FarmJeep.com

Welcome to FarmJeep.com! If you’re fascinated by the history of the post-WWII Willys Jeeps and how they became the first farm utility vehicles (FUVs), you’ve come to the right place. These versatile machines could quickly switch from truck to tractor to power unit, revolutionizing farm work.

While “Farm Jeep” technically refers to a specific model, we use the term for any Jeep adapted for tractor-like tasks. New to the Farm Jeep concept? Start with our overview article, “The Jeep As A Light Tractor.“

Explore FarmJeep.com:

• Blog: Stay up-to-date with the latest news, discoveries, and research on Farm Jeeps. Browse our past posts to see how our research has evolved.
• Technical Info: Dive into the details of the hydraulic 3-point lifts (Love, Newgren, Monroe, and Stratton) and other equipment that transformed the Jeep into a true tractor.
• Resources: This section is a treasure trove! Find links to websites, parts vendors (useful for your own Jeep projects), and a large collection of vintage ads, brochures, and even movies that showcase the Farm Jeep in action.
• History: We’re passionate about accuracy. Explore articles we’ve written and published, and learn about our ongoing research projects into the history of Farm Jeeps and the companies behind their components.
• Stories and Questions: Discover the personal stories of individuals who contributed to the Farm Jeep legacy. We attend shows to gather even more firsthand accounts. Check out our FAQ section for answers to common questions, and visit “Ask Farm Jeep” to see what others are curious about. You can also see our own Jeep projects that inspired FarmJeep.com.

Don’t Miss:

• Jeep Trucks – Farm & Utility: The Willys Jeep Pickup Truck was in production from 1946 to 1964. The Jeep Forward Control was produced from 1956 to 1965. Both of these vehicles can be called Farm Jeep Trucks, but they served in many roles.

• Jeep Accessories – The Tools That Made Jeeps Work: The Jeep was not only the “Workhorse of the Farm,” but also the “Workhorse of Industry.” Add-on equipment of every description made Willys vehicles indispensable tools for farmers, businessmen, utility companies, and manufacturers. There were hundreds of uses, some of which might seem strange today (such as harvesting ice). Here are articles and stories about the add-ons that made the Jeep vehicles the Swiss Army Knife of farm and industry.

• Jeep and Related Tractors: While the Jeep Tractor was a short-lived variant of the Farm Jeep, the Empire Tractor, built from Farm Jeep components, is better known. Other tractor manufacturers used hydraulic lifts designed initially for the Jeep. Of course, Jabez Love, the inventor of the first Jeep lift, was also a tractor manufacturer.

• Farm Truck-Tractors: The Tractor Field Book, an industry periodical, featured a separate section for vehicles that were both trucks and tractors. The listing included the Farm Jeep, the Crosley Farm-O-Road, and the Dodge Power-Wagon.

• The Farm Jeep Movie: We’ve unearthed a 70+ year-old infomercial that beautifully demonstrates the capabilities of the Farm Jeep, including the Monroe lift and its use as a tractor. Watch the 26-minute movie here.

We’re constantly adding new content, so be sure to check back often!

Barry & Evan

Below are links to forums and pages that we use for research and our own education. We are often asked for where and how to find parts. We have also listed a few of the places you might find what you are looking for.

Model Specific Information
CJ-2A Identification numbers
CJ-3A Information & Identification

Forums
g503.com Message Forums: CJ’s
The CJ2A Page Message Board
The CJ-3A and CJ3B Community Forum
Early CJ5 Forum
Old Willys Forum
Willys Jeep Forum at Kaiser Willys

Early Models
willys-overland.com (Todd Paisley’s Early Prototype Civilian Jeeps)
g503.com
The CJ2A Page
Herm The Overdrive Guy
The CJ3A Page
The CJ-3A Information Page
Original CJ-3A Jeep on The CJ3B Page
The CJ3B.info Page
eWillys
The Jeepster Man

Farm Jeep Stuff
Farm Jeeps on The CJ3B Page
Definitely farm, sort of Jeep
Empire Tractor Club – the Empire Tractor used the Jeep mechanicals

Jeeps and Jeep parts:
Auctions and Classifieds
ebayMotor Listings
eWillys.com – best list of Jeeps across the country
Willystech Parts Board

List of hydraulic lift reproduction parts and Willys speciality tools providers

Parts Suppliers and Services
4WD.com Vintage Jeep parts
Beachwood Canvas 
Kaiser-Willys Auto Supply LLC
Midwest Willys
Walcks 4WD
Willys America
Willys-Overland Motors
Willys Acres

There are a few early civilian Jeeps known as AgriJeeps, and in the early 1950s, Willys officially produced a stripped-down CJ-3A as the official “Jeep Tractor,” and an official “Farm Jeep” model as seen in the ad below from 1951. For our purposes, Farm Jeeps are Willys Jeeps (CJ-2As, CJ-3As, CJ-3Bs, CJ-5s, or CJ-6s) and Jeep Trucks (including the FCs) equipped with the optional power take-off (PTO) and aftermarket hydraulic implement lifts. These Jeeps are 4WD ¼ ton trucks that also perform as small farm tractors; this combination makes them Farm Jeeps.

