Tuesday Torque: Early Tractors Must Be Seen To Be Believed

I still look on in wonder when I see some of the early tractor designs.  I am sure some of the steam engine people were disappointed when they switched to gas and tried to operate with a rig like the IHC hit-and-miss tractors. Single cylinder steam engines had two power strokes per revolution, and a single cylinder gas tractor had one power stroke per two revolutions.  Factor in hit-and-miss governing, and the power to run your thresher, silage cutter, or whatever, was totally different even if the horsepower rating was the same.






Well, if everything is in order they do fire up faster than a steam engine. Just DON'T put your foot on the spokes to crank, Please! These old engines can kick back and they can launch you all the way to the Emergency Room.