Types: Gasoline & Kerosene Tractors

In 1924, Advance – Rumely introduced the “Light Weight” line of Oil Pull tractors which featured a pressed steel frame in place of the heavy channel built up channel iron frame. Rumely completely redesigned the engines, transmissions and drive train used in the Light Weight line as well. The drive gears were completely enclosed and ran in oil, a big advantage over the exposed gears of the Heavy Weights as dust wore exposed gearing badly. The Light Weights were generally more compact tractors than the preceding Heavy Weight designs particularly the Model E and Model F.

The Model R featured a two cylinder engine with 7 13/16 inch bore and 9 ½  in stroke running at 540 rpm. There was force feed lubrication to the engine combined with splash lubrication in the bottom of the crankcase. A Manzel lubricator fed oil to the force feed lubrication system. The engine was equipped with a DU4 Bosch magneto, Donaldson air cleaner and a Seccor-Higgins Carburetor. The transmission offered 3 speeds ahead and one in reverse. Type R was rated at 25-45.

The Museum’s Model R has the serial number 526 making the tractor built in 1926.

The Museum’s Model R is fitted with a disc type flywheel which was introduced on the Light Weights to replace spoked flywheels. The disc type flywheel was disliked as it seemed to magnify engine sounds. As well, it was claimed disc type flywheels could ring like a bell under certain circumstances. Rumely in response to complaints changed back to spoked flywheels on their tractors. Many tractors produced with disc type flywheels had the spoked flywheels installed at a later date.

The Murray Brothers of Lyleton, Manitoba donated a Rumely Model M Oil Pull tractor to the Manitoba Agricultural Museum.

The Advance Rumely Company brought out the Light Weight Oil Pull Model M 20-35 in 1924. The Light Weight line of Oil Pulls was termed this as the frame of these tractor models was built of pressed steel rather than the heavy channel iron riveted together. Along with a redesigned frame, the engines used in the Light Weight series of tractors were also redesigned as well as the transmissions and drive trains. The open gears used to drive the rear wheels on the Heavy Weights were done away with and the gear train was now enclosed in oil. This was a big advantage as dust wore the open gears badly.

The Model M featured a 2 cylinder, horizontal, valve in head engine with removable cylinder sleeves. The bore was 6 13/16 inches with a stroke of 8 1/4 inches. A fly-ball governor of the Advance Rumely Company’s design was fitted. An Donaldson air cleaner of the oiled fibre type was also fitted. A Manzel lubricator was also fitted to provide forced oil feed to engine bearings. As well, splash lubrication was provided by the connecting rods moving through the oil in the bottom of the crankcase.  As with all Oil Pulls, a Seccor-Higgins carburetor was fitted. The transmission provided 3 speeds ahead and one in reverse. The weight of the Model M was 8,750 pounds.

Advance Rumely Model Ms were built from 1924 to 1927. The Murray Brothers Model M has a serial number of 3524 making it built in 1927.

The Murray Model M features an optional Power Take Off (PTO). The PTO by 1924 was becoming a desirable feature in a tractor as the tractor could power a binder rather the binder being powered by the binder’s bull wheel or an auxiliary engine mounted on the binder. As well, PTOs made other labour saving farm machinery possible. The Rumely PTO was an add on attachment. A belt off the belt pulley drove a shaft that crossed underneath the tractor. At the end of this shaft was a small 90 degree gear box that drove a shaft that ran to the back of the tractor on the left side. It would appear that this gear box could be engaged or disengaged as it is fitted with a lever. Of course the belt pulley has to be engaged to operate this PTO making this “dead” PTO. That is when the clutch was operated to stop the tractor moving, the belt pulley and the PTO also came to a halt. In field operations this was a significant disadvantage.

At the time PTOs were relatively new and no standards, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) or otherwise were in force in 1924. So Rumely was free to do as it pleased which explains why Rumely located the PTO shaft tight to the left hand rear fender. To say the least this made hooking any other make of PTO operated machine than an Advance Rumely designed machine to this tractor, somewhat of an adventure. At a later date, ASME standards as to the height and position of the PTO on the tractor in relation to the drawbar came into being, making the mating of PTO driven machinery and tractors far more interchangeable.

John Jordan of the Altamont area owned this Model F Rumely tractor. John Jordan homesteaded in the area and went on to become a successful farmer.  The Jordan family still farms in the area.

John purchased the Model F when it was new along with a Rumely plow and a Rumely threshing machine.  The Rumely warehouse in Winnipeg shipped all three pieces by train to Altamont where they were unloaded. John took delivery of the equipment at the station and used the Model F to tow the plow and threshing machine home. John had five sons, one of whom, Brooks Jordan, was nominated to be the operator of the Model F.