Paul Lawson, Barry’s father-in-law and Evan’s grandfather, owned 3 “flat fender” Jeeps, including one with a 3-point hitch and PTO. When we (Barry and Evan) began restoring our 1947 Willys CJ-2A with a factory PTO, we immediately began searching and researching the necessary parts to convert our Jeep into a Farm Jeep. This website is an attempt to share the information we have gathered and document our progress in the restoration of the ’47 CJ-2A, the early (’49 or ’50) CJ-3A, and the other associated Farm Jeep projects.

We are already indebted to many generous Jeepers and antique tractor lovers for their time and contributions of pictures, diagrams, information, and parts sources.

In the spring of 2017, we were asked to give a presentation on the history of the Jeep implement lifts. A summary of this presentation is presented below. For an in-depth history, you may wish to read these articles.

A Brief History of Jeep Implement Lifts

As soon as we acquired our first Jeep we became interested in the histories of the companies that made the “Farm Jeep” work as a tractor. This site began and remains as a place to record our adventures with projects. But over the years it has become a repository of information about the components, especially the hydraulic lifts. In May of 2017 we were asked to make a presentation on the history of Jeep implement lifts at the Spring Willys Reunion. Following that presentation we were asked to write a series of articles for the Dispatcher magazine. The Dispatcher is a print-only magazine, so we have made the five-part series available here.

Since that time, along with writer and Monroe Auto Equipment Company historian Clint Dixon, we have continued to focus more on research and expanding our “Farm Jeep” knowledge. Our plan is to share what we discover here.

Articles Published in The Dispatcher Magazine

The Making of the Farm Jeep (Part 1) – Love Lift

The Making of the Farm Jeep (Part 2) – Newgren Lift

The Making of the Farm Jeep (Part 3) – Monroe Lift (1)

The Making of the Farm Jeep (Part 4) – Monroe Lift (2)

The Making of the Farm Jeep – The Final Chapter – Stratton Lift

E & K Products – Builders of the Stratton Lift

How Henry Ford Saved the Jeep

Selling the Universal Jeep

Other articles by Barry

Farm Jeeps at Work (Farm Collector magazine)

Jeeps on the Farm (Farm Collector magazine)

How the Ford 9N Tractor Saved Willys-Overland (Farm Collector magazine) (Note: This article is rewritten for a farm tractor audience)

The Innovations of Jabez Love (Farm Collector magazine)

Other articles by Clint Dixon

Jabez Love and the Empire Tractor

Media – Video and Audio

Farm Jeep Show Display – video and on the radio

Research related posts

https://www.farmjeep.com/revolution-in-farming-and-in-pleasentville

Research Resources

We have relied on the work of many individuals as we have combed the Web for information about Farm Jeeps. Though not exhaustive, the resources listed below form a list of who’s who that we look to when seeking expertise. We are also adding documents and library articles to this growing list.

eWillys.com – Although it might be best known for listing Willys vehicles for sale, this site is a treasure trove of information. We start all of our research projects with a search of this site.

The CJ2A Page -This Web site combines a collection of articles and stories with a very active forum. A number of individuals that we would label “experts and historians” hang out at this site as well as early Jeep owners with a wealth of technical knowledge.

The CJ3A Information Page – Bob Westerman’s site is linked multiple times on our pages. We will feature Bob in our Friends of Farm Jeep section.

The CJ3B Page – This Web site with over 1500 pages is a gold mine of historical and technical information.

The Dispatcher Magazine – This award winning publication is filled with fascinating articles. It is a must read for those interested in Jeep history.

The Tractor Field Book – “The standard reference book of the industry for the design, production and sale of tractors and power farm equipment.”  We currently have two editions (1951 and 1955) and have scanned some relevant pages.

Maybe in the future but not now…

Our first attempt at using ChapGPT as a digital research assistant was not a big success. Maybe later.