The History of Tractors

Tractors have become the symbol of farm life since their development in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Their durability, power and ability to increase production has made them indispensable agricultural machines.

At Boehm Tractor Sales, we believe knowing the background and evolution of the machines we use helps us to maintain and utilize them better. In that spirit, we have compiled this brief history of tractors to provide you with more information. To see our collection of new and pre-owned tractors for sale, come down to our dealership in Shiner, Texas. We proudly serve the areas of Seguin and Austin, Texas.

Early Development

Early tractors were steam-powered plowing engines that were very slow, didn’t move around obstacles well and had an extremely undesirable tendency to explode. Along came an inventor named John Froelich from Froelich, Iowa ─ a town named after his father. In 1892, he invented the gas-powered tractor, which quickly became popular, no doubt in part because of its ability to stay in one piece.

Once gas began to be used for fuel in the 1880s, a number of traction engines using gas as fuel began to appear. Froelich used these early ideas to create his tractor. His was the first farm machine with forward and reverse gears. He then connected his machine to a thresher during harvest and successfully threshed wheat.

In the meantime, Charles Parr and Charles Hart, two students of mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin, came up with the idea of a new gas-powered engine. They started the Hart-Parr Gasoline Engine Company in Madison, Wisconsin, and later moved production to Iowa at the turn of the century. They coined the word ‘tractor’ from the term ‘traction engine’ and produced the first successful American tractor in 1901.

The Innovations

In 1911, the Waterloo company started to invest in tractor research and came up with kerosene-powered machines that were a big hit in the early part of the century. In 1918, the Illinois-based farm equipment enterprise Deere & Company bought out Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company. They saw the growing potential of these machines and continued to produce the Waterloo Boy model till 1923, when they launched the first John Deere Model D tractor.

Around this time, other companies started to develop and manufacture tractors, which helped bring down market prices. Now more farmers could afford to bring home these labor- and time-saving machines, which also helped them increase production.

Tractors became smaller and lighter as they became more efficient. Henry Ford developed a model called the Fordson that was widely in use internationally by the 1920s. Although American production had ceased by 1928, they were manufactured in England until 1964.

Other international players recognized the value of tractors and companies like Mahindra (India) and Lamborghini (Italy) began to make and market their own machines by the mid-20th century. Both these companies started to manufacture models for domestic and international markets in 1948. Since 2010, Mahindra has been the world’s largest-selling tractor manufacturer by volume.

Continuous innovations have helped these machines become sleeker, more efficient, highly durable and capable of performing a variety of tasks to make life easier for their owners. They have become indispensable for a number of industries, from farming to logging.

The Types

Tractors are easily recognizable machines and come in two general types ─ two-wheel and four-wheel drives, with one or two axles, respectively. While earlier models were all two-wheel styles, with the introduction of diesel powered engines in the 1960s, more manufacturers began to make four-wheel versions.

The traditional build has an open cab, two large back wheels and two smaller front wheels centered under the engine and the driver’s seat. Newer versions have closed cabs that are safer and more comfortable.

Tracked tractors were made to operate in wet soil and had become very popular in the 1930s. One of the big manufacturers of these machines in the United States is Caterpillar. Their models use levers instead of steering wheels so the tracks can be operated independently.

Now that you know about the journey these machines have gone through, we hope you have a better understanding of them. For any further information or to purchase reliable farm equipment, head to our dealership in Shiner, Texas. We have professionally trained staff that can help you find the equipment you need for particular tasks. We invite all our friends from Seguin and Austin, Texas, to call or come over today!