Harry Ferguson

Harry Ferguson Firsts

Harry Ferguson Firsts 1909-1953


Ferguson Firsts – 1909 to 1953

First Briton to build and fly his own aircraft in Ireland (31st Dec 1909).
First aviator to carry a woman passenger in Ireland.
First to build and market successful wheelless mounted plough.
Inventor of applied weight transfer.
Inventor of the concept known as ‘draught control’.
Inventor of automatic hydraulic depth control.
Inventor of sensing by changes in transmission torque.
Inventor of automatic electrically operated depth control.
Inventor of automatic mechanically operated depth control.
Inventor of lower link sensing.
Inventor of top link sensing..
Inventor of suction-side control; effectively an output on demand system.
Inventor of converging three point linkage.
Inventor of tapered type internal linkage anti-sway blocks.
Inventor of PTO placed centrally within the three point linkage (July 1933).
Inventor of the rapid front wheel track adjustment (John Chambers).
Inventor of the modern spring loaded tiller.
Inventor of the modern weight transfer farm tra!ler (1940).
Inventor of the pick-up hitch.
Inventor of the linkage mounted transport box.
Inventor of the spring loaded lynch pin {John Chambers 1943}.
Inventor of the detachab!e ball joint.
Inventor of the hydraulically operated tractor ]ack.

Ferguson products pioneered the safety starter, ground speed PTO, incrementa! dish wheel track adjustment, hydraulic front end loaders and many other significant developments in farming, forestry and industry.

Published in Journal Volume 5 No.3 1992


Thinking Things Through with Harry Ferguson


Our purpose in developing the entirely new system of land cultivation which is embodied in the new Ford Tractor with Ferguson System was to give effect· to four principles which we take to be fundamental:

  • To so cut the cost of farm products that farming can be made prosperous without increasing the cost to the consumer.
  • To make farming attractive to youth and largely solve the unemployment problem by stopping the drift from the land.
  • To assist all other industries through a prosperous agriculture, and to stimulate greater industrial use of farm products by cutting costs, thus increasing the total farm market.
  • To lay the foundation for a greater National Security.

To achieve these four great objects, we should not aim at producing more foodstuffs, We should aim at a lower cost of production of all farm products.

The one basic cost of all costs is that of farm production. It is the prime item in the cost of living of all the people. In the final analysis it determines the cost of all our com¬modities, services, and comforts.

That the most basic industry of all has not heretofore been able to adopt the principles of mechanization which have made other industries prosperous is a challenge to everyone, whether he thinks in terms of the single farm or the whole agricultural community, whether he be economist, humanist or statesman.

People need only three meals a day
But the expansion of industry is limited only by our buying power.
Let the farmer prosper by being able to raise foodstuffs profitably without increasing the cost of food, that is, without reducing the buying power of the consumer, and the com¬bined buying power of the farmer and consumer will make industry hum.
Thus a direct attack upon the cost of producing foodstuffs leads through industry to an actual increase in the market for farm products.

New ways in which farm products could be used in industry are being discovered faster than they can be put into general practice. Their general adoption and the large con¬sumption of farm products that must follow, await the magic word “cost”.
That is one more reason why a complete new system of farm mechanization is a basic necessity.

It is inevitable that as industry comes to depend more and more upon the products of the farm, its expansion will be in the direction of locating plants near the farm.
All the human values that are inherent in the decentralization of congested manufacturing centres will thus get the most potent encouragement …. the inescapable logic of location.
The worker will be able to combine industry and agriculture, and to gain an economic stability which is unshakeable. With the Ford Tractor with Ferguson System, the workman and his family can run a small mechanized farm without impairing his industrial efficiency.
But the real beginning of this new era is in the new mechanization of all farms.
The Ford Tractor with Ferguson System was designed to eliminate the horse. Not to supplement, but to eliminate him because he is a waster of land and time, the primary wealth of the farmer.
A generation of tractor experience has proved that the horse cannot be eliminated simply by substituting a good machine in front of the same old implements.
So we threw overboard all the old ideas about pulling and controlling an implement in the noll, and developed a new principle of applying power in which the tractor and each basic implement are one operating unit. This principle is so efficient that this light tractor, using little fuel, will not only pull tools for which a heavy tractor has heretofore been necessary, but eliminates the need for the horse.
The Ford Tractor with Ferguson System is not just another tractor. It is a new SYSTEM of land cultivation.
It is the beginning of a new era of low-cost production on the farm.

The above article dated February 1941 is reproduced from “Farming Today” the magazine of the Ferguson Sherman Manufacturing Corporation, Dearborn, Michigan, U.S.A. – The words were very far reaching at the time – and so many are true today some 45 years later.


General Notes on Harry Ferguson

General Notes on Harry Ferguson

Only one invention in ten thousand succeeds.  The reason is that there is no plan behind the failures.

Harry Ferguson’s birthplace, with blue plaque. The house was originally covered in creeper. (Photograph John Hurrell)

Henry George “Harry” Ferguson was born at Growell, near Dromore, 4th November 1884. in County Down, Northern Ireland, the son of a farmer.  He was one of five brothers.  He died in 1960 at 76 years. Being born in 1884, a few months before Daimler and Benz invented their cars.

Harry Ferguson was hard working and a confirmed agnostic.  There was no free education in those days.  He was sent to the village school, but mainly self-educated i.e. no secondary schools or technical colleges.

Farms then used horses, scythes, hand milking.  He loved the country but thought farming was drudgery.  He saw ways of making farm work easier and more productive.

At sixteen he started his own workshop, 1900.  No one to teach us said Brother Joe.  No matter, said Harry we’ll teach ourselves by taking one or two to pieces.  They formed a company J.B. Ferguson, Automobile Engineers in Belfast in 1908.

Hands teach the brain.  Gothlieb Daimler was a baker’s son, self-taught man – first motor bike made by him.  Karl Benz – son of railway engine driver.  Brighton Run ‘Emancipation Run’ 39 cars.  Harry serviced this type of car in his garage.  But was more keen on motor cycles.

In those days very few people knew anything.  There was no training for mechanical work – service was unreliable.  Service was Harry’s key word, along with honesty and reliability.

His slogan – “Always the best and only the best”.

There were no instruction manuals.  He realised the great importance of clear instruction manuals i.e. communication.  Read the instruction book – golden rule.

He built and raced his own motor bike and car.

Principle – a man should never submit when he is convinced he is right.

The same should apply in business.

1909 Bleriot flew the channel.

Harry Ferguson built his own aeroplane and flew it in 5 months same year. First flight in Ireland

Severely injured in crash.

He married.  His wife tried a measure of control and guided and supported him in everything.

1914 Irish Dept. of Agriculture:  Tractor was replacing horses on a few farms.

Heavy tractors panned soil and tipped backwards.

Two horses can consume all that the farmer can grow on six acres, can be more, or as low as three acres minimum.

Agriculture is the most important industry in the world.  Yet it is the only industry still in places conducted by antiquated methods.  It still is in many countries.  The good earth must produce more than enough to keep the whole population well fed and content at prices people can afford to pay.

He could see a new principle was needed.

Flywheel energy – climb differential i.e. pinion can climb differential gear in a few seconds.

If farmer breaks an implement it is time not the cost that worries him – he must be able to get on when soil conditions are right or harvest at correct time.

Engines or machines must be strong and suitably designed.

The 1933 – 1st Ferguson Tractor weighed 16½ cwt.  Steel wheels.  Cost £230.00.  Ferguson system implement attachment was easy etc.  Control was from driver’s seat.

Ferguson-Brown Type A was introduced early summer 1936.

Sold 300,000 Tractors.  1 million implements.

1947 Henry Ford died 83 years.  His death spelt end for H Ferguson.

Grandson Ford terminated agreement (unwritten).

1946 Standard Motor Company.  No aeroplanes to make.  Empty factory.  Steel was short.  Agreed with Sir John Black (to refit their armaments factory at Banner Lane, Coventry).

By 1948 – 150 machines a day at Coventry were built.

Also built factory in Detroit still in use.

Law suit against Ford.  Principle.  9 million dollars awarded.

The principle was to protect rights and interest of small men and big company’s exploitation.

1952 Ford case cost 9 ¼ million dollars to Ford Company over a patent suit.

1953 amalgamated with Massey Harris.

March 1956 Half a Million Tractors had been made at Banner Lane (Farming Reporter, April 1956)

H.F. was in bed every night 9 p.m.  Notebook and pencil to hand.  He could be described as eccentric.

H.F. died at his home Abbotswood, Gloucestershire 25th October 1960, as the result of a barbiturate overdose; the inquest was unable to conclude whether this had been accidental or not.

Beauty in engineering is that which exactly fulfils its purpose and has no superfluous parts.

Refused knighthood twice.  Not for businessmen he said.

He was undoubtedly a genius.  But patient and stubborn and made his mark on the mother of all industries, agriculture – production of food upon which all life hinges.

Famous from Tibet to Antarctica (Hillary Tracks) South Pole.  Ferguson Tractor used to go to South Pole.

He insisted on being responsible even after warranty expired.

He would also stop in roads to see machines working in fields and if necessary get on the job himself to the amazement often of the farmer.

What is technology?  For example, an application of technology – for centuries Arabs burned camel dung while there was oil beneath their feet.  Technical skills enable progress often against prejudice and resistance to new ideas.

He was a great man.

Harry Ferguson Ltd. – Aims and Orders

Classification of breakdown and investigation of complaints.

Order of Investigation.

  1. Check Handling –
    Operator Instruction Book
    Correct Installation
  2. Manufacturer – Workmanship
  3. Design Faults
    In fault finding and checking, the design of machine is the most important thing of all.

The Product – Order           

  • Product Reliability (customer)
  • Product durability (service)
  • Product accessibility (service)

Sales will follow.

L0904 © Mike Thorne/KJM


The Ferguson System from Vol.1 No.1 & No.2

Reproduced from the Ferguson Club Journal No.1 Autumn 1986

The Club is pleased to reproduce over several issues The Ferguson Story as written by Michael Williams in his book British Tractors, Published by Blandford Press Ltd. Details of this book and similar publications are available from Blandford Press Ltd. Link House, West Street, Poole, Dorset.

THE FERGUSON SYSTEM

Most of the tractors in use throughout the world have features developed originally by Harry Ferguson. He and his team made an immense contribution to improving the efficiency of farm mechanization, and he also established a highly successful commercial empire.

The success story had a modest beginning on a farm in what is now Northern Ireland, where Harry Ferguson was born on 4th November 1884. The family farm at Growell, County Down, was about a hundred acres, larger than the average in the area but too small to provide more than a fairly simple home.

Living and working on the family farm probably helped Harry Ferguson in his later career, although the toil and routine of a farm worked with horses and manpower were not to his liking. Another factor in his childhood was the austerely religious way of life which his father imposed on the family, and against which Harry increasingly rebelled. Before his eighteenth birthday he decided to leave home to find a way of life away from the farm, He was offered an opportunity to join an elder brother in a garage business he was building up in Belfast. Harry welcomed the idea, which suited his interest in cars and engines.

The garage prospered and built up a good reputation, helped considerably by Harry’s talent for tuning the unreliable engines in use at that time. The business also benefited from his racing success with motor cycles, which was exploited to the full for publicity for the garage.

Another of his early talents, and an outlet for his mechanical aptitude, was aircraft design. When Ferguson first joined his brother’s business in 1902 they were operating on a tight budget. By 1908 there was sufficient money to finance Ferguson’s ambition to design and fly his own aircraft. After numerous failures he made his first flight in December 1909. This was the first time an aircraft had flown in Ireland, and Harry Ferguson was the first person in Britain to design, build and fly his own aircraft. More flights followed, and he might have considered making his career with aircraft, but in 1911 his energies were diverted to making a success of a garage business of his own after breaking away from his brother.

The new garage business included the agency for Vauxhall cars, and Harry Ferguson achieved a good deal of local publicity with Vauxhall on the racing track. Much later, in the 1920’s, he became a leading figure in the campaign to establish a major motor sport event in Northern Ireland. His influence and energy played an important part in starting the famous Ulster Tourist Trophy races in 1928. These attracted some of the most famous cars and drivers in the world to Northern Ireland, drawn by the prestige of the Ards circuit.

Harry Ferguson’s interest in farm mechanization developed during World War 1. Tractors had suddenly become important as the key to increasing food production, and the government launched a ploughing campaign to turn large areas of pasture into more productive arable land. Imported American tractors played a major part in the campaign and the Ferguson garage held the agency for the ‘Overtime’. This was the British name for one of the American imports, a sturdily built and reasonable reliable tractor which became popular in Britain.

Harry Ferguson relied on demonstrations to overcome some of the sales resistance to the tractor, and these were usually carried out with a plough. His activities with the Over­time were noticed by the Irish Board of Agriculture, and in 1917 he was asked to help to improve the standard of tractor operation on Irish farms. Many of the tractors were difficult to use, especially with inexperienced operators and with implements designed originally for use with horses. This work took Ferguson and a talented engineer from his garage who was called William Sands, to many farms where tractors were in use, where they explained and demonstrated how to get the best from the equipment.

What he saw on his travels convinced Ferguson that there must be a more efficient way to use tractor power in the field, and he set to work on the problem. His first approach was to design a plough with a low draft requirement, light in weight, and with an ingenious arrangement of springs to help the tractor driver to raise it out of work. The plough was designed to hitch so closely behind the tractor that depth wheels would not be needed. The plough hitch point was beneath the tractor and ahead of the rear axle, so that the pull on the plough helped to stabilize the tractor and improve the grip of the rear wheels.

