June 22, 2007
Featured at International Engineers Conference
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Five tractors from UNL's Larsen Tractor Museum made an eight-hour trek to Minneapolis, Minn., where this weekthey were featured at the 100th American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting.
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The tractors, manufacturer, year and significance include:
- Waterloo Boy "N" 12-25, Waterloo Gasoline and Engine Company, 1917. The Waterloo Boy was the first tractor tested under the Nebraska Tractor Test Bill. Testing began on March 31, 1920, ending on April 9, 1920, with the tractor successfully completing all trials. The Waterloo Gasoline and Engine Company was purchased by John Deere Tractor Company in 1918.
- McCormick-Deering Farmall, International Harvester Company, 1930. This was the first true row-crop tractor that had high clearance so farmers could cultivate tall row crops such as corn. The addition of a PTO meant the Farmall could not only tow and do belt work, but also could power harvesters. This made the Farmall the first successful all-purpose farm tractor because it could replace all of the horses on a farm.
- Oliver Hart-Parr Row Crop, Oliver Farm Equipment, 1936. The Oliver Hart-Parr Farm Equipment Company was the first manufacturer to use the word "tractor" in advertisements. The tractor also had many special features. High clearance allowed farmers to cultivate corn late in the season. Skeleton wheels enabled this model to work in fields that had soft soils. The wheels also had adjustable spacing so farmers could customize the tractor to their row spacing or row width.
- Allis-Chalmers "U", Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, 1932. This was the first tractor with rubber tires. Testing found rubber tires were 25 percent more efficient than steel wheels and also added comfort when riding.
- "Ford" tractor that was not built by the Ford Motor Company. This tractor, built by a Minnesota company, was the primary reason for state representative Wilmot F. Cozier of Polk County to draft the original Nebraska Tractor Test Bill. Written in cooperation with state senator Charles Warner of Lancaster County, the bill required that tractors must perform as advertised. The bill gave the Agricultural Engineering Department, now the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, the responsibility for conducting tractor tests.
Sandi Alswager Karstens
IANR News Service