Gasoline & Kerosene Tractors | Manitoba Agricultural Museum

John Deere Model D 15-27 SN 73293

SN 73293 was built in early 1929. While the Model D’s built between 1926 and 1930 look very similar to the the so called “spoker” Ds, they do differ in several ways. Most noticeable is the spoked flywheel which was replaced by a disc type flywheel as the spoked version was prone to cracking the spokes. Also the transmission top was changed to a plain steel stamping in place of the cast iron tops with the words “Waterloo Gasoline Engine Co. Waterloo Iowa, U.S.A” cast in to the top. The large bowl brass Schebler Model D carburetor was replaced with a smaller carburetor in 1927. Actually there were two variations of the Model D used, the Schebler 298 D4 in 1923 and 1924 and the Schebler 304 D4 in 1925, 1926 and into 1927. After the Schebler D, John Deere used a succession of carburetor models. SN 73293 was equipped from the factory with a Schebler AD411 R

There are some changes not immediately noticeable. The 1926 production of Model Ds retained the keyed crankshaft when the pan flywheel was introduced however in 1927 the splined crankshaft and flywheel was introduced. At the same time the engine cylinder bore was increased to 6.75 inches from 6.5 inches.

Front wheels can change with some production coming with front wheels featuring spokes made out of flat iron rather than iron rod. At some point between 1925 and 1929 the rear wheels changed to a design featuring 20 flat iron spokes rather than 12 flat iron spokes. It does appear that alternative designs were available as some Model Ds sport skeleton rear wheels or tip toe rear wheels. Some producers found their soil conditions warranted different wheels than the standard designs.

John Deere claimed that the two cylinder engine design made possible a short, properly heated manifold with both cylinders equidistant from the carburetor. The gasified fuel traveled only a few inches, each cylinder received the same charge, with combustion taking place immediately after the cylinder was charged. This meant there was no chance for the fuel to re-liquefy. The Model “D” could burn low-cost fuels such as distillate, furnace oil, fuel oil, stove tops, Turner Valley naphtha, some grades of Diesel oil, and other money-saving fuels successfully, as well as gasoline or kerosene. When burning these fuels the tractor would be started on gasoline, allowed to warm up and then switched over to the low cost fuel. The gas tank featured two compartments, a small one for gas and a large compartment for kerosene or low cost fuel. A three way valve could switch between tanks as well as featuring an off position. Usually to shut the tractor down the operator just turned the selection valve to the off position and let the tractor run out of fuel, draining the carburetor in preparation for starting on gas.

John Deere further claimed, to help in the combustion of low -cost fuels, the relatively slow-speed, two-cylinder engine allowed more time for the complete combustion of these heavier, slower-burning fuels. The combination of short, hot manifold with the gasified fuel traveling the same distance to each cylinder, and slower engine speed also reduced harmful oil dilution in a John Deere Model “D” Tractor when burning low cost fuels, resulting in far longer life of all engine parts.

Apparently some Ds in Southern Alberta and in Montana even burnt light sweet crude oil for fuel. When burning this fuel, often a different manifold was used with the exhaust coming out on the opposite side of the tractor. This manifold design was hotter and better vaporized the crude oil than the standard manifold. However it was a common practice when burning crude oil to actually drain excess oil out of the crankcase at the end of the day. Not all the crude oil was burnt in the cylinder and the unburnt ”ends” were wiped off the cylinder walls and swept into the crankcase by the pistons.

Cockshutt

From our 2015 Reunion parade:

A Cockshutt 540 driven by Gilbert Vust of Portage la Prairie parading on Friday. The tractor is pulling a Cockshutt Number 2 swather restored for the Manitoba Agricultural Museum by Mr. Vust.

The Cockshutt 540 on the right hand side of this photo is owned by Wally Armstrong of Langruth, Manitoba. The daily machinery parade is marshaling in the background.

The Cockshutt 1850 is owned by Bert and Mark Drummond of Holland, Manitoba. The tractor to the right of the 1850 is a Cockshutt Oliver 90 which is in the Museum collection along with the Goold Shapely and Muir Beaver tractor to the left of the 1850.

Versatile Prototype Bi-Directional Tractor

In the mid-1980s, with the sale of Versatile to Ford, the backlot of Versatile was cleaned out. Two prototype tractors were donated to the Manitoba Agricultural Museum at that time, one famous as being a contender for the title of the world’s largest tractor, the four-axle, 500-horsepower Model 1080 tractor, and a tractor that was one of the prototypes for what became Versatile’s Model 150 bi-directional tractor.