With so much variation in tractor dimensions, draw bar positions and power, Ferguson decided to make the plough suitable for one make of tractor. He chose the ‘Eros’, which was a tractor conversion for the Ford Model T car. The kit was made by the E.G. Staude Manufacturing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, and was one of several conversion kits made for the Model T.

The plough went into production, to be sold as the ‘Belfast’. It attracted some interest and favourable comments on its unusual design, but it failed commercially because Henry Ford’s new Fordson tractors were arriving in large numbers from America. The Fordson put conversions of the Eros type out of business, and with them went the sales potential for the Ferguson plough.

A new plough was designed specifically for the Fordson. This version was also designed to work without a depth wheel. The hitch arrangement consisted of two sets of struts, arranged to keep the plough in work and also to transfer shock loadings on the plough as a downward force at the front of the tractor to prevent the danger of overturning. The struts were the forerunner of a three-point linkage, and were known as the Duplex hitch.

The new plough took Ferguson to the United States where he formed a joint company with the Sherman brothers of Evansville, New York State, to manufacture an improved version of the plough for the American market. Meanwhile development work on the hitch design continued, and in 1928 a hydraulic system for operating the draft control principle was tried as an alternative to a mechanical design. In the same year it was announced that production of Fordson tractors would be transferred from America to Ireland, and this led to the collapse of the Ferguson-Sherman plough business in America.

Fortunately Ferguson was strong enough financially to survive the American setback, and to continue his development work. The Duplex hitch was replaced by a series of experimental arrangements of converging links and systems of three linkage points.

With the Ferguson System on the way towards completion efforts were made to find a manufacturer to put it into production. In his book Harry Ferguson Inventor and Pioneer (published by John Murray) Colin Fraser cites some unexpected names among the companies which were possible partners for Ferguson at that stage. Some of the ship­building companies in Northern Ireland were approached, because they had the spare capacity at the time and because of Harry Ferguson’s hope of building the tractor in Ulster. In America Allis-Chalmers took out an option on some of Ferguson’s patents, and in Britain the Rover car company looked closely at the Ferguson System as a possible way into the tractor market. Ransomes and Rapier of Ipswich and the Rushton tractor company also showed interest, as did Morris Motors of Oxford.

As more companies proved unwilling or unable to find the resources to put the Ferguson ideas into production, it became clear that the advantages would have to be demonstrated. In order to carry out a demonstration, a tractor incorporating the Ferguson patents was designed and built by the team, and was finished in 1933 with a coat of gloss black paint. It became known as the ‘Black Tractor’, and deserves its place in the Science Museum, London, as the tractor which brought the Ferguson System into the world.

The Ferguson Black Tractor – now preserved in the Science Museum, London

The Black Tractor was powered by a Hercules engine from America, producing 18 hp. At the rear of the tractor was an almost complete Ferguson System, with the linkage in its now familiar arrangement of single upper point and two lower arms. The single top arm of the linkage was used, after some trial and error, to actuate the hydraulics of the draft control system using compression forces coming up from the implement.

Some of the components for the Black Tractor, including the gears, were supplied by the David Brown company of Huddersfield. This established a contact between Harry Ferguson and the company, which led in 1935 to the manufacturing agreement Ferguson had been seeking. The manufacturer was David Brown Tractors, which occupied space in premises belonging to the gear company. The marketing company was controlled by Harry Ferguson and his backers. The product was a Ferguson tractor, often referred to as the ‘Ferguson-Brown.
Ferguson Tractors in the David Brown assembly plant in 1937

New Ferguson tractors started to arrive at the end of the Huddersfield production line in 1936. Demonstrations, organized with the precise Ferguson eye for detail, were arranged to show the advantages of the tractor, but sales were slow. There was resistance to the price, which at £224 was almost twice the cost of a Fordson. To buy a Ferguson meant additional expense for the special implements required, whereas a Fordson would probably suit the existing equipment on the farm.

The paint finish for the tractors was grey, and this remained the standard colour for Ferguson tractors until the Massey- Harris red took over. Styling was obviously based on the Black Tractor, but in the production model the engines were an 18-20 hp. Coventry Climax E in the first five hundred tractors, and a David Brown engine of 2010 cc for the rest of the production run. The gear box had three forward ratios and a reverse.

In order to encourage sales a special training school was set up by Harry Ferguson, The aim was to improve the standards of servicing and operation of the tractors to en­sure that their performance was up to standard.

As the sales position remained disappointing relations between the Ferguson team and those at David Brown began to deteriorate. The tractor sold reasonably well in parts of Scandinavia and in Scotland, where its special advantages were most useful, but in spite of this stocks of unsold tractors began to accumulate at the factory, bringing cash-flow problems. There was some argument about teething troubles on the design and manu­facture of the tractors, and disagreement between David Brown and Ferguson over changing the design.

David Brown (now Sir David) believed a more powerful engine and a fourth forward ratio in the gearbox would help to make the tractor more saleable. Ferguson, who found it hard to work harmoniously with any of his business partners, insisted that his original design was right and refused to agree to any changes.

Relations became even more strained after David Brown announced that he was briefing a design team from his company staff to work out the details for a tractor incorporating the improvements he considered necessary. Then in 1938 Harry Ferguson arranged to send a Ferguson tractor and implements to the United States. Through Eber Sherman, his former business partner in America, contact had been re-established with Henry Ford, and the tractor on its way to America was to be demonstrated to him.

The demonstration took place in Autumn 1938, apparently without the knowledge of David Brown. The ‘Ferguson Brown’ showed its advantages, under the supervision of Harry Ferguson and Ford was suitably impressed. That same day Ferguson and Ford shook hands on an agreement to work together to produce a new Ferguson System tractor. The agreement, involving millions of dollars of Ford money and the patents which were Ferguson’s life’s work, were never witnessed or written down.

Ferguson-Brown Tractor

Technical Notes: Ferguson Brown Tractor V1. No.1

Text reproduced from the Ferguson Club Journal Volume 1. No. 1 Autumn 1986.


THE FERGUSON SYSTEM Volume 1 No.2,  Continued from Volume 1 No 1

Meanwhile back in Yorkshire the partnership between David Brown and Harry Ferguson ended in January 1939 in complete discord. Fortunately for the David Brown company – and for the future of the British tractor industry – the David Brown plans for a new tractor with more power were already well advanced, and in spite of some disappoint­ments with the old Ferguson tractor, David Brown decided to stay in the tractor business after the break with Ferguson.

The new David Brown tractor – the first to carry the company’s name – was launched in July 1939. The new Ford tractor, resulting from the agreement with Ferguson, was launched at the end of June 1939 in America. The Ford tractor was called the 9N, the David Brown was the V AK 1.

Although the 9N was a Ferguson System tractor it was completely different in design and styling to the Ferguson-Brown. It is an extraordinary tribute to Henry Ford, and the re­sources he controlled, that only eight months passed between the first Ferguson-Brown demonstration in America, and the huge public demonstration of the new 9N.

Ferguson/Ford 9N, Coldridge Collection

Harry Ferguson and Henry Ford both shared a conviction that the new tractor had a vital role to play in the mechanization of world farming. This was to be a major contribution to improving the efficiency of food production and raising the living standards of farmers. To help achieve this objective the price of the 9N was to be kept within the financial reach of as many farmers as possible.

Production of the 9N tractor continued through the war years, with output rising in several years above the 40,000 mark, and the tractor made a big impact in the American market. Meanwhile in Britain Ferguson was again making determined efforts to find a manufacturer to make a tractor to his design. He had expected that the British end of the Ford empire would be ready to adopt his ideas, but this did not materialize. The Fordson tractor was in volume production and was well accepted by British farmers, It would have been difficult to introduce a new model under wartime conditions, and there is little evidence that the directors of Ford in England were enthusiastic about Ferguson or his ideas.

Since Ford – his first hope for a British partner – was a non-starter as far as any deal was concerned, Harry Ferguson looked for an alternative. His search ended soon after the war when reached an agreement with Sir John Black, then managing director of the Standard Motor Company, to manufacture a new tractor in Coventry. The Standard Company, now absorbed anonymously into the British Leyland organization, had spare factory capacity available at Banner. Lane, where the company had been producing air­craft engines for the war effort.

Ferguson’s determination and high-level contacts won through in the campaign to obtain steel allocations for the new tractor, and also the release of scarce dollars to pay for an American engine until a British alternative became available.

The legal proceedings were complicated by the informal nature of the original handshake agreement on which the tractor production and marketing arrangements had been based. They were also prolonged by Ferguson’s unwillingness to accept an out-of-court settlement. The proceedings dragged on for more than four years, during which Ferguson tended to gain public sympathy as the (relatively) small businessman confronted by the vast Ford organization. At the same time there was strong demand for tractors, and Ferguson’s business interests appeared to be prospering as production of the ‘Fergie’ increased. This was hardly helpful to his claim to have been so seriously damaged by the formation of Dearborn Motors.

Harry Ferguson eventually agreed to a settlement in 1952. He accepted a judgment for payment of $9.25 million by Ford to cover the royalties on his patents, plus an agree­ment by Ford to stop using some patented features on the 8N. The claim for compen­sation for damages to his company by the changed tractor marketing arrangements was dismissed. The verdict was not the great victory Ferguson had hoped for, although it was interpreted as such. The net amount received by Ferguson and his interests was fairly modest after legal costs, amounting to more than $3 million, had been paid.

The former farm boy from Ireland now owned a Rolls-Royce and a magnificent country house in the Cotswolds. The Ferguson System was making a significant contribution to the efficiency of farm mechanization, and the advantages of the ideas Ferguson had worked so hard to develop and promote were no longer in doubt. The rewards Ferguson earned from the commercial development of his ideas were considerable, but they might easily have been much greater. One of the limiting factors on the profits earned by his companies was Harry Ferguson’s policy of holding down his selling prices in a personal campaign to check inflation. This was a cause he believed in and promoted with great enthusiasm and little support. He applied the principles to his own business and he en­couraged others to follow his example. He paid for advertising space in the national press to explain his views, and wrote numerous letters to politicians in an attempt to obtain government support. He also provided a substantial cash prize to be awarded for the best contribution to putting his ideas into practice.

The Ferguson formula for economic reform was to introduce a policy of price reduction. This was the key to breaking the spirals of cost and wage inflation. With prices no longer increasing, wages could be pegged so that increased income could be achieved only through promotion of higher productivity. Profits must also be restricted, with excess profits being invested for improved efficiency.

In the years around 1950, when the Ferguson economic theories were promoted most vigorously, Britain was struggling with an annual inflation rate of’ about 5 per cent. Ferguson predicted that the rate of inflation would increase disastrously if it was not brought under control by the method he advocated, and the result would be serious unemployment and encouragement to the spread of Communism. Since then, as successive governments have failed to cope with inflation, Ferguson’s credo has not been disproved, and his assessment appears increasingly relevant.

Soon after the lawsuit with the Ford organization had ended Harry Ferguson entered the final phase of his career as a leading figure in the world tractor industry. The new venture appears to have developed after his American company, based in Detroit, face increasing financial difficulties.

By the end of 1946 the first of the famous TE20 Fergusons were emerging from the Banner Lane production line. They were powered by a Continental engine imported from America, which was an overhead-valve design developing 23.9 belt hp as a maximum, but rated at 20.3 bhp. The engine capacity was 1966 cc, with four cylinders, operating on petrol. Importing this engine had been a controversial move, given official approval only because the expenditure of dollars involved would help to get the Ferguson tractor into production and into export markets more quickly. The replacement engine from Standard became available in 1948, and this was also a four cylinder design, developing about the same power at the Continental, but with slightly smaller capacity at 1850 cc.

Ferguson TE20 Continental, Coldridge Collection

Much of the design of the new tractor was obviously influenced by the Ford 9N, but the TE20 used a gearbox with four forward ratios, instead of the three Ferguson had chosen for the 9N and the old Ferguson-Brown tractors.

The launch of the TE tractor in England was good news for Ferguson, but 1946 also brought him bad news from America, where his agreement with Ford over the 9N tractor was beginning to crumble. Henry Ford II, now in charge of the huge company, was not satisfied with the old marketing arrangement which allowed Ferguson control over the tractor marketing organization. By the end of 1946 the discontent of the Ford side was becoming obvious, and it led to a new company being formed by Ford to take over the tractor marketing. This new arrangement was to become effective in July 1947, when the Ferguson organization in America would no longer have a tractor to handle.

July 1947, dealt a further blow to the Ferguson interest when Ford announced a new tractor, the 8N, to replace the 9N which went out of production. The new tractor, designed by Ford engineers, was equipped with a full Ferguson System linkage and hydraulics. The tractor was based on its predecessor, with similar styling, but the old three-speed gearbox was replaced with a new box giving four ratios and a reverse.

One of the results of these developments was a crisis for Ferguson’s American company, as the dealers they once supplied signed up with the new Ford marketing company, called Dearborn Motors. Efforts were made to find a factory and some financial backing to enable Ferguson System tractors to go into production in America under Ferguson’s control. Eventually production of an American version of the TE20 was arranged in a factory in Detroit. This tractor known as the T020, used Continental engines similar to those which had been imported to start the TE production line in Coventry. Later an improved version, the T030, was introduced from the Detroit factory, and sales topped 30,000 units in 1951 and in 1952. In both years total production of Fergusons in Coventry and Detroit exceeded 100,000 tractors.

