allis chalmers

The Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. of Milwaukee was an American manufacturer with diverse interests, perhaps most famous for their bright, orange colored farm tractors.

History

• Started in the 1840's, Incorporated in Delaware.
• E.P. Allis, Fraser & Chalmers company merged with 2 other firms to create Allis-Chalmers.
• 1914 entered into farm equipment business.
• Product lines included, Agricultural Tractor (West Allis, WI), Implements (LaPorte, IN) and Industrial Tractor (Topeka, KS), Gleaner Combines (Independence, Mo), Hydroturbines (York PA), Process equipment (Valves, Pumps (York PA) and Compressors (West Allis, Wi), Electric Motors (Clevland, OH), Crushing and screening equipment (Appelton, WI), Comminution, Air Purification (IL), Coal Gasification (St Louis, MO) and Simplicity Garden Tractors (Port Washington, WI).
• Acquired the Monarch Tractor Company in 1928.
• 1928-1933 - Allis-Chalmers tractors were sold under the Cockshutt name by the Cockshutt company.
• Acquired Advance-Rumely, (LaPorte, IN), in 1931.
• 1943 - Built pumps for uranium separation (part of the Manhattan Project) during World War 2 (West Allis, WI).
• Acquired Buda Engine Co., Harvey, Illinois, in 1953.
• Acquired Gleaner Harvester Co. 1955
• Acquired Vendeuvre in France in 1959.
• Acquired Simplicity in 1965.
• Simplicity was sold to its management in 1983.
• Farm equipment division was sold to K-H-D (Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz) AG of Germany in 1985, and renamed Deutz-Allis. (Later this was sold to AGCO, and tractors were sold under the AGCO-Allis and later just AGCO).
• Dispersal of the remaining manufacturing businesses in 1988.
• Office in Milwaukee closed January 1999
• The remaining service businesses later became Allis-Chalmers Energy in Houston, Texas.
• At one time the manufacturing facility near Milwaukee was so large it was used as a landmark. The rumor has it that the city of West Allis was named because it was "West of Allis."

Agricultural machinery

Allis-Chalmers offered a complete line of agricultural machinery, from tillage and harvesting to tractors.

Tractor models

• United, introduced 1929, renamed to the Model U. First tractor with low pressure pneumatic tires.
• Model B - a small tractor in the 20 hp class popular in the UK, introduced in 1937. Around 125,000 produced.
• Model C - an upgrade of the Model B with slightly more hp, introduced in 1940.
• Model G - an unusual cultivation tractor. Rear mounted engine gave excellent view of delicate seeding and cultivation work.
• Model WD - early models were made to pull a two bottom plow and had a straight gear shift, while later models had more power and could pull a three bottom plow (and also saw the implementation of a constant mesh transmission with the crooked gear shift lever). This design was improved upon to make the WD-45.
• Model WD-45 - perhaps the most significant tractor developed by Allis-Chalmers. First model with optional diesel power, first model with power steering option. Introduced in 1953.
• D Series - a comprehensive range of tractors
• Hundred Series - followed the D Series
• compact series - Several were built in Japan by Toyosha/Hinomoto
• Utility Series - Some built in Italy by Fiat, some in France by Renault.
• 4WD Series - 4WD models, some of which were built by Steiger.
• In 1959, a team led by Harry Ihrig built a 15 kW fuel cell tractor for Allis-Chalmers which was demonstrated across the US at state fairs. This system used potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte and compressed hydrogen and oxygen as the reactants.

Harvesting

• Roto Baler - forerunner of today's round balers. Later models were nicknamed white tops when the factory started painting the top canopy white. Manufactured from 1949 to 1974.

Tractor parts

AGCO is now the parts manufacturer for everything one would need to fix up their elder model Allis-Chalmer tractors, including waterpumps to oil filters, and even rebuild kits and tractor manuals.