Why did it take them so long?? What were those tractor desin

Why did it take International so long to put a dipstick on the engine?

Why didn't any company ever think to put a dipstick on the transmission?

Why were they content to stick with a 3, 4 or 5 speed transmission for so long?

How are you supposed to steer and brake with hand brakes at the same time?

Why couldn't they come up with a live pto sooner.

Why did Ford never come out with a bigger tractor until 1950's.

I look at a tractor like our Farmall Super C and see that long tube between the transmission and engine and just wish they had stuck another transmission in there. If a company had a 12 or 16 speed transmission back in the 40's, and advertised how much time it could save a farmer to do work at the optimal speed... how much could they have sold?? When was the first 12 speed transmission? My '47 co-op only has 8, and still can't find the right speed for some applications. I can't think of farming today without our 16 speed transmission. And yes, we do use most of the gears.

How many old transmissions were destroyed because it was such a pain to pull the level plug to check oil level?

Just wondered if anybody else had pondered these questions? These arn't all that I have ever thought of, just those I remembered this morning.

Doug

It was the same with the automakers. How many cars of the 40's and early 50's were air conditioned? Or had power steering? Or power brakes? Today it is almost hard to find a car without all three, as well as an automatic transmission. Since the 40's we have been conditioned to expect more out of our cars, and it is the same with trucks and tractors. Plain Jane, super simple (or as simple as the government allows them to be!) cars sell poorly these days. So the manufacturers build what they think will sell.

I wonder what would have happened if Ford had decided to continue to manufacture the N as it was built in 1952? I wonder if they would still find buyers for new N's all these years later? And what a new 2008 N would cost?

Obviously Ford decided that the N needed a replacement in 1952, to continue to sell lots of tractors. Since I have had experience with both N's and hundred series tractors, I would say that I think they made the right decision, at least at that time.

Competition improves products over time. When a company came out with live PTO, and that tractor's buyers made it known that live PTO was worth the extra money because it made it possible to work things better, the other companies were more or less FORCED to come up with their own live PTO systems, or else lose sales. The same with many other innovations.

I sure like my brother's 50 or so horsepower 4WD New Holland loader tractor. It is easy to run and will do lots of things better than my old 641D. But I wonder how the plastic and fiberglass parts, as well as the electrical and electronics parts will hold up long term. And I sure don't have $25K in my old tractor.

Why didn't they change? They didn't have to.

Apparently if you thought it was low (you had symptoms) you asked your dealer to check it, they installed a dipstick to check it. Of course, if you're thinking about it, you already have symptoms, and odds are it's already too late...

Heck, more money for the dealer!

As far as the transmission oil level plug, I have never found it that easy to crawl in beside the muddy tire below the fender kneeling on the ground with my hand slipping off the wrench trying to pull the 3/4" pipe plug to check oil level. Would a dipstick have been too expensive to add on?

My 94 Honda del Sol made 45 mpg consistently under almost every driving condition, why can"t I buy a new non-hybrid car that will make that kind of mpg?????

Simple. Because in the eyes of bureaucrats who are looking out for our best interests, it would be too light to be safe, and pollute too much. You DO realize burning MORE fuel makes vehices pollute LESS, RIGHT? Take diesel pickups for example. Sure no INCREASES in mileage, there, these last few years!!

Rod

We made one of if not the best shaker in the country it did less damage to the tree because of its high speed vibration. But as we know the old farmers are weird bunch and the first thing they look at is price our machines were very expensive and the local clown down the street put together a cheap piece of junk and put us right out of business.
The new farmers are big corporate type and money means very little to them as long as the product is bigger and better.

That should answer all of the questions as to why these things took so long to come around.

Walt

The much-maligned 9N/2N/8N series that came out in 1939 had a tranny dipstick! (There MAY be an exception with the very early production units.)

I learned to run a tractor in the seat of a 1946 RC 60. Other than having 6 gears....or was it 8..and having to stir the shifter around trying to find the right gear was a PITA. The engine ran fine and had a dipstick. It steered well. But..... it all ended right there. No useful hydraulics, no LPTO..no nothing but a drawbar...hook and drag. I just don"t see how they were so far ahead of the competition in those days. I like Oliver"s...tough machine..but seems to me they had their drawbacks just like the others did as well. Farmall was the worst with those high gears and yes....I like Farmall"s too...but I don"t think IH learned how to make a tractor until the 1960"s and then they quit about the mid 70"s. But for about 15 years...they built some dandies. Ford...well, Ford was always a Ford..utility tractors being their forte" and the 3930 being one their best efforts..the 4600"s were good too. JD made a few outstanding tractors after they junked the 2 cylinder engine...well into the jet and nuclear age. Allis probably had the best machines in the 50"s...tough as pine knots and so were the D series...things went south after that.

Most of those old tractors were dependable..they"d fire right up and most are still running..that weren"t just ragged out. But..... they were far from perfect and honestly..... there was no excuse for it. Any kind of geared transmission could have been offered.....for enough money....royalties could have been paid for the 3 point hitch.....that everybody eventually went too..once it was free to exploit. In essence, they sold folks what they wanted to give them....not what the customer asked for...and I am sure plenty people did ask for more gears and hydraulics back then....it"s nothing new.

steveormary