As any farmer knows, the tractor is one of the most essential pieces of agriculture equipment you’ll ever use. Even though it’s still a modern marvel, when the tractor first came about, it had significant influences on the trajectory of history. In this article, we’ll briefly review the rich history of farm tractors, from its origins in the Industrial Revolution all the way up to modern day agriculture. To see how far tractor technology has advanced, visit Wagner Used Equipment today and explore our wide selection of ag equipment. The Age of Industrialism Around the turn of the early 1800s, the Western world saw a shift towards major advancements in mechanical technology. This movement in history is referred to as the Industrial Revolution, and we are still seeing and feeling its effects today. Most historians agree that the Industrial Revolution was spurred by the invention of the steam engine and other innovative technological improvements. In 1812, the first steam-based engine used for agriculture was fabricated by Richard Trevithick, a native of the United Kingdom. He called it the “Barn Engine,” and it was unique because it was semi-portable, it featured a flexible belt that propelled the machinery, and it used a high-pressure steam chamber. Most engines are stationary and cannot be moved easily from one location to another, but Trevithick was able to design the Barn Engine to do precisely this, making many work processes simpler and more efficient for farmers all over the U.K. The Englishman’s invention was most often applied to corn threshing. A New Century — A New Machine Just after the turn of the 20th century, in 1901, an English inventor named Dan Albone developed a general-purpose tractor powered by petrol. It was significantly lighter in weight than tractors that came before it, and it was so commercially successful that Albone went on to form his own company, Ivel Agricultural Motors Limited, the very next year. It’s worth noting that at this point in time around 1902, “tractor” was not a commonly used term, hence the nomenclature of “motor” for what we would now consider an essential agricultural equipment piece. Much like the steam engine in a ferry boat, the Ivel Agricultural Motor used cooled and evaporated water to power the engine, and it also had forward and reverse gears. Even all the way back in 1903, the selling price for one of these agricultural machines was a whopping £300 — in today’s market, that’s more than £35,000! In American dollars, when adjusting for the current exchange rate, that more than $45,000. Your car is looking pretty cheap now, isn’t it? John Deere Appears Little more than a decade after the Ivel Agricultural Motor came onto the scene, there were more than 100 different companies manufacturing their own farm tractors. Among these companies was the now famous John Deere. In 1918, the farming equipment behemoth launched its All-Wheel Drive Tractor and sold an astonishing 5,634 units in the first year of its release. Just two years later, the 1920 tractor market was deemed “oversaturated” and many consumers became concerned about fraud in the industry. As a result, the Nebraska Tractor Tests, a method of measuring adherence to industry standards and performance criteria, were developed and implemented. Caterpillar Emerges From Its Cocoon In 1925, the merger of two major equipment manufacturers resulted in the formation of a new corporation called the Caterpillar Tractor Company. Originally based out of California, after half a century of success, this entity would come to rename itself Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. It still carries this name today, along with its legacy of producing high-quality tractors and ag equipment. Conclusion This article took a brief look at the history of tractors and a couple centuries of advancements in agricultural machinery. There is much more to learn about the subject, and there’s not enough acreage to cover it all here, but if you’re interested in growing your knowledge about ag equipment or other pieces of heavy machinery, please reach out to Wagner Used Equipment today!