General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

metal body, frame, parts/ synthetic steering wheel with wood knob/ glass lamps/ synthetic seat pad cover/ rubber tires

Dimensions

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

Length

320.0 cm

Width

170.0 cm

Height

110.0 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

IH

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

1954+

Canada

According to the donor, this McCormick-Deering W4 tractor was purchased new in 1954 by Ed and Harry Sadler of Carleton Place, ON. The Sadler brothers operated a 365 acre dairy and sheep farm which included cereal crops, legumes, mixed hay, corn silage and maple syrup. The donors, Bill and Hazel Minor of Nepean, ON purchased the farm and machinery in 1973, including the W4 tractor and the flock of purebred sheep. Later the Miners added a small herd of beef cattle. Half the farm with the buildings was sold to their daughter Debbi and her husband Greg in 1994. The Bowes barn was burned by an arsonist on July 18, 2002. Subsequently, to free up shed space, Bill and Hazel Minor donated the W4 tractor along with several other pieces of farm equipment to the Canada Agriculture Museum (Ref. 1).

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

A 1954 wide front, PTO equipped tractor with an electric start, running lights on the hood and rear-left fender (detached). This model was manufactured with running modifications from 1940 to 1953 and this is a standard wheelbase, PTO equipped example built close to the end of the W-4's production run. Between the early 1940's and the mid 1950's, IHC filled the market with a range of sizes and applications of tractors under its letter series, which included the A, B, C, H and W. Within each letter grouping there was further differentiation, for instance, the W series included the 4, 6 and 9; when these models were equipped with orchard equipment they were called O-4, O-6 and O-9. This was broken down even further to differentiate standard fuel from WD (diesel) fuel tractors. The size of the company and the capital available allowed IHC to undertake this production/marketing activity. Unlike its competitors which might offer several models, IHC could brag that it had a tractor to suit every need. By covering the market with a range of tractors, IHC ensured that it garnered a large share of the market and to a large degree this contributed to the company's survival and remains vitally important in today's farm equipment marketplace. This W-4 tractor was produced during this important period of IHC's development.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

black plate on front with raised grey lettering reading ‘McCORMICK'

Missing

Yes, but no decal. Tractor repainted.

Finish

body painted red/ metallic parts/ black steering wheel and knob/ colourless transparent glass/ maroon and grey seat pad covering/ black tires

Decoration

N/A