TRACTOR TRIVIA and other interesting stuff 4/13/2024

[953 nut 55,218]

Red-E Tractor

 

Red-E Tractors were produced by Pioneer Manufacturing Company which was founded on March 19, 1922 by Earl Welbourne, William J. Meyer, James A. Mould and John Buday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its focus was farm machinery and began in West Allis, Wisconsin (1922-1946) then moved to Richfield, Wisconsin in 1946.

Earl Welbourn, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, took an interest in a concept tractor built by a student of his. It’s not known if the student got an A for his project but Professor Welbourne must have been impressed. His first two wheeled walking tractor was built in 1918 and served as the model for the first Red-E steel wheeled walk-behind tractor.

"Universal Red-E Power Cultivators" could be configured with many different implements including plows, cultivators, discs, S & H set onion planters, Nash Acme harrow, seeders, drags, spike harrows, furrower with wings, orchard style front fenders, wheel hoes, Iron King wire seeders, many cuts of different cultivator shovels, various wheels, sprayers, snow blade, Type T-22 Red-E mower, type T7-60 Red-E gang mower with riding seat, riding roller, and much more.

Pioneer Manufacturing built their own engines but used abundantly available Ford Model “T” pistons, connecting rods, intake and exhaust valves, and the Model “T” Holley carburetors. The engine crank case casting included the tractor’s transmission. The air-cooled single cylinder sleeve and head was bolted to the base casting with an air shroud fitted over the cylinder and the top of the transmission casting. The flywheel had fins cast into it which drew air through the shroud cooling the cylinder head. This same style engine was used on all cast engine/transmission tractors until they were phased out in the 1950s.

In 1942 six models of garden tractors were offered, five models of the cast engine/transmission configuration RED-E tractors including models 11 and 12 as well as the 11R and a 12R which offered forward and reverse. New additions were the model ZA-5A steel wheeled tractor and the ZA-7A with rubber tires. All models came with standard cultivator attachments and the new 5A and 7A came with Briggs and Straton one and two horse-power air cooled engines.

By 1945 changes were occurring at RED-E tractor. The cast models 11 and 12 now had pipe handles instead of wooden plow handles. The factory was relocated to Richfield, Wisconsin, and started producing an entirely new line of tractor. While cast models 11 and 12 were still being manufactured at Richfield, they were being phased out in favor of four wheeled riding garden tractors.

The Page Dairy and Farm Equipment Co. of Milwaukee had been in the Garden tractor manufacturing business since 1926 and had developed a rear engine four wheeled riding garden tractor that was of interest to Pioneer Manufacturing. The Page tractor portion of the company was purchased by Pioneer in 1949. By 1951 the four-wheel riding tractor had gone from the rear engine Page design to a front engine model. It is believed that the four-wheel garden tractors were sold under the Page and Red-E names.

James E. Turner, the son-in-law of founding partner Earl Welbourne, worked for the Pioneer Manufacturing Company as a designer. In 1946 he left the company to begin work on a four wheeled garden tractor that would use easily obtained automotive parts. This tractor, the Economy, was manufactured by Mr. Turner’s company, Engineering Products of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Much like the Pioneer manufactured units his tractor was also based on simplicity of use and ease of repair.

The unit had a Wisconsin air-cooled single cylinder engine. It was attached to a modified Crosley bell housing and transmission. The transmission unit was modified by adding pulleys for belt power transfer. A modified Ford Model-A rear axle assembly with reduction gears at the axles was used as a final drive. The Economy tractor was tested at the University of Nebraska in 1952 under test number 483. In 1964 the Economy name was replaced becoming known as the Power King, it was also known as the Country Squire and the Jim Dandy along the way. More about that tomorrow.

During the many years it built tractors, RED-E Tractor Company and Pioneer Manufacturing Company always strived to make a simple quality product that could easily be repaired or modified to suit its owner’s needs. Production of Red-E tractors ended in 1962.

 

@oldiron613 posted some good information about the Pioneer/Page/Economy lineage in the attached post.

 

[ebinmaine 67,466]

55 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

1964 the Economy name was replaced becoming known as the Power King, it was also known as the Country Squire and the Jim Dandy along the way

 

Been a favorite of mine for awhile. 

 

We had a Country Squire here for a bit that was owned by @Stepney. 

Neat rigs.  

 

 

 

[953 nut 55,218]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Been a favorite of mine for awhile. 

 

We had a Country Squire here for a bit that was owned by @Stepney. 

Neat rigs.  

 

 

 

We will se more about James Turner and the Power King tomorrow.