The Jordan family owned another Model F however family memories are not clear enough to determine if the two Model Fs were owned by the Jordan family at the same time. The other Model F was sold into the United States where it still exists and is also known as the “Jordan” engine.

In 1963, the Jordan Family donated the Model F along with its running mates, the Rumely Plow and the Rumely threshing machine, to the Manitoba Agricultural Museum. The Jordan “outfit” is one of three outfits in the collection and the most complete. The Williamson outfit consists of a 1904 25 Case steam engine and a Case separator both purchased together and used by the Williamson family in the Oak Lake area. The Bain outfit consists of a Marshall Model F Colonial tractor and an Avery power lift engine plow, again both purchased together and used by the Bain family in the Grosse Isle area. Only with the Jordan outfit did the engine, plow and threshing machine come as a three piece outfit to the Museum.

The Model F is a single cylinder tractor producing 15 horsepower on the drawbar and 30 horsepower on the belt. The design was in production from 1911 to 1918 with 3,856 being built. During the production run of the “F” the tractor was re-rated to 18-35. Along with the Secor-Higgins carburetor, the tractor was factory equipped with a Bosch magneto powering a make or break ignition system, an automatic throttle governor, mechanical oiler, a centrifugal cooling oil pump, a cooling oil radiator cooled by exhaust induced draft and a compressed air starter.

Rumely was a builder of farm machinery, but best known for the Rumely Oil-Pull line of tractors. Over the course of the Rumely Company’s life, it accumulated other farm machinery companies including the Advance Thresher and Gaar-Scot companies. After these acquisitions, the company became known as the Advance-Rumely Company.

The Rumely Company originally got its start when Meinrad Rumely left Germany and joined his brother in LaPorte, Indiana to operate a foundry. By 1859, the brothers were making corn shellers and horse powered threshing machines. The brothers went on to produce steam engines and a variety of other farm machinery including clover hullers, plows, cutting boxes, corn shellers, corn shredders, silo fillers, water wagons, cream separators and motor trucks. By 1925, the company was building pull type combines.

While Rumely was not in the first wave of gas tractor manufacturers, by 1909 it had entered the market with its Oil-Pull line of tractors which were immediately popular as they proved to be simple, rugged, reliable tractors. This line of tractors could burn kerosene or distillate fuels.

Kerosene became common as a tractor fuel in the years before World War one. At that time, rapidly increasing numbers of automobiles were driving up the price of gas in comparison to kerosene. As well, kerosene is heavier than gas and contains somewhat more energy per gallon. The combination of the two factors, made kerosene very attractive as a fuel for farmers.

Kerosene was cheaper than gas as a result of the technical limitations of early refineries. Without efficient methods of breaking down hydrocarbon chains large amounts of kerosene and distillate were produced in the refining of crude oil into gas.

Gas vaporizes much better than kerosene plus kerosene poses pre-ignition problems. Auto makers preferred gas powered engines for these reasons. Tractor manufacturers however realized that they could successfully use kerosene and distillate by adding heat into the carburetion systems which then vaporized the kerosene and distillate to the point where efficient ignition could take place. Pre-ignition could be controlled by mixing water into the fuel charge flowing into the cylinder. The only drawback was how to get a cold engine to start on kerosene or distillate but someone realized that this problem was solved by starting the engine on gas and when the engine was warmed up switch it over to kerosene or distillate. While this process was more complicated than a gasoline engine, with a tractor hopefully the operator was more familiar with engines than the average car owner of the time and so could more closely monitor and regulate the system.

The lower cost of kerosene and distillate proved very attractive to tractor users. Most tractors built before 1910 burnt gasoline however after 1910 the situation reversed with most tractors being built, able to burn kerosene or distillate as the main fuel.

The Rumely Oil-Pull engine design used a higher compression engine than what had previously been found in tractors which aided in burning kerosene and distillate. The Oil-Pull line also used the Seccor-Higgins carburetor which efficiently mixed water with the fuel under all loads. Other designs required manual adjustments but the Seccor-Higgins automatically adjusted itself. The Seccor-Higgins could be set to handle other fuels than kerosene.

Oil-Pull tractors were cooled by oil, not water, as oil allowed an higher engine operating temperature making burning kerosene or distillate more efficient plus oil did not freeze. As a result of the cooling fluid being oil, a leaking head gasket could pose serious problems. Cooling oil could be drawn into the cylinder and then burnt there. The governor would not be operating as this oil was coming through the head gasket, not through the carburetor and so the engine could “run away” or begin increasing rpm. Unless the operator recognized the problem quickly and managed to block the engine air intake off or somehow place an excessive load on the engine causing it to stall, the engine rpm would increase to the point where the engine would exceed its design speeds and fly apart.

