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Traktoreinsatz (Fordson F) um 1920 in der Heuernte · Photo: Cunolf, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Fordson · Pioneer · Standard

Model F

Built 1917–1928 in Dearborn, Michigan, USA (later River Rouge plant); also Cork, Ireland (from 1919)
Power
20engine hp
Engine
4-cyl 4.11 L Kerosene
Weight
—
Gearbox
3 forward, 1 reverse

The story

The Fordson was Henry Ford's attempt to do for the farm what the Model T had done for the road: build one simple tractor in huge numbers and sell it cheaply. It had no separate frame; the engine, gearbox and rear axle bolted together to carry the load, which saved weight and cost.

The first batches went to Britain in 1917 to help grow food during the First World War. When Ford cut the price to $395 in 1922, rivals could not keep up, and for several years the Fordson outsold every other tractor in America.

It showed millions of small farmers that a tractor could replace a team of horses.

Did you knowThe Fordson had no brakes at first; drivers stopped it by pushing in the clutch, and its habit of flipping over backwards when the plough snagged earned it a deadly reputation.
For sale

No Fordson Model F listings yet. Dealers and private sellers will be able to list them here soon.

Selling one?

Nebraska tractor test

Year tested1920

Farm Collector lists Fordson among the makes tested in the program's first year (1920). Test number and results not verified from the original UNL report.

Specifications

Engine
MakerFord (Henry Ford & Son)
FuelKerosene (started on gasoline from a small auxiliary tank); gasoline also possible
Cylinders4
Displacement4.11 L / 251 cu in
Power
Rated engine power20 hp
Drive
Transmission3 forward, 1 reverse (spur-gear, worm-drive final reduction)
Top speed6.25 mph
Hitchnone (drawbar only)
Size
History
Built1917–1928
FactoryDearborn, Michigan, USA (later River Rouge plant); also Cork, Ireland (from 1919)
Number made552,799 built in the USA 1917–1928 (Wikipedia); about 700,000 Fordsons in all by 1928 including Cork
Price newUS$750 at launch (1917); cut to $625 (1921) and $395 (February 1922)

About these figures. 20 hp is the commonly quoted nominal rating (Wikipedia, Grace's Guide, Ingenium museum record); AgWeb gives about 19 belt hp. The Fordson was tested at Nebraska in 1920, but the test number and measured figures could not be checked against the original report, so they are left blank. No PTO (belt pulley was an option).

Sources

  1. Fordson (Wikipedia)
  2. Fordson: Model F (Grace's Guide)
  3. Kit Foster, 'The Model T of tractors'
  4. Tractor Trendsetter: Fordson F (AgWeb)
  5. Fordson Tractor No. 100,000 (The Henry Ford)
  6. Fordson tractor, 1918 (Ingenium, Canada Science and Technology Museum)
  7. Let's Talk Rusty Iron: Building on a Solid Foundation (Farm Collector)