Fordson tractor: photo and description, specifications

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

In the 20s of the last century, the Fordson tractor was the most common technique in the domestic agricultural sector. The design of the machine is copied from the American "colleague", designed for mass production, due to the simplicity of the product and its low cost. Other advantages include low metal consumption and elementary controllability.

Features

Nevertheless, the advantages of the Fordson tractor became its disadvantages. First of all, the cheapening of the machine worsened its reliability and reduced its operational durability. The optimal working conditions for the equipment in question were on farmlands, with an output of about 500 hours per year. In the Soviet Union, large-scale agriculture was actively developing, machine operators worked in several shifts. The machine could not withstand such loads, often broke down, and it was quite problematic to repair it.

Despite the existing shortcomings, the Fordson tractor was the best option for that period, its production steadily began to gain momentum. In the first year, 74 units left the assembly line, in the next - 422 copies,and in seven years - more than 30 thousand units. We can say that it was with this model that the history of domestic tractor construction began. The specified tractor was a copy of the American analogue Fordson-F, which at that time was considered the cheapest and most massive on the world market.

History of Creation

The first major order for the production of agricultural machinery Henry Ford received in the spring of 1917. At that time, the British government decided to plow up the wasteland in order to overcome the food crisis. The batch of Fordson tractors was to be 5,000 units at a cost of $50. After the First World War, the production of machines was launched at the shipyard, which had previously manufactured anti-submarine ships.

After a year, Ford became the largest supplier of tractors in the United States. In early 1919, Henry bought out the shares of the partners, which allowed him to carry out the production of agricultural machinery at the entire capacity of the Ford Motor Company. In parallel, the production of equipment in Ireland was launched. Until 1922, more than 738 thousand units were sold worldwide.

Interesting facts

It is worth noting that the first Fordson tractor was maximally focused on cheap and mass production. The model was equipped with metal wheels and a 20 horsepower engine. The weight of the car was 1.13 tons, the price ranged from 395 to 800 dollars. A competent marketing policy made it possible to establish sales of units in the most remote and backward countries and regions.

At the beginningIn the 20s of the last century, the demand for the equipment in question exceeded production capabilities. It got to the point that the Ford company did a lot to restore the economy, destroyed after the war, while incurring significant losses. As a result, the company was bypassed by many competitors who focused on the production of specialized units, taking into account the requests of successful and solvent customers.

In America, Ford closed the agricultural line in 1928. The Irish office moved to the outskirts of London, where it worked until 1964, after which it changed its sign to Ford.

Description of the Fordson-Putilovets tractor

The government of the USSR decided not just to purchase the model in question, but copied the design with an eye on the subsequent production of the unit in the country. The task was assigned to the plant "Krasny Putilovets", which is distinguished by a competent organization of the work process and qualified personnel. To begin with, the designers and their assistants dismantled six new machines with a careful measurement of all the details. The arithmetic mean data was transferred to drawings and diagrams.

Followed by strength testing of elements with chemical and metallographic analysis. Appropriate materials were selected and the technological process was developed. However, certain difficulties arose that even the best specialists of the plant could hardly solve:

• It took more than 700 parts to assemble one piece of equipment.
• Manythe elements needed a perfect finish.
• Some of the tools didn't work because they were of poor quality.

Creation of a domestic analogue

In the manufacture of the Fordson-Putilovets tractor, a lot of effort was spent on the formation of the crankshaft. The part was made from a single piece, which was planed, milled, sharpened, processed with a file and emery. The best locksmith of the plant was engaged in fine-tuning the neck, since this operation required virtuoso precision. It should be noted that the cutting error was allowed no more than one hundredth of a millimeter. It was impossible to achieve such an indicator on the machine, so the work was done manually.

Even careful mechanical finishing did not always give the required results. Nevertheless, a group of designers coped with the task with high quality and in a timely manner. After signing a business agreement with the Ford company, the plant received an official license, after which supplies of original parts began, which were interchangeable with domestic counterparts. The first two units of the Fordson tractor (photo below) were introduced in the spring of 1924. The workers immediately dubbed the car in a playful tone "Fyodor Petrovich".

Operation

Tests of the machines in question lasted two months. Comparative characteristics with the American "brother" showed that the domestic analogue received satisfactory marks. The specialists were givena few recommendations for modernizing the design of some nodes, namely:

• Power systems.
• Ignition.
• Power unit.
• Gearboxes.

The third "Putilovets" was tested by moving to Leningrad under its own power. To prevent deformation of the road surface, the wheels were equipped with homemade rubber tires. A spacious van equipped with berths and a potbelly stove was used as a tractor.

After a series of checks, the model was sent to Nizhny Novgorod, where the traditional annual fair was held. Various agricultural tools and equipment were exhibited at this event. It is worth noting that the indicated modification on plowing and harrowing showed better results than its American "colleague".

Design and device

The following are the main characteristics of the old Fordson tractors:

• Wheel layout - two enlarged elements and a pair of guide analogues, smaller in diameter.
• The basis is a frameless design.
• Motor is positioned vertically at the front of the machine.
• Main components - clutch, gearbox, rear axle.
• Powertrain type is a four-stroke, four-cylinder engine that consumes kerosene.
• Power type - gravity from a special reservoir located at the top of the tank.
• Lubrication - centrifugal splashing.
• Cooling - thermosyphon block. Used herelarge jackets and radiators with vertical pipes to ensure continuous circulation of refrigerant.
• Feature - front, forged and heat-treated axle, aggregated with the front of the "engine" through three suspension points.

Flaws

There were three obvious disadvantages of Fordson. The flywheel, playing the role of a rotor, interacted with a low-voltage magneto. This required extremely precise manufacturing of the structure, careful adjustment and careful maintenance. The crankshaft was not equipped with replaceable bearing shells, it needed frequent repairs or replacement of elements. At high loads, the lubrication system did not provide decent processing of the power unit, as a result of which it overheated.