Rumely built a number of models of the Oil-Pull starting with the “B” and progressing on to the “E”, “F”, “G”, “H” and “K”.

The Model F is a single cylinder tractor producing 15 horsepower on the drawbar and 30 horsepower on the belt. The design was in production from 1911 to 1918 with 3,856 being built. During the production run of the “F” the tractor was re-rated to 18-35. Along with the Secor-Higgins carburetor, the tractor was factory equipped with a Bosch magneto powering a make or break ignition system, an automatic throttle governor, mechanical oiler, a centrifugal cooling oil pump, a cooling oil radiator cooled by exhaust induced draft and a compressed air starter.

The great depression resulted in the Advance–Rumely Company encountering financial difficulties. Allis-Chalmers purchased the company, mainly for the dealer network that Rumely had built up.  Allis kept the Rumely 6A tractor, an up to date design, in production as well as the Rumely combines but all other Rumely machinery was discontinued.

The Museum has two Model Fs in the collection. The Model F still in its “working clothes” (original paint) was donated to the Museum in the 1950s by C. J Barnes of Medora, Manitoba.  Mr. Barnes was known in the 1950s for starting the tractor and driving it around the town of Medora.

J. Barnes was born in Brandon, Manitoba in February 1884. His parents were native Nova Scotians who had arrived in Brandon in the early 1880s. In 1884, the family settled on a homestead near the present town of Lauder. This homestead was sold in 1899, and the family moved to farm in the district of Medora. C. J. Barnes took over the operation of this farm in the early 1900s. He farmed until 1924. Mr. Barnes was educated in schools in the Truro School District and the village of Lauder. He was active in the original Territorial Grain Growers’ Association.

C.J. Barnes wrote the book “Seventy Years in Southwestern Manitoba” which gave an account of life in rural South West Manitoba during the period of 1880 through to 1940. Mr. Barnes drew on a number of sources such as his father diaries in the writing of this book.

The Model F is a single cylinder tractor producing 15 horsepower on the drawbar and 30 horsepower on the belt. The design was in production from 1911 to 1918 with 3,856 being built. During the production run of the “F” the tractor was re-rated to 18-35. Along with the Secor-Higgins carburetor, the tractor was factory equipped with a Bosch magneto powering a make or break ignition system, an automatic throttle governor, mechanical oiler, a centrifugal cooling oil pump, a cooling oil radiator cooled by exhaust induced draft and a compressed air starter.

Rumely was a builder of farm machinery, but best known for the Rumely Oil-Pull line of tractors. Over the course of the Rumely Company’s life, it accumulated other farm machinery companies including the Advance Thresher and Gaar-Scot companies. After these acquisitions, the company became known as the Advance-Rumely Company.

The Rumely Company originally got its start when Meinrad Rumely left Germany and joined his brother in LaPorte, Indiana to operate a foundry. By 1859, the brothers were making corn shellers and horse powered threshing machines. The brothers went on to produce steam engines and a variety of other farm machinery including clover hullers, plows, cutting boxes, corn shellers, corn shredders, silo fillers, water wagons, cream separators and motor trucks. By 1925, the company was building pull type combines.

While Rumely was not in the first wave of gas tractor manufacturers, by 1909 it had entered the market with its Oil-Pull line of tractors which were immediately popular as they proved to be simple, rugged, reliable tractors. This line of tractors could burn kerosene or distillate fuels.

Kerosene became common as a tractor fuel in the years before World War one. At that time, rapidly increasing numbers of automobiles were driving up the price of gas in comparison to kerosene. As well, kerosene is heavier than gas and contains somewhat more energy per gallon. The combination of the two factors, made kerosene very attractive as a fuel for farmers.

Kerosene was cheaper than gas as a result of the technical limitations of early refineries. Without efficient methods of breaking down hydrocarbon chains large amounts of kerosene and distillate were produced in the refining of crude oil into gas.

Gas vaporizes much better than kerosene plus kerosene poses pre-ignition problems. Auto makers preferred gas powered engines for these reasons. Tractor manufacturers however realized that they could successfully use kerosene and distillate by adding heat into the carburetion systems which then vaporized the kerosene and distillate to the point where efficient ignition could take place. Pre-ignition could be controlled by mixing water into the fuel charge flowing into the cylinder. The only drawback was how to get a cold engine to start on kerosene or distillate but someone realized that this problem was solved by starting the engine on gas and when the engine was warmed up switch it over to kerosene or distillate. While this process was more complicated than a gasoline engine, with a tractor hopefully the operator was more familiar with engines than the average car owner of the time and so could more closely monitor and regulate the system.