Daniel Pakosh, brother to one of the founders of Versatile, came up with a simple idea in the late 1960s. Why not design a loader to fit the rear of a tractor and design the operator’s station so it would swivel to the rear when the operator wanted to use the loader? This idea appeared to offer some advantages, shorter and stronger loader arms, better visibility and better balance on the wheels. With some more thought on the idea, it was realized that the design could also be modified to offer push – pull operation as desired. This arrangement meant a bi-directional tractor could serve as the tractor unit for a self propelled swather. After the swathing duties were over, the header designed for the bi-directional could be removed and the tractor could then be used to pull a harrow bar, perform loader duties or whatever the farmer needed.

As Versatile in the 1970s offered a wide range of four wheel drive tractors all over 100 horsepower, a tractor under 100 horsepower was thought desirable to fill the product line in. As well it was thought a smaller tractor was more suitable for loader duties, swathing and other duties that a bi-directional tractor was most suited to. Versatile was also a believer in the application of hydrostatic transmissions to farm machinery and it was a natural that a Versatile wanted a hydrostatic transmission in the bi-directional tractor design, particularly for loader operation. As Versatile was a pioneer in articulated, four wheel drive tractors, again it was a natural the design would feature four wheel drive and articulated steering.

By 1977, Versatile had finalized a design, the Model 150, and put it into production. The 150 enjoyed good sales success and not only with farmers but with municipalities who appreciated the versatility of a bi-directional combined with Versatile’s rugged, simple design philosophy. However Versatile did not stand on its laurels and improved the concept. The 150 was replaced in 1984 with a new design which offered PTOs, three point linkages and hydraulic outlets on either end, the Model 256.

The Versatile Bi-Directional in the Manitoba Agricultural Museum’s collection appears to be a prototype as it has a number of features that do not appear on the production Model 150. Most noticeably the hydraulic pump is mounted near the articulating hinge and hangs out on the side of the tractor. Obviously in this position the pump would be prone to damage. It may have been there was a previous prototype bi-directional as this particular tractor does not show much evidence of cutting and re-welding of the frame to accommodate design changes. The Model 1080 better known as Big Roy, also a prototype, shows significant cutting and re-welding of the frame to accommodate changes and new components. After the design department was done with the machine rather than being scrapped, the Bi-Directional was used to plow snow at the Versatile plant and for other light duties. When the Versatile Company was sold to Ford, the tractor became surplus and was donated to the Museum.

Massey Harris Model 33 Tractor

The Model 33 replaced the Model 30 in 1953. It appears that Massey Harris replaced the engine model used in the Model 30 with a Continental four cylinder engine with 201 cubic inch displacement. The previous continental engine only displaced 162 cubic inches. The engine was offered in gas and distillate versions. Rest of the tractor was essentially the same as a Model 30 however hydraulics, a three point hitch and a live PTO were offered as options in the Model 33. Fenders, electric start and lights were standard. The Model 33 came in standard tread and row crop configurations.

Continental also offered a diesel version of the engine used in the Model 33 and a few diesel Model 33s were built making a diesel 33 a very rare tractor.

John Deere Model H Tractor (Eliason)

The August Eliason Estate donated this John Deere Model H tractor to the Manitoba Agricultural Museum.

August was born in 1904 to parents who had immigrated to North America from Iceland. They moved to a farm near Arnes, Manitoba. August farmed for a time and then moved to Gimli where he operated a blacksmith and welding shop. When he retired he moved back to the farm where he restored farm machinery. The collected machinery, which included this John Deere Model H, was later donated to the Museum. Magnus Eliason was August Eliason’s younger brother. Magnus was a founding member of the Commonwealth Cooperative Federation and a Winnipeg City Councilor for a number of years.

John Deere introduced the Model H in 1939. John deere recognized that there were large numbers of farmers who still used horses to farm. A small utility tractor which could replace a horse had the potential to sell in large numbers. So John Deere produced the Model H rated at 9.68 horsepower on the drawbar and 12.97 horsepower at the belt pulley. The Model H met a small farmers needs for power and it was also a useful tractor to larger farmers who had jobs where the power of a larger tractor was unneeded.

All Model Hs were equipped with a three speed gear box. As the Model H began production in 1939, all Model Hs were styled. The H followed the outline established by the Model A and had a narrow, tapered hood which allowed for excellent visibility. A complete line of matched implements, including mounted 2 row cultivators was produced for the H.

The Model H left production in 1947, being replaced in the line up by the John Deere Model M tractor.

Massey Harris Model 101 Super Tractor

The Massey Harris (MH) Model 101 Senior tractor is one of the most recognizable tractors in history with its streamlined hood, bright red paint scheme with yellow wheels, chrome trim and louvered side curtains on the engine bay. In an era when farm machinery was functional in style to say the least, the Massey 101 was revolutionary.

