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Henry Ford was a farm boy in Michigan. We all know of his automotive successes starting with the famous Model T Ford that put average Americans on the road. Because of his upbringing, Ford was well aware of hard manual work required on farms using only horses and mules for power. While his primary interest was automobiles, he also had an interest in easing some of farming’s burden on humans and animals with mechanical equipment.
In 1907, Ford built his first experimental tractor, calling it the Automobile Plow. He built other experimental tractors that showed favorable results and received positive publicity, but he didn’t manufacture any for the public.
In Minneapolis there was a group of men who became aware of the demand for a Ford-built tractor and thought they could capitalize on it. They hired a man, just a clerk, with the surname of Ford. Using his name, they organized The Ford Tractor Company. They built and sold some tractors, but their main plan was to reach a favorable settlement with Henry Ford on their trade-marked name. But Henry was too smart for them. He formed a new company with his son, Edsel, called Henry Ford & Son and called the tractor Fordson.
Other tractors were being sold, but the Fordson catered to family farms, as it was lightweight, small, affordable and had a large dealer network for service. Ford used the same assembly line plan as was used for the Model T car. The Fordson tractor was proven, by government study, to be cheaper to operate than maintaining eight horses and drivers required to plow the fields.
Like many revolutionary products, some of the early Fordson tractors had a few problems. Traction seemed to be a problem in mud, snow or icy conditions. An even bigger problem was that if the plow hit some snag or blockage, the tractor could flip over backwards. One publication claimed the Fordson tractor had killed 136 men by 1922. Ford blamed inexperienced drivers.
In 1947, Ford began to produce the 8N model with a four-speed transmission and separately controlled left and right wheel brake pedals for sharp left and right turns. The four-cylinder engine produced 21 horsepower. It was the best sales year in Ford tractor history. There were about 530,000 of the 8N model sold worldwide between 1947 and 1953. After 1964, all tractors made by Ford in the United States and abroad used the Ford brand. Ford sold its tractor division to Fiat in 1991 with the agreement that Fiat had to stop using the Ford brand name by 2000.
The 1951 Ford Model 8N tractor in this edition was purchased in 1969 from a tractor dealer in Gilroy for $1,000, or about $7,000 in today’s dollars. Clyde Davidson and his wife, Mary Grace, own an 8-acre horse ranch in Walnut Creek. They trained horses and riders, judged competitions and boarded horses for other owners.
The now 68-year-old tractor was in daily use until last year, caring for the grounds and stable areas. A few years ago, Clyde decided to buy a newer tractor and retire his old Ford. Clyde and Mary Grace’s son, Dale, decided he would like to restore this most reliable machine. It had been part of his life since his teenage years.
“This tractor has been part of our family for the past 50 years. It has been used by three generations of our family on my parents’ ranch in Walnut Creek. My father is now 92 years old, but over the years, he has put countless hours operating this tractor on his property.”
Dale reasoned that the tractor had worked hard for so many years that it too should have a nice retirement. Clyde, who has finally retired, gave the old Ford to son Dale, and the restoration began less than a year ago. His father had overhauled the engine about 25 years ago, and it has never failed, so no engine work was required.
The almost seven-decade old tractor had spent most of its time outside, so Dale’s main job was to work as the tractor’s “dermatologist.” He brought the tractor to his Concord home and removed the sheet metal parts, including the hood, grill and fenders and sent those items to a “specialist” to be professionally repainted.
“I only invested about $2,400 and reconditioned the tractor myself with new paint and parts,” he said.
If one wants to maintain the original look in restoring farm equipment, deciding what color to use is not a problem, as each manufacturer has an established color combination. John Deere’s is green and yellow. For Ford, the paints are called Ford Red and Ford Gray and are readily available. So what does one do with an old tractor? Dale isn’t too sure, but he envisions it being used in local parades hauling Boy Scouts, Santa Claus or a jazz band.
Have an interesting vehicle? Contact David Krumboltz at MOBopoly@yahoo.com. To view more photos of this and other issues’ vehicles, search for “David Krumboltz” at mercurynews.com.