Another result of the action by the Ford Company was the famous lawsuit in which Harry Ferguson and his companies claimed damages from the Ford Motor Company amounting to $251,000,000. This sum was later increased by a further $90,000,000. Part of the claim was for -compensation for the alleged damage to Ferguson’s interest by the changed distribution arrangements. There was also ·a claim for compensation for what Ferguson alleged was the unauthorized use of his patents in the new 8N tractor.

The answer to the American problem, Ferguson decided, would be to interest Massey­Harris in taking over the Detroit company, Massey-Harris, a Canadian based company, seemed a logical suitor for several reasons. There was already an established contact between Massey-Harris and Ferguson, and although the Canadian company had a highly successful product ranle in farm machinery, this was not matched by their tractors. Massey-Harris had the resources to buy and revitalise the American Ferguson business. the Ferguson business would give them the successful tractors they lacked.

This approach in 1953, failed. The Massey-Harris board decided that the ailing Detroit company on its own could be of only limited value to their international business in­terests. However, it made both sides conscious of the possibilities of some more fundamental link, and an opportunity to discuss this occurred later in 1953 when the Massey-Harris president, James Duncan, visited England to see a demonstration of a new prototype Ferguson tractor.

During this visit Ferguson began the negotiations which provided the basis for a link between the two companies. Agreement was reached for Massey-Harris to buy Fergusons’ interest in his companies for $16 million. Payment was in Massey-Harris shares, and Harry Ferguson became the largest single shareholder in the new group. The agreement provided Ferguson with the honorary position of chairman of the new company, with some executive responsibility for major engineering decisions. It was also agreed that the Ferguson name would be perpetuated in the new company, which was to be called Massey-Harris-Ferguson. This was later shortened to Massey-Ferguson.

The new organization was a logical union of different strengths, but a difficult settling-in period was to elapse before the benefits began to show. During this time important and difficult decisions had to be taken, and as usual Harry Ferguson had strong views which he promoted vigorously. The situation began to deteriorate, and there was probably a serious danger that a rift between Harry Ferguson and the M-H-F board might have soured the already difficult relationships between former Ferguson employees and their Massey-­Harris colleagues. Matters came to a head when Harry Ferguson threatened to resign and to sell his shares in the company. The M-H-F board decided to accept his resignation and to arrange for his shares to be purchased.

In practical terms, that was the end of Harry Ferguson as an active force in the tractor world. But it was certainly not the end of Ferguson as a man of energy and ambition. He turned his attention and his resources to development work for the motor industry. In his company, Harry Ferguson Research Ltd. he had build a strong team to carry out engineering research.

At one stage he seriously considered making a return to tractor development. He believed that the FE35 – the first new tractor launched by Massey-Ferguson – had broken away from his original philosophy of simplicity and economical, functional design. He talked of a new Ferguson tractor which would be based on his ideals, and would continue his ambition to bring the Ferguson System to as many farmers as possible.

The new tractor never materialized, and the response from the car industry to the developments he had produced was disappointing. Harry Ferguson was facing problems of failing health and he could no longer rely on the vigour and forcefulness which helped him to build a commercial empire.

Harry Ferguson died in October 1960. His record of achievement in the tractor industry would be hard to equal, and the evidence of his achievements is to be found on most of the world’s tractors.

Concluded from the Ferguson Club Journal Volume 1. No. 2 Winter 1986/7.

“The Club is pleased to reproduce over several issues The Ferguson Story as written by Michael Williams in his book British Tractors, Published by Blandford Press Ltd. Details of this book and similar publications are available from Blandford Press Ltd. Link House, West Street, Poole, Dorset”


The Ferguson System from Vol.6 No.2 1993

The Ferguson System: Reproduced from the Ferguson Club Journal Vol.6 No.2 (No.18) 1993
A brief history of the development 1917 to 1964 by G Field

Forward
Nearly a thousand people have joined the Ferguson Club since we published an account of Ferguson tractors and the Ferguson System. (Vol.1 No.1, Autumn 1986).

The Ferguson Club receives many enquiries and comments which show an enormous in­terest and, at the same time, much misunderstanding of basic Ferguson System prin­ciples. To our many new members we hope the following article will foster greater inter­est and understanding of your machines and help to explain why Ferguson tractors are so important to agricultural history and mechanisation.

The author is a professional fruit grower and arable farmer. Born during the Second World War, he grew up riding tractors from the age of three in the days when such prac­tice was legal. His first seat was the tool box on the dash of a Fordson ‘N’ ‘Standard’ where hundreds of hours were spent until he was grown sufficiently to control the tractor himself. The first Ferguson TE came in 1947, replacing an Allis Chalmers WF, but it was a year or two before he was allowed to drive it.

His subsequent career with tractors has covered approximately 25,000 hours of com­mercial operation. Over 70 different models from over 20 different makes over two continents have been used on practically every task from tobacco to pigs, land reclama­tion to construction sites, all types of field. livestock, orchard and horticultural opera­tions. Mini tractors, giants, crawlers, ‘one-offs’ and ‘system’ tractors have all made their contribution in addition to Fergusons.

This experience, combined with a fascination for tractor operating systems and espe­cially hydraulics, has led to an acute appreciation of those who developed these sys­tems. Harry Ferguson is by far the most important single contributor and the admiration and affection for his tractors throughout the world are ample testimony to that.

The author at home with what is believed to be the only surviving example of the first series Ferguson plough circa 1917 (the black stand is one Mr Field made to allow the hitch to be demonstrated without a suitable tractor). This version is a modification of the first hitch used on the Eros tractor and replacing a more complicated hitch initially proposed for use with tractors such as the Fordson ‘F’ or similar types. Photo: G Field

THE FERGUSON SYSTEM

HARRY FERGUSON (1884-1960)

For those to whom farming technology is a lifelong fascination, it is evident that a very large proportion of the successful inventions and innovations come from farmers and their families, Their inspiration has allowed staggering gains to be made in the quest to gain greater productivity from the land. From Jethro Tull and his seed drill in the late 1700s through to today’s highly sophisticated electronics and machines, much of the original thought has emanated from farmers. There is one man however to whom mechanised agriculture owes its biggest single debt – Harry Ferguson.

 Born on a farm in County Down, Northern Ireland, it is said he greatly disliked the drudgery of farm work and, by the autumn of 1902, had decided to emigrate to Canada. However his elder brother Joe dissuaded him by asking Harry to work for him in his business in Belfast where they sold and serviced cars and motor cycles. From the start Harry Ferguson’s mechani­cal bent was apparent and the new ap­prentice quickly displayed a natural talent for tuning engines to a fine degree.

These talents led to motor racing and motor cycle trials with considerable suc­cess. Aviation caught his imagination and in 1908 he set about building his own aeroplane succeeding, on the last day of the following year, in becoming the second Briton ever to build and fly his own machine. It was also the first flight in Ireland.

As a result of the First World War Harry Ferguson, who in 1911 had established his own business in Belfast known as May Street Motors (later Harry Ferguson Ltd), took on the agency for an American trac­tor called the Waterloo Boy (Overtime in Britain). The war brought with it the threat of food shortages. Tractors were in­creasingly used to replace horses drafted into the army for transport. Harry Fer­guson, along with his assistant Willy Sands. displayed considerable skill with tractors, so much so that they caught the attention of the Irish Board of Agriculture. The Board asked him to instruct tractor users so as to make the very best use of scarce machinery by visiting individual farmers and, in addition, giving demonstrations throughout Ireland.

So it was that Harry Ferguson “returned to farming”, but this time on his own terms. It was the start of a long and tortuous road that would lead to his becoming a mil­lionaire producer of tractors and farm machinery, a crusader extraordinaire with a mission to improve the lot of the world’s farmers.

His tractor became a world best seller ful­filling the promise given to the then government that the Ferguson System would make a sustained and valuable con­tribution to Britain’s foreign exchange earnings. That promise has led, it is es­timated. to over one billion pounds of ex­ports to date. Massey-Ferguson con­tinues to be the world’s top selling make, still firmly based on the Ferguson System.

The Ferguson System

The revolutionary principles contained and perfected in the Ferguson System remain unmatched the world over. So profound has their influence been on tractor design over the last sixty years that at least 85% of all farm tractors now produced in the world by all manufacturers are based on his unique ideas.

At the time Harry Ferguson grew up and went into business, the revolution in farm mechanisation, brought about by the ap­plication of the internal combustion engine to the land, was still in its infancy. To a man of his inventive ability the slight stat­ure, the cumbersome machines and imple­ments of the time proved a compelling challenge.

Not only were tractors costly, they were heavy, difficult to handle and potentially dangerous. But to Harry Ferguson their greatest drawback was that most imple­ments were simply trailed behind, working against rather than with the tractor, separate rather than integrated as a single unit.

From his initial plough trials in 1917 it took Harry Ferguson just two years to design a two point linkage that laid the foundations of the ultimate Ferguson three point linkage. The Ferguson two point hitch (later referred to as the Duplex hitch) es­tablished the basic principle of all subse­quent Ferguson linkages, namely the con­cept of a ‘virtual hitch-point’. This prin­ciple has been copied by all manufacturers ever since. It allows the line of draft of an integrally coupled implement to be at a position other than that of its actual con­nections. The 1919 Ferguson hitch, with its single top and bottom links, enabled his own Ferguson plough to become a unit (or integral to the tractor), pulled as if its point of hitch was near ground level under the centre of the tractor, as well as enabling it to be raised and lowered from the seat with a spring assisted lift. The ingenious geometry of the Ferguson system allowed a lightweight implement to gain penetration without built-in weight and in addition the 1919 linkage gave some relief to tractor and plough on striking a hidden obstruc­tion. The top link also applied a downward force on the tractor’s front end, thus enhancing steering while entirely preventing the tractor from rearing over backwards.
The revolutionary 1919 Ferguson hitch that laid the foundation for the modern 3 point linkage. The line of draft extends from A: (the virtual hitch-point) to D’, thus tending to pull the plough Into the ground. he Implement IS not rigid to the tractor because the links can freely pivot at each end (float). Hitchlng is sImply by the two pins, one onto normal drawbar or plate and the other directly above on a Ferguson plate furnished with each plough. This system was later referred to as the Ferguson Duplex’ hitch.

From 1919 to 1925 the Ferguson linkage underwent further refinement, automatic depth control without wheels being Harry Ferguson’s ultimate aim. It was this re­quirement that brought Harry Ferguson, in 1925, to achieve a second crucially im­portant invention, draft control. This is the principle whereby the depth of an implement is automatically regulated by reference to the effort (draft) needed to pull it through the soil. It complemented the ‘virtual hitch-point’ invention exactly. This Ferguson invention is the basis of all modern tractor hydraulic systems throughout the world.

Various methods of depth control were tried. By 1923 the ingenious ‘slipper’ arrangement seen here was used. Placed In the rear furrow and connected through rods and pivots to the cross-shaft, a constant depth was maintained while still allowing the plough to float and not lose weight to a depth wheel. Drawings Harry Ferguson Ltd.

However it took a further four years to complete the basic elements of what we now simply call ‘three point linkage’. The Ferguson two point hitch, or Ferguson Duplex Hitch, was not ideal for the wide variety of different implements Harry Fer­guson always had in mind, mainly due to its lack of torsional stability and slightly adverse steering characteristics. A third link was added, initially retaining the single bottom link but soon to be ‘upended’ to two bottom links and one top link. The lower link draft sensing of the 1925 design was retained, operated by hydraulics using a continuous flow pump. The Ferguson ‘vir­tual hitch-point’ principle was applied to the two new double lower links by arranging for their line of pull to converge at or near the centre of the front axle. This allowed an implement to follow the front wheels, thus completing the major principles of the modern three point linkage.
By 1925 a patent application for Ferguson automatic ‘draft’ control had been made. Work continued on both draft control and the linkage, The single top link of the Duplex’ hitch was replaced by two links, universally jointed at both ends and arranged so that if their Iines of draft are projected forward. they converge near the front of the tractor forming a ‘virtual hitch-point’. This results in the implement following the tractor’s front wheels when In work. This illustration shows this linkage in use with a very early Ferguson cultivator circa 1927/28. A single vertical hydraulic ram can be seen which was automatically controlled by draft sensing from the lower link. This was the world’s first automatic draft sensing three pint linkage system, The continuous flow pump was driven from the tractor’s final worm gear drive shaft and was therefore only operational when moving. Ulster Transport Museum.

Lacking success in finding a manufacturer for his system, Harry Ferguson decided to build his own tractor incorporating all his designs to date. Work started in his Bel­fast works in 1932 and in 1933 the first all Ferguson tractor, incorporating the Ferguson System, came into being. This tractor, now on loan to the Science Museum in London, was called the Fer­guson ‘Black’.

After further development. the linkage was ‘upended’ o one top and two lower links but still using lower link sensing, Another invention ensured that while in work the implement was allowed to move sideways sufficiently to follow the steering, but held centrally when fully raised on the linkage, The first Ferguson prototype. seen here at Fletchhampstead. used this system. Known as the ‘Black’ tractor. it was also the first to have ‘suction side’ control. The draft sensing system was changed during trials from lower link to top link, It would not be until the 1960s that Ferguson (by then Massey-Ferguson) would use lower link sensing again, (Note the :4′ at right. This is ‘A’ #1, now at Banner Lane) Photo,’ Harry Ferguson Ltd

By any standards it was revolutionary. At only 16.4 cwt with an 18 hp Hercules engine it could plough with two 10 inch fur- rows or operate other Ferguson imple­ments with ease. These could be at­tached or detached in less than a minute and the driver could control the raising, lowering and set the depth of any Fer­guson implement by the touch of a finger, without effort and from the seat.

