~ Compact Tractor Improvements Since 1939 ~

[jeff9366]

The compact tractor era functionally began when Henry Ford licensed Harry Ferguson's tractor and Three Point Hitch design in 1939. The tractor industry uniformly adopted the Three Point Hitch after 1955, when Ferguson's patents began to expire and his tractor and Three Point Hitch design were available to industry participants besides Ford open source.

I would like input on the changes and any historical/implementation timing information known.

I'll start:

Improvements in approximate order: Power Steering, "live" then "independent" PTOs, Rollover Protection = ROPS, 4-WD, Industrial Tires, Loaders, later Loaders and attachments with SSQA, synchromesh geared transmissions, Diesel Engines, heavier tractors with Category 2-3-4-5 TPH, TPH telescoping Lower Links + pin-adjustable Lower Link stabilizers, Landscaping tractors of <2,000 pounds bare tractor weight, hydrostatic transmissions, shuttle shift gear transmissions, cruise control, Cabs with heat and AC. And, continuously, shields separating operator from moving parts.

 

[jeff9366]

But then you would be stuck with a gear drive transmission and no place to get it worked on around here if there was a problem.

JethroB - 9/24/2021​

True about mechanics and local parts. My 2018 Kubota went to the dealership for a service this week so I put a new battery in the old MF 135 and dragged some brush. Old school was fun for about an hour. Then the stiff two stage clutch straight down clutch and the getting gassed by the under rear axle diesel exhaust began to wear on me. Tough 40-ish HP brute though. I’m ready for my 4760 to come home.

 

[airbiscuit]

• Flat Floors
• Tight 4wd Turning Radius (pinion gears vs universal joints)
• Better Ergonomics
• Convenient Locations of Controls
• Cup Holders

Add to that the abundance of CUT sized attachments and implements

 

[jeff9366]

Brand? Models to look at or avoid? Buy new or used?

The design of the Three Point Hitch tractor has been marketed in the USA since 1939 -- 82 years in 2021.

The basic design is generic.

Kubota and Deere have most of the market through 6,000 pound bare weight tractors. But this Kubota/Deere predominance is regional.

The up and coming tractor brands are Korean: Kioti, LS and Branson. There are other Korean brands. You have to critically assess dealer stability while shopping minor brands.

Korean manufacturing labor is paid 50% of what Deere pays its union work force. Japanese manufacturing labor is paid 70% of what Deere pays its union work force. Labor costs strongly influence tractor prices.


We have the following brands within an hour of us.

• Kubota
• LS
• TYM
• KIOTI
• Massey Ferguson
• John Deere

I know that a lot depends on the dealer and their willingness to help, but should I stay away from any of these brands?


Start with the nearest dealer and work out.

Transporting a tractor for service is expensive and inconvenient, whether you trailer it or the dealer trailers it.


CREDIT: 'FELIXEDO'

"It has been touched on a couple of times, but not directly as a buying factor.

Every major make has a machine that will do the job(s) you want. Check out your nearby dealers, and go with one you have confidence in.

A great machine with no support nearby is a hassle to repair and maintain.

And a good machine can't make a lousy dealer into a good dealer."

 

[jaydee325]

1943 New Holland Automatic Pick-up Bailer

This comes from The Henry Ford Museum website. This website and physical museum in Dearborn, Michigan is a great place to research American mechanization and industrialization.

 

[RickB]

Independent PTO (1949) and power steering (early 1950's) were way ahead of MFD and ROPS. The first hydrostatic transmission tractor I am aware of was the IH 656 introduced in 1967. The John Deere M had live hydraulics in 1947 IDK if any others predated it.

All these and other aforementioned features were all in place on farm tractors of various sizes well before the term 'compact tractor' was coined or in common use.

 

[jeff9366]

Thank you.

 

[Oaktree]

Syncro transmissions on geared tractors
More comfortable & safer seats
Better fenders

 

[jeff9366]

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Tractor capability is more closely correlated to tractor weight than any other single (1) specification.

The compact tractor era functionally began when Henry Ford licensed Harry Ferguson's tractor and Three Point Hitch design in 1939. The tractor industry uniformly adopted the Three Point Hitch after 1955, when Ferguson's patents began to expire and his tractor and Three Point Hitch design were available to industry participants besides Ford open source.

Ford's first Ferguson TPH tractor:

Ford 9N​

1939 - 1942

N Series

Utility tractor

Ford 9N Power
Drawbar (claimed):	12.68 hp 9.5 kW
Belt (claimed):	20.29 hp 15.1 kW
Plows:	2 (14-inch)
Drawbar (tested):	16.31 hp 12.2 kW
Engine (net):	23.56 hp 17.6 kW

Ford 9N Weight
Shipping:	2140 lbs 970 kg
Operating:	2900 lbs 1315 kg
Ballasted:	3375 lbs 1530 kg

Mechanical
Chassis:	2WD
Steering:	manual
Cab:	Open operator station
Transmission:	3-speed

Lots of grain threshers and (laundry) washing machines were run off the Ford 9N PTOs. Ford tractors often preceded grid electrical power on the farm by years.

Horses and mules continued to be used regularly on USA farms through the 1950s.