A History of the Tractor

Can you even imagine your farm without a tractor? Tractors are a staple of agricultural operations today and we barely even think about the fact that, only a few hundred years ago, farm tasks like harvesting crops could take days or weeks to complete, because they had to be done by hand. Many laborers were required by each farm to help grow and harvest crops, and it took a lot of time and effort. Here’s how the tractor was created to resolve that problem.

Early Development

The idea for a gasoline-powered “traction engine” that could be attached to a plow and driven across a field was the brainchild of John Froelich, an Iowan farmer and inventor who lived during the end of the 1800s. He used his creation to harvest some wheat in South Dakota, and other farmers took notice.

Around the same time, a pair of engineering students at the University of Wisconsin, Charles Parr and Charles Hart, developed a commercially viable traction engine and christened it the “tractor.” The first tractor available on the market was released from their Hart-Parr Gasoline Engine Company assembly lines in 1901.

20th Century Innovations

Soon, other farm equipment companies were jumping on this new bandwagon, creating their own tractors with new attachments and features that made harvesting, tilling, cultivating, towing, and other agricultural tasks faster and easier to do than ever before. 

With a tractor, a farmer could harvest much more quickly on his own and wouldn’t have to hire dozens of laborers to assist him, cutting down on costs. Manufacturers like Mahindra and John Deere became renowned for their tractors, which can be seen all across the world, making farms work better.

Stop by our dealership in Homosassa, FL, to view our current stock of new and used tractors for sale. Love Power Equipment is proud to serve our customers in Ocala, FL.