Allis chalmers RC tractor questions

JOCCO · Jul 2, 2011

Do any of you have an RC (or have used one) what can you tell me about them they are unique but most did not seem to like them.

Zachary Hoyt · Jul 2, 2011

As I understand it they were a C engine on a WC sized tractor, so they were considered underpowered and were not very popular with farmers. They are now desirable as collector tractors and also pullers use the rear end gears out of them to slow another Allis tractor down, but I am not sure how that works. This is all just what I have picked up from this board over time, so I hope I remembered it correctly.
Zach

Chris(WA) · Jul 2, 2011

To me they were a bit pointless to have built. A bigger tractor chassis with the smaller engine. No huge fuel savings as the WC was not a real fuel hog. Larger tractor was less manueverable that the B or C. Maybe the thought was a four row cultivating tractor for light soils?
That said I would take on to add to my collection as the are an interesting looking tractor with that small power plant on that large frame.

Tony in Mass. · Jul 2, 2011

They are suppose to be super rare. I have seen 3 or 4 the last 10 years or so, so yeah not like JD's a's or IH C's. Speaking of which, the reason they stopped production so quicky, so it seems, they came out with nothing- when other makers were developing modern pto's, 3 point or propritory hitchs, and hydraulics, this RC was a 1930's tractor using the most advanced 1920's technology.... if you are into collecting or shows, this is a good one to have.

ericlb · Jul 2, 2011

the rc, built from '39 to '41, bas basicly the wc tractor chassis powered by the b's 125 ci engine, by sharing the wc frame, it could mount the wc's impliments, or at least most of them.figures inticate total production of 5,516 built speeds were 2.28 mph, 3.75 mph, and transport speed of 7.5 mph, it was rated as a light 2 plow tractor, today there a pretty rare tractor , as others have mentioned allis kind of got caught sleeping at the switch with this one,feature wise, which came out while the model c was being developed

JMS/.MN · Jul 2, 2011

I have two of them, one running, one stuck (soaking). SN 387? and the other over 3300- both 1939. The other info on specs is correct. AC thought they could sell a lot because it would be cheaper to build than the WC, yet use the same mounted implements. Sales were poor, WWII broke out, AC quit producing them and did not bring them back after the war. Pullers like to gut them for the differential gears...slower ratio that bolts into a WC.

Kentb of SWMO · Jul 2, 2011

I read or was told that they built the RC because they thought the RC could be sold cheaper with the smaller engine. I also read or was told that the cost to build the RC and the WC were almost the same so the tractors retailed for almost the same price. Most farmers bought the higher HP WC tractor and the RC was abandoned.

Kent

mdtractormechanic · Apr 27, 2012

(quoted from post at 09:31:30 07/02/11) They are suppose to be super rare. I have seen 3 or 4 the last 10 years or so, so yeah not like JD's a's or IH C's. Speaking of which, the reason they stopped production so quicky, so it seems, they came out with nothing- when other makers were developing modern pto's, 3 point or propritory hitchs, and hydraulics, this RC was a 1930's tractor using the most advanced 1920's technology.... if you are into collecting or shows, this is a good one to have.

One has to infer by the tone of this post that the writer is most likely NOT an A_C fan.

First, the Allis Chamlers RC is a rare tractor with only about 5500 sold in 3 yrs. Many of those, if not most of them have been junked or cannibalized.

Second, the RC was meant to be an interim tractor while other models were in developement such as the Model W-BC, Model C and the Model H. Even a rear engine model was being developed. Allis Chalmers elected to go with the Model C which eventually sold over 84,000 tractors from 1940 to 1950. WWII also played a part in the RC's short run. If this tractor could have been made lighter or with a little more horse power it may have continued a little longer. (The old coulda, shoulda, woulda. LOL)

Third, as for 1920's technology, the first working 3-point hitch system didn't came out until about 1933 on a David Brown Tractor. The RC had both the belt driven PTO and the rear shaft PTO which was based on the WC. Over 178,000 WC's were made from 1933 to 1948. Not bad for old technology. I guess the farming community was interested more in reliability then the latest unproven gadget.

Allis chalmers RC tractor questions

JOCCO

Well-known Member

Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member

Chris(WA)

Well-known Member

Tony in Mass.

Well-known Member

ericlb

Well-known Member

JMS/.MN

Well-known Member

Kentb of SWMO

Well-known Member

mdtractormechanic

Member

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