Ferguson's story: Harry Ferguson (1884-1960) was the son of an Irish farmer. He was young when he showed he had genius for mechanics. Indeed, during his early twenties, he worked for his brother as a mechanic and a race pilot. Later, he conceived and built several monoplanes which he piloted. After making experimental researches on tractors and ploughs, he developed a plough suitable to Fordson line tractors, model F. His very first system was made of springs and levers. In 1925, with Eber and George Sherman, he founded, in United States, the Ferguson-Sherman Inc. enterprise which produced a plough with "Duplex hitch" system suitable to Fordson line tractors. He made his first Ferguson hydraulic system for his Ferguson-Black prototype tractor of which David Brown had made the differential gear and transmission. In 1933 he founded with him the Ferguson-Brown Co. where around 1354 Ferguson-Brown tractors, model A, equipped with the Ferguson hydraulic system, were produced.
In 1938, he met with Henry Ford. By a so called "Hand Shake Agreement" in order to produce Ferguson system tractors. Henry Ford's reputation was therein involved as well as an important part of his financial resources. As for Harry Ferguson, his patents were his most important contribution. Through the Harry Ferguson Inc. enterprise, he sold tractors and parts of equipments, among which several were produced by the Ferguson-Sherman Inc. enterprise. At that time, Ford 9N tractors (1939-1942) and Ford 2N tractors (1942-1947) were being sold. Then, towards the end of 1946, Henry Ford's grandson, Henry Ford II, advised him that this agreement would be ending on June 30, 1947.
The moment Ford Motor Co. started to sell it's tractor, model 8N, Harry Ferguson riposted first, in pursuing Ford Motors Co. and associates for an amount of 340,000,000$ second, in negotiating with Standard Motors Co. for them to produce his tractor, model TE20 (Tractor England). That model was similar to Ford tractors models 9N and 2N. Nevertheless, it was different from Ford tractor, model 9N, because it had a four-speed gearbox, an overhead valves motor, two foot break pedals (right and left) in the left side and a one-piece hood.
Harry Ferguson drove the serial # 1 tractor, model TO20 (Tractor Oversea), built in Detroit, in 1948. Tractors model TO20 and TE20 were identical except for electrical system and transmission case. Tractor model TO20 had a Delco electrical system and a cast iron transmission case whereas tractor model TE20 had a Lucas electrical system and an aluminum transmission case.
