This is a promotional 16mm. film showing how the tractors are made in the factory and their special features. The film is entitled "A New High". It is slightly longer than 10 minutes so the last part will be in a separate video.
I had to haul gravity boxes full of shell corn (super heavy load) up a steep gravel road to my uncle's farm back about 1974. My dad was a Farmall international man. I tried the job first with the H tractor. Wouldn't do it; not even in first gear. Then I tried the Super MTA. Made it but barely. Next time it was the International 560, a little bit better. Then my neighbor brought over his 45 WD. It torqued right up the hill like a Caddilac in 3rd gear and never slowed down; just got a nice deep sound to the engine. It sure impressed me. If I had to farm with yesterday's tractors I would pick the Allis first.
I use to combine corn for an older gentleman that had a WD45, I had 400 bu. J&M wagons I would dump the combine and give him the thumbs up to leave, he'd smile and signal me to load it, so 2 big dumps the wagon was heaped and loaded, I gave him the thumbs up he's full, I sat and watched him , sure he'd spin out trying to get that load moving, Floyd would pull the ring, fire it off pull the hand clutch back, both tires dug in about 1/4 turn to get a bite, and away he went looking back at me and smiling from ear to ear! I just shook my head, and learned right then and there , never ever underestimate a WD45
I just recorded this by using a camera aimed at the projection screen so there is no digital copy available, the original is a 16mm film reel. I can try and use my new digital camera to see if I can get a better recording of it.
I just picked up a 1949 gas WD, with front bucket loader, wide front, some dents and rough parts.. but runs good. This video explains quite a bit, since being new and not being able to find an operating manual. Hard to believe it still works great, being made in 1949 and only paying 1500bucks. Thanks for posting !
There are devices that allow you to transfer/capture a 16mm film to digital That's awesome that you have it, and now RU-vid you can upload videos longer than 9m now
This video never gets old to watch. They should do a remake of this tractor. Like they did with the Ford 8n I think it is. I sure would go out and buy one.
It was called the Boomer 8N. Not a bad little tractor, but still no original 50's 8N. They are awesome little tractors. I wish i could modify an old 8 or 9N to have a 2-stage clutch, aka live PTO.
This is back when people actually cared about what they were building, they didn't WANT it to break on you and did everything they could to prevent it...
I wouldn't even buy a wheelbarrow from GM if they made one. They'd screw that up too somewhow. Engineered obsolescence or just plain old piss poor engineering? Hard to say or maybe a combination of both..... Sad world we live in now
The AC WD series were well built and reliable 'ol gals. One of the best work horses that I ever ran. But I do have to say out of all the tractors (back in the old days) I ran, the WD's were the most uncomfortable tractors I've drove. At least for a short legged kid like I was. There are still a lot of the WD's around here still at work. Long live the AC WD series tractors.
I seem to remember seeing this same movie at a grand opening at Acker Implements where my dad was a mechanic when I was a little kid. Acker’s also sold Chevrolet cars in the town where I grew up.
i was going to say with the wierd 3 point hitch it is soley for implements made for that tractor,but with a welder you can build an adapter to fit modern 3point lift systems
I am amazed how good the color is...it looks even better viewing the film directly. It has not faded at all. Most of the 1940's and 50's color films I have still look great, but by the 60's and 70's they must have gone to some other chemical process in the film as a lot of those films are starting to turn a pinkish color.
The AC snap coupler looks a lot easier to hook up than the Ford/Ferguson 3-pt system that is most common today. My WD has a conversion kit to convert it to the modern system but it can be difficult to get the lift arms on and off the implement. I remember hearing about the Case Eagle hitch too (THe Case trademark at one time included an eagle).
Thats awesome, but I'll keep my Farmall. The one thing that I really like is the powershift wheels, those would be especially handy for narrow trailer loading.
My grandfather owned a Allis Chalmer tractor for a very long time (with two front wheels very close together)on his farm. It used to backfire sometimes.
I'm a short (5'3") woman who likes the hand clutch since I have difficulty reaching the foot clutch. I never have done lots of "farming". I'm a city girl turned country girl & mainly I just drive the tractor while my husband and sons load hay on the trailer. The hand clutch helps but I still have to grab the steering wheel to hold on & get leverage as I slide forward to fully depress the brake. My husband grew up w/ this tractor & loves anything AC. We named her "Allis" years ago.
AC sure knew how to make a potent engine. Those old WD's and even WC sure could pull for their weight. Besides the engines though, AC always seemed to be a year or two behind the rest of the industry, and their implements were always a little different and some very proprietary, like that snap coupler. Makes it hard to sell a plow when you have to have an AC tractor to hook it to. Roto-balers were another one- neat design but obsoleted almost right away by square balers that didnt have to stop to tie.
