GREENWICH, N.Y. — 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the Farmall tractor. The Farmall tractor became the first successful mass-produced row crop tractor. The tractor changed the way farmers worked and helped further mechanize American agriculture. While the tractor went through many variations over the years the original version, known as the Farmall Regular, put the brand on the map.
The first tractors began to appear in the early 1800s as experimental machines. By the early 1900s they had moved past the experimental stage and were used more frequently by farmers. However, tractors were not used in the way that they were used today. At that time tractors were made for pulling items like trailing plows, reapers, and mowers, or for powering stationary implements. When it came to more detailed work such as planting or cultivating teams of horses were still needed.
In the early 1910s International Harvester ruled the American tractor market, but by the end of the decade they were overtaken by the Ford Motor Company which introduced the Fordson tractor. Falling behind in the market International sought to find a way to regain their place on top.
An International implements engineer named Bert Benjamin came up with an idea that proved fruitful. Benjamin grew up on an Iowa farm and was well versed in farm implements, but did not have much experience with tractors. While on an assignment that tasked him with adapting International implements so they could be used by Ford tractors, Benjamin created a kit that enabled Ford tractors to cultivate. This gave him the idea of creating a tractor that could do several tasks for farmers like planting, cultivating, and more. He wanted to create a machine that could replace horse-drawn farming.
International Harvester did have a Motor Cultivator but it was never very successful and eventually discontinued. Drawing on this machine and other ideas, Benjamin and others began working on this “do-it-all” tractor in 1919 and an initial prototype was ready in 1921. Improvements to the tractor continued after this first prototype, mainly making the tractor more lightweight while at the same time durable.
In 1923 the tractor, called the McCormick-Deering Farmall, was ready for field testing and 200 were produced that year. Sales and shipments began in 1924 and it quickly became a popular tractor for American farmers.
The Farmall was built in the “tricycle” configuration with a closely spaced pair of wheels in the front and two larger, lugged-steel back wheels. This configuration gave the machine high ground clearance for row crop farming. Some of its other important features were a cultivator gang shifting mechanism, automatic steering brakes, and rear Power Take Off. When working under ideal conditions it could create about 2,700 lbs. of pull. (The regular did not sport the classic Farmall red color yet.) While the Farmall tractor was not the first tractor to have some of these features, it was the first time that they were built into the machine in a way that made it easier to use.
After their initial release of 200 tractors, International increased output to 9,500 by 1927. When the Regular was replaced with an updated model in 1932 around 131,000 had been made. While at first many farmers thought that it looked strange, it quickly caught on and instituted the practice of planting in rows as well as the replacement of horse drawn farming.
When farming with animals, crops were often planted in grid patterns on smaller fields. However, with a tractor that could be used in planting and cultivating, planting could be done in rows which is often done today. The tractor also helped farmers plant more acres. Using a tractor enabled farmers put into use more acres that would have been used to house and feed plowing animals. One statistic says that five acres could be re-purposed for every horse that was no longer used for farming purposes.
The Farmall tractor continued to evolve with the introduction of its F-Series in the 1930s. When the F-Series began the original McCormick-Deering began to called the Farmall Regular as it is known today. While they are no longer made today, the Farmall Regular left an impact on American agriculture and they remain popular antiques for tractor collectors.
Chandler Hansen grew up and lives in Easton, NY. He is a graduate of Gordon College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in History. He serves as a writer and editor for Morning Ag Clips.