Location: Sipoo, Finland
Visited: 30 August 1997

For more info search for 'Fordson'

The Wonderful World of Vehicles

By Kurt Ristniemi

Fordson F Tractor

The first ever mass produced agricultural tractor

 by

Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Essex

Page published 25 December 1997
Updated 1 January 1999
© Kurt Ristniemi, 1997 - 1999

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There she plows

A Restored Fordson F

1907	Ford Motor Company builds the first prototype tractor.
1917	Mass-production of Ford's first agricultural tractor, the Fordson model F, begins.
1919	Production of the Fordson tractor starts in Cork, Ireland. This is the first model being made simultaneously in the USA and Europe.
1929	All Ford tractor manufacturing is transferred to Ireland, making Cork the only plant manufacturing Ford tractors.
1933	The production of Fordson tractors moves to Dagenham, Essex, UK.

In Sipoo, east of Kerava, Finland there are two churches; the old stone church from the 15th century, and the new one that is a brick church built in 1885. Beside the new church there is a wooden shed. Attached to the shed by a chain, stands a rusty old agricultural tractor.

The New Church with the shed in front by the road side

The tractor is a Fordson model F, built in Essex, England, which means that is was built after 1933, when the production was moved to Essex.

The Fordson model F is a true classic. It was the first mass produced agricultural light weight frameless tractor for everyman. In a short time starting 1917 it took three quarters of the U.S. market. The competitors answered the challenge with similar constructions only in 1923-25. The Fordson model F was a pathfinder for the light weight frameless tractor.

Also in Finland in the '30s the Fordson's market share was astonishingly high; 80 percent. In those days a tractor was a Fordson.

The Sipoo Fordson seems to be equipped with a 4 cylinder straight gasoline engine similar to Model A Ford automobiles.

This tractor still has iron wheels even though low pressure rubber tyres were brought to tractors in 1932. In Finland a tractor with wheels like these was called 'piikkipyörä', a spike wheeler.

The fenders became optional extras already for the Detroit, U.S.A. built Fordson F from 1924/5. The rear ends of the fenders contain toolboxes.

At least the early F's had the unreliable and troublesome trembler coil ignition used in the Model T Ford cars. Several Model F tractors were later converted to high tension magneto ignition. I would not wonder if this rather late Essex built model was equipped with magneto ignition from the beginning.

The model F originally appeared in 1917. In 1928 production moved from the United States to Cork, Ireland with the model N, transferring again shortly thereafter to Dagenham, Essex, England. And that is where our rusty baby was born.

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Wikipedia:
Fordson tractor

1938 Fordson N
The Model F was replaced by the Model N.

First Ford tractor
Henry Ford built his first experimental tractor in 1907 using car parts. The Model T Ford car took all his interest for some time, but in 1915 he started developing an agricultural tractor. Eugene Farkas stated that the body should be made of self supporting cast iron casings instead of the traditional frame. Ford was hesitant but after the 50 prototype models were successful on the field, he agreed that the correct structure was found for mass production.

Using the casings of the motor and transmission as supporting frame for the tractor together with materials developed in car industry, it was possible to develop an light weight tractor. The Fordson model F tractor weighed only 1 100 kg.

First Combustion Engine Tractor
First tractor powered by a combustion engine was built in 1889 in the U.S.A. Prior to this traction engines were huge and slow steam powered monsters.

First European Tractors
Only ten years later tractors were produced in Europe. First factories were founded in England and Germany. At that time there were tens of factories in the United States.

First use of word 'Tractor'
The word tractor was coined in 1906 in the U.S.A. to mean a gasoline powered traction engine.

First tractor in Finland
The first combustion engine tractor imported to Finland was an English Saunderson. It was bought in 1907 for the Mustila Manor in Elimäki in South East Finland.

First Finnish mass produced Tractor
The first tractor built in Finland was 'Kullervo' by 'A.b. Turun Rautateollisuus ja Vaunutehdas O.y.' Production was started in 1918.

Links to other Fordson Sites

Fordson Tractor Website

by Western Antique Iron Trader
Serial numbers of the American Fordsons 1917 - 1926
Identification hints ...

 

FORDSON (1929 - 52) SHED

by Denis Rouleau
Serial numbers of the Irish and English Fordsons

 

Peder and Steen's Fordsons

 

 

Model T Discussion Forum

by Model T Ford Club of America
Discussion Group on Fordson Tractors also.

Fordson Tractor Locomotive

of the Port Dock Station Railway Mueum.

 

1928 Fordson

with after market crawler assembly
by Classic Tractor Collectibles