This tractive performance is made possible by the use the Ferguson System makes of the weight of the implement, plus the weight of the soil on it and plus the natural tendency of the Ferguson linkage to draw the implement deeper into the ground. These three forces, carried by the Fer­guson System linkage, add up to con­siderable weight, all of which is trans­ferred to the rear wheels of the tractor. At the same time, the top link, by resist­ing the natural tendency of the implement to ‘rotate’ in a forward direction about its two lower hitch points, keeps the front wheels firmly on the ground.

These revolutionary Ferguson develop­ments made possible traction without ex­cess built in weight; allowed lighter and simpler machines that made more efficient use of resources and an attachment sys­tem that enabled an ease of attachment, control and safety that has stood the test of over half a century’s use, The Fer­guson System has made tractors the everyday, all purpose machines everyone today accepts as normal.

Harry Ferguson’s system provided the breakthrough needed to spawn most of the agricultural mechanisation techniques seen today throughout the world.

Ferguson Tractor Production History

Having evolved the basis of his system and built a successful prototype, Harry Ferguson set about refining the machine and preparing for production. A new sales company was formed, Harry Fer­guson Ltd, the Belfast Motor Company becoming Harry Ferguson (Motors) Ltd.

1936
Many potential manufacturers expressed an interest in the early 1930s but the first firm to build the Ferguson tractor for Harry Ferguson was David Brown. Already well known for their gear making skills (they had supplied Harry Ferguson with such parts for the ‘Black’ tractor), David Brown (under a new company, David Brown Tractors) agreed to make the tractor at their Park works, Lockwood, Hud­dersfield in Yorkshire. Essentially this tractor was the same as the developed version of the ‘Black’ but used a Coventry Climax engine of about 20 hp. It retained the patented Ferguson final reduction gear of the ‘Black’ which did not allow the fitting of an engine driven power take-off shaft although a PTO central to the three point linkage had been shown as early as 1933, but driven from the final drive (ie ground speed PTO).

One other key development that had been fitted to the ‘Black’ tractor and now on the new Ferguson tractor (designated Fer­guson Model A) was an ingenious control valve for the draft control. This valve, placed on the suction side of the pump, was to become the heart of every Fer­guson tractor from then on. It is still in production today (1993) in all tractors from Massey-Ferguson’s Banner Lane factory. Other features on the A were steering brakes, three forward gears and one reverse, nine gallon tank and two reserves, all in a tractor weighing in at 1848 Ibs.

Harry Ferguson concentrating on one of his favourite pastimes – demonstrating his tractors to an interested audience. He was a master demonstrator – second to none. Photo: Harry Ferguson Ltd

 The world’s first production tractor with full automatic draft control and three point linkage undergoing trials in 1936 using a prototype inter-row hoe. Driver is John Chambers, now honorary vice-president of the Ferguson Club. Location not known yet. Note the row followers and the new Ferguson System patent wheels set out to the widest track of 54 inches. The front wheels used the same method of track adjustment, a system David Brown later continued to use for many years up to all tractors before the DB 900 in the late 1950s. Photo.D Bull

A novel new Ferguson method of altering wheel widths (sometimes called the in­cremental system) became available on the rubber tyred version. Whereas the steel wheels could be changed to just two track widths of 48 inches and 51 inches, the rubber tyred wheels (9-22 size) could be changed by reversing the rim to the disc to give 45, 48, 51 and 54 inches.

This method was to be used on all subse­quent Fergusons (including the Ford-Fer­guson) and, in due course, the majority of other makes,

The new sales company, Harry Ferguson Ltd, marketed the new tractor with, initially, four implements, all priced at £26 each:

  • 10 inch two furrow plough
  • 3 row ridger
  • 7 tine tiller with Ferguson patented spring loaded back-break tines

.9 tine general purpose and/or row crop cultivator

All field adjustments for tractor and imple­ments could be carried out with just one spanner, the famous Ferguson spanner, A 10 inch open-ended wrench, marked off in inches, this spanner was part of Harry Ferguson’s policy of using just two nut and bolt sizes wherever possible, a policy adhered to for nearly the next thirty years,

Sales however were slow due to the depressed state of the economy in the 1930s and also due to the novelty and perhaps the cost of the implements on top of a tractor that itself was dearer than the best selling British tractor of that time, the Dagenham built Fordson ,

1937
During the summer of 1937 the sales com­pany, Harry Ferguson Ltd, merged with David Brown Tractors to become Fer­guson-Brown Ltd with Harry Ferguson and Mr David Brown becoming joint managing directors, Various improvements had been made to engine and other parts plus a PTO/belt pulley conversion unit being of­fered along with a developed range of implements,

By November 1937 Harry Ferguson in Belfast had designed a major improvement to his tractor, dispensing with the ‘Black/ A’ internally toothed ring gear reduction and incorporating a constant running lay shaft in the gear box, This al­lowed an engine driven PTO to be fitted and the hydraulic pump and PTO therefore could be driven whether or not the tractor was in gear, The pump was shown either fitted to the constant running lay shaft direct (as for example on the M-F 35 or 65), or fitted to the PTO behind a ‘dog’ clutch as on the later Ford-Ferguson or TE/TO series tractors, In fact all subse­quent Ferguson tractors incorporated these 1937 improvements, right up to today, It was not however used on any of the David Brown built Fergusons .

1938

Ferguson ‘A’ #722 in the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn. Michigan USA, This is the tractor Harry Ferguson used to demonstrate his technology to Henry Ford in October 1938, Photo: Graham Walsh

In October 1938 Harry Ferguson took tractor #722 with implements to the USA, There is no doubt that although the#722 was a standard production tractor, Harry Ferguson already intended that any new tractor would incorporate all of the fea­tures of his transmission improvements, as outlined above, plus others that they had in hand at the time, An American, Eber Sherman, who had manufactured the Ferguson plough with Duplex hitch in the 1920s, arranged for Harry Ferguson to demonstrate his tractor and implements to Henry Ford senior, So impressed was Ford that he and Harry Ferguson con­cluded a deal with a simple handshake, a gentlemen’s agreement, In essence, the agreement was that Ford would manufac­ture for Harry Ferguson a tractor incor­porating all the latest Ferguson inventions and designs.

Harry Ferguson returned to England leav­ing the tractor at the Ford Airport Building in Dearborn, Ford built two prototype tractors incorporating some of the Fer­guson inventions but these machines proved entirely unsatisfactory and were discarded, Progress was made, however, when in February 1939 Harry Ferguson and his small team of engineers returned to Dearborn and under their su­pervision work resumed on another new prototype, designated the 9N ,

1939
In January, the agreement between Harry Ferguson and David Brown was ter­minated, the company reverting to David Brown Tractors Ltd with the latter continu­ing to sell the Ferguson A through 1939 and to provide after sales service, David Brown Tractors Ltd continued developing their own tractor, launching it in July 1939,

Unpublished photograph of Harry Ferguson introducing his new Ferguson System Ford built tractor at the worldwide launch on 29th June 1939 in America, These early 9Ns were fitted with 8×32 tyres. Ferguson rigid tine cultivator being displayed here, Henry Ford lower left. Photo,’G Field

Meanwhile by April, back in the USA, field tests with the new Ferguson made by Ford were well under way and on the 27th of that month a pUblic announcement was made of the Ford/Ferguson arrangement and the impending revolutionary (to the US market) new tractor,

The 9N was demonstrated to the trade on 12th June and to an invited audience of 500 from all over the world on 29th June 1939, The 9N incorporated all of the Ferguson tractor patents to date and was the first production machine to incorporate the Ferguson constant running lay shaft driving the Ferguson System pump on the PTO as in the 1937 patent outlined above,

Other new Ferguson features were an in­genious method of adjusting the new rowcrop front axle with a new double drag link steering box to supplement the Fer­guson rear wheel system that had been used on the A but improved by dishing the rear wheel disc to allow double the number of wheel settings, ie 8 settings from 48 to 76 inches instead of four, The increments were increased from 3 inches to 4 inches,

Steering brakes, 14 inch fully energizing type, were fitted as on the Ferguson A but now with a separate clutch pedal, Tyres were initially 8-32 rear and 4,00-19 single rib fronts, 8-32s proved unsatis­factory and Mr Firestone, a friend of Henry Ford, had a new tyre developed especially for the 9N, the 10-28,

Ford production engineers got the new tractor on line in record time , applying the very latest production line techniques, To ensure speed, Harry Ferguson had to ac­cept a Ford side valve engine whereas he would have preferred an overhead valve unit, Every effort was made to use stock items where at all possible, The gearbox was similar to the old A but the rear drive line, PTO and hydraulic assembly were as drawn in the 1937 Ferguson patent 510352, So was the linkage, draft con­trol, hydraulic pump and linkage drawbar . the latter retaining the 11 holes,

The engine featured renewable hardened steel cylinder liners, full length water jackets, cast steel pistons, chrome­nickel valves with tungsten steel valve in­serts, fully pressurised engine lubricating system and other advanced engineering, A centrifugal water pump, self sealing and prelubricated, an automatic governor, coil ignition combined with distributor, oil bath air cleaner, silencer and ignition key and lock were among other features,

The new tractor developed a stated maxi­mum 23,87 belt horsepower at 2200 rpm from its 119, 7 cu ins (6: 1 comp ratio) on petrol only, A TVO version. the 9NAN , was made later for the UK market where the tractors did sterling service during World War II,

A sheet metal ‘styled’ bonnet was used as was the vogue at that time, with rear wheel wings similar to those used on the type A, A service panel allowed access to battery and fuel tank while a modern type dash displayed instruments, Self starter was standard with 6 volt electrics , At #12,500, in early 1940, a safety device was fitted to prevent starting the engine while the tractor was in gear, Some prototypes were fitted with a plastic pan seat made of material from Ford’s soybean research unit, 50 years ahead of its time!

A remarkable coincidence came about last year when our representative in Germany, Hartmut Lindner, sent the Ferguson Club a copy of the certificate illustrated above. A Ferguson dealer from the next village to his has this certificate, issued to a Mr G Krienm, on his wall. It so happens that I have a photograph of a class at the old Ferguson School, also of German students in 1951, on which Mr Kreim (standing fourth from right) appears. Although there is a slight difference in the spelling, the dates are the same. I am nearly certain it must be the same person. Is that so, and is Mr Krienm or Kreim still alive?

As with the A, tractors were painted grey. All frequently used nuts could be serviced with the Ferguson System span­ner in common with the implements. However the jaw sizes were very slightly reduced from the earlier Ferguson spanner in order to standardise on American nuts and bolts. All later Ferguson spanners, both in the US and UK, retained these sizes.

The new 9N tractor, with all its unique Ferguson features, was a sensation and quickly established itself with sales to challenge market leaders I-H, Allis Chal­mers and John Deere. Production con­tinued until 1947 at which point over 306,000 tractors had been manufac­tured .

1944/45
It had always been the intention of Harry Ferguson that his tractor would continue to be manufactured in Britain for world markets outside continental America. Indeed he had hoped that Ford would un­dertake production at Dagenham as they had in Dearborn. This was not to be. The search was on for another manufac­turer. Another possible venue close to Harry Ferguson’s heart was to produce his tractor in Northern Ireland. This was not to be either.

Meanwhile, development of the Ferguson products continued in Belfast and the USA, both on tractor and implement design. The most important of these was a new four speed and one reserve gear box. This featured helically cut constant mesh gears ensuring an unusual lack of noise. A novel feature was the sa fety start system whereby, instead of the gear having to be in neutral before the starter could be operated (as on most 9Ns), the gear lever itself was used to operate the switch.

The steering brake arrangement was im­proved with a master pedal and separate steering brake pedals, the radius rods were strengthened, the rear centre hous­ing was strengthened to take new draw­bars and the latest design Ferguson trailers, and extra hydraulic tapping provided for external hydraulic services and the wheels were modified to replace the 9N’s ‘temporary’ 1940 rear hub modification among other developments. A position control device was designed but not included in the new proposed UK production tractors.

The UK manufacturer sought turned out to be the Standard Motor Company whose factory at Banner Lane, Coventry needed a new role after the war effort had wound down. Difficulties over steel supply delayed proceedings but a personal inter­vention by Mr Ferguson to the then new Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Min­ister) Sir Stafford Cripps got sufficient al­location to allow production plans to go ahead.

1946
In February, UK machinery dealers, both those who had been handling the old A and/or the Ford/Ferguson 9N as well as potential new ones, were informed of the impending new Ferguson tractor and to book orders. Details of the tractors were to follow later with deliveries made in rota­tion.

