Tractor Trivia

Good Old Cyrus McCormick
by Auctioneer Eric Mickelson
Harvest has about concluded it made be think of Cyrus McCormick. In 1831, Cyrus McCormick produced a successful reaper for harvesting grain. It was a simple contraption, but definitely was a huge step up from swinging a scythe all day in the wheat field. Cyrus moved west from VIrginia to the mid-west to show his invention to farmers on the prairie. He built his factory in Chicago, IL, which would be the future home of International Harvester. Now you know I love tractors and I love history so I had to insert this tid-bit of IH history. Mrs. Oʼlearyʼs cow tried to put an end to the McCormick reaper. In 1871 the McCormick reaper factory was destroyed in the great Chicago fire. Shortly afterwards a newer bigger factory was built!! In 1902 the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company of Chicago, Deering Harvester of Chicago and three other companies merged and the International Harvester Company was born!
This early history was an interesting beginning to a company that would eventually bring us a great line of tractors!! Early tractors included the Titan and the Mogul but as time went on the McCormick Deering 10-20, and 15-30 helped the company make itʼs mark in the tractor industry. Of course the Farm all design tractors really gave the company what they need to be a leader in tractor sales. The F series of tractors, F-12, F-14, F-20, and F-30 proved to be the tractors other companies had to try find an answer for.
Another reason I wanted to talk about McCormick Deering this week was the “W” series of tractors. The W-12 was the standard tread version of the row crop F-12. The one that has caught my eye in magazines and videos is the W-40. The W-40 came out in 1934 and featured 6-cylinder power. The big standard tractor is impressive in stature. Later the WD-40 was added. This was the first diesel powered wheel driven tractor manufactured in the United States. I would love to sit down between those big fenders and plow all day. I know you old timers who did exactly that may disagree with me......but, Iʼd prefer to bounce around all day with 2, 3, or 4 bottom than watch a movie as the tractor steers itself!! If you like your auto-steer and other ultra modern conveniences, that is OK, we all march to a different drummer, and I think my drummer might sound good tapping out the rhythm of the six cylinders of a W-40!!!

How about a little tractor trivia!!
1, The W-40 was ready for a long days work with a _______ gallon gas tank.
A)25 B)31 C)35 D)40
2.  What was the WK-40?
3. Rounding slightly up the W-40 was tested at Nebraska with _____ belt hp.
A) 40hp B) 45hp C) 50hp D) 55hp
4.  How many forward speeds did a W-40 have?
A)3 B)4 C)5D)6
5.   What produced more hp, according to the Nebraska test, a W-40 or a WD-40?

Answers: 1. B. 31 gal.  2. W-40, with a kerosene burning engine  3. C. 50hp  4. A. 3 speeds   5. W-40 gas produced one more hp on the belt.