Also, I can remember the first AC that I had. I don't know the year or the model but it was a hand crank and hand brakes levers (no foot brakes) on each wheel. The gear shift lever was (it seamed at least) as long as the tractor was with a "reverse lock-out" lever next to the shifter knob. The rear axle housing looked something like a rear end out of a truck. I wish I still had that tractor today.
cool video my 1952 case has the optional eagle hitch! that is just an early ji case built 3 point hitch! it was an optional addon. it runs off a hydrolick pump mounted to the side of the engine! we have the original 2 bottom plow. you dont even have to leave the seat to hooc it up! like your ac video! but the eagle hitch is different!
The Snap Coupler drafts better and because of that takes less fuel to pull. The 3 point and fast hitch hook up at two lower links which fight the natural draft of the implement.
I have used both types of 3 point hitch and the allis was the best your load is pulling on the same point as the drawbar, not on the lift arms, but it couldn't compete with the popularity of the Ferguson system.
Same goes for the IH fast hitch. I've used many and it works very well, but IH wouldn't let anybody else build fast hitch implements. Same as the snap coupler, it was completely proprietary, aside from 3pt adapters that don't work very well, and it never caught on like 3pt did.
Reply to Brad not Landa I watched an antique tractor vid a couple days back about a 1920 friction drive tractor that never worked in the fields. It's lugs (steel tires) were still in the box in the garage. It was used for running a belt to power a Missouri sawmill. Came with a plow that was also unused. Guy had to come and check it out and found this tractor had a 3 point hitch system in 1920!
The Case hitch was good but the Snap Coupler drafts better for easier pulling. My grandpa used to work at a Case dealer back in the 50's and very early 60's.
@@marshakrebs4348 If you engaged the foot clutch, everything stopped, drive, PTO, and hydraulics. If you engaged the hand clutch only drive would stop. The WD45 was a great tractor!
3 bottom plows, 3 row cultivators, and 4 bottom diggers! I love old tractors! I haven't farmed since I was 12 in 1988. We used 50's ACs and 3 bottom implements. How many rows do they cultivate/plow with modern equipment? In fact, do they even cultivate anymore, or is everything killed with Roundup?
Don't of many this happened to but this would happen. When that spring broke for the latch, the plow become attatched by the lift links only then would stand up on the front and roll onto the operator. Not a good day
Not possible, the latch hook was made in such a way that even if the spring broke the latch was "pulled" close, unless you stopped and took the tension off
@retrochad Yea,Enviromental regulations I am sure required film makers and developers to change the make up.Much like the paint in the 70s and early 80 on cars.Look at most of the cars from that era at how the paint is next to non-existant on all horizontal surfaces.
Yeah John Deere had adjustable wheel tread figured out back in 1934 rather by sliding the wheel hub on the axle instead which by the way is still in use on row crop tractors to this day. No allis license needed.
Valid point, but, that can be a pain right in the ass. And, a lot of older tractors use the "power adjust wheels". The old 195 Massey Ferguson diesel i used to round bale with had them, a couple of 9, and 8n's did too. Its so much easier that way. The bad downfall is, the wobble after you adjust them like that. And, in "road gear", that can get sketcky as frig.
I wonder what the problem was with the snap coupler? Looked like a good idea. Funny how AC with that system, J I Case with eagle hitch and IH with fast hitch and that stupid Ferguson 3pt hitch ended up being the one used.
the early case emblem does have an eagle that sits on the globe. case called hime "Old Abe" google image! ji case eagle. well our eagle hitch works very well it has spring loaded quick connects on the ends of the draft arms. google "case eagle hitch" to see how it works! but our VAC is equipt with live hydrolics and 540 rpm pto. early models had the hydrolic pump built in the belt pulley drive. we have the original belt pulley, but it was removed to put the loader on in the 60's!
I rodw one of the old girls many a day bailing with the rotobailer . Good old tractor, werent worth a shit for row crop though... to light and to much power.... just slipped the tires all day.
Snotnose Tom I bet it’s because they designed a tractor that ran on water. Big oil bought the patent, but AC would only sell on the condition that the prototype went to the smithsonian.
Not to be a troll but what the fuck! I mean of some things I have seen astounded me because I have not one but two of these tractors and often have trouble with the implements on them.
I apologize for wasting your time brett knoss because I just got my WD's running well here some time ago,however,that commercial was a bit uncanny for my taste.
Darth Graggus The foot operated clutch disconnecting all power transmission is "weird" by today's standards, and the hand operated clutch disconnecting wheels only is twice as weird. Today, the norm is that the foot pedal clutch is only relevant to driving the wheels. The hand operated clutch is only relevant to the power takeoff. The hydraulic pump is always running, and not behind any clutch (in some tractors, pressing left pedal also disconnected hydraulic pump). I don't know history well enough, but I imagine alot of implements today assume you've got the "modern" setup of clutches.
That wheel-widening thing was very interesting. Most people don't even know that the wheels can do that, because most of the time, they're rusted in place.
