Overview
The Fordson F is a standard-tread farm tractor produced between 1917 and 1928 at the Dearborn, Michigan factory. It is equipped with a 251 cubic inch four-cylinder distillate engine and a three-speed constant mesh gear transmission with an open operator station. Nebraska Tractor Test 124 recorded a maximum belt power of 22.28 hp and a maximum drawbar pull of 2,142 lbs for this model.
Ideal Applications
Belt Pulley Performance:
The tractor features a 9.5-inch diameter belt pulley operating at 1000 RPM, providing a tested maximum belt power output of 22.28 hp while consuming 2.5 gallons of fuel per hour.
Drawbar and Plowing Capacity:
The unit is rated for two 14-inch plows and demonstrated a maximum tested drawbar pull of 2,187 lbs in Nebraska Test 18 using 42x12 steel rear wheels.
Transmission and Drive Configuration:
This two-wheel drive model utilizes a manual steering system and a constant mesh gear transmission providing three forward gears and one reverse gear.
Production
| Description | Standard-tread tractor / The name Fordson was used for two reasons. The "Ford Tractor" name was already being used by a company in Minneapolis. In addition, the Ford Motor Company shareholders had no interest in tractor production, so Henry Ford started an independent company for building tractors, named Henry Ford & Son. |
|---|---|
| Factories | Dearborn, MI |
| Manufacturer | Fordson (a part of Ford) |
| Total built | 755,278 (total) |
Engine
| Bore/Stroke | 4.00x5.00 inches (102 x 127 mm) / 4.00x5.00 inches (102 x 127 mm) |
|---|---|
| Coolant capacity | 48 qts (45.4 L) |
| Description | Ford / distillate / 4-cylinder / liquid-cooled / In 1920, a Ford-built engine replaced the Hercules engine, although it was nearly identical. / Hercules / distillate / 4-cylinder / liquid-cooled / The Hercules engine was used in Fordsons until 1920 |
| Displacement | 251.3 ci (4.1 L) / 251 ci (4.1 L) |
| Firing order | 1-2-4-3 / 1-2-4-3 |
| Oil capacity | 9 qts (8.5 L) |
| Power | 20 hp (14.9 kW) / 20 hp (14.9 kW) |
| Rated RPM | 1000 / 1000 |
| Engine type | Ford 4.1L 4-cyl distillate / Hercules 4.1L 4-cyl distillate |
| Engine type | Ford 4.1L 4-cyl distillate / Hercules 4.1L 4-cyl distillate |
| Fuel tank | 21 gal (79.5 L) |
| Belt (tested) | 22.28 hp (16.6 kW) |
| Drawbar (claimed) | 10 hp (7.5 kW) |
| Drawbar (tested) | 12.325 hp (9.2 kW) |
| Plows | 2 (14-inch) |
| PTO (claimed) | 20 hp (14.9 kW) |
Transmission
| Gears | 3 forward and 1 reverse |
|---|---|
| Oil capacity | 15 qts (14.2 L) |
| Transmission type | 3-speed constant mesh gear |
| Type | constant mesh gear |
Mechanical
| Cab | Open operator station. |
|---|---|
| Description | Manual steering |
| Drive type | Two-wheel drive |
Dimensions & Tires
| Ground clearance | 11.6 inches (29 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height | 55 inches (139 cm) |
| Length | 102 inches (259 cm) |
| Weight | 2920 lbs (1324 kg) |
| Wheelbase | 63 inches (160 cm) |
| Width | 63 inches (160 cm) |
| Rear tire | 42x12 |
| Weight | 2920 lbs (1324 kg) |
| Wheelbase | 63 inches (160 cm) |
| Ag rear | 42x12 (steel) |
Belt Pulley
| Diameter | 9.5 inches (24 cm) |
|---|---|
| RPM | 1000 |
| Speed | 2480 ft/min (755.90 meters/min) |
| Width | 6.5 inches (16 cm) |
Fordson F Serial Number Location
| Description | Below the cylinder head on the right side of the engine. |
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Fordson F Serial Numbers
| 1917 | 1 (USA) |
|---|---|
| 1918 | 260 (USA) |
| 1919 | 34427 (USA) / 63001 (Ireland) |
| 1920 | 100001 (USA) / 65001 (Ireland) |
| 1921 | 158312 (USA) / 108230 (Ireland) |
| 1922 | 201026 (USA) / 109673 (Ireland) |
| 1923 | 268583 (USA) |
| 1924 | 370351 (USA) |
| 1925 | 455360 (USA) |
| 1926 | 557608 (USA) |
| 1927 | 629830 (USA) |
| Description | FAQ: How to read a serial number table. |
Nebraska Tractor Test 124
| Belt fuel use (max) | 2.5 gal/hour (9.5 l/hour) |
|---|---|
| Belt power (max) | 22.28 hp (16.6 kW) |
| Description | Kerosene 3-speed 2WDJune 21 - 28, 1926Link: Nebraska Tractor Test 124 file / Drawbar performance / Gear 2 used for power test. / Gear 2 used for pull test. |
| Max power | 12.325 hp (9.2 kW) |
| Max pull | 2,142 lbs (971 kg) |
Nebraska Tractor Test 18
| Belt fuel use (max) | 3.0 gal/hour (11.4 l/hour) |
|---|---|
| Belt power (max) | 19.15 hp (14.3 kW) |
| Description | Kerosene 3-speed 2WDJune 2 - 12, 1920Link: Nebraska Tractor Test 18 file / Drawbar performance / Gear 2 used for power test. / Gear 2 used for pull test. |
| Max power | 9.34 hp (7.0 kW) |
| Max pull | 2,187 lbs (992 kg) |
References
| Description | Fordson Tractor Manual (3087) published in 1923 |
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Tractor Tests
| Description | NTTL 18: kerosene 3-speed 2WD / NTTL 124: kerosene 3-speed 2WD |
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