractor Wars which followed the development of farm tractors from the end of the 19th Century thru about 1930. It focused on the rivalry between McCormick/IH, John Deere, and Ford for market share and how company officials thought with regard to what a tractor should do. Some of these folks were firmly attached to their idea but none so much as Henry Ford. He believed the Fordson was all a farmer needed even if the farmer felt he wanted more. Anyway, it was a nice reprieve from watching world news.

Henry Ford revolutionized the mass production market but (opinion) he was narrow minded in one respect when he felt that the Model T was the answer to the automotive world and nothing else could be better.....reference: "Wheels for the World", "Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress", by Douglas Brinkley.

Great book well worth you time to read it. Of particular interest to me was the part on the Willow Run plant (in Michigan) where he built B-24 Bombers....the idea, open field, finding and hiring workers, housing and all for them, constructing the building, the runway, and all. Recalling, he built one building whereby raw materials went in one end and recalling every hour a finished B-24 went out the other facing a runway for it's immediate flight certification test. An absolute marvel in planning and engineering.

He also got a production contract for the Willys Jeep as the govt. felt that Willys didn't have the volumetric capacity to supply the US Army's requirements. Ford built most of them.

 

[SkipperII]

The gentleman that I worked for, in my early years wrenching, worked for his brother, as a young man. His brother had the Ford dealership, selling Model Ts. The cars were delivered by rail, box cars, standing on end. They had to go to the rail yard, set them on their wheels, and roll them off. In each boxcar load, was a Fordson tractor, whether they wanted one, or not. They could not get another load, until the tractor was sold. When the Model A came out, they were not allowed to get any, until all their Model Ts were sold. People had heard about the As, and weren't about to buy an obsolete car, so there the Ts sat. Mysteriously, one night, all the Model Ts caught fire. He told me, the next rime I went down to the Ford dealer for parts, to look at the windows on the South end of the building, at the back of the parts department.. (They had sold the dealership many years past.) Sure enough, the windows crazed from extreme heat, but weren't broken. BTW, his grandson monitors this site, and contacted me. I remembered him as a boy, coming into the shop. I hope he sees this, if he hasn't been told the story before.

 

[Loosehandle]

My local PBS station recently ran a documentary named Tractor Wars which followed the development of farm tractors from the end of the 19th Century thru about 1930. It focused on the rivalry between McCormick/IH, John Deere, and Ford for market share and how company officials thought with regard to what a tractor should do. Some of these folks were firmly attached to their idea but none so much as Henry Ford. He believed the Fordson was all a farmer needed even if the farmer felt he wanted more. Anyway, it was a nice reprieve from watching world news.

I saw that, wish they would have kept going time wise.

 

[RedMF40]

Henry Ford revolutionized the mass production market but (opinion) he was narrow minded in one respect when he felt that the Model T was the answer to the automotive world and nothing else could be better.....reference: "Wheels for the World", "Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress", by Douglas Brinkley.

Great book well worth you time to read it. Of particular interest to me was the part on the Willow Run plant (in Michigan) where he built B-24 Bombers....the idea, open field, finding and hiring workers, housing and all for them, constructing the building, the runway, and all. Recalling, he built one building whereby raw materials went in one end and recalling every hour a finished B-24 went out the other facing a runway for it's immediate flight certification test. An absolute marvel in planning and engineering.

He also got a production contract for the Willys Jeep as the govt. felt that Willys didn't have the volumetric capacity to supply the US Army's requirements. Ford built most of them.

If Henry had his way we’d all be driving model Ts today

 

[Brown David]

If Henry had his way we’d all be driving model Ts today

I wonder how many here think that would be a good idea?

 

[zuhnc]

I saw that show recently. I think a couple of more are in the works, starting where this one ended, or thereabouts.

 

[E.B. Haymakin']

Henry Ford revolutionized the mass production market but (opinion) he was narrow minded in one respect when he felt that the Model T was the answer to the automotive world and nothing else could be better.....reference: "Wheels for the World", "Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress", by Douglas Brinkley.

Great book well worth you time to read it. Of particular interest to me was the part on the Willow Run plant (in Michigan) where he built B-24 Bombers....the idea, open field, finding and hiring workers, housing and all for them, constructing the building, the runway, and all. Recalling, he built one building whereby raw materials went in one end and recalling every hour a finished B-24 went out the other facing a runway for it's immediate flight certification test. An absolute marvel in planning and engineering.

He also got a production contract for the Willys Jeep as the govt. felt that Willys didn't have the volumetric capacity to supply the US Army's requirements. Ford built most of them.

No current company has competent management to accomplish that today......period

 

[Texasmark]

I wonder how many here think that would be a good idea?

On really high humid winter mornings where the windows would otherwise be fogged up, and hot, humid summer days, I surely like my AC system in my Chevrolet.

 

[RedMF40]

I wonder how many here think that would be a good idea?

Having owned and driven a 1923 model extensively for well over a year, I’d have to be against the idea. Those cars are primitive beyond belief, very high-maintenance by modern standards, and not at all suited for modern roads and traffic. But to end on a positive note, it was a lot of fun to hit the back roads with a group, wave to the smiling people looking up from their yard work as a parade of antique cars rattled by.

 

[ss55]

I wonder how many here think that would be a good idea?

Was Ford Model T the car that you had to drive up steep hills in reverse when the gas tank was too empty or the hill was too steep to feed by gravity?

 

[Brown David]

Was Ford Model T the car that you had to drive up steep hills in reverse when the gas tank was too empty or the hill was too steep to feed by gravity?

I've heard that but you would have to ask someone who owned/owns one.

 

[RedMF40]

Was Ford Model T the car that you had to drive up steep hills in reverse when the gas tank was too empty or the hill was too steep to feed by gravity?

Yes, no fuel pump so the gas had to find its way to the carb on its own and hopefully you had enough in the tank. I never backed up a hill but we had a support truck with extra gas on tours if someone ran low.

…and it was usually the case that they were trying to climb a hill but the fuel wasn’t getting to the outlet on the tank.

 

[RedMF40]

This was my ‘23 Touring. Can’t say I miss it

 

[SkipperII]

Dad told the story of his dad, older brother, and him driving from Baker, Oregon to Kansas and back, in a Model T. He was only 15 at the time. At night, he would have to change the bands in the transmission, while his dad and brother would go to a nearby bar. Finally, he found a new style band at a Western Auto Store, that would last three days, so he got a bit of a break.

 

[petertay]

My dad lived in Portland OR and was going to college in Illinois. Four guys in a Model A. Two inside, two in the jumper. Rode the whole way with his knees under his chin in the jump seat.