A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most commonly, the term is used to describe a farm vehicle that provides the power and traction to mechanize agricultural tasks, especially tillage, and now many more. Agricultural implements may be towed behind or mounted on the tractor, and the tractor may also provide a source of power if the implement is mechanised.
The modern combine harvester, or simply combine, is a machine designed to harvest a variety of grain crops. The name derives from its combining four separate harvesting operations—reaping, threshing, gathering, and winnowing—to a single process. Among the crops harvested with a combine are wheat, rice, oats, rye, barley, corn (maize), sorghum, millet, soybeans, flax (linseed), sunflowers and rapeseed. The separated straw, left lying on the field, comprises the stems and any remaining leaves of the crop with limited nutrients left in it: the straw is then either chopped, spread on the field and ploughed back in or baled for bedding and limited-feed for livestock.
The Y platform, or Y body, designation has been used twice by the General Motors Corporation to describe a series of vehicles all built on the same basic body and sharing many parts and characteristics. The first was for a group of entry-level compacts including the conventional front-engine compacts built by GM divisions Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac from 1961 to 1963. The second, and current, incarnation is used for a high-end rear-wheel drive sports-car platform from the 1970s through the 2000s.
The Ford N-series tractors were a line of farm tractors produced by Ford between 1939 and 1952, spanning the 9N, 2N, and 8N models.
The Allis-Chalmers D series is a line of tractors made by the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company from 1957 to 1969.
The John Deere 4020 was an agricultural tractor model made by John Deere from 1964 to 1972. It replaced the nearly identical 4010 that had been introduced with Deere's New Generation series in 1960 and offered a number of improvements over the previous model including more horsepower, heavier rear axles, and a differential lock. The 4020 was produced with three engine options: diesel, petrol, and LPG. The 4020 Diesel has a six-cylinder engine tested at 84 drawbar and 91 PTO horsepower. John Deere's Syncro Range transmission with 8 forward speeds and two reverse speeds was standard, a power shift transmission was optional. Other options included dual rear wheels and an enclosed cab with heat and air conditioning. The 4020 is significant for its great popularity; over 184,000 units were built. It was the most popular tractor of its time.
The Ford NAA tractor is a tractor that was introduced by Ford as an entirely new model in 1953 and dubbed the Golden Jubilee.
The Farmall 60 series tractors are general-purpose row-crop tractors that replaced the larger models of the Farmall letter series beginning in 1958. Produced from 1958 to 1963, the Farmall 460 and 560 tractors represented a modernization of the Farmall H and Farmall M respectively, with higher-horsepower 6-cylinder engines in a restyled body. The heavy general-purpose 660 was sold under the International brand, and was a successor to the McCormick-Deering W series tractors.
The Farmall 04 series tractors are a family of row-crop tractors with four-cylinder engines, continuing the tradition of four-cylinder engines in Farmall and parent company International Harvester for general-purpose and row-crop tractors. In the early 1960s demand for more power led to the 06 series with six-cylinder engines. Four-cylinder engines were reserved for tractors equivalent to the Farmall H and smaller.
The Farmall 06 series tractors are a family of row-crop tractors with six-cylinder engines, providing greater horsepower than the parallel product line of four-cylinder Farmall 04 series tractors. Until the late 1950s, Farmall and parent company International Harvester tractors used four-cylinder engines for general-purpose and row-crop tractors. Demands for higher performance and greater horsepower led to broader use of six-cylinder engines, with the bulk of International's production moving to the larger engines. The Farmall 806 and 706 were introduced in 1963, with production running to 1967. The Farmall 1206 was introduced in 1965 as the most powerful tractor of its time, using a turbocharged diesel engine. Production of the 1206 also ran until 1967. The 06 series sold well and was regarded as extremely successful.
The Farmall eight-cylinder tractor line or Farmall 08 series was briefly produced near the end of the Farmall product run, in response to pressure to increase horsepower and to match competing brands.
The John Deere Model M tractor was a two-cylinder row-crop tractor produced by John Deere from 1947 to 1952, with successor models produced until 1960. It was succeeded by the updated 40, 420 and 430 models, as well as the 320 and 330 models that occupied the market positions left vacant by the more powerful 400 series models.
The Oliver 70 series of row-crop tractors was a series of large agricultural tractors produced from 1935 to 1967 by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company. Oliver tractors were known for their powerful engines compared to competitors, and their attention to styling. The Oliver Hart-Parr 70 marked the beginning of a strikingly-styled series of tractors that were produced under both the Oliver and the Cockshutt names. Oliver's emphasis on styling strongly influenced offerings by competing brands such as Farmall and John Deere.
The Oliver 60 series of row-crop tractors was a product line of agricultural tractors produced from 1940 to 1964 by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company. The 60 series was a four-cylinder follow-on to the six-cylinder Oliver 70. As the 70 was outsold by the less-expensive Farmall A, Allis-Chalmers Model B and John Deere Model B, Oliver introduced the 60 to compete.
The Oliver 80 row-crop tractors was a model of agricultural tractors produced from 1938 to 1963 by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company. The model 80 was a development of the Oliver Hart-Parr industrial tractor, for agricultural use. The initial 80 was rated for three 14-inch plows, making it a medium-sized tractor. By the time the Super 88 development was introduced, it was rated for six plow bottoms, making it a heavy tractor.
The Oliver 90 series of row-crop tractors was a series of agricultural tractors produced from 1937 to 1961 by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company. Beginning with the Hart-Parr 28–44, the series was the most powerful Oliver tractor offering, capable of heavy plowing. Initial development proceeded on parallel lines, with the 28–44 offered with low and high-compression engine options that became the Oliver 90 and 99, respectively. The lines merged with the Super 99, then diverged again with the 950, 990 and 995 models. The series was produced until 1961.
The Oliver Super 55 series of utility tractors was developed and produced from 1954 to 1958 by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company to complement the Oliver line of heavy row-crop and standard agricultural tracts. Like row-crop tractors, the wheel track width could be adjusted to conform to crop row spacing, but the front wheels were only offered with a wide track. No narrow front wheel options were offered, making the tractor more stable with front-end loaders.
The Oliver Super 44 series of utility tractors was developed and produced from 1957 to 1975 by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company to complement the Oliver line of heavy row-crop and standard agricultural tracts. Like row-crop tractors, the wheel track width could be adjusted to conform to crop row spacing, but the front wheels were only offered with a wide track. No narrow front wheel options were offered, making the tractor more stable with front-end loaders. Both the Super 44 and 440 were rated for two plows.
The Cockshutt 550 row-crop tractor was built by the Cockshutt Plow Company, from 1958 to 1961. It succeeded the Cockshutt 35 Golden Arrow in the Cockshutt product line, and was capable of pulling two or three plows. The new tractor was restyled in accordance with the trend toward squared-off lines, compared to earlier Cockshutt offerings. Confusingly, the 550 was replaced in 1962 by a different Oliver-built tractor, also branded as the Cockshutt 550.