By 1936 the Wallis tractor designs MH had acquired with the purchase of the J.I. Case Plow Works were dated. James Duncan, MH’s general manager decided that the worst of the Great Depression was over and now was the time for MH to roll out new tractor designs. Money was still tight but Duncan knew of Chrysler Corporations new industrial flat head six cylinder motor of 201 cubic inches. MH could save money by using this engine rather than designing its own engine. Six cylinder engines at the time were desired by farmers as they were “smooth running”. Chrysler with worldwide operations also offered flathead engine parts and service worldwide. MH then did not have to stock as many parts as it could draw upon Chrysler stocks and technicians.

As Chrysler used these engines in trucks, the engines came with electric starters. Chrysler apparently believed in big production runs to save money and so would not agree to supply engines other than in the configuration Chrysler had settled on. Whether or not MH wanted electric starters on the engines supplied to MH was immaterial, MH got engines with starters and so the MH 101 was the first tractor with electric start as standard equipment.

The 101 was introduced to the market in 1938 and offered a four speed transmission, PTO, muffler and instruments as standard equipment. A lighting system was optional. Twin power was also a standard. The twin power feature resulted in the engine being governed to 1500 RPM when the tractor was being used for drawbar work. When used for belt work the twin power feature could be engaged which allowed for an engine RPM of 1800. This increase in engine RPM delivered more power to the belt. While the twin power feature was engaged the transmission was locked out to prevent damage to the power train from the increased power. The Chrysler engine when used in MH tractors was governed to a lower RPM than when used in trucks. While limiting RPM reduced horsepower, the lower RPM increased engine life and reduced possibility of engine and drive train damage.

The 101 could be purchased in either row crop or standard configurations. The row crop version also came with adjustable rear wheels, individual rear wheel brakes and a combined PTO and implement lift. MH also offered a single front wheel option for vegetable growers.

In 1939, Chrysler’s 217 cubic inch flat head six was offered as an option in place of the 201 cubic inch engine.

In 1940 the Twin Power 101 became the Twin Power 101 Super at the same time the 217 cubic inch engine became standard. Super however did not come from the use of the larger engine but as a result of the cylinder walls of the 217 flat head being finished with a finer grit stone resulting in a super finish. Other than the engine the remainder of the tractor remained the same. With the 217 Flat head six churning out almost 50 horsepower, the Twin Power 101 Super was one of the largest tractors being built in 1940.

Towards the end of the 101’s production run the styling altered with the side curtains on the engine bay being changed to a half panel design which only covered the top half of the engine bay and so exposed the sides of the engine with the exception of the head. The screened grill lost its chrome trim as well. The air cleaner was moved from behind the grill to behind the engine on the left side.

The MH 101 also came in a distillate burning version however this variation was badged as a MH 102. As well, the 102 used the same grill and side curtains as a MH 201. So the 102 had a somewhat different appearance than a 101.

The MH 201 tractor was built to a larger and different design than the 101. While the hood remained largely the same shape as a 101 hood the grill and side curtains were different shapes. In the case of the grill a cast iron grill was used on the 201 not the stamped steel of the 101. The MH 201 was introduced in 1940 to replace the discontinued MH Model 25. The 201 used a Chrysler 241 cubic inch engine with super finished cylinder walls. Later in 1940 MH began to use the Continental 290 cubic inch engine in the basic 201 design but badged the result as a MH 202. MH also offered a distillate burning version of the 202 which was badged as a 203. The 203 had a somewhat larger Continental engine and a small auxiliary gas tank on which to start the engine before switching to distillate.

To confuse matters more MH began offering the 101 Junior tractor in 1939. The MH 101 Junior was a completely different design from the 101 Senior being a much smaller tractor which featured a 124 cubic inch Continental four cylinder engine when introduced. The 101 Junior was designed to fill the bottom end of the MH tractor line up and compete with the Ford 9N. In 1940 the 101 Junior changed to a 140 cubic inch Continental engine and then in 1943 changed to a 162 cubic inch Continental engine.

One reason that MH switched to Continental engines was that Continental was willing to produce engines in a configuration that the customer wanted. Chrysler would not do this as changing engines on the production line from a standard configuration would slow down production. As well Chrysler probably had it hands full producing engines for military vehicles by 1940. Strange as it seems by today’s standards the Chrysler Flat Head Six design even powered tanks. Five flat head engines were arranged around and geared to a common output shaft to produce an engine called the “Multibank” or “eggbeater” that produced 500 some horsepower. These engines were installed in some 7500 American Sherman tanks. Most tanks with this engine were shipped to British and Commonwealth countries as lend lease military aid. As wild as this engine looked, apparently it worked well and compared very well to other engines used in Shermans. Chrysler’s flat head six design was nothing but versatile!

