“The standard reference book of the industry for the design, production and sale of tractors and power farm equipment.”
Dave @ eWillys posted an ad from the 1954 “Tractor Field Book.” We had never heard nor seen this periodical. We now have two volumes, the 1951 edition and the 1955 edition. They both contain listings of the Jeep as a tractor, as well as data on Love tractors, plus a number of tractors that used a version of the Monroe lift.
We acquired the 1955 edition first. Willys didn’t have an ad in this edition. We are looking for newer additions to determine if 1954 was the last year that Willys placed an ad for the Farm Jeep.
We have scanned a few pages (the 1951 edition is 480 pages!) and will annotate them with our comments.
Farm Implement News Co. began publishing the Tractor Field Book around 1916. The earliest version we have found online is from 1919.
Each book contains a great deal of technical data. including industry standards and specifications. There is also a section on garden tractors.
In addition to detailed listings of tractors, the book contains full page ads. This one features the Terratrac equipped with a Monroe hydraulic lift. You can see this ad again in Clint Dixon’s article on the “The Making of the Farm Jeep-Part 4.”
As we have written in “The Jeep As A Light Tractor” the Ford 8N tractor was the chief competitor, after it replaced the pre-war model 9N tractor. We will use this data, along with the Nebraska test to make our case when comparing the Farm Jeep to the 8N.
Also note the Friday Tractor listed after the 8N. This tractor has a connection to Jabez Love, who developed the first Jeep lift.
According to the late Jerry Wittkop, Monroe engineers wanted to use their expertise gained during WWII to bring new products to the automotive and farm markets. You can read more in Clint’s “The Making of the Farm Jeep-Part-3”.
This page lists two models of Love Tractors. We have written about Love in “The Making of the Farm Jeep-Part 1” and continue are research into his lifts and implements.
This was the first time that we had seen the use of the company name “Lift Tools, Inc.” associated with Love manufacturing. Note the “Distributors of LOVE PRODUCTS.” Apparently the operation was started by former Love employees in May 1950.
More Love Tractor listings. Note the Model C-51 picture clearly shows the lift features that Love first developed for the Jeep. The attachment of the lift arms to the implement arms uses the “J” type fastener and the implement arms lack pin swivels common on both the Monroe and Ford 8N.
This page contains the most interesting finding. The book is divided in to several sections. The first is Tractor Data Section that is subdivided into 1) Illustrated Tractor Specifications – Riding tractors with on 12-inch capacity or greater (starting on page 23), the above 2) Illustrated Farm Truck-Tractor Specifications, 3) Riding Tractors of Capacity Less than One 12-inch Bottom.
There are only two entries in the second category. Our focus is on the CJ-3A, of course, but you might wish to read Jim Allen’s article on the Crosley Motor’s FarmOroad. We have also written about the Crosley here. We plan to review this listing, and comparing it to the 1955 listing at a later date.
Willys didn’t have an ad in the 1955 edition. The third section of tractor data begins on page 130.
In addition to data, the Tractor Field Book contains many illustrations of tractors and other farm machines. While it does not contain any drawings of Jeeps, we find these fascinating.
There, at the bottom of the alphabetical listing of the Nebraska Test Data on Current Wheeled Tractors, is the Willys-Overland Jeep. We will make a copy of this page and carry it with us to shows as proof that the Jeep, as outfitted, was a real farm tractor.
This list is also an indication of just how crowded the farm tractor market was in 1951.
An easier to read version of the Jeep’s Nebraska Test is available here.
The book also contains listings of companies providing various components used on tractors. We have been searching for the provider of the hydraulic pump and bracket that was used on the Newgren, Monroe and Stratton lifts. We know the pump brand was PESCO and there under “Power Units-Hydraulic” is a listing for Pesco Products Corp. This is an exciting find. When researching the Stratton lift, Ernie Klimek III said he remembered the hydraulic units being sourced locally. Here is evidence that this company, located in Cleveland (as is E & K) may have been the provider we have been searching for.
We will be adding items from the 1955 edition at a later date.