A Brief History of the Tractor
- rosebvassistant
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
The word tractor originally comes from the Latin word ´to pull´, with its first recorded usage in 1896.
However, being honest, it feels unusual that something coined as recently as 200 or so years ago has grown to reinvent how our entire food system works today.
But how did the tractor come about? And how did it go on to become the powerhouse that it is today?
In this blog we are going to go over a very brief history of the agricultural technology that led up to the invention of the tractor, the big players within the industry, how the tractor has changed over time, and how we think agricultural technology will develop into the future.
So, buckle up, let’s travel back in history a little bit...
The Advent of Agricultural Technology (5000BC-Onwards)
The advent of agriculture as we know began with just the use of hands, sticks and simple stone hoes. Before then, as home sapiens had previously been a hunter-gatherer species, there was no need for farming. However, as we settled down to encampments over longer periods of time the need for a more constant food source was obvious. With trial and error, and rudimentary skills we soon began farming as a species, in a twist of fate that would change our development forever.
If you would like to read more about our move from hunter-gathering to farming this piece is a great read.
By 5000BC the earliest form of the plow had been invented. Formed with forked sticks it was used to scratch trenches into the dirt by hand, with the idea that these trenches would allow for the planting of seeds.
However, as us homo sapiens are famous for our large heads and big brains, we began to put this brain into use again with our next invention…
Whilst we may think of time saving inventions as a thing of the present this could not be farther from the truth. Soon after the domestication of wild oxen in 4000BC in what is now Pakistan and India someone came up with a bright idea. Why break my back ploughing the fields when I could make my life easier? It seemed obvious. Using the massive power of the oxen in an animal-drawn plow would save a massive amount of time, calories and effort.
The idea was a smash-hit due to its simplicity and effectiveness. In fact, this idea proved so popular that animal-drawn plows would continue to become the most popular form of tilling by 1500BC.
Meanwhile, it is generally thought that the Stone Age ended somewhere between 4000 and 2000 BC. Because of this, by the point of the invention of the animal-drawn plow, we were also dab hands at everything related to stone. It seemed obvious then to use our stone manipulating skills to help with farming. And thus, the stone sickle was invented. The stone sickle was also particularly popular as it meant we could now harvest large amount of grain with considerably less effort. So, thank the stone sickle next time you are enjoying a nice pizza or sandwich!
Jumping forward a couple of thousand of years to China in 475BC. In this year the first know iron plow was invented and grew in popularity to the point that it would lead China into a revolution of agricultural productivity.
What is particularily interesting to note is that it took a much longer time until steel plows were to be introduced into Europe when John Deere introduced the first steel plow in 1837, over 2000 years later!
How did the tractor come about (1800-1900s)
So, whilst having a brief overview of the entire history of agriculture is interesting, we are still no closer to finding out how the tractor came about. So, let’s cut straight to the chase…
What is essential to know about tractors is that they never would have happened if it weren’t for their distantly related, but highly successful, transportation cousin... the train.
When the first successfully built steam train was built in 1804 by Richard Trevithick the world had officially changed. No longer did we need to rely on human, nor animal labour, we now had mechanically powered vehicles.
And the farmers also wanted a piece of the action....
Taking inspiration from the steam powered engines, in the early 19th century farmers were beginning to use agricultural steam engines to power farm machinery like threshing machines and wire-drawn plows (with steam traction engines placed on either ends of the field to pull the plow).
British engineer, Robert Ransome, even went on to patent the first portable steam engine for agricultural use in 1849.
Soon these machines were beginning to resemble more modern looking tractors. However, whilst undoubtably a technological breakthrough, steam-tractors and equipment were heavy, large and potentially dangerous due to the risk of boiler fires and explosions. It was clear a simpler option needed to be made.
So here comes our next big player, Iowan John Froelich. Like the agricultural inventors before him, he was once again inspired by the technological breakthroughs of the automobile industry of 1885 with the invention of the first gasoline engine automobile. So less than 10 years later in 1892 he would make the world’s first gasoline-powered tractor. And this where the wheel really started turning...
These new internal combustion engine tractors proved to be much smaller, lighter and more efficient to operate. Iowa continued to be front of the pack for tractor inovation and soon had the successfully commercial manufacturers Hart and Parr and Caterpillar Inc. had been formed.
In 1903 Hart and Parr built 15 self-propelled traction machines. As part of the advertising campaign, they began shortening the mouthful that is 'self-propelled traction machines' to the much more marketable ‘Tractor’.
Photographed below is the Hart Parr #3. Currently residing in the Illinois and Indiana Antique Tractor & Gas Engine Club museum, this is the world’s oldest surviving internal combustion engine tractor.
