Friday, February 8, 2008

More on Rancho El Primero's tractor.

Click on the pictures, it will expand them for greater detail.

Posing for the picture. I have no idea what the sign say's above the tractor.
An early three man logging operation.
Just like grampa, pulling five plows with a four plow tractor.



This is what I found out about the tractor that was in the posting a few days ago. I researched the internet for photo’s of the tractor and found a few, but they were all misidentified as something else. So I when back to Grampa’s photo’s and -bingo- I found a few more photos that led me to identify the tractor and I was able to find the following information:
International Harvester Mogul 12-25
General tractor information: Manufacturer, International Harvester
Model: Mogul 12-25
Type: Farm/Agricultural tractor
Years produced: 1913 - 1918
Tractor power: Drawbar (rated): 12 hp. Belt: 25 hp.
Plows: 4 (14-inch)
Engine Manufacturer: International Harvester
Fuel: kerosene
Cylinders: 2
Rated RPMs: 550
Firing order: 1-2
Transmission: Forward: 2, Reverse: 1

Some interesting facts for those that just skimmed over these spec’s is, that it ran on kerosene, and it had a two cylinder engine. I chuckled when I saw the firing order of the cylinders, one-two, like that would clarify anything. It could just as easily been two-one. Because one comes after the other either way…. Oh… It’s a four cycle engine, and it would be one-two-wiffel-wiffel, one-two wiffel-wiffel, …I get it now! Otherwise it would have to be two-wiffel-wiffel-one. Probably some mechanics are following this, but everybody else is over at Eric’s blog now!

Anyway this is Grampa and his Famous Tractor. The mogul was the “Model-A Ford” of the tractor world. It was the first small mass produced tractor for general farm use. The company went on to be International Harvester Company that is still around today. An International Harvester truck, or tractor, or harvester, was known by the Old-Timers as a “Cornbinder”.

The tractors were the first “Transformers” they were used mostly as a stationary power sorce, and had an outboard belt drive that would power up a pump, saw, generator, or any other stationary item that needed power. That's why it had a dual power rating, (I2-25). The twelve equaled the pulling power of twelve horses for eight hours right off of the drawbar of the tractor. The Twenty-five equaled the power of twenty-five horses right off of the motor itself. They didn't lie about the horsepower back then. Today they would probably call it a 500 hosepower tractor.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ernie,
By playing with the top picture in one of my photo programs, it looks like the sign says: "El Primero (top line) Western Livestock Co. (bottom line)".

Ernie Branscomb said...

Robin, Thanks. That jives with some of the other papers that I have.

Anonymous said...

I think it would so cool to find that tractor and take a "now" picture.

Carol said...

Neat tractors!

Anonymous said...

hey eArnie, Happy VAlintine --we jist got back form MExiso and Hamaica, sooo good to be home in HoSum again and I nkow yuo know what i mean --knowwhatimean? hey --speeking of INtrenational Harvestiers LOL thats what me adn Billy are now LOL :-)get it?
some good harvst moon partys with some good Jamokes... but theirs no peeps like the wondreful peeps of Humblot Co like you and mrs B for instanse ... but , where was I? oh yeah... the El Primo trackters that was way back befour pot was illegalized --rite? Im sstudyin it just like yuo too. el Primo Harvester LOL thats funny --- Histry repeats itsulf -rite? but now Suzys wanderin if ............
did they have hileocopters back then? Hmmm, Ill havta ask Billy abuot that...and get back to you --its fun learnin abuot this stuff --LOL!
oh btw Suzys theery is that the firing up order doesnt matter as long as yuo got two rolled up and ready to go... wiffle wiffle puff puff.... LOL --I guess some things will always stay thw same.
howdy oats 4 now,
S

Ernie Branscomb said...

Suzy, I put a copy of a 1920's style 215 card for you in the next post. I shot it right into the future just for you!

Oh! Welcome back!