The task of equipping Banner Lane for production and finalising the last design details of the new Ferguson tractor went on apace throughout most of 1946. The prototype tractors and implements developed in Belfast and the USA had been shipped to England in the latter part of 1945. Arrangements for the produc­tion under contract of the ever growing range of Ferguson System implements had also to be made. Tractor production finally got underway in the last few weeks of 1946 under, it is said, very cold con­ditions .
Tractor England type 20, or TE 20, Seen here with John Chambers driving at Stoneleigh in England, this is the tractor the Ferguson Co developed mainly in 1944/5/6 from its sister tractor the 9N. It was produced concurrently with the 9N for part of both 1946 and 1947. Photo, G Field

 The TE was intended to be a major export earner for Britain and so it turned out to be. Ferguson irrigation pump in action with a crop of Cholam (Sorgum) in the background. Water, probably the most valuable commodity in tropical areas in the right place and at the right time. can easily be transferred from place to place as here where flood irrigation is in progress, Photo, Harry Ferguson Ltd

 The new tractor was designated ‘TE’ 20, meaning Tractor England. This is the tractor renowned and loved the world over as the ‘Grey Fergie’ .

Engines were supplied by the Continental Motor Company of Muskegon, Michigan, at that time the largest independent maker of spark ignition engines in the US. Their Z 120 unit filled the gap until the new Stan­dard made engine became available later the following year. The new TE included all the above Ferguson improvements and now had the overhead valve engine Harry Ferguson always wanted. A last minute alteration was the forward hinged bonnet with the fuel tank bolted separately above the engine.

1947
In September, one year after the start of TE production, the new Standard over­head valve engines began to arrive. For the tractor designated TE-A 20, its 112.9 cu in (1850 cc) engine gave 23.9 belt hp, similar to both the 9N and TE 20. The implement range continued to expand with the new Ferguson System trailer in­troducing the farmer to a concept that was to revolutionise farm transport.

By July, following an attempt by Ford to gain complete control of the Ferguson operation in the US, all 9N deliveries to Harry Ferguson Inc in Detroit ceased leav­ing the company with no tractors to sell . Almost all Ferguson dealers, many with great reluctance, went over to Ford’s new sales company Dearborn Motors. Ford continued to produce a modified 9N but with all the Ferguson designs still in place. It was this tractor, the 8N, that led Harry Ferguson to seek redress in the courts for infringement of his patent rights.

1948
The Ferguson System linkage was adopted as an international standard “category 1”. A “category 2” was set for larger tractors using Ferguson type linkage and, much later, a “category 3” for very large tractors. These standards have remained to this day, another unsung Fer­guson contribution to world farming.

TE production ceased in July when all Z 120 engines had been used up, all Ban­ner Lane tractors from then on being fitted with the Standard spark ignition engines until the diesel version was introduced. Because of the cessation of supply from Ford in the USA, several thousand TE 20 tractors were shipped to Harry Ferguson Inc to enable sales to continue while a new Ferguson factory was equipped in Detroit. This plant started production of the TO 20 (Tractor Overseas) on 11th October. TOs were nearly identical to the TEs , apart from using Delco-Remy electrics , Long or Rockford clutches and Bendix brakes.

1949

Harry Ferguson always preferred straight petrol engines but, to allow users to avoid the heavy tax on petrol, a vaporising oil engine was introduced in April. This trac­tor, designated TE-D 20, used an 85mm bore engine to compensate for the lower efficiency of vaporising oil. This raised the capacity to 127.4 cu ins (2088 cc) and lowered the compression ratio to 4 . 8:1 , to give 23.9 hp. Later, the com­pression ratio was raised to 5. 1:1 to give 25.4 hp.

A zero octane version (TE-H) for lamp oil with 4. 5:1 compression ratio followed in 1950 giving 22.9 hp using the 85mm en­gine. 80mm bore engines continued to be fitted to TE-As for a while after the TE-Ds were introduced .

1951
The onward march of the diesel concept led Harry Ferguson Ltd to introduce the 20c engine in 1951. Designated TE-F, it produced a maximum belt hp of 26 from 127.68 cu ins (2092 cc) with a compres­sion ratio of 17:1. 12 volt electrics were also introduced for all models from serial 200,001. Spark ignition tractors used a single Lucas 7 plate 38 ampere hour bat­tery, while the new TE-F diesel require two Lucas 17 plate 6 volt 120 ampere hour batteries connected in series. Apart from small details, such as the extra safety button on the gear lever start, the TE-F tractors remained the same as spark ignition tractors.
1951 saw the new diesel 7E-F 20. A very early version seen here on test at the Ferguson School in Warwickshire, UK. The implement is a Ferguson rear mounted mower with ‘sheafing’ attachment. a means of partially mechanising grain crops at very low capital expenditure in such areas as India. Photo: Harry Ferguson Ltd

1952
Perkins of Peterborough offered a 31 hp ‘P3’ three cylinder diesel conversion for all TEs and 9Ns. Other specialised versions of the TE 20 had been progressively of­fered starting with a ‘Narrow’ type, the TE-B in 1947. By 1952 the list had grown to the following types (not including those above):

  • TE-B Narrow petrol with Z 120 engine (by now obsolete)
  • TE-C Narrow petrol with Standard en­gine
  • TE-E Narrow TVO with Standard engine
  • TE-J Narrow lamp oil Standard engine
  • TE-K Vineyard petrol with Standard en­gine
  • TE-L Vineyard TVO with Standard engine
  • TE-M Vineyard lamp oil Standard engine
  • TE-P Industrial, full type, petrol, Stan­dard engine
  • TE-R Industrial, full type, TVO, Stan­dard engine
  • TE-S Industrial, full type, lamp oil, Standard engine
  • TE- T Industrial, full type, diesel, Stan­dard 20c engine

A ‘Council’ Industrial version of the above fitted out with lights and Hi-Lift loader was also supplied.

  • TE-PT Semi Industrial, petrol, Standard engine
  • TE-RT Semi Industrial, TVO, Standard engine
  • TE-ST Semi Industrial, lamp oil, Stan dard engine
  • TE- TT Semi Industrial, diesel, Standard 20c engine
  • TE-PZE Industrial, basic type without rear fenders, Standard petrol engine
  • TE- TZE Industrial, basic type without rear fenders, Standard 20c engine
  • TE-PZD Industrial, basic type with ag rear fenders, Standard petrol engine
  • TE- TZD Industrial, basic type with ag rear fenders, Standard 20c engine

The ever growing range of Ferguson implements listed in 1952 included:

For mounting on the Ferguson System three point linkage:

  • 8″ 3 furrow plough, ley bodies
  • 10″ 3 furrow plough 1
  • 10″ 2 furrow plough 1 with various bodies
  • 12″ 2 furrow plough 1
  • 16″ single furrow deep digger plough
  • 16″ single furrow reversible digger plough
  • Disc plough, 2 disc
  • Tiller with Ferguson patent break back
  • Rigid tine cultivator
  • Spring tine cultivator
  • Offset mounted disc harrow
  • Spring tooth harrow, 3 section
  • Spike tooth harrow, 3 section
  • Sub-soiler
  • 3 row ridger
  • Weeder
  • Potato planter
  • Potato spinner
  • Steerage hoe
  • Mower
  • Earth scoop
  • Earth leveller/grader blade, rear mounted
  • Woodsaw
  • Winch
  • Hammermill
  • Transport box
  • Post hole digger

The following were front mounted using the hydraulics:

  • Manure loader • Hay sweep

The following were trailed but used the ex­ternal hydraulic services:

  • 3 ton trailer
  • 30 cwt trailer

The following were trailed or semi trailed using the Ferguson System

  • Universal seed drill
  • Manure spreader
  • Non tipping 3 ton trailer • Tandem disc harrow

The Ferguson System farmer was also of­fered a comprehensive range of acces­sories to tailor his Ferguson equipment to his exact requirements:

For the tractor:

  • Steel wheels – row crop or conventional types
  • Belt pulley
  • Automatic pick-up hitch – a Ferguson in­vention almost universal in Britain
  • Wheel girdles (to fit over tyres as an aid to wheel grip)
  • Duel wheel kit (for reduced ground pres­sure and/or stability on hills)
  • Ferguson System tractor jack
  • Front wheel weights
  • Lighting set
  • Tractormeter (allows engine speed and hour recording)
  • Tyre inflation set
  • Tractor cover
  • Stabilisers and brackets (to prevent side movement of linkage)
  • Hinged seat and stepboards
  • Vertical exhaust
  • Heat shield (prevents fuel evaporation in very hot climates)

For other machines:

  • Auto hitch set (to convert equipment to Ferguson System auto hitch)
  • Wheelbarrow conversion (to convert transport box into a barrow)
  • Mower stand (to allow easy fitting and storage of mower)
  • Third furrow 10″ conversion kit (to con­vert 2 furrow 10″ plough to 3 furrow)
  • Front furrow width adjuster for ploughs
  • Harvest ladders/’thripples’ (retains high loads, bales etc on 3 ton trailer)

Many other accessories were available to adapt Ferguson implements to local condi­tions around the world. (The above list is ­not definitive and there were many more for both TE and the later FE35. With overseas equipment it adds up to a list of very approximately 100 different imple­ments from 1936 to 1964.)

In 1952 Harry Ferguson won his damages action against Ford for infringement of Ferguson patents. Ford had continued to produce a tractor, the 8N (literally a slightly modified 9N) with all the original Ferguson inventions plus some new ones, in complete disregard to patents. He was awarded $9.25 million, approximately $50 million today, but the case had cost him approximately $3. 5 to 4 million. Mr Ferguson’s claims for damages to his busi­ness and Ford’s counter claims were withdrawn. It had been a bruising and traumatic experience, fought for principle and the rights of the inventor. Ford had to cease producing tractors with the current Ferguson patents by the end of 1952. This caused them to redesign their trac­tors, mainly in the hydraulics, but they were able to continue using many Fer­guson designs as the patents had, by that time, expired.

In the UK, Harry Ferguson Ltd was developing an exciting new larger Fer­guson System tractor, the ‘LTX’ project or TE60,

Growing demand for power led to the LTX or TE 60, seen here in its proposed styling. Both diesel and spark ignition versions were intended and it had a remarkable performance. It was axed by the Massey-Harris influence who thought it unsuitable for US mid western farms. History has proved them wrong as 3 wheeled tractors soon went out of favour and there was nothing done to later 4 wheel tractors that could not have been done to the TE 60 several years before. Massey-Harris-Ferguson lost a great deal by abandoning this tractor, both in market lead and cohesion of their combined tractor operations. Photo: Massey Ferguson Ltd

1953
The downturn in sales affected all manufacturers, no less Ferguson, Mas­sey-Harris, a Canadian based company, had been approached by Harry Ferguson as early as December 1947, following the loss of his tractor supply from Ford, when he asked them to consider making the Fer­guson tractor. They declined, thinking Harry Ferguson was unlikely to survive!

In 1953 Massey-Harris faced yet again a tractor crisis, judging, correctly this time, that the Ferguson System was the best and they needed it to survive in the tractor business. The two companies merged on 16th August 1953 to form Massey-Harris ­Ferguson Ltd. At that date 359,092 TE type tractors had been made by Harry Ferguson Ltd since 1946 making nearly 666, 500 Ferguson System tractors since 1936.

1956
TE 20 production continued until October 1956 totalling 517 , 649 units. A UK ver­sion of the TO 35 tractor, already in production at the Ferguson plant in Detroit, replaced the TE 20. Called the FE 35, it had major developments to the hydraulics, transmission, engines and driver comfort. It retained all the Ferguson System designs, the rear end being dimensionally the same thus allowing a high degree of interchangeability with existing Ferguson and other makes of implements.

Several older Ferguson ideas were used on the FE 35 including ground speed PTO , the arrangement of the hydraulic pump directly onto the constant running lays haft , the 9N service panel, the unused ‘position control’ device, the old 9N safety start whereby the gear lever had to be in neutral to allow starter to be operated etc. TE type stepboards be­came standard as was the familiar tipping bonnet for engine access.

Principal all new features were the dual clutch that allows PTO and hydraulics to remain operational – ‘live’ – while the transmission clutch is depressed, a new 6 forward and 2 reverse gearbox, a new Standard 37 hp diesel engine, the 23c, a drop response and a new double acting

draft sensing of the top link. This latter device enabled implements that transmitted tension to the top link to operate the Fer­guson System draft control, a situation that could only be done on the TE by fitting a top link assistor spring.

A ‘Deluxe’ FE 35 was offered with dual clutch plus comfort bucket type seat and a dash mounted tractormeter as standard. Petrol and TVO engines continued to be available, as well as all the familiar variants seen with TE 20.

1958
By late 1957, the decision had finally been taken to drop the ‘twin track’ market­ing policy. Amid considerable global reor­ganisation, Massey-Harris-Ferguson was dropped in favour of Massey-Ferguson. New unified colours, Massey-Harris red and Ferguson grey, for all Massey-Fer­guson agricultural products were adopted along with a new triple triangle logo sport­ing the old Ferguson System badge.

Sir Edmund Hillary, leading part of the Trans-antarctic Expedition, the Common­wealth’s contribution to International Geophysical Year, reached the South Pole using Ferguson TE-A 20 petrol tractors, the first vehicles ever to reach the Pole overland. (The Trans-antarctic TEA 20’s, Mike Thorne, Journal 96, Winter 2020)

A larger Massey-Ferguson tractor was announced, the M-F 765 or ’65’. Quickly produced to fill a gap in the Massey-Fer­guson range using components already developed in the US for the former TO 35 , M-H 50 and Ferguson 40, it replaced the hole left by the abandonment of the Fer­guson ‘LTX’ four years before when Harry Ferguson retired as chairman of the recently merged Ferguson and Massey­Harris companies.

