953 nut 55,218 #1 Posted May 11 Today’s letter is “I” an ingenious design is an improvement over the horse. Indiana tractor The Star Tractor Company of Findlay, Ohio entered the tractor marketplace with an articulated front wheel drive lightweight utility tractor. It was somewhat like an overgrown walk-behind garden tractor with a sulky. It has a steering wheel, clutch, transmission, and brakes, and powered by a Le Roi 4-cylinder engine with a 138 cubic inch displacement. The Indiana Silo Company, located in Anderson, Indiana, was the most successful silo manufacturer in the United States. They purchased the fledgling Star Tractor Company in 1919 moving production to their Indiana factory. Expectations were to make 5,000 units per year selling at $1,000 each. Attachments were also manufactured at the Indiana plant. The Indiana tractor was tested in September 1920 at Nebraska (Test No. 62), rated at 11.34 brake hp and 5.66 drawbar hp. Unlike most tractors of the era that were huge, cumbersome, expensive machines the Indiana was maneuverable and reasonably priced. Weighing in at 2,200 pounds and being capable of operating with a two-row cultivator or implements the farmer already owned this was an easy transition into horseless farming. One of the fundamental flaws of this lightweight articulated design is that backing up with a heavy load was awkward at best due to the rear steering and could be quite dangerous as the sulky tended to jack-knife between the load and the front derive assembly. During the Indiana’s production life, other manufacturers began to make implements for the tractor. The 1-bottom, 16-inch Oliver no. 61 plow was a popular choice. Nearly any horse-drawn tool could be modified to fit the Indiana tractor, including riding discs, grain drills, grain binders and corn binders. As was the case with most small manufacturers of tractors in 1921 the agricultural depression was hard on the Indiana Tractor. Ford, IH and Deere were selling tractors below cost to maintain market share and a small manufacturer like Indiana Silo could only follow suit so far before ceasing production. Nationally the number of tractor manufacturers fell from over 100 to 10 or less by 1930. Indiana Silo dropped the price of their tractor from $ 1.000 to $ 665 but just couldn’t compete with the Fordson selling for $ 395. 6 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
