THE FERGUSON CHALLENGE

Both the Ferguson-Brown and Massey-Harris Challenger tractors were introduced in 1936. The revolutionary Ferguson-Brown was a newcomer on the block in terms of tractor design and determined to rise to the occasion. They were both introduced when tractors specifically designed for row-crop cultivations, and normal field cultivations were being introduced by many tractor manufacturers of the day. We compare the two as exemplified by the author’s Challenger and his son’s Ferguson-Brown.

Quest for efficiency

Harry Ferguson had never come to terms with the heavy weight and general inefficiency of the conventional early 20th century tractors. Ferguson had the agency for one such tractor - the Overtime. Because he and colleague William Sands were regarded as ploughing experts, the Irish Board of Agriculture