Massey-Ferguson introduced the ’65’ to catch up the gap left by the abandonment of the LTX. Seen here operating a Lundell 60 offset flail harvester at the 2nd National Grassland demonstration on Rex Patterson’s farm near Basingstoke. Both machines made a considerable impression on the farmers watching. Photo: G Field

The ’65’ displayed all the features of the FE 35 but used a Perkins AD 4/ 192Y four cylinder diesel engine developing 50.5 hp. The transmission was similar to the ’35’ using the same gearbox but with a final drive allowing inboard disc brakes, a differential lock (optional on early tractors) and epicyclic reduction gears at axle ends, This allowed faster rotation speeds in the transmission to cope with the higher power. Power steering was another op­tion.

1959
On 23rd January Massey-Ferguson an­nounced that they had acquired Perkins Engines of Peterborough. Later that year they also took over the Banner Lane trac­tor plant from Standard Motor Co. that enabled the 4 cylinder 23c engine to be replaced with a Perkins unit, the famous and long lived 3 cylinder AD 3/152. Power increased 7% to 39.6 brake horsepower. Other options remained the same.

1960
A new hitch, developed in Sweden, was introduced for the ’65’, the ‘Multi-Pull’ hitch, a forerunner to the Massey-Fer­guson ‘Pressure Control’. This allowed the Ferguson System hydraulics to transfer weight from trailed equipment. A Mark II version of the ’65’ was offered with 11 . 9% more power from its 56. 5 brake hp Perkins AD 4/203 engine. Diff lock was now standard. (The US made ’65’ had the 4/203 engine when diesel model was launched the previous year.)

1961
NIAE tests revealed the new ’65’ Mark II developed 58.3 hp. Massey-Ferguson altered their literature accordingly!

1962
The M-F 35 was improved by the addition of an optional differential lock and power adjusted variable track rear wheels (PA VT), an Allis Chalmers patented inven­tion M-F used it under licence. It complemented the Ferguson System front axle system very well, greatly reducing time and effort in varying wheel tracks.

In August a new change-on-the-go trans­mission was introduced for the ’65’ called Multi-Power. A power operated clutch al­lowed a higher gear to be engaged without clutching, thus giving 12 forward and 4 reverse gears.

In December a more powerful ’35’, the ’35X’, was offered in addition to the exist-. ing ’35’s. An uprated AD 3/152 engine gave 44.5 hp. With Multi-Power trans­missions and the other improvements and options already announced, the latest ’35’ offered the best possible specification and value to the farmer.

By the 1960s the now Massey-Ferguson organisation had got its act together, producing one of the best tractors of all time. the M-F 35 with 3 cylinder diesel engine. Its versatility exceeded that of the TE 20 but had most of the TE 20’s advantages. It was the standard by which other clone tractors were judged. Operating a mid mounted hoe, probably a ‘Gloster’.

1964
Rationalisation of manufacturing by the world’s leading makers was not only desirable but very necessary to meet a global market. Massey-Ferguson responded by announcing the results of their DX development programme. Given the title the “Red Giants”, these new trac­tors were the result of four years’ work in­volving one million man hours and costing nearly $8 million. Total capital invested on production exceeded $30 million.

Essentially the company’s assets around the world were deployed to make the best use of their resources while offering the market a larger, more unified range of tractors and bringing, for the first time, the Ferguson System to the larger size of tractors. Flexibility through the possibility of tractors being assembled from varying M-F factories had to be balanced with the growing complexity, both from the market needs of different countries and their vary­ing legal requirements.

Essentially small and medium tractors were to be made in England. with France and the USA making the specialised and larger machines.

Styling of all tractors was revamped across the range to give a unified look. The engineering of the UK built tractors remained in many respects as before.

However this belied a vast amount of detailed development. Just on the new 135 there were 598 specific changes from its predecessor, the M-F 35 .

The key developments included an all new method of applying Ferguson System prin­ciples to trailed equipment, ‘Pressure Con­trol’. Pressure Control enabled, as did the ‘Multi-Pull’ hitch, weight to be trans­ferred from trailed implements to the trac­tor. It also had many other possibilities and was hoped to be a way of allowing two wheel drive tractors to compete with the growing interest in 4 wheel drive. This ingenious device, much misun­derstood and under used in practice, added a new dimension to the Ferguson System, widening yet more the versatility and capability of the tractors.

Pressure Control coupler in use with a 4 wheel trailer on another outstanding Massey-Ferguson success story, the 165 tractor. It could be used even with PTO driven implements using a special spreader bracket an the implement’s drawbar. It has to. be seen to. appreciate its performance. Photo: Massey-Ferguson Ltd

In the UK, the range offered the French built 130 and the Coventry made 135, 165 and an all new larger tractor, the 175.

The ‘Red Giants’ in 1964 moved power up a notch with the M-F 175, the largest true Ferguson System tractor to. date. This M-F 5 furrow plough was semi mounted with a steerable rear wheel. Top link sensing was achieved by a special headstock that converted the draft from pull to. the top link. Photo.’Massey-Ferguson Ltd

Multi-Power tractors offered a new, more powerful auxiliary hydraulic system by combining the outputs of the Ferguson System pump with the Multi­Power’s own pump to give over 10 gallons a minute. This fulfilled the growing demand for hydraulic power, especially motors. The hydraulic control quadrants were changed from that used on the 35 and 65 tractors by allowing the draft con­trol lever to be used as on the original Fer­guson System devised in the 1920s, ie one lever to raise, lower and set depth. The response control was taken off the separate ‘position’ control lever and moved to its own quadrant below on the side of the transmission.

 

Essentially the Banner Lane tractors of similar power retain this layout today. It is noteworthy that today’s tractors also use the original Ferguson System ‘suction-side’ control pump devised in the early 1930s.

Harry Ferguson died on 25th October 1960, a few days before his 76th birthday. His legacy to farming the world over is incalculable.

© George A Field and FF Publications
Research by G Field, John Baber and John Walker
(George Field – Newsletter editor 1986)

Acknowledgements:
Mr and Mrs Tony Sheldon Mr John Chambers
The late Mr Dick Chambers Mr Alex Patterson
Mr James Barrow, Co Clare Mr Roger Seidel, Oxford
Mr Andrew Boorman, Bedford
Mr Norman Shearer, Orkney Isles Mr Ron TePoel, USA

Bibliography:
Global Corporation by Prof E P Neufeld
Harry Ferguson & Henry Ford by Prof J B Rae
Tractor Pioneer by Colin Fraser

An earlier version of this article was published in Club Journal V.3 N.2, lecture notes presented by George Field at the Royal Show, 1949.


Development of the Ferguson System

Development of the Ferguson System
Ferguson Club Exhibition, The Royal Show, 1989 – Journal Volume 3 No.2 Autumn 1989

The Ferguson Club exhibition at the 1989 Royal Show illustrated the development of the Ferguson System in words, photographs and machines. The following, written by George. A. Field, was the actual text used with one modification due to new informa­tion on suction side control that came to our attention during the exhibition itself.

Over 80% of the world’s tractors these last 30 years or so have employed prin­ciples invented and developed by one man – the late Harry Ferguson. This exhibit seeks to illustrate these prin­ciples. how Harry Ferguson came to develop them and the profound effect the Ferguson System has had on farm­ing the world over and on the tractor manufacturing industry itself.

Harry Ferguson was born of Scots-Irish farming stock on November 4th 1884. From an early age he displayed an in­dependence. tenacity and persistence typical of many of his fellow countryman. For over 100 years the Irish of Scots decent had pioneered their way through the New World breaking new ground and new ideas. Such men as John Coulter, the great explorer, Sam Houston and President Andrew Jackson are just but a few prime ex­amples of this spirit. Harry Ferguson too broke new ground with cars, avia­tion and, most importantly, farm mechanisation.

Harry Ferguson joined his brother Joe in the motor trade in 1902, quickly dis­playing a natural ability for things mechanical. A further characteristic, his inate instinct for publicity, was put to use by entering cars in various races and trials in order to promote the busi­ness.

First flight 31st December 1909

In 1908 the fledgling aviation industry caught his attention. In the summer of 1909 the construction of a aircraft to his own design started resulting in a suc­cessful powered flight on the last day of the year. This was an incredible achievement; the more noteworthy for Harry Ferguson having no flying ex­perience and only a rough idea of other aircraft at the time. It is probable that A. V. Roe was the first Briton to build and fly his own aircraft in his own homeland. This makes Harry Ferguson the second Britain to do so and most certainly the first to build and fly an aircraft in Ireland. He also flew carrying the first woman passenger in Ireland and was probably the inventor of the tricycle undercarriage.

In 1911 Harry Ferguson started his own business taking various agencies includ­ing Vauxhall. The outbreak of war in 1914 triggered a demand for farm machines. One of the agricultural agencies acquired by Harry Ferguson Ltd was for an American tractor, the ‘Waterloo Boy’, known here as the ‘Overtime’. Through his promotion of this machine Harry Ferguson gained a con­siderable reputation for demonstration and tractor handling abilities. This reputation led to his being appointed by the Irish Board of Agriculture to improve the efficiency of all the tractors and ploughs in Ireland. From March 1917 Harry Ferguson and his assistant Willie Sands travelled the length and breadth of the country visiting individual tractor operators as well as giving public demonstrations.

This experience led Harry Ferguson to the conclusion that while tractors left much to be desired, ploughs required the most urgent attention. He correctly analysed the various forces at work in trailing a plough and observed that they were at best wasted and at worst des­tabilising. He visualized that the weight of the plough itself, as well as the loads imposed on it in work, should be used to add weight to the tractor. This should result in a lighter and more efficient tractor for the same work. With these conclusions Harry Ferguson set out on a path that would eventually sweep all other hitching and implement control systems into oblivion.

The first Ferguson Plough experiment

An ‘Eros’ tractor, a converted model T Ford, was chosen for the first trials, the plough probably being made from a trailed unit with curved beams. The Eros was the only light tractor available at that time and allowed the plough to be hitched forward of the rear axle. This arrangement not only transferred weight to the rear wheels but applied a downward effort on the front axle as well. A pur pose built plough was designed incorporating shear bolt protection, a spring assisted lift from the drivers seat as well as depth control from the same lever. Ease of operation was to remain a fundamental Ferguson principle.

The arrival of the famous Fordson F in 1917 led to the demise of the Eros and thus a modified hitch was developed to allow the Ferguson plough to be used on this new tractor. The limitations of this design prompted the development of the new Ferguson plough with ‘DUPLEX’ hitch. This new design marked a major advance and quite clearly displays many aspects of what we now refer to as ‘three point linkage’.

DUPLEX HITCH
This remarkable new plough was fully mounted and yet very simply attached and detached. It overcame completely the appalling habit of the Fordson F to rear over backwards and kill the driver. The controls were operated from the seat with a spring assisted lift to ensure ease of operation. The major shortcom­ing was the lack of an automatic depth control. Fitting a depth wheel obviously reduced the weight available for transfer onto the tractor. The imperative of find­ing a solution to this problem eventually led to ‘automatic draught control’. This plough was demonstrated to Henry Ford in 1922. Ford was impressed and tried to buy Harry Ferguson. Harry Ferguson was not to be bought so the two men parted company indicating they would keep in touch.

DRAUGHT CONTROL
Having successfully established the Fer­guson plough on the American market in the mid 1920s Harry Ferguson and his team turned their attention to how the forces generated by an implement, coupled directly to a tractor, could not only transfer weight but control the working depth as well. The principle that emerged was ‘draught control’. In 1925 they were ready to apply for a patent both in the U.S. and the U.K . This remarkable document, known as ‘Apparatus for Coupling Agricultural Implements to Tractors and Automati­cally Regulating The Depth of Work’ , sets out all possible ways except one of achieving draught control.

Even the one exception, electronic, is alluded to by the proposal for an electri­cally operated system. The principle aspects of the patent described a con­trol system whereby the variations in draught or pull of a directly coupled implement be used to adjust the relative position of said implement so as to maintain a constant draught and conse­quently depth. Lower link or draught link sensing was proposed with movement being effected by:-

  1. electric motors
  2. mechanical clutches
  3. hydraulics.

One further sensing device was also patented – that of the TORQUE VARIA­TIONS in the tractors transmission. This Ferguson principle is applied today by Ford with ‘Load Monitor’.

Part of the Ferguson Master patent

THE FERGUSON SYSTEM
Having clearly defined the fundamental principles upon which to proceed the team set about the long and difficult task of engineering and refinement. There were two principle aspects to this:-

  1. the linkage system
  2. the means of draught control

Hydraulics soon emerged as the best answer to the latter but the linkage was not quite so easy. The early attempts at hydraulics were built onto the ubiquitous Fordson F using two upper links and one draught link from which the sensing sig­nal was taken. Harry Ferguson realised that for an implement to ac­curately follow the tractor’s steering it should pull from the centre of the front axle.
This is. of course, not practical. but his understanding of the principle in­volved led Harry Ferguson to the solu­tion. This involves extending an imagi­nary line from the two implement draught connections through to the centre of the tractor’s front axle. It will be seen that these lines converge. By fixing flexible joints (ball joints) at the implement ends and also at points where the lines pass just forward of the rear axle one achieves the desired effect. Ferguson retained the third and vertical dimension that had proved so successful on the Sherman built Ferguson Duplex plough. Patented in 1928 this invention in effect concludes all the fundamental aspects of a modern tractor’s hitching and draught control systems.