Hart Parr 22-40

Hart Parr was a very early American builder of gas tractors with the Hart Parr 30-60 being one of the more successful “Prairie” style tractors. However by 1919 the Prairie style tractors were obsolete being far too big and clumsy for the average farmer of the time. The need was for smaller, more nimble tractors. Hart Parr’s first attempt to meet the needs of farmers at the time, the “Little Devil”, was a complete failure and the tractors were recalled. However, the right direction was taken in 1918 with the “New Hart Parr” 12-25 model, which formed the basis for all subsequent Hart-Parr tractors. The “New Hart Parr” was a tractor equipped with a two-cylinder, slow speed, water-cooled engine with force feed lubrication and open gears used to drive the rear wheels. The design after testing in Nebraska was re-rated at 15-30. A smaller model, the 10-20, was added to the range in 1921. The 10-20 and 15-30 were soon joined by a 22-40 in 1923. This tractor featured two 10-20 twin-cylinder engines side by side for a combined displacement of 616 cubic inches. The 22-40 was equipped with a Robert Bosch magneto and twin Schebler Model D carburators. An air cleaner was a $10 option. Apparently an oversized water pump was also an option. The tractor was nearly 2,000 pounds heavier than the 15-30. The 22-40 was promoted for road building and maintenance jobs as well as for farming. The standard 22-40 came with 13 inch wide cast rear wheels with the option of 18 inch wide cast rear wheels.

Only 496 Hart Parr 22-40s were produced.

The 22-40 was replaced in 1927 with the 28-50 model.

The Museum holds one 22-40 in the collection, SN 70319

Hart Parr 15-30

Hart Parr 15-30s are sometimes referred to as 15-30 Type As, 15-30 Type Bs or 15-30 Type Cs. A number of changes were made over production to the water pump, valve levers and push rods and these changes are differentiated by the model designations.

Hart Parr 16-30

Hart Parr was a very early American builder of gas tractors with the Hart Parr 30-60 being one of the more successful “Prairie” style tractors. However, by 1919, the Prairie style tractors were obsolete – being far too big and clumsy for the average farmer of the time. The need was for a smaller, more nimble tractor. Hart Parr’s first attempt to meet the needs of farmers at the time, the “Little Devil”, was a complete failure and the tractors were recalled. However, the right direction was taken in 1918 with the “New Hart Parr” 12-25 model, which formed the basis for all subsequent Hart-Parr tractors. The “New Hart Parr” was a tractor equipped with a two-cylinder, slow speed, water-cooled engine with force feed lubrication and open gears used to drive the rear wheels. The design, after testing in Nebraska, was re-rated at 15-30. The 15-30 design was replaced in 1924 by the 16-30 Type E design which was notable for an enclosed final drive gear lubricated with used engine oil. Oil was fed into the engine by the Madison-Kipp Lubricator, but rather than being returned to the force feed lubricator, the oil was piped to the drive gears. The drive gear housing was fitted with overflow pipes, allowing oil to run onto the ground when the final drive housings got too full. The 16-30 was upgraded in 1926 to become the 18-36.

There is a 16-30 at the Museum, SN 25565. This tractor was purchased new by Gustave Hutlet of the Bruxelles area and used on his farm. His son Arthur made one modification to the tractor; he was concerned that a driver could get his foot caught by the right rear drive wheel as the driver was close to this wheel. So he extended the fender on this side of the tractor to keep the driver well away from the rear wheel. Arthur’s son George, can remember last operating the tractor in the 1944 harvest when he was 14 years old; he drove it again – 71 years later – in the 2015 parade at the Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede. In the 1950s, the tractor was sold to George Down of the Holland area who brought it to the Museum. He later passed it on to Doug Pratt who operates it at Reunion. The Hutlet family still keeps tab on the tractor, and look for it when they are on the Museum grounds.

Hart Parr 28-50

The 22-40 was replaced in 1927 with the 28-50 model which duplicated the layout but which used 12-24 engines.

The Hart Parr 28-50 tractor was a four cylinder tractor with a cylinder bore of 5.5 inches and a stroke of 6.5 inches running at 850 rpm maximum. The engine appears to have been simply two 12-24 engines twinned. The tractor was fitted with a transmission offering two speeds ahead and one speed in reverse, a dry clutch, an automotive type coolant radiator which was not pressurized and an air cleaner. The tractor used water as the coolant.

The tractor was conventional in construction for the time, with a frame built up of structural steel components, riveted together with the engine, transmission and other components of the tractor then bolted to this frame.

The tractor was designed to operate a 36 inch separator or pull a 5 or 6 bottom plow. The 28-50 was also offered in industrial and road tractor versions. A canopy over the operators station was an option offered by Hart Parr. The 28-50 was also available in an industrial version with solid rubber tires.

Hart Parr built the 28-50 from 1927 to 1930.

The Museum collection holds two 28-50 tractors including one with a canopy SN 71566 donated by Mr. Murray Cleaver of Portage la Prairie, MB. The other 28-50 in the collection is SN 70529.