Original ads, historic design drawings, and factory photographs tell the definitive story of the American tractor's development, mechanical innovations, groundbreaking designs, and company histories. Best-selling author Randy Leffingwell researched and photographed restored classics and one-of-a-kind experimental models from coast-to-coast to deliver the goods on American farm tractor. This is the book that started it all! Previous hardcover edition (0-87938-532-4 pub 1991) has sold a staggering 150,000!

"Mr. Dahlstrom...has written a superb history of the tractor and this long-forgotten period of capitalism in U.S. agriculture. We now know the whole story of when farming, business and the free-market economy diverged, divided and conquered." —Wall Street Journal Discover the untold story of the “tractor wars,” the twenty-year period that introduced power farming—the most fundamental change in world agriculture in hundreds of years. Before John Deere, Ford, and International Harvester became icons of American business, they were competitors in a forgotten battle for the farm. From 1908-1928, against the backdrop of a world war and economic depression, these brands were engaged in a race to introduce the tractor and revolutionize farming. By the turn of the twentieth century, four million people had left rural America and moved to cities, leaving the nation’s farms shorthanded for the work of plowing, planting, cultivating, harvesting, and threshing. That’s why the introduction of the tractor is an innovation story as essential as man’s landing on the moon or the advent of the internet—after all, with the tractor, a shrinking farm population could still feed a growing world. But getting the tractor from the boardroom to the drafting table, then from factory and the farm, was a technological and competitive battle that until now, has never been fully told. A researcher, historian, and writer, Neil Dahlstrom has spent decades in the corporate archives at John Deere. In Tractor Wars, Dahlstrom offers an insider’s view of a story that entwines a myriad of brands and characters, stakes and plots: the Reverend Daniel Hartsough, a pastor turned tractor designer; Alexander Legge, the eventual president of International Harvester, a former cowboy who took on Henry Ford; William Butterworth and the oft-at-odds leadership team at John Deere that partnered with the enigmatic Ford but planned for his ultimate failure. With all the bitterness and drama of the race between Ford, Dodge, and General Motors, Tractor Wars is the untold story of industry stalwarts and disruptors, inventors, and administrators racing to invent modern agriculture—a power farming revolution that would usher in a whole new world.

The farm tractor brought the Industrial Revolution to the farm. It lifted the burden from the horse power to horsepower and brought mechanized power into the hands of all farmers. This book tells the fascinating story of the development of the farm tractor with more than 250 color photos of tractors from across the United States.

Tractor enthusiasts of any era will appreciate the wealth of technical data this comprehensive resource delivers. This expanded 2nd edition fuses familiar and reliable Standard Catalog data with results from the renowned Nebraska Tractor Tests, for the extended coverage savvy enthusiast need. Four grades of prices for most models, and updated prices for tractors of the 1960s and later, assist collectors in evaluating each model. Technical specifications including engine size, weight, performance ability and options offer a more depth report. Additional performance reports from the standard Nebraska Tractor Tests add to a solid foundation of information to create a resource that's second to none. • Information on tractors manufactured from 1890 to 1960 guides collectors through various generations of tractors • Updated prices for post-1960 models helps collectors remain updated • 1,800 detailed archive photos help enthusiasts identify various models

DIVIf you’re a tractor enthusiast with a passion for tractor photography, Legendary Farm Tractors is a dream-come-true pictorial produced with you in mind. Containing more color photographs of more types of farm tractors than any other book in print, Legendary Farm Tractors presents tractors from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan—models from the 1880s to today—along with detailed captions, together offering a comprehensive photographic history of tractors. Organized alphabetically by make so that readers can find their favorites easily, the tractors covered here include everything from familiar manufacturers like John Deere, Ford, Farmall, Case, Caterpillar, and International Harvester to obscure tractors that have seldom been seen, such as the special streamlined Porsche coffee plantation tractor that looks more like a sports car than a piece of farm equipment. The extensive variety and distinguished photographs by noted photographer Andrew Morland make this an exceptional book for tractor buffs and the perfect gift book for any machine enthusiast./div

Here is the biggest, best, and most complete history of classic farm tractors. All North American models make their appearance--from John Deere and Farmall to fascinating "orphans" like the Steel Mule, from the late 1800s steamers through the high-powered workhorses of the 1970s. In addition to hundreds of high-detail large-format photography of tractors and equipment (see below for samples), the volume includes 100 color and black-and-white archival photos, advertising posters, and brochures. The result is an unparalleled look at the icon of American agriculture. Chapter 1: Muscles to Motors Chapter 2: Allis-Chalmers Chapter 3: J.I. Case Chapter 4: Caterpillar Chapter 5: John Deere Chapter 6: Ford Chapter 7: International Harvester Chapter 8: Massey-Ferguson Chapter 9: Minneapolis-Moline Chapter 10: Oliver Corporation Chapter 11: Orphans and Others