These are notes that I am writing to help me learn our industrial history. They are my best understanding, but that does not mean they are a correct understanding.
I happened to be in the area when Sandusky County Restorers of Antique Power held their annual Labor Day meeting in 2015. There where so many Farmall and John Deere tractors that I didn't even bother to take pictures of them. But when I saw these Cocksutt tractors, I took all three sides because I had never heard that name before.
As with John Deere and Oliver, this company started with horse drawn plows --- Brantford Plow Works. They marketed mainly in Canada and overseas. They added tractors to their line for the benefit of their dealers with an arrangement to distribute Allis-Chalmers model 20-35 and United tractors. But that must of soured because in 1935 Cockshutt rebranded tractors made by Oliver.
Gary Berry posted Found this in old Brantford Ontario papers.
The War Production Board allowed them to design their own self-propelled combines and tractors.
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The 1946 Cockshutt 30 tractor was the first modern tractor built in Canada (Smith Falls?) and feature the worlds first Live-Power-Take-Off. (The PTO was independent of the clutch. This allowed you to slow down if the crop was getting heavy so the implement would not get plugged. I remember my grandfather having to apply the clutch, put the gear in neutral, let the clutch out for a few seconds to run the implement to clear a plug, apply the clutch again to shift back into gear, and then proceed. With a LPTO, if you plugged the implement, you were a bad driver because you didn't feather the clutch to slow the speed of crop intake.) The Models 40 and 50 above were the top of the line for their own series of tractors.
In 1958, Cockshutt introduced another full line of tractors (540, 550, 560, and 570) that had their sheet metal styled by Raymond Loewy. Instead of the "streamlined" smooth curves he designed for Farmall in the 1930s, he changed the style to a very boxy look. After all, the top speed for a tractor was typically 15 mph. Only the Ford I used to drive could do 20 mph. So streamlining really wasn't an issue.
Unfortunately, 1958 was also the year that it got bought by corporate raiders. In 1962 they sold the farm equipment part to White Motor Company who had already bought Oliver. The 580 model was left hanging, not getting past the one complete prototype tractor built.
Rick LaBonte posted, 1964 Us US guys are more familiar with a green/white 770 marketed as an Oliver. This Cockshutt is just different paint and logos
Not wanting the loose the brand loyalty of Canadian farmers, White had the Oliver plant produce both an Oliver and a Cockshutt style. They continued the "Harvest Gold" and "Red Belly" scheme with the "waffle grille" of the 500 series. White did choose to continue producing the Cockshutt self-propelled combine instead of Oliver's combine.
By 1968, White was still leaving its name off the Cockshutt variant. This (below) was the top-of-the-line turbocharged 2150 with 131 horsepower. This was also the year they introduced the "Over/Under Hydraul Shift" with a 20% underdrive and a 20% overdrive providing a range of 18 forward and 6 reverse speeds. Note that the gold and red paint scheme has been abandoned.
White Motor Co. had bought Minneopolis Moline in 1963, but allowed it to function as a subsidiary until 1969 when it formed White Farm Equipment. MM and Oliver made tractors for the three existing brands and also introduced tractors branded White. And they added their name to the other brands. Note the White label above the right side of the 1855 Chockshutt label. And the name White on the advertisement. (Cockshutt, YesterdaysTractors)
Rick LaBonte posted the following selection of photos. They are all the same tractor, but with different paint schemes. It was the first of a pure White brand and the last of the other three. The older brands all had White above the grill. The comments on the posting indicate the cream-and-red Cockshutt did not come like that from the factor. Whoever restored it choose to use "more authentic" colors.
White, original resolution. I can't read the sign.
?
Below are pictures of White's new design. It quit pretending the other brands still existed by 1977. Rick posted the following two with the comment: "Probably my favorites from the 70's. I worked a farm in the 80's that had an open 2-85 and a 2-105 with a cab." I have yet to figure out what plant(s) White kept open to make these.
2-85
2-105
Sam Holmes comment I drove the twin to the 105 and it's sister the 2-135 for a lot of years.
G850 Moline which is a 1755 Oliver with yellow paint.
Bradley KnightWhite 2-150 was the last tractor made with a Minni Mo motor.
For the Love of Tractors posted
Big white 4wd from Nicholas Warner. Thanks for the share.
For the Love of Tractors posted
Anyone out there run or used to run White tractors on your real or model farm? I'd love to see your photos.
[Follow the link to see several photos in the comments.]
Greg Christowski posted
J. David Missavage,Great Grandson of John D. Lynch, Sr. in 1976, on the first farm purchased by Mr. Lynch from his profits from I.C. Railroad construction contracts. (located in Warren County Illinois)
Screenshot from a video of a parade of 153 tractors
There were others, especially Olivers, but this was neat because it had a MM, White, and a couple of Olivers in a row. Video link starts from this spot so you can see all four. Note the White is still branded MM on the side.
Jordan Konkol posted Mike Schmidtif they only knew about the 1855 gremlins, otherwise a very nice tractor.Brian MikesellFuel in the fenders great idea.Steven YocomWe still have the 1850. We no longer use it to farm but it's still one of my favorites from my childhood. I learned to plow on that old thing. Spent many hours in that seat.
Tim Butcher sharedFloyd County Museum'sphoto.
From the Floyd County Museum's recently scanned photo archives of the Oliver/White plant in Charles City, IA. On the left a G 955 M-M tractor built from 1973-1974, sold in Canada as a Cockshutt 1870. On the right a White 4-150 tractor built from 1974-1978
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