Fordson vs. McCormick 10-20

How did these two tractors compare? They look similar but the 10-20 has a belt pulley, not sure the Fordson came with one

Would a farmer likely choose one over the other? I prefer the 10-20 based on looks only, would like to find one at some point.

I know some of you have deep wells of knowledge about these old pieces of iron, feel free to share. I'd be interested in knowing more about the two tractors. Thanks,

Gerrit

Grandfather bought one or two Fordsons from the local Model T dealer for $500 each. Doubt if you could buy an McCormick for that and the JD Waterloo Boy was selling for $1200. Fordson had ball bearing rear axle bearings and when they failed, it broke the rear casing...a major failure.

They were close in horsepower. The Fordson was introduced 8 years before the 10-20, so the 10-20 was more advanced. It had pto and an
impulse magnito. The Fordson didn't get the mag until the model N in 1929 and didn't have pto until the E27N after WWII. The pulley,
governor and fenders were all optional equipment on the model F Fordson.

Fordsons were cheap, light, and you could get parts at your local Ford dealer, which, during the heyday of the Model T, were on every corner. It was a VERY
basic machine, not even a governor or belt pulley were included in the purchase price which dropped to below 300.oo in the early 1920's. as Henry tried to
bankrupt his competitors (many were). A lot of people got rich supplying accessories to the Fordson tractor owner to bring their tractors up to par with the
other makes, just like they did with the bare-bones Model T Ford cars and trucks.

The 10-20 was a far better tractor for a bit more money. A PTO, belt pulley, governor and even a hood with louvered side panels came with every tractor and it
could handily out perform the Fordson as well. It was more comfortable to operate (a platform to put your feet on and full-length fenders-ALSO STANDARD
EQUIPMENT, no less!) and that smooth-running OHV, roller main bearing 4 cylinder engine was an easy starting (hand crank for both tractors) powerplant- unlike
that Ford flathead...

If your nearest crossroads had a Ford dealership, there probably was a IHC dealer not too far away that stocked parts and probably knew more about their
tractors than the Ford dealer, who was required by Ford to order and sell a certain number of Fordsons per month whether he wanted to or not!

I've owned both, and still have a few Fordsons. They are cantankerous machines, difficult to start, run way-too-hot and when in motion they howl like a sickly
banshee from that worm drive rear axle. The ground speeds range from Too Slow to Too Fast and the feedback through the steering wheel quickly teaches you not to
wrap your thumbs around the rim where a spoke can find it. I imagine more than a few new Fordson owners felt sorry for trading in a team of horses for this
tractor after laying over one furrow. My dad grew up with both horses and a Fordson, but only his remembrances of their horses could be posted un-edited here!

The 10-20 is a more civilized tractor that starts easily and runs well, but like the Fordson, it seems a bit too fast (on steel wheels) to a modern derrire.

Get a Fordson first, then you'll REALLY be happy with a IHC. Its a far better tractor. That said, I really like the Fordsons best because they are so
primitive, so basic and so historically significant. It was the first mass-produced light tractor that really sold well, and the first tractor on many farms
from the late teens through the Roaring Twenties, despite Henry's penny-pinching efforts which should have made it a resounding dud.

And I didnt even mention its unfortunate habit of doing back-flips!

We had several Fordsons over a period of time, and they all had both a belt pulley and governor.

I was talking about the Alpha version 1920's American F Fordson. The updated 1930's on Irish or British built Ns & E27Ns had integral governors and (maybe?) the pulley as standard equipment.
Any governor found on an F was an aftermarket unit- Ford didnt think his tractors needed them. The belt pulley was available from Ford as an extra cost OEM part, or available as an aftermarket supplied part.

Even though Ford never originally supplied a governor to the F tractors, its rare to find one that wasnt eventually fitted with one of them.

Pa told a story of when Grandpas team got old he bought a Fordson. Pa being a mechanical minded fella told the story in a way that left you with low regard of the Fordson. Simply put he said If you needed to grind feed on Tuesday you had better start a corn cob fire under the Fordson on Sunday!

Hi Warbaby, I have both, a 1923 10-20 (first year of production) and a 1945 Fordson N (last year of production) and I agree with what you are saying. The Fordson N did have a govenor from 1932 when production moved to Dagenem England and from 1933 a PTO unit was offerd. My Fordson N was my uncles tractor then 46 years ago I lost track of it in Cambridgeshire then it turned up 6 years ago in a farm sale 200 miles away in North Yorkshire and I managed to buy it. My 10-20 spent its working life in Canada then came to England in 1972 to a collection it then went to another collection and I managed to buy it when the owner sold his collection by auction seven years ago. MJ.

Thanks for the replies, useful information from everyone. Warbaby that's an excellent write-up of the two tractors. You really know these machines!

For the rear axle, I take it that the 10-20 had a regular ring and pinion setup as opposed to Ford's worm gear? Realistically if I come across one I'd like to buy it's probably going to be deader n' a door nail and may remain that way--forever hooked in suspended animation to a #6 IH sickle mower for yard art. I would not be opposed to buying one in running condition--either tractor--but sellers are asking real money here if you can even find one. A 10-20 that had undergone a full restoration sometime in the past recently sold for close to $3,000 out west--running condition unknown but it's likely the engine was free at least.

The only real requirement I have is that they be on full steel. I think those tractors shod with rubber either partly or all the way around look strange.

Thanks again for all the info, keep a lookout especially for a 10-20 somewhere in your neighborhood. Let me know.

Gerrit

My paternal grandfather's first tractor was a Fordson, and my maternal grandfather's first tractor was a 10-20. Pop said the only good thing about the Fordson was that it was 1,000 times better than a team of horses. The consensus between my grandfather's, my uncle and my father was that the 10-20 was a better tractor. The four of them seldom agreed on anything, by the way.

I have a 10-20, 1925 model runs great. About what would one have cost new?