Harry Ferguson testing early draught control linkage

Late stage in the development of 3 point linkage with lower link draught control. Approximately 1930

By the early 30s they had turned the linkage upside down thus a single top link was fitted with two converging lower draught links. Lower link sensing was retained along with the continuous flow pump. Using a continuous flow pump heated the oil. a problem that dogged them for some time. The real breakthrough came when Harry Fer­guson, it is said during a sleepless night, had a brainwave. Why not fit the control valve on the suction side of the pump? Thus oil would flow only when needed to effect movement of the linkage. This brilliant idea solved the vast majority of the technical difficulties and now, at long last, the Ferguson System was ready for manufacture.
(Note – the Ferguson linkage used on the Fordson F has tapered type internal anti-sway blocks as used on some modern tractors like John Deere. it was another Ferguson first)

While all this technical progress was being made Harry Ferguson sought to interest a manufacturer for his ‘System’ . Allis Chalmers took out an option and various other firms such as Rushton. Rover and Ransomes Rapier showed an interest. Morris actually came close to signing a deal but fell out at last minute, probably frightened by the deteriorating farm economy.

THE ‘BLACK TRACTOR’
These setbacks led Harry Ferguson to the conclusion that he must build a prototype tractor himself. With his own purpose-built machine he hoped to find the backing he needed. Ferguson. Sands and Greer commenced work in 1932. John Chambers, a farmers son from Northern Ireland. joined them to do the technical drawing. The tractor was constructed at the Ferguson premises in Donegal Square, Belfast. The main castings were made to Ferguson’s order and then sent to David Brown Gears for machining and to have the gears fitted. The rear axle and steering box were done the same way. The U.S. firm Hercules supplied the 18 hp engine and the hydraulics were manufactured in Belfast. Lower link sensing was retained, with suction side control built into the oil immersed 4 piston pump. Early trials with the tractor revealed some problems with uneven depth con­trol and various ideas were tried to im­prove performance. Willie Sands sug­gested switching from lower link to top link sensing and in due course this was done effecting a definite improvement. Top link sensing was to be the usual method from then on until the 1960s/70s when lower link sensing came back into use.

PRODUCTION
After an unsuccessful attempt to secure an agreement with the Craven Wagon Works of Sheffield. David Brown of­fered to build the Ferguson tractor. Production started in 1936 with a machine very similar to the ‘Black’ trac­tor apart from the 20 hp Coventry Climax engine.

John Chambers, Archie Greer, Willy Sands and Harry Ferguson at launch of Ferguson A. Spring 1936 near Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The tractor’s perfor­mance and the System’s potential im­pressed all who saw it apart from the usual critics for whom no effort will en­lighten. However the tractor was launched when farming was very depressed and even those convinced of the Ferguson’s potential probably jibbed at spending the extra money it cost. Cash flow difficulties led David Brown to call for changes to which Harry Fer­guson was unlikely to agree and they parted company in 1939.

FORD
Meanwhile Harry Ferguson had demonstrated his tractor to Henry Ford in America. Ford was itching to get back into tractor production and appeared very unhappy with his in-house designs. At the demonstration. arranged by the Sherman brothers, Henry Ford quickly saw the significance of the Ferguson System and almost certainly realised that this was how tractors would be in the future. In essence both men needed each other at that particular time. It was here that they concluded their famous handshake deal. Ferguson would design. market, and service the equipment and Ford would manufacture it.

Harry Ferguson and Henry Ford. June 29th 1939. Launch of 9N tractor.

By April 1st 1939 a prototype with all the major Ferguson designs incorporated was ready for trials. Charlie Sorenson, Ford’s right hand man, did a brilliant jot in solving the problems of making the design suitable for rapid mass produc­tion. The only major design principle Ferguson had to forego was not using an overhead valve engine, Instead a side valve based on the Mercury V8 was fitted in order to maximise the use of standard parts and speed production. Incredible as it may seem the tractor was in production by June 1939.

Exactly 50 years ago on June 29th 1939 the new tractor was launched before 500 invited guests from across the States as well as 18 foreign countries. The tractor was a sensation both because of the brilliance of the Fer­guson System as well as the extraordi­nary arrangement between Henry Ford and ‘Henry Ford’s only partner’ as FOR­TUNE magazine later put it.

Harry Ferguson demonstrating 9N tractor somewhere in the U.K. during World War II.

The Ferguson System came of age with the 9N tractor and rapidly achieved 20% of the U.S. market against such in­dustry heavyweights as I-H, Allis Chal­mers and John Deere. In 1939 one month’s production was equivalent to the entire 3 years output of Ferguson­ Browns. By 1942 this output had doubled. Wartime shortages severely hit production for the next 2 years but by the time Ford ceased supplying Fer­guson in mid-1947 306,221 units had been built.

THE TE20
It was Harry Ferguson and Henry Ford’s intention that the Dagenham plant should produce the 9N tractor in England. When it became obvious that this was not going to happen another manufac­turer was sought. Standard Motors of Coventry agreed to build the Ferguson and production started in October 1946. Ferguson design improvements planned for the 9N were incorporated with a new 4 speed constant mesh gearbox and at long last, Harry’s beloved overhead valve engine. There were few other significant alterations. The T.E.20. as this model was called. rapidly repeated the same out­standing success as its U.S. built sister gaining up to 70% share of the U.K. market. Harry Ferguson Ltd. proudly proclaimed that by 1949, 450,000 Ferguson System tractors were serving farmers the world over. (300,000 9Ns 150,000 TEs). Annual production of T.E. tractors for 1951 exceeded 73,000 units.

TRACTOR PRODUCTION AT DETROIT
The ending of the Ford/Ferguson relationship in mid 1947 led Harry Fer­guson into his only major manufacturing venture. A Detroit factory was pur­chased to make the T.E. model in America (called the T.0.). Although by 1952 Harry Ferguson Inc. was vying with Allis Chalmers for 4th place in the U.S. market, an incredible achieve­ment when one recalls the fact that the company had had to rebuild its entire distribution network since mid-1947, the strain had taken its toll on everyone. Tragically Ford had con­tinued to produce the Ferguson system tractor without regard to licence or patents. The famous law suit arising from their actions was resolved in 1952 with an award in favour of Ferguson of $9.25 million (approx. $50 million today). Roughly one million of Harry’s ‘Little Grey Tractor’ were built from 1939 to 1956 and that figure does not include those tractors made with or without licence.

MERGER
All of Harry Ferguson’s tractor interests were merged with Massey-Harris of Toronto in 1953. By this time it was obvious to the whole industry that there was no other system worth a bean. It merely remained for each manufacturer to find their own particular way of adopting Ferguson principles or get out of the business.

The latter years of Harry Ferguson’s life were devoted to making the motor car a safer machine through the development of 4 wheel drive systems known as the Ferguson Formula. It took 30-40 years for world farming to fully utilise the benefits of the Ferguson System. It seems it is taking a similar period for the automobile world to reap the benefits of the Ferguson Formula and make motor­ing a safer activity.

Copyright – George A. Field Acknowledgements to Mrs Elizabeth Sheldon; Bill Martin; John Chambers; Richard Chambers; Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and Mr John Moore; Massey-Ferguson UK; Colin Booth; Ian Wood and the many Ferguson Club members who provided information and assistance.
Ferguson Club Journal Volume 3 No.2 Autumn 1989


Thomas McGregor Greer and the No.1 Tractor

Thomas McGregor Greer and the No.1 Tractor
Leslie Hutchison. Co.Tyrone. N. Ireland.

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to visit the Massey Ferguson museum, may well have admired the 1936 Type A, on display there.

Most of us know by now, that these tractors were manufactured by David Brown of Yorkshire. The example on display is of particular significance, as it was the first one built, and thus carries the serial number 1. From the Harry Ferguson sales records for Northern Ireland (a copy of which exists at Greenmount Agricultural College, Antrim), we know that this tractor and its implements arrived in Belfast on the 21 st April, 1936 . They were used throughout the year for demonstration and show purposes.

One of these early demonstrations was held at Andersonstown and attended by a number of prominent figures. An account of this appeared in The Northern Whig and Belfast Post, Tuesday 26th May, 1936. On 12th January, 1937, No. 1 tractor plough and general cultivator were sold to Mr. Thomas McGregor Greer, Tullylagen Manor, near Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, whose association with Harry Ferguson went back to the early years of this century.

Thomas McGregor Greer was the only son of Thomas Greer, M.P., F.R.G.S. of Grove House, Regents Park, London and Sea Park, Carrick fergus , Northern Ireland. In 1898 he inherited the lease of Tullylagen Manor. When asked his occupation for the parish records he replied, “Gentleman.”

Greer’s many varierd interests included wood-carving, photography, gardening and last but not least the motor-car. He became the first man to drive a car, a De Dion Bouton, through the famous wide main street of Cookstown. Subsequently Greer purchased another car. From local legend· I believe this was a Vauxhall, a make at that time gaining a reputation for fast, well built cars. However, Greer’s later acquistion would not perform to his satisfaction and attempts to remedy the situation failed. Greer had heard about a young machanic called Harry Ferguson, who was supposed to ‘have a way with engines’ . So the young Ferguson was summoned to Tullylagen. His success with engines impressed Greer to such an extent that Ferguson was asked to service all cars at Tullylagen from then on.

When Harry was required to stay overnight he slept above the harness room. In winter the only heat was from the iron chimney pipe which passed vertically through the room from the stove below. The well-being of the harness was probably the prime consideration!

When Ferguson started his own garage, Greer was a major financial backer. As a local observed at the time, “when Harry Ferguson came to Tullylagen he slept in the farm buildings, before he left he was sleeping in the Manor House!”

Greer also shared Ferguson’s enthusiasm for mechanized farming. A field at Tullylagen (well away from public gaze), was made available to Ferguson for testing the various designs. During these tests, Ferguson used the services of a neighbouring farmer, called Joe Warnock. Driving a tractor was not a totally new experience for Joe, as he had been taught to drive a car by Greer’s chauffeur. These lessons took place in the farm yard using the De Dion when the master was away.

When demonstrations were given to the public. Joe Warnock would drive the tractor while Ferguson addressed the spectators. Should a mechanical failure occur, Ferguson would automatically blame the operator, not the machine! No matter what Harry Ferguson said Joe Warnock would never answer back. The reason being that Ferguson paid him a bonus to take such blame, thus sparing the machine and Harry, any public embarrassment.

To return to 1937 and Tullylagen, the farm manager at the time was called Jim Scott. Years later he recalled the tractor and plough’s arrival on the estate. “It was an understood arrangement between Harry Ferguson and Mr. Greer, that the very first production tractor and plough would be sold to no-one else other than Thomas McGregor Greer. Mr. Greer wanted to secure his place in history as the owner of the first tractor and plough built for the hydraulic system”. Jim Scott further recalled that Greer did not like steel wheels so pneumatics were very soon fitted. Also he was concerned that there was no protection for the driver from the rear wheels. This probably explains those unique mudguards which are still present on No. 1 to this day.

No. 1 Model A Tractor at M-F Museum. Photograph courtesy of Massey Ferguson.

As rumours of impending war began, the tractor was used to haul trailers filled with stones and rocks to certain locations on the surrounding roads. Here they were unloaded and concealed behind the hedgerows, the idea being that should the enemy invade, Greer’s men would use these to build roadblocks and thereby hinder the progress of enemy vehicles.

On 9th June, 1941 Thomas McGregor Greer died at Tullylagen Manor. At his own request his coffin was placed on a haycart, covered with red carpet and pulled by an Austin car sent from Harry Ferguson’s garage in Belfast. Jim Scott was the driver. The funeral cortege made its way to the nearby Desertcreat Parish Church. Harry Ferguson who was in the U.S.A. at the time was represented by Mr. Joe Thompson, who along with Hugh Reid was to form in 1959, Thompson-Reid Ltd.

After World War II the tractor and plough were sold. A friend of Joe Warnock’s, Mr. Lynch, purchased the tractor and it spent the next few years in the Coalisland area. It was subsequently sold back to Harry Ferguson who, I believe, part¬-exchanged it for a reconditioned Ford/Ferguson.
As regards the No 1 plough this was advertised in a local newspaper, The Mid-Ulster Mail, during the spring of 1947. The buyer was Mr. William Gibson who farmed near the village of Coagh. The price paid was £25, for which he also got the original top-link into the bargain. The plough was collected the followinig day by his son, Sandy. It was with Sandy Gibson’s help that I acquired the plough during March 1980. Other than requiring a few IIlinor repairs it is in much the same condition as it was in 1936.

At present Tullylagen Manor is undergoing a major restoration programme. Soon the house and the farmyard will look as they did in McGregor Greer’s day including the room where Harry Ferguson slept. The new owner, Mr. Raymond Turkington, intends to see that it is preserved.

Leslie Hutchison. Co.Tyrone. N. Ireland. First published Club Journal V.2 N.3 Autumn 1988


Tullylagan Manor – A short History

Welcome to Tullylagan Manor – A short History

The present house at Tullylagan was built during the early 19th Century by the Greer family. The style is that of a late Georgian classical villa. While the precise history is unfortunately not known, it is believed that this building replaced a much older structure which was erected by the Sanderson family.

1898 saw the arrival at Tullylagan of Thomas McGregor Greer. who was responsible for much of the development of the Manor. McGregor Greer was a talented man who had many diverse interests. He considered the Manor House inadequately propor­tioned for a country residence. Rather than risk spoiling the architecture by adding to the house he decided to excavate the basement. ‘This was a mammoth task depending heavily on manual labour, with the soil removed from the basement. the house became three-storey.

