The History of the Tractor

While it might seem like the tractor has been around forever, it’s actually a fairly recent invention. Tractors as we know them have only existed for about 130 years, and they’ve come a long way in a very short time. Here, we’ve provided you with the history of the tractor so you can better understand your most useful piece of farm equipment.

Initial Development

The steam engine was invented in the middle of the 19th century, and it was soon implemented on various plows to create a steam-powered plowing machine that was something of a precursor to the modern tractor. However, these steam engines had a very unfortunate tendency to explode at random, so they were not very popular.

Gas-Powered Engines

Once the gas-powered engine was developed a few decades later, inventors began to think of ways they could attach it to a plowing machine for faster harvesting results. Iowan inventor John Froelich created a traction-engine machine that could be run forwards and backwards and he used it to harvest wheat in South Dakota.

Around the same time, Charles Hart and Charles Parr, a pair of engineering students studying at the University of Wisconsin, began to develop a more efficient machine powered by a gas engine. They were the folks who truncated “traction engine” into the word “tractor” and their Hart-Parr Gasoline Engine Company released its first tractor in 1901.

20th Century Developments

Other companies, such as John Deere® and Mahindra®, would hop on the tractor bandwagon during the first half of the 20th century, creating and developing their own efficient tractors in various styles. Today, we have a great variety of tractors to choose from by many reputable agricultural equipment manufacturers, so it’s hard to believe that things were ever any different!

Stop by our dealership in Bandera, TX, to take a look at our fine selection of new and used tractors for sale. We can even provide you with financing assistance on your purchase. Uvalco Powersports & Equipment serves greater San Antonio, TX, as well as the city of Uvalde.