Harry Ferguson's story: Harry Ferguson (1884-1960) was the son of an Irish farmer. He was young when he showed he had genius for mechanics. Indeed, during his early twenties, he worked for his brother as a mechanic and a race pilot. Later, he conceived and built several monoplans which he piloted. After making experimental researches on tractors and ploughs, he developed a plough suitable to Fordson line tractors, model F. His very first system was made of springs and levers. In 1925, with Eber and George Sherman, he founded, in United States, the Ferguson-Sherman Inc. entreprise which produced a plough with "Duplex hitch" system suitable to Fordson line tractors. He made his first Ferguson hydraulic system for his Ferguson-Black prototype tractor of which David Brown had made the differential gear and transmission. In 1933 he founded with him the Ferguson-Brown Co. where around 1354 Ferguson-Brown tractors, model A, equiped with the Ferguson hydraulic system, were produced.

 

In 1938, he met with Henry Ford. By a so called "Hand Shake Agreement" in order to produce Ferguson system tractors. Henry Ford's reputation was therein involved as well as an important part of his financial resources. As for Harry Ferguson, his patents were his most important contibution. Through the Harry Ferguson Inc. entreprise, he sold tractors and parts of equipements, among which several were produced by the Ferguson-Sherman Inc. entreprise. At that time, Ford 9N tractors (1939-1942) and Ford 2N tractors (1942-1947) were being sold. Then, towards the end of 1946, Henry Ford's grandson, Henry Ford II, advised him that this agreement would be ending on June 30, 1947.

The moment Ford Motor Co. started to sell it's tractor, model 8N, Harry Ferguson riposted first, in persuing Ford Motors Co. and associates for an amount of 340,000,000$ second, in negotiating with Standard Motors Co. for them to produce his tractor, model TE20 (Tractor England). That model was similar to Ford tractors models 9N and 2N. Nevertheless, it was different from Ford tractor, model 9N, because it had a four-speed gearbox, an overhead valves motor, two foot break pedals (right and left) in the left side and a one-piece hood.

 

Harry Ferguson drove the serial # 1 tractor, model TO20 (Tractor Oversea), built in Detroit, in 1948. Tractors model TO20 and TE20 were identical except for electrical system and transmission case. Tractor model TO20 had a Delco electrical system and a cast iron transmission case whereas tractor model TE20 had a Lucas electrical system and an aluminium transmission case.

 

In April 1952, Harry Ferguson settled, out of court, the legal action he had taken against Ford Motor Co. In 1953, Ferguson and Massey-Harris merged and from then on, Massey-Harris-Ferguson Co. was created which later became Massey-Ferguson Co. After that merge, he developped through his Harry Ferguson Research enterprise, a four wheels drive car, race cars and tractors. Then, in 1960, died Harry Ferguson.

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Ferguson's system

View of Ferguson's hydraulic system

It's on a Ford/Eros tractor (that is to say Ford, model T, coverted car) that, for the first time, was attached a Ferguson mecanism plough. It had to be fixed under the rear axle and was only half weight compared with usual ploughs' weight. The tractor's response to the traction was good and was not inclined to turn upside down.

 

Secondly, to Fordson tractor, model F, was attached a "Duplex hitch" system plough, that is to say two connecting parallel bars, one above the other, between the differential gear case.

 

Then appeared the agricultural implement with three-point hitch for it to be connected to the tractor. Two of them, at the bottom, were used for traction, whereas the other one, on top, responding to control and due to implement weight, was putting pressure on the rear axle of the tractor and, doing so, on the ground. The pressure on the top attachment had the tractor grip (including the front of the tractor) the road even on an abrupt upslope.

 

By using the control lever, located near the tractor operator's seat, one could make the adjustment to have plough settle depth. This way, one was fixing the top attachment compression degree and, doing so, the hydraulic system which was made to reach automatically the desired depth.

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Robert Brochier © 1997 - 2006

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