The Rural Voice, 1986-04, Page 21pany was the first to enter the
market with a gas engine and years
of varied experience have taught
them the secrets of successful gas
engine building."
Despite that praise, 1910 saw
some hair -pulling at Hart -Parr
headquarters when more than
$100,000 had to be spent on free
repairs and service because of im-
proper heat treatment of the drop
forged steel crankshaft.
One model, likely popular with
Prairie farmers, was the 60-100. It
weighed 26 tons, had nine -foot
wheels, and could pull 14 or more
plows in a single pass.
With the advent of World War
1, farm help became scarcer, so
farmers wanted much lighter trac-
tors that could be operated easily
by one man. The Little Red Devil
was Hart-Parr's first entry into the
"compact" field. Built from 1914
to 1916, these models had no
transmission or differential and
sported a two -cylinder engine.
After 1916, they were withdrawn
from the market.
In 1918, the firm introduced the
New Hart -Parr, and while it
underwent some modifications,
this basic style remained in the
company's line until 1930.
Jeremy Robson, who restored
the 1928 Hart -Parr in the Lambton
Heritage Museum collection, says
Goodison Thresher Company of
Sarnia sold Hart -Parrs as the
firm's tractor line. When the 28-50
model, displayed in the museum's
farm machinery barn, was pur-
chased in 1929, it cost $2,085, with
the engineer's cab available as an
option. This model, which weighs
a substantial 8,600 pounds, is
started with gasoline, but with the
turn of a valve will operate on less
expensive kerosene.
In 1929, as so often happens in
industry, Hart -Parr merged with
Oliver Chilled Plow Company, the
Nichols & Shepard Company, and
the American Seeding Machine
Company to form Oliver Farm
Equipment, headquartered in
Chicago. The familiar two -
cylinder Hart -Parr tractors gave
way to a new line of four and six -
cylinder Oliver models.
But next time you spot one of
those ungainly old Hart -Parrs in a
display of antique farm
machinery, remember those two
bright engineering students and the
daring farmers who braved noise
and their neighbour's teasing in
pioneering our first tractors.'^
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