General Information

Serial #

1389

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

METAL & WOOD FRAME/ 4 METAL WHEELS

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

380.0 cm

Width

205.6 cm

Height

170.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Agriculture

Category

Power sources

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Massey

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Weston

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

Unknown

Canada

The Massey-Harris No. 2 tractor was built at its factory in Weston, then just outside of Toronto. At the time, Massey-Harris was the biggest manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the British Empire, but remained out of tractor production between 1923 and 1927. The Parrett Tractor Company was headquartered in Chicago.

Function

The tractor is a motorized vehicle used to pull and actuate other vehicles or implements that are not power-driven. Tractors are primarily designed for agricultural work: for cultivation, spraying, and harvesting operations. The first tractors, developed in the mid-nineteenth century, were steam-powered and were not very mobile: their main purpose was to power threshers and other equipment. The development of gas-engines in the late 19th century, and their integration into tractors, gave the machines more mobility and flexibility. Robert C. Williams writes in "Fordson, Farmall, and Poppin' Johnny: A history of the farm tractor and its impact on America" (1987) that "Of all the farm implements, the tractor has had the greatest impact on rural life...In one generation between 1920 and 1950, most farms in the United States changed from dependence on draft animals to dependence on mechanical power."

Technical

The Massey-Harris No. 2 tractor was a Canadian-built version of the Parrett 12-25 tractor. The Parrett tractor was a lightweight maneuverable machine distinguished by its large wheels, high-clearance, and sideways-mounted radiator. It offered small and medium-sized farms an alternative to massive and expensive steam-traction engines. Massey-Harris signed a deal to build Parrett-designed tractors in Canada after the company’s failure with selling American-built Bull tractors. Massey-Harris labelled the Parrett designs as the No. 1 and No. 2 tractors. A modified design, the No. 3, was produced in 1921.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

MFR'S MARKINGS READS: 'MASSEY-HARRIS'/ MFR'S PLATE ON ENGINE READS: 'THE BUDA [OBSCURED]/ [PLATE OBSCURED]'/ EMBOSSING ON GEAR SHIFTER READS: 'MASSEY-HARRIS/ AT 70/ HAVE YOU/ OILED/ UP'

Missing

N/A

Finish

TRACTOR PAINTED RED (NOT ORIGINAL) WITH YELLOW MARKINGS

Decoration

N/A