1917 Henry Ford's Tractor Sold for $750 Changed Farming Forever

Описание: 1917: Henry Ford's Tractor Sold for $750... Changed Farming Forever

In April 1917, Henry Ford revolutionized American agriculture with a single innovation: the Fordson Model F tractor, priced at just $750. While competitors demanded $1,200+ for their machines, Ford's affordable tractor brought mechanization to small farmers for the first time in history. This is the untold story of how one machine transformed farming forever.

THE FORDSON REVOLUTION
Weighing 2,700 pounds with 20 horsepower from a four cylinder engine, the Fordson wasn't just cheaper it was smarter. Ford's frameless unit construction, borrowed from Model T production techniques, cut costs without sacrificing power. Small farmers in Nebraska, Kansas, and across the Midwest could finally afford to leave horse-drawn plows behind.

WHAT MADE IT SPECIAL?
The Fordson Model F featured revolutionary design: no separate frame, just engine block and transmission housings bolted together. It could plow 10 acres per day versus 2 acres with horses. At $395 by 1922 (half the original price), Ford dominated 75% of the American tractor market by 1925, producing over 104,000 units annually.

BY THE NUMBERS
Original Price: $750 (1917) $395 (1922)
Production: 739,000 units (1917-1928 in USA)
Market Share: 75% peak (1925)
Power: 20 HP belt, 12 HP drawbar
Weight: 2,920 pounds
Wheat Production Increase: 40% (1917-1925)
Soviet Imports: 250,000+ tractors (1920-1927)

THE FARMING TRANSFORMATION
Before the Fordson, American farms required 8 horses, constant labor, and massive feed costs. One tractor replaced 8 horses at 95 cents per acre versus $1.46 with animal power. Land previously dedicated to feeding horses—roughly 25% of farm acreage—could now grow cash crops. The mechanization revolution had begun.

FORDSON MODEL F SPECS
Engine: 4-cylinder, 251 cubic inches
Transmission: 3 forward speeds, 1 reverse
Fuel: Kerosene (cheaper than gasoline)
Wheels: 42-inch rear with steel cleats
Radiator: 11-gallon capacity
Production Years: 1917-1928 (USA)
Manufacturing: Dearborn MI, Cork Ireland, Dagenham England

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
World War I created labor shortages across America. Young men enlisted, driving farm wages up 200%. The Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916 encouraged expansion, but farmers couldn't work the land they'd purchased. The Fordson arrived at the perfect moment—affordable mechanization when it was needed most.

Henry Ford's assembly line techniques, proven with the Model T automobile, transferred perfectly to tractor production. Mass production meant lower costs. Lower costs meant accessibility. Accessibility meant transformation.

WHY THIS MATTERS TODAY
One American farm in 1917 fed 7 people. By 1950, one farm fed 15. Today, one American farm feeds 155 people. That exponential growth started with affordable mechanization—started with a 2,700-pound tractor that sold for $750 in 1917.

The first production Fordson went to Luther Burbank, the plant scientist who developed the Russet Burbank potato. It's now displayed at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan—a testament to innovation that changed the world.

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This video contains historical information about agricultural mechanization. Vintage tractor operation can be dangerous—always follow proper safety protocols.