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Why didn't Ford build a bigger tractor during the 40's?

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Alberta Mike

11-30-2002 15:55:03




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Often wondered why Henry Ford didn't build a somewhat bigger tractor during the heydays of the N-series Fords. I know that the N-series were a big success but he was an enteprenur and it was one part of the market that he didn't go into at that time, plus there still was a lot of demand for the bigger sizes. Any reasons why? I've read a lot of Ford history stuff and that part is never mentioned.

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John Ne.

12-01-2002 07:25:32




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 Re: Why didn't Ford build a bigger tractor during the 40's? in reply to Alberta Mike, 11-30-2002 15:55:03  
Henry if you remember with his Model T, wanted to build something for *everyman*, which I believe he felt was the small farmer, and the majority of farms then were small. I don't blame him for not building something to buck the CASE LA, or McCormick W series, plus his dealerships weren't in the wheat field areas? He had grown up on a small (two mule) farm and think his memories of farming were probably still there, hence the small tractors. John in Ne.

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affordability was the single most important criteria

12-01-2002 04:53:16




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 Re: Why didn't Ford build a bigger tractor during the 40's? in reply to Alberta Mike, 11-30-2002 15:55:03  
Henry had to compete against the highly succesful Farmall/IH A and the Farmall Regular prior to 39. A's came out in 39 and Ford slashed his price to be lower than the A.

The other part was the reliance on livestock at that time and that most farms were using mules and horses and a couple goats and chickens to pull plows and implements. Demand was not high enough then for the smaller tractors, but once they caught on, they caught on, and the decline in livestock minus goats and chickens began.

But as the demand for machinery increased farms began to become larger due to the convenience and efficiency of gas powered machines, therefore demand for larger 3 and 4 plow tractors grew by the late 40's and into the 50's as farm size increased.

Henry despinsed horses but didn;t mind the occasional working goat and chicken.

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seifdoggy2

12-01-2002 08:37:56




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 Re: Re: Why didn't Ford build a bigger tractor during the 40's? in reply to affordability was the single most important criteria, 12-01-2002 04:53:16  

Henry and I finally have something in common, not really liking horses. I really enjoyed this post alot, trying to imagine the mindset of the 40's. I'm still trying to imagine chickens pulling a plow. LOL Seif



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it was a gaggle of 10,000 chickens

12-01-2002 16:57:24




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 Re: Re: Re: Why didn't Ford build a bigger tractor during the 40's? in reply to seifdoggy2, 12-01-2002 08:37:56  
10,000 chickens were harnessed to pull a 3 bottom plow and it worked. And get this, they fertilized the crop and land as they went, and even rid the land of insect pests. It was a win-win expecially putting the side-blinders on the chickens to keep them focused and straight ahead.



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RossMN

11-30-2002 19:27:52




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 Re: Why didn't Ford build a bigger tractor during the 40's? in reply to Alberta Mike, 11-30-2002 15:55:03  
they built 7 in R&D in 1944, the "4P" (4 plow) it was Harry Fergusons idea he wanted a bigger tractor than the 9N it had a syncromesh tranny and a continental 162 cid I-4 gas motor they were good tractors acording to the test results but edsel ford didn't want to build it. i wish they would have built it. I got the info out of Ford Farm Tractors by randy leffingwell its not much of a book though.

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Van(WA)

11-30-2002 16:41:26




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 Re: Why didn't Ford build a bigger tractor during the 40's? in reply to Alberta Mike, 11-30-2002 15:55:03  
Alberta Mike; My best guess was there was no "Big" demand for large tractors, and he was making a fortune on the "N" series, and he was going to milk that "cow" until it dried up. All the large tractors were crawlers at that time.



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Mike

11-30-2002 21:17:24




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 Re: Re: Why didn't Ford build a bigger tractor during the 40's? in reply to Van(WA), 11-30-2002 16:41:26  
Van,

Checking further you might find out the Henry lost money on the tractors, but Harry Ferguson made a bunch. Henry wouldn't back out of the handshake deal he had with Ferguson, but when HF II took over the company in late 46 it didn't take him long to get rid of Harry. From then on Ford made money on the N's.

Mike



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bill

11-30-2002 17:00:48




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 Re: Re: Why didn't Ford build a bigger tractor during the 40's? in reply to Van(WA), 11-30-2002 16:41:26  
you have to realize that 99.9 % of the farms were still using a pair of mules.. and thats exactly the market that was targeted.. and why the drawbar was still needed to be able to reuse the existing equipment. why sell a few when you can sell a lot.. a whole lot..
'39 to '43 ford sold more than 105,412 9n tractors
'42 to '47 ford sold more than 258,504 2n tractors
'47 to '52 ford sold more than 442,035 8n tractors
thats about 900,000 tractors in 13 years.. as these numbers dont include the last years of each model which probably put ford over a million sold.. thats a pretty good answer..

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