The grounds of the estate received similar attention with many rare and exotic trees and shrubs being planted. Greer was able to identify each plant by its common and latin name.

In the farmyard he installed carpentry facilities and here many fine examples of chairs, tables and other items were produced. As he had by now an exquisite collection of fine bone china a kitchen sink was made from softwood and installed in the Manor House. This was to minimise damage to the china during washing. Desertcreat Church was to benefit as the Holy Table, Chancel Chairs and beautifully carved Reredos were made here and pre­sented by Greer to the Church.

To enable work to continue during the hours of darkness a turbine was installed to drive a dynamo. Intially only those buildings located in the farmyard had electric light. in later years the dynamo was replaced by a larger model and electricity was supplied to the House.

In additton to all this McGregor Greer received many guests from all walks of life at Tullylagan. Sir Edward Carson the eminent lawyer who inspired Terence Rattigan’s play “The Winslow Boy” was a visitor. Another was F.E. Smith who later became Lord Birkenhead the Lord Chancellor, who by 1914 was reputedly earning £30,000 a year at the Bar.

Another person who came to Tullylagan, not as a guest but as a mechanic was none other than Harry Ferguson the tractor pioneer and inventor. To conclude with we reproduce two articles which were written by a local enthusiast and which were pub­lished in the Ferguson Club Journal. These relate to Harry Ferguson’s association with McGregor Greer and the estate. We hope you find them enjoyable.

Issued as the cover of an A4 insert to the Club Journal mailing in 1996, with reprints of ‘Anything short of concrete’  V.4 N.1, Spring 1990 and Thomas McGregor Greer and the No. 1 tractor V.3 N.3, Autumn 1988 .

Footnote:  McGregor or MacGregor?
The journal articles consistently show Thomas’ middle name as McGregor.  The Cookstown Local History group have Thomas MacGregor Greer, Births, Deaths, Marriages have MacGregor.


The Ferguson ‘A’, “Anything short of concrete”

ANYTHING SHORT OF CONCRETE!” by Leslie Hutchinson

World famous for their farm implement range Massey-Harris had expanded into tractor production through the acquisition in 1928 of the JI Case Plow Works Co who held the rights to the ‘WALLIS’ tractor. (A version of this machine had been built in the UK by Ruston and Hornsby and marketed as the ‘BRITISH WALLIS’.)

While the demonstration Harry Ferguson gave for the Massey-Harris executives was impressive, no manufacturing agreement resulted. But then, this was the autumn of 1932.

Tullylagen Manor, home of Mr McGregor Greer, Photo: G. Field

One of the fields at Tulllagen Manor where early Ferguson developments were tsted including the ‘Black’ tractor. Photo – G. Field

Not long after this, construction of the Ferguson prototype (popularly known as the ‘BLACK TRACTOR’) was completed. To evaluate the design a series of field tests commenced, one of the locations chosen being Thomas McGregor Greer’s Tullylagen Manor es­tate near Cookstown, Co Tyrone in Northern Ireland. Here a field well away from the public gaze was used to enable the testing to take place in secret. It subsequently became the best known secret in the district! Joe Warnock, a neighbour of Greer’s, would drive the tractor leaving Harry and his right-hand man Willy Sands free to concentrate on engineering matters.

All this activity at Tullylagen inter­ested a young Cookstown man called Robert McGucken. As well as being good friends of the Warnocks the McGuckens owned the MOC Garage Co and a franchise for ‘Austin’ cars. (MOC Garages occupied premises in Magherafelt, Omagh and Cookstown, the initial of each town forming the com­pany name.) Not surprisingly Robert had little difficulty in gaining access to the test site. Here he found that a small corrugated iron shed had been erected to serve as a field workshop and provide shelter from inclement weather. During this visit Robert enjoyed a long conversation with Willy Sands on the fu­ture of mechanised farming – outside the workshop!

In the spring of 1933 Harry Fer­guson held a number of public demonstrations using the prototype ‘Black’ tractor. While some refused to take the new machinery seriously others realised its potential. Two of those who did were Hugh Minford. MP for Antrim and Rowley Elliot, MP for South Tyrone. During the second reading of the Agricultural Marketing Bill at Stor­mont, Minford and Elliot spoke highly of the new farm machinery. Rowley Elliot pointed out that of all the food consumed in the UK. only three-sevenths was ac­tually produced by British farmers. He believed that if the new machinery were to be made in Northern Ireland. it would not only help farmers but increase employment as well.

Not all of those in the Northern Ireland House of Commons shared this view however. The then Minister of Agriculture, Sir Edward Archdale, ex­pressed concern that the machinery might not be suitable for small farms. “It will do a garden .• retorted Hugh Min­ford. Rowley Elliot then extended an invitation to the NI government to attend a demonstration this being accepted by the Minister of Labour, Mr Andrews.

Sadly a tractor factory in Ulster (the six counties of Northern Ireland) never became a reality and three years passed before the design entered production in England at a Huddersfield gear factory. This resulted from a manufacturing agreement between Harry Ferguson and David Brown and Sons. Put simply, Browns were to build the tractor. Ferguson would sell it.

Throughout 1936 the Ferguson A (Ferguson-Brown) was demonstrated all over Ulster including Ballyclare, Ander­sontown, Armagh and the Agricultural Research Institute at Hillsborough. At each demonstration an unidentified ‘spectator’ would ask Harry Ferguson the same question: “ls there anything it cannot plough? “Anything short of con­crete!” Ferguson would reply.

Despite all this, sales of the new tractor could hardly be described as spectacular. It was apparent that farmers were still loyal to the horse and this was not going to change overnight. A demonstration held at Ardtrea near Cookstown in early 1937 illustrates this point. As the day progressed it was suggested to the farmer who owned the land that he should buy the tractor. He was aghast. “Me! Buy a tractor! The weight of that thing’lI pack the land. No – give me a horse any day. (Harry Fer­guson 0 – ‘Dobbin’ 1)

In August 1937 Robert McGucken decided to buy another tractor for the agricultural contracting business he had started. This he mentioned to Harry Ferguson during a visit to Belfast. Not one to miss an opportunity for good publicity and knowing that at least this time he was sure of a buyer, Harry of­fered to stage a demonstration. A suitable field was found adjacent to the Lissan road near Cookstown, Co Tyrone. The tractor selected, serial no. 307. driven by Joe Warnock, opened the demonstration with a Fer­guson ‘B’ type two furrow plough while Harry Ferguson addressed the crowd. A fter ploughing a few rounds. (’bouts’ to ploughmen), Joe turned to the spec­tators and picked out a young man, a certain Rankin Faulkner. On mounting the tractor. Rankin was given verbal in­structions what to do and, moments later, moved off ploughing two furrows with apparent ease. To this day Rankin modestly maintains that his efforts were not exactly world class but, in view of the circumstances, he did very well indeed.
Ferguson ‘A’ No. 307 referred to in Leslie Hutchinson’s article. Note that the oil filter over the magneto coupling is not original equipment. This one was fitted in the late 1950s during an overhaul by a garage in Magherafelt. Taken at the County Armagh Vintage Vehicles Club Rally at Markerhall1989.

Even the sceptics had to admit that this was an amazing feat. Joe War­nock’s choice was certainly not made an random for the Faulkner family owned a successful electrical business in the town and as such were known far and wide. Thus, no-one could accuse Fer­guson of cheating by using one of his own employees. The point of the exer­cise did not go unnoticed. If a novice could use this machine just think what an experienced farmer could do with it. At the end of the demonstration it was an­nounced that the tractor had been sold to, surprise, surprise. Mr Robert McGucken. The farmers went home with much food for thought and their sons very disappointed that they had not been picked to drive the tractor!

Tractor no. 307, registered as vehicle JI 7674 on September 2nd 1937, was shortly engaged on its first job, binding oats. When Robert and his young helper arrived at the customer’s farm they found harvesting already in progress in an adjacent field, also oats. It so happened that on this occa­sion the binder was being pulled by a tractor bigger, heavier and more powerful than the diminutive type ‘A’. On seeing the new arrivals the driver stopped work and, walking over to the hedge, exclaimed: “You’re surely not going to try and pull a binder with that thing? Laughing loudly he turned and walked back to his own machine. Such sarcasm had a profound effect on our duo. As Robert McGucken recalled: “That day we pulled out all the stops. The light weight of our little tractor made it very easy to manoeuvre. Even though my helper had only recently left school he found the steering no problem. By the end of the day Robert and his young assistant had finished work and were driving out of the field. The other tractor was still working. even though both fields were about the same size.

In September 1939 Robert McGucken sold his machinery and volunteered for the Royal Air Force. Although tractor 307 has had succes­sive owners it still exists and is now owned by Ferguson Club member Mr Noel Greer of Markethill, Co Armagh in whose capable hands it has been re­stored. No doubt we shall be seeing a lot more of it at future vintage tractor events.
Fifty seven years later the Black’returns to the farming scene on the Ferguson Club exhibition on the Massey-Ferguson stand at the 1989 Royal Show. Dickdowdeswell, long time Ferguson test engineer, stands at the front of tractor.

Photo courtesy Roger Thulbourne

© Leslie Hutchinson (no 166) – 1990 – First published Vol.4 No.1, Spring 1990


‘After the Tractor’ Harry Ferguson & the R5 4WD

Duncan Russell looks at the development of four wheel drive and Ferguson Research.

During the early 1950’s with demand for the TE continuing to rise, in 1953 for instance the Ferguson TE had 73% of the UK tractor market. Harry Ferguson began to look at other engineering sectors where he could have some influence and occupy his fertile mind. The court case against Ford was over and following this exhaustive period of his life it was time to move on.

For many years Harry Ferguson had been considering motor cars and how his engineering expertise and influence could benefit the average motorist. For some time he had been interested in the work of two engineers. Tony Rolt a young officer with the Rifle Brigade was involved with motor racing before the war, racing his ERA at Brooklands and Donington. The other engineer was Freddie Dixon a tuner of Riley engines of some note with a very fertile mind for off the cuff engineering. Dixon and Rolt had worked together as Dixon had prepared and tuned Roll’s ERA racing car. They formed Dixon Rolt Developments after the war and began to develop 4 WD vehicles which Rolt, using his influence demonstrated to the military. One such vehicle was named the ‘Crab’ unusual in that it steered by swinging the front and rear axles rather than turn the wheel hubs, this caused some novel handling but was also very impressive during a braking demonstration in that it would always stop in a straight line.


The ‘Crab’, Dixon and Rolt’s first attempt at a 4 WD Vehicle.

Ferguson got to know Dixon and Rolt and after some discussion decided to invest in their work and Ferguson Research was formed to look into automotive systems particularly transmissions and braking. Unfortunately the trio were not to last long as Dixon soon left due to clash of personality with Harry Ferguson.

As in the early work with tractors Ferguson’s idea was not to go into production but to develop and sell the ideas to others to incorporate in their design. Ferguson cars were built but only as prototypes to show how the ideas worked. However the automotive systems development even went as far as building engines and by the mid 50’s the transmissions incorporated a torque converter, Ferguson Research had bought the rights to the torque converter transmission from its inventor Count Teramela.

Claude Hill joined Ferguson Research from Aston Martin and it was his design which led to the development of the differential and transmission to transmit the power to all four wheels equally. He also developed a flat four engine designed to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible. The engine was coupled to a torque converter and power transmitted to all four wheels and the vehicle was stopped by anti-lock brakes. Ferguson research had developed the Dunlop Maxerat system of anti lock brakes used on airlines for motor vehicle use.


Ferguson R1 the first experimental car, 4WD and flat four engine.

A total of three prototype road cars were built, two estate cars and a saloon.

Ferguson R4 Prototype

The last estate car R5/2 built in 1959 also incorporated a supercharged version of the Ferguson flat four engine giving some 150bhp from its 2.2 litres. In testing at the Motor Industry Research Authority test track near Nuneaton it often exceeded 100mph.

Ferguson R5 Estate car prototype

Harry Ferguson has always been a follower of motor racing, it was at a race meeting at Silverstone in 1958 that he said Ferguson Research were turning to motor racing to prove the worth of all wheel drive and anti-lock brakes or the Ferguson Formula as it became known, A racing car was built and designated P99.


The Ferguson P99 with Stirling Moss al the wheel, testing at British Grand Prix 1961.

The car conformed to the then current Formula I regulations. However all the forward thinking in the transmission was to no avail as the car was front engine when the rest of F1 was following the Cooper lead for rear engines. P99 was entered for the 1961 British Grand Prix by Rob Walker Racing to be driven by Jack Fairman. It was tried by Stirling Moss in practice but he considered the P99 was not developed sufficiently to be a serious contender in the race. Stirling did drive P99 in the Oulton Park Gold Cup race in 1961 where the damp conditions suited the 4wd and anti­lock brakes perfectly and Stirling won by some considerable margin. Unfortunately Harry Ferguson did not see P99 completed as he died in 1960. P99 remains the only 4wd Formula 1 car to win a race. The next person to use P99 to achieve success was Peter Westbury who won the British Hill Climb Championship in 1964. The car continues in Ferguson ownership being in the good keeping of our President Janie Sheldon who brings it out annually at the Goodwood Revival meetings to be driven by Barry ‘Whizzo’ Williams who finished 3rd in the 2009 race for 1960’s F1 cars.

From Journal 64, Spring 2010.