A HISTORY OF TRACTORS

The introduction of tractors changed the way we farm forever - the forerunners were innovative, experimental and fundamental to the growth of food production. Find out more about the history of your tractor and how it shaped farming methods.

Case International Harvetser - A History

Case International Harvester Tractors - A History

Case IH origins go back as far as 1842 when Jerome Case founded Racine Threshing Machine Works. The key to his success was his innovative thresher which separated the straw from the grain. The Case International B275 and B414 are popular models today.

In 1869 Case expanded into the steam engine business and produced the first steam engine tractor. The machine was still drawn by horses and the power generated was used only to power other machines. By 1876 Case had developed the first self-propelled traction steam engine. Further progression led to the development in 1892 of the diesel-powered tractor, but Case waited until 1911 to launch the product as the market was not yet ready for the new advancements. Read More...

The Story of Ferguson Tractors

Henry George "Harry" Ferguson was an Irish-born British engineer and inventor known for his development of the modern agricultural tractor. He was the first Irishman to build and fly his own aeroplane. Ferguson also developed the first four-wheel drive Formula One car, the Ferguson P99.

In 1911 he founded a company which included tractor retail. Ferguson recognised the weakness of having a tractor and plough as separate units, so set about developing a plough that could be rigidly attached to a Model T Ford car—the Eros. 'The Ferguson System' was developed over a 30 year period and is an automatic control system now employed by almost all tractor manufacturers worldwide. Read More...

Fiat Tractors - A Brief History

FIAT was founded in 1899 as an automobile manufacturing company. Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino (FIAT) began developing tractors by 1910, but was delayed by World War I. Fiat Trattori S.P.A. was a Fiat group company founded in 1919. The Fiat 702 was one of the earliest models in production and the first Italian tractor to be built on an industrial scale. The 702 was followed by the 702A, the 703B and 703BN. Read More...

Ford New Holland Tractors - A History

Ford has been one of the most successful names in the tractor industry during the 20th century . Popular models include the Ford 3000, 4000, 4600 and 7610 models. If you are restoring a NH tractor shop Ford New Holland parts here> The Ford Motor Company was one of the early developers of the assembly line allowing them to offer affordable machines. The original New Holland Machine Company was founded in 1895 in New Holland, Pennsylvania; over the years it was acquired by Sperry, then by Ford Motor Company in 1986, and then by Fiat in 1991. Read More...

The Origins of Fordson Tractors

The Forson Dexta, Major, Super Dexta and Super Major models were popular tractors of their era and retain their appeal to this day. The origins of the Fordson range began in the late 19th century. Henry Ford grew up in an extended family of farmers. At the time, farm work was labour intensive, it became one of Ford’s ambitions to "lift the burden of farming from flesh and blood’. He began to build experimental tractors from automobile components. In 1903 he founded the Ford Motor Company and by 1907 developed the "Automobile Plow” Read More...

John Deere Tractors - A History

Deere & Company began in 1836 when John Deere started selling small tools. He developed the self-scouring steel plow, fashioning a Scottish steel saw blade into a plow. Prior to Deere's development, most farmers used iron or wooden plows which required frequent cleaning due to the soil sticking to the plough in the rich local fields. The smooth-sided steel plow solved this problem. Read More...

Leyland Tractors - A Brief History

Nuffield Tractors began in 1948 by Lord Nuffield (William Morris) owner of Morris Motors Limited. By 1951 Morris Motors had become part of the British Motor Corporation (BMC). BMC was the largest British car company of its day, producing a wide range of cars under brand names including Austin, Morris, MG, Austin-Healey, Riley, and Wolseley, as well as commercial vehicles and agricultural tractors. Lord Nuffield became the first chairman. Read More...

A History of Massey Ferguson

Massey Ferguson was created with the merger between Massey-Harris and the Ferguson companies in 1952. The separate brands were retained until 1958, when the lines were merged and renamed Massey-Ferguson. Massey Ferguson developed a wide range of agricultural vehicles that are still in use today Restoring your Massey will require hard work to bring it back to its full glory. Although we can’t provide the elbow grease, Anglo can provide the parts to help you with your classic restoration project. Read More...

Perkins Tractor Engines

Perkins were founded in 1932 by Frank Perkins. Despite gaining a degree in engineering, and coming from an agricultural engineering family, Perkins stared out as a farmer. After serving the in the Army during the first World War from 1914-1918 he returned to farming for some years. Read More...