Tractor Trivia January 5
When I was growing up I loved tractors. But I knew very little about Massey Harris tractors. In my dad’s collection of old tractor pamphlets and magazines there was a booklet that must have come in the mail. It was sent out as an advertisement for Swenson Equipment. It featured the Pony, 22, 30, 44, and 55 tractors. I used to pour over it and imagine what it would be like to drive a Massey. Well one of the first tractors I ended up getting was a 55 Massey Diesel, thanks to mom and dad.
The Massey Company began in 1847. Starting with well made farm implements the Canadian Company acquired other companies and had a pretty successful beginning, but entering the tractor market had a took a couple of tries before they found a tractor manufactured by the J.I. Case Plow Works. Massey Harris bought out the J.I. Case Plow Works in 1927 and now had a tractor and a factory.
Massey Harris began selling the 12-20 Wallis tractor in about 1929. Massey was able to sell the Wallis line through much of the United States and Canada. Massey was one of the first and definitely a leader in selling their tractors all around the world. The new Massey Harris 25 appeared in 1933 still sporting the Wallis type design. One of the next Massey tractor was the 4 wheel drive General Purpose tractor. Much ahead of itʼs time the General Purpose did not catch on.
Masseyʼs following tractors shared the same engine. The standard version was called the Pacemaker, and the row crop version was called the Challenger. Letʼs talk a little more about the Challenger. It had the same boiler plate frame and engine design as the earlier Wallis tractors. This row crop tractor proved successful and helped Massey make a step forward in there quest to be a leader in the tractor market. I have never driven a Challenger although I have seen a couple at tractor shows. I donʼt suppose I will ever have one of my own, but just take a look if you see one because it is another great example of the engineering of our early tractor designs.
How about a little tractor trivia!!
1. Where was the Massey Challenger manufactured?
A) Brantford, Ontario B) Racine, WIsconsin C) Dearborn, Michigan
2. How many cylinders did the Challengerʼs engine have?
A)2cyl B) 4cyl C)6cyl D) 8cyl
3. WIth a 3 7/8 bore and 5 1/4 in. stroke the Challengerʼs engine was tested with __________ belt horsepower.
A) 25hp B) 29hp C) 31.5hp D) 34.9hp
4. The later Challengers were painted Massey red with “Straw” yellow wheels. What color were earlier Challengers?
A) Gray with red wheels B) Red with black wheels C) Green with red wheels
5. Fenders could be added for a price of $15.00. A PTO with shield could be added for _________ dollars.
A) $35 B) $45 C) $55 D) $65
answers: 1. B. Racine 2. B. 4 cyl 3. D. 34.9hp 4. C) Green with Red wheels 5. $35