OT: Little Genius Plow Question

I am restoring a little genius No 8, 2-14, plow on steel. When I got it, it was all rust brown and has been out in the elements for decades. I have it entirely disassembled now, removing rust and dirt and grease.

I am aware of decision no. 31 of the piant committee in 1927, which says the plow is red, white, and blue. And according to Wendel's book (150 yrs of IH), they began production in 1928. It seems then that ALL little genius's would have been painted red, white, and blue.

Problem is that I keep finding what looks like factory-original red paint in the most remote places of my plow that are supposed to be blue. For instance, the power-lift mechanism, deep inside, and under all the bolts associated with it and the axil, are coming up red. The wheels are too rusted to see what color they were, and I haven't taken apart the hitch yet, so I don't know what I'll find there.

I can't imagine somebody would have restored this so thoroughly in the past -- what would have been decades ago, to completely disassemble and sand down to the metal and paint the thing all red. I also find it hard to believe someone would have special ordered a plow that deviated from the set color scheme.

Has anybody heard of a factory produced / painted Little Genius that was NOT red, white, and (especially) blue? The number on the plow is P.O.12572.

Thanks,

Tony

Gordo

I am not a terrible stickler on such things, but I would like to get it right (or as right as possible), especially if my plow is unique with regard to its original factory paint scheme.

• My plow

Your contention on the red, white and blue colors, doesn't hold water. When that plow was built Canada did not have a flag. We were still flying the British Union Jack, and it is indeed red, white and blue. Contrary to your thinking, when Canada adopted that red and white flag around 1960, many Canadians, including myself were quite upset that blue was not included in that new flag. Veterans who fought under the red, white and blue were most upset, and they almost had their way.

By the way, there were 6 new plows in that bunch of equipment, most of them, the IH purests would call incorrect. Farmall tractors had non painted rear axles, right? My dad and I bought two new one 12 years apart with red axles. No my friend, things were not as pure at IH as some folks would have you believe.

Here you go...

And the 2nd one...

I probably shouldn't be so critical, as I enjoy painting even less. I make such a mess of painting, Marg. wont even let me have paint or a brush.

Tony

The Canton Il built Little Genius has diagnol cross members between the beams while the Hamilton On built Tractor Plow has perpendicular cross members between the beams. Those cross members are each two overlaping steel bars that make the plow adjustable for width of cut. The No. 8 Tractor Plow also has different levers. The levers are hinged in middle with 3 notches at that point, making the lever reachable if plowing much deeper or in the case of switching from a Farmall to a W series tractor. The lever could quickly be changed to suit the situation. The levers also have a reduction gear in the actual plow depth settings.

There is no reference on plow, in manuals or parts books to the No. 8 Tractor Plow ever being called Little Genius. We do know the Hamilton built No. 8 was sold across Canada, in New England, all of Europe and Austrailia.

One thing these book writers never mention, is 50 years ago Hamilton Works, was the 2nd largest IH plant world wide in dollar value of product turned out. They only built two crawler tractors, no wheel tractors. It was primarily implements, thus a lot of those implements must have been shipped state side. You think about it tractors coming out of 2 US plants and 3 European plants would run up dollar value quickly compared to implements in those days.

http://www.modelcars.com/modelcar5288.php

A Deering No.8 almost certainly wouldn't have been sold in the U.S.- guessing that's where PurdueAg's from. There were several different versions produced overseas by IH factories.

Point of clarification: Were there, in fact, plows designed just like the McCormick-Deering No. 8's that were sold as "Deering No. 8's"? Even if only overseas?

I bought the plow in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Tony

Glad you chimed in. I had lost your e-mail, etc. Here's a link to the webpage about the plow... I'll send updates as it progresses...

Tony

• Your old Little Genius

Thanks for the info! That's very helpful. Is there any way to be sure that it's a Deering No. 8? I do see IHC stamps on it. Did P.O. make the plows for Deering just as they did for IHC? Maybe somebody used Deering No. 8 powerlift parts to repair a IHC No. 8..., hence the red, rather than blue, color. Could there have been a few IHC No. 8's that were only red and white made just after the merger of McCormick-Deering?

Tony

Deering was not a seperate company by then in reality (although there were corporate shells overseas). The Deering name was used overseas for sales purposes after the IH merger, most notably France.

The merger of McCormick and Deering happened in 1902 (along with other companies to form IH) 25 years before the No.8 was produced. The "McCormick-Deering" name started to be used around 1921-22, again 5 five years before No.8 production began.

In 1923 (as a result of the antitrust action) the new grain binder - called the McCormick-Deering was introduced, only after this intro did all of IHC's other farm implements follow suit.

What I wonder is; Did IHC play name games and use different colors in the U.S.

For example my FIL has two No.8's that he bought new and remembers them as...
#1. Black hitch, back of moldboards blue, white wheels and the rest red.
#2 with Hyd lift. Wheels red, hitch black and the color blue in the normal places...but red wheels?

And about the No.16 plow I have heard the wheels were all white, fronts white and rear blue and red front and back.

I do remember seeing one with the blue rear wheel...dealer gimick?