Farmall F-30 Rock Island, IL 1931

Farmall F-30 Rock Island, IL 1931 In 1902, J. P. Morgan brokered a merger Although the Farmall never reached Regular. The extra weight, combined among five of the largest harvester the per-year production numbers of with the slightly more powerful engine, companies: The McCormick, Deering the Fordson during the 1920s, it was the resulted in a bit more pulling power in and Milwaukee Harvester companies, tractor that prevented the Fordson from the field. Piano Mfg. Co., and Warder, Bushnell completely owning the market on small, & Glessner (Champion harvesters). They lightweight, mass-produced, affordable Mind you, originally the F-30 was to merged to form the mighty International tractors for the small or medium family use a slightly less powerful engine. Harvester Company. farm. Its narrow-front tricycle design, One of the first decisions on the F-30 power takeoff, (a feature on which IHC concerned increasing engine power and For many years after the merger, IHC was an early leader), and standard coolant capacity. That decision received sold two parallel lines of equipment, mounting points for cultivators and final approval on May 1, 1931. one named McCormick and one named other implements on the tractor’s frame Deering, each slightly different from the (a Farmall first) gave it some competitive other, but wearing the IHC logo. This advantages over the Fordson, especially was deemed necessary since each line for row crops. It soon became the had its loyal customers, and there was favorite row-crop tractor of America, usually both a McCormick and a Deering outselling all other competitors, even The decision bears a handwritten note dealer in every farm community. John Deere. stipulating the serial numbers for the more powerful engines would be AA501 The U.S. government filed an antitrust Late in 1931 the first variation on the and up. Also, construction of the new action against IHC in 1912, and the Farmall International Harvester was engines was to begin at Tractor Works suit dragged on until a consent decree brought out, the McCormick-Deering on July 15, 1931. Considering only 623 was signed in 1918. One of the terms Farmall F-30, which was much like the F-30s were built in 1931, it’s doubtful of the agreement called for IHC to original Farmall but larger, heavier, and any were made with the less powerful have only one dealer in each town, more powerful. The original Farmall engine. meaning the dual McCormick and became known by the name Regular, Deering lines of equipment could no which may never have been an official The F-30 proved to be a rugged, longer be maintained. Indeed, the name for branding, but it was common maneuverable tractor and did well for expense of designing, building, and among farmers. both IHC and the farmer. It was built and supporting both lines of equipment had sold in respectable numbers until 1939, been a serious drag on the company, The F-30 featured a four-speed with perhaps a few trickling out of the so, in 1923, a new grain binder – one transmission, one more speed than the factory in 1940. The tractor slipped out combining the best features of each of Farmall Regular. At 12 feet 3 inches, of production when the Farmall tractor the older machines – was introduced the F-30 was nearly two feet longer. line was completely redesigned and the and called the McCormick-Deering. It turnedtightly, like the original styled Letter Series was introduced. All of IHC’s other farm implements Farmall, but took a three-foot-larger soon followed suit, and the famous circumference to do so. Still, a turning McCormick-Deering line was born. radius of just over 17 feet was impressive McCormick-Deering farm implements for a tractor of that size. The F-30 and Farmall tractors helped IHC become weighed about 5,300 pounds, which the giant of the industry. was nearly 2,000 pounds more than the Jack’s Urban Meeting Place - www.jumpboise.org.

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