The first gas powered tractor was invented by a man named John Froelich. The first machine was incredibly difficult and cumbersome to use. It was very costly and incredibly dangerous. One spark from the machine could turn the entire prairie into a raging wildfire. The machine could move at a speed of three miles per hour (safely). It only required twenty-six gallons of gasoline, which was very good, considering it could harvest over 1000 bushels of grain without an issue.
Tractors didn't catch on with farmers immediately. But, once farmers realized the potential of the mammoth machines, they changed their views quickly. Tractor popularity soared once farmers realized they didn't have to perform back=breaking manual labor to earn a living.
Tractors were very expensive back then, in 1920, the price was about $785. Only two years later, the price dropped to $395, making tractors a very affordable piece of farming equipment.
Fun Facts:
- The cheap tractors of the 1920s launched the United States into an agricultural frenzy.
- The fastest tractor ever made can reach speeds of 121 KMh.
- Early tractors used to have metal wheels instead f the traditional rubber wheels we use today.
The first tractor:
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