By Gabe Ross, Farm Manager
With the end of Winter comes the rush to get equipment ready to plant Spring crops. This winter I have devoted a fair amount of time getting our tractor running again. Here at Gallant Farm we have a 1946 Ford 2n. The 2n is often confused with either the 8n or the 9n. Interestingly enough, the 2n came in between those models (9n -1939, 2n 1942, and 8n 1948). The 2n is very similar to the 9n which Henry Ford designed and included a three-point hitch designed by Harry Ferguson. The 9n was the first mass produced tractor to have this type of hitch for attaching implements. The three-point hitch is still commonly used today. The 9n helped bring the tractor to the small farmer who didn’t have much money to spend. The 2n, being introduced during WWII, was missing a few things that the 9n had. Cutbacks on steel and rubber made it so the 2n had steel cleated wheels and no electric start, only a crank. By 1946 the 2n had a starter and rubber tires again.
Having a tractor that is 72 years old can be a joy and a pain. Things back then were made to last and run forever but that doesn’t mean without some amount of tweaking. While it may not have the power and all the features of new tractors it sure is more maneuverable and handier for small tasks. Luckily it also is much easier to work on than a new tractor. So far, we’ve rebuilt the carburetor, the distributor, and replaced the governor. Luckily these old Fords are common and parts are readily available. The more you work on a tractor the more you understand how it works and can more easily diagnose any problems that may arise.
This is one part of my job that is very different than it would have been in the 1940’s. During this time the tractor would have been brand new and hopefully wouldn’t have required so much work. Nevertheless, there was old equipment to be worked on even back then. Many horse drawn implements were converted to be pulled behind tractors and by the 1940’s this equipment would have been quite old. Farmers during the 1930’s and 1940’s had to learn to be mechanics when horses gave way to tractors and today farmers are some of the best mechanics out there.
While I like learning the ins and outs of the equipment I would ultimately rather be sitting on top of it than laying under it. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that all the repairs hold and nothing new pops up. Come out to Gallant Farm this summer and see the 2n in action, or maybe watch us working on it.
