Russ' Vintage Iron
A Top 10 List of Strange-Named, Little-Known Former Tractor Manufacturers
OMAHA (DTN) -- A couple years ago, one of my columns included my own list of the Top 10 tractors of all-time. People seemed to really like lists, so I contributed to the list frenzy. Read All-Time Top 10 Tractor Series List here:https://www.dtnpf.com/….
This column generated the most responses from readers I have ever had from a column. I had emails for months after that article came out.
I thought people might accuse me of really liking one color of tractor (John Deere was on my list three times). Some folks wanted a Case tractor series to be included. Some others thought I should have included more International tractors. I did have two IH tractor series on there (IH Letter Series and the 56 series), but that must not have been enough for the red-loving folks.
Time for another Top 10 list. I thought I would come up with a list of strange-named, little-known former tractor manufacturers. I started Googling various things related to tractors and found some names.
Just a couple of notes here. My list is just former American manufacturers; there was a much longer list from former makers from around the world. Also, there is nothing scientific about my list; I just found these names interesting.
Without any more hesitation, here is my Top 10 list of strange-named, little-known former tractor manufacturers:
No. 10 -- Bethlehem tractors. It appears the Bethlehem Motors Corporation built tractors, trucks and automobiles from 1917 to 1926. They were based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. That's about all I could find.
No. 9 -- Planet, Jr. tractors. A quick search found this company must have made a walk-behind tractor. I found several pages about this manufacturer, although I did not learn if there was a Planet, Sr. company.
No. 8 -- Yankee tractors. A search here yielded quite a bit of info. It looked like there was maybe a company named Yankee and maybe another company having a model named Yankee. They had no connection to the New York Yankees, apparently.
No. 7 -- Boring tractors. The Boring Tractor Corporation of Rockford, Illinois, made a three-wheeled tractor from 1921 to 1922. And that is all that is known. It is pretty boring, actually.
No. 6 -- Thieman tractors. I wrote about this long-gone tractor manufacturer in 2023. I had several responses, including a descendant of the brothers who started the company. The Albert City, Iowa, company-built tractors beginning in 1936.
Here are the three columns:
-- "Forgotten 1930s Tractor -- The Thieman," https://www.dtnpf.com/…
-- "Descendant of Thieman Harvester Co. Founders Reveals More History on Thieman Tractor," https://www.dtnpf.com/…
-- "Thieman Tractor Collector Reveals More Interesting Knowledge About the Machinery," https://www.dtnpf.com/…
No. 5 -- Kitten tractors. The list of U.S. manufacturers I found had Kitten tractors on it, but I couldn't find anything about them. Not a single page about them. I found lots of kids' videos of animated kittens driving tractors, but that was it. I'm not in marketing, but if you wanted a tough-sounding tractor name, Kitten tractors was not it.
No. 4 -- Adams-Husker tractors. I did find a webpage that did have some information about this manufacturer (https://oldirongarage.com/…). A couple of models were made around 1910, but that was about it. As a native Nebraskan, I am obliged to include anything with the word "Husker" in my Top 10 lists.
No. 3 -- Dragon tractors. For as bad as the name Kitten tractors was, the name Dragon tractors is way more intimidating. This list had this as a U.S. manufacturer, but there were several websites that said this tractor was actually made in China, which might help to explain the name.
No. 2 -- Quaker Mule tractors. There were several websites that mentioned this particular tractor. Based in Salem, Ohio, it appears these tractors were made in the 1920s and 1930s.
(As a sidenote, there were MANY animal names in the list of old U.S. tractor manufacturers. The list included Bantam, Bear, Bearcat, Colt, Eagle, Greyhound, Griffin, Maverick and Wheel Ox.)
No. 1 -- And my top strange-named, little-known former U.S. tractor manufacturer: Burn Oil tractors.
I was really hoping to find some information about this tractor manufacturer, but I did not find anything about it. Again, it was on the list as a U.S. manufacturer, but what an odd name for a tractor.
I would go out a limb and guess there were not very many farmers lining up to buy a tractor with the name of Burn Oil tractors. Again, I have never worked in marketing but naming the machine after the worst thing that could possibly happen to a tractor was probably not the best idea.
Did I miss any long gone, strange-named former tractor manufacturers? I am very interested to see if I get many emails about this particular list.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go back and watch more of the cartoons of tractor-driving kittens.
Russ Quinn can be reached at russ.quinn@dtn.com
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