Interestingly, whilst this first tractor weighed over 14,000lbs it could only produce about 30HP. Because of this, although once again the technological breakthrough was incredible, larger commercial use still remained relatively low.
The Golden Age of Tractors and onwards (1920-Present)
However this would all change when 2 big players in the tractor world were to make big splashes causing the period between the 1920s and the 1940s to be dubbed ‘The Golden Age of Tractors’.
Henry Ford, yes that one, developed Fordson Tractors after seeing the potential to revolutionise the agriculture industry. Spurred on by his massive success in the automobile industry, Henry Ford decided to use all of the experience he had gained to make a Ford Factory style tractor. Cue the Fordson Model F, which launched in 1917, as the world’s first mass-produced tractor.
Prior to this, tractors had been prohibitively expensive and so many farmers were not able to feel the full effects of this new technological revolution on their farms.
However due to the low price of the Fordson Tractors this meant that many small-scale farmers were now able to afford a piece of equipment on their farm for the first time. For example, with the release of the Fordson Model F in 1917, “In 1916, about 20,000 tractors were sold in the U. S.; by 1935 that number had jumped to more than 1 million.” - Smithsonian Insider. This shift undoubtably changed the shape of agriculture in the USA forever.
Our second big name, John Deere, also launched the John Deere Model D tractor in 1923 which went on to become one of the most succesful and enduring tractor models in all of history. And as every tractor fanatic knows, John Deere has continued to become a titan in the industry.
As we head into the 1950’s more technological advancements improved the original tractor model. For example, with the widespread adoption of diesel-powered tractor engines increases were to be had for fuel efficiency, torque and engine life. And that is not forgetting the integration of hydraulic systems which allowed tractor generated fluid to operate attachments and implements. The hydraulic systems meant a tractors capability has now grown beyond plowing and tilling. The options had become endless…
For example, look at all of the hydraulic equipment available on the Siromer website here.
And the impact of power take-offs, or PTO’s, can also not be understated. By allowing tractors to transfer power to other equipment directly, this meant tractors could also perform multiple tasks with just one simple machine.
And of course we could not forget one last very important date in tractor history!
In 1999 Siromer Tractor was launched and began imported flatpack tractors into the UK. Later in 2011 Siromer Equipment was also launched to allow Siromer to become a one-stop-shop for all tractor needs.
If you would like to learn more about the history of Siromer Tractors, all about the founders, how the business has changed and where we are going please read our fully story here.
Now as we head into the modern age current tractors have more implements than you can shake a stick at. If you have a job, there is a piece of equipment for that! From harrows, balers, fertilizers, mowers, woodchippers and much more, the possibilities are truly endless!
And that’s not even mentioning the tractors!
The world is truly your oyster as you chose between a tractor that can run on gasoline, kerosene, LPG or diesel, you have different gears, engines from 12 to 120 horsepower, 4WD, cabs with air conditioning to keep you cool in the summer, GPS systems, data analytics and even glow in the dark buttons.
Life for a tractor owner has never been so good!
The Future of Tractors
So where do we think the evolution of tractors will be going in the future?
Reflecting many technological trends around the world, tractor manufacturers are also heavily investing in automation, smart technology and keeping things as ‘green’ as possible.
Smart technology focuses heavily on something called ‘precision agriculture’. That is to say that by using GPS technology in tractors, the tractors themselves can give data-driven insights to ensure that the farming process is as precise as possible. For example, this could mean incredible accuracy with the spacing and depth of seed planting, more efficient application of fertilizers and pesticides etc. By using this smart technology, yields and efficiency should increase as the guesswork in agriculture is reduced.
Automated tractors might sound like something out of ‘Back to the Future’ but this new trend reflects old habits. Just like how we replaced human labour with animal labour, and then later replaced animal labour with the steam engines, so too are we beginning to replace human brain power with robotics.
Via advanced sensors, cameras and AI these automated tractors will have the ability to navigate and operate entirely by themselves. Whilst, like automated cars, this technology is still in the very early stages of development, who knows where this advance could take us in the future.
If you are interested in Siromer’s own version of an ‘automated’ vehicle why not try out our remote-controlled mower!
And lastly, green technology is something the world desperately needs right now.
It is no secret that we cannot continue with our current levels of consumption and style of living. Simply put, something needs to change. Because of this, at Siromer, we are focused on creating even greener products in the future to help shape a positive change for our planet.
And there we have it! A brief, and hopefully interesting, history of the tractor. We hope you learned something along the way and if you liked this blog make sure to stay tuned on our Siromer Blog to see what we post in the future! We post every month so see you soon :)
If you are interested in any of the products mentioned in this blog please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via our number: 01253 799029, our email tractors@siromer.co.uk or via our live chat box at the bottom right of our website here.
We can’t wait to hear from you!
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