Fordson Model F #7228

One of the Sawyer-Massey 20-40’s competitors would have been Henry Ford and Son’s Model F Fordson tractor. This was a small tractor that could be used by Canadian farmers across the country. Hoping to alleviate the shortage of labour and power caused by the First World War, provincial and federal government agencies worked together to introduce farmers to this new power source. Some provinces made bulk purchases of tractors so that they could be sold to farmers just above cost. Ford ensured his tractors featured prominently at venues like ploughing matches and field days sponsored by agricultural colleges and experimental farms. A concerted marketing campaign in Canadian agricultural papers highlighted the advantages of life on a farm that had a Ford car, truck and tractor. Due to an extensive network of Ford dealerships across Canada, even farmers living in the remotest part of the country would have seen the tractor.

Ford advertising pitted the benefits of its product against the competition. Canadian Power Farmer, May 1921

Fordson Model F serial no. 7228 (CSTM 1972.0320) was built in Dearborn, Michigan, in 1918. It produced 9 horsepower at the drawbar and 18 horsepower off the pulley, weighed 2,976 pounds (1 350 kilograms) and was warranted as a two-plough tractor. It sold for $795; fenders, extension rims and a belt pulley attachment were available at additional cost. Its design was much more integrated than its larger predecessors. The frame incorporated the engine oil pan and the rear axle housing, and the engine was protected by a sheet metal hood. Like its automotive relatives, the tractor was started by means of a crank that extended below the radiator, and steering was similar to that of any car. It was equipped with three forward and one reverse gear and had a top speed of 6-¾ miles per hour (10.9 km/h). The Fordson burned either kerosene or gasoline fed into a fuel vaporizer heated by the engine manifold. The vaporizer however, which by design required heat to be effective, was notoriously of little help when trying to start a cold engine! Two of the tractor’s greatest faults were posed by the drive train—its proximity to the differential, which became very hot very quickly (a concern for the driver’s seat!), and rear wheels that, if mired, could cause the front end to rise up and flip over backwards.

This operator ploughing with a Fordson at the Central Experimental Farm is using a jacket to pad and cool the tractor seat, ca 1920. (CSTM/AAFC Collection)