The lower cost of kerosene and distillate proved very attractive to tractor users. Most tractors built before 1910 burnt gasoline however after 1910 the situation reversed with most tractors being built, able to burn kerosene or distillate as the main fuel.

The Rumely Oil-Pull engine design used a higher compression engine than what had previously been found in tractors which aided in burning kerosene and distillate. The Oil-Pull line also used the Seccor-Higgins carburetor which efficiently mixed water with the fuel under all loads. Other designs required manual adjustments but the Seccor-Higgins automatically adjusted itself. The Seccor-Higgins could be set to handle other fuels than kerosene.

Oil-Pull tractors were cooled by oil, not water, as oil allowed an higher engine operating temperature making burning kerosene or distillate more efficient plus oil did not freeze. As a result of the cooling fluid being oil, a leaking head gasket could pose serious problems. Cooling oil could be drawn into the cylinder and then burnt there. The governor would not be operating as this oil was coming through the head gasket, not through the carburetor and so the engine could “run away” or begin increasing rpm. Unless the operator recognized the problem quickly and managed to block the engine air intake off or somehow place an excessive load on the engine causing it to stall, the engine rpm would increase to the point where the engine would exceed its design speeds and fly apart.

Rumely built a number of models of the Oil-Pull starting with the “B” and progressing on to the “E”, “F”, “G”, “H” and “K”.

The Model F is a single cylinder tractor producing 15 horsepower on the drawbar and 30 horsepower on the belt. The design was in production from 1911 to 1918 with 3,856 being built. During the production run of the “F” the tractor was re-rated to 18-35. Along with the Secor-Higgins carburetor, the tractor was factory equipped with a Bosch magneto powering a make or break ignition system, an automatic throttle governor, mechanical oiler, a centrifugal cooling oil pump, a cooling oil radiator cooled by exhaust induced draft and a compressed air starter.

The great depression resulted in the Advance–Rumely Company encountering financial difficulties. Allis-Chalmers purchased the company, mainly for the dealer network that Rumely had built up.  Allis kept the Rumely 6A tractor, an up to date design, in production as well as the Rumely combines but all other Rumely machinery was discontinued.

Rumely Model E at the Museum led an interesting life before being rescued from a scrap pile in the 1950s by Joseph Tucker of Portage la Prairie and the Menshall Brothers of Pierson, Manitoba.  Since that time it has been a resident at the Museum.

The Model E was purchased new in 1912 by an American named Olmstead who shipped it to Pierson, Manitoba where it broke land and custom threshed. Local legend has it that the tractor wore out five sets of gears during its working life. In 1922 the Burns Brothers purchased the tractor and used it to thresh until 1928. At some point after that it was sold to a scrap dealer in Carievale, Saskatchewan where Mr Tucker and the Menshall Brothers tracked it down in the 1950s. How the tractor escaped the scrap drives of World War Two is unknown.

Rumely was a builder of farm machinery, but best known for the Rumely Oil-Pull line of tractors. Over the course of the Rumely Company’s life, it accumulated other farm machinery companies including the Advance Thresher and Gaar-Scot companies. After these acquisitions, the company became known as the Advance-Rumely Company. Advance –Rumely went on to acquire the Aultman-Taylor Company.

The Rumely Company originally got its start when Meinrad Rumely left Germany and joined his brother in LaPorte, Indiana to operate a foundry. By 1859, the brothers were making corn shellers and horse powered threshing machines. The brothers went on to produce steam engines and a variety of other farm machinery including clover hullers, plows, cutting boxes, corn shellers, corn shredders, silo fillers, water wagons, cream separators and motor trucks.  Rumely had a reputation for building quality machinery.

Rumely built a number of models of the Oil-Pull starting with the “B” and progressing on to the “E”, “F”, “G”, “H” and “K”.

The “E” was the largest of the “Heavy Weight” Oil-Pull tractor. The design was rated at 30 horsepower at the drawbar and 60 horsepower on the belt. Model Es were equipped with a two cylinder engine and as with all Oil Pull tractors the cooling fluid was oil. Model Es were built from 1910 to 1923 with 3,235 being produced.

The great depression resulted in the Advance–Rumely Company encountering financial difficulties. Allis-Chalmers purchased the company, mainly for the dealer network that Rumely had built up.  Allis kept the Rumely 6A tractor, an up to date design, in production as well as the Rumely combines but all other Rumely machinery was discontinued.