Rare Farm Tractor Originated In Utah

Rare Farm Tractor Originated In Utah TRACTORS Antiques 19-4-22 "A crowd gathers real fast wherever I show it," says Kent Keller, Vernal, Utah, about his "Power Horse 20A" - the only farm tractor ever built in the state of Utah. After a feature story in a recent issue of Antique Power magazine (Box 838, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387), interest in the rare, unusual-looking tractor skyrocketed. The "Power Horse" was manufactured by EIMCO Corp. of Salt Lake City before and during World War II. Less than 300 production models were ever built. The tractors are painted an unusual copper color and are small in size - only 80 in. long and 51 in. high. Ground clearance is just 18 in. at the lowest point, and the turning radius only 3 ft. - less than the tractor's width. It has a 4-speed transmission and positive drive, full traction on all four equal-sized wheels, which have 7.50 by 18 tires. The 4-cyl. engine was supplied by Allis-Chalmers and was the same one used on its "B" tractor. The pto, belt pulley, gas tank, hydraulic controls, and sheet metal for the hood were also supplied by Allis-Chalmers. What made the tractor unique was that it could be used in place of a horse to pull horse-drawn rigs such as buggies, ground-driven hay mowers, rakes, etc., with the farmer seated on the implement being pulled. The operator used "reins" to control a pair of clutch levers to steer and stop the tractor. The driver would put the tractor in gear and pull back on the throttle to start the tractor moving. "Demand for the Power Horse was greatest during World War II when steel was in short supply. The idea was that farmers could wear out their old horse-drawn plows, seed drills, and threshers, etc., with-out having to buy new ones right away," says Keller. "However, with the return to peacetime production of regular-sized tractors and with the steady trend toward larger farms, demand for the Power Horse faded fast. "The company chose the tractor's cop-per color to help promote Utah's copper industry." Keller says he owns the last "Power Horse" built."The manufacturer used it around its main plant, then donated it to a Utah tractor club. I restored it to `like new' condition and put it on display for collectors and others to see. The restoration job took 289 hours and cost $5,800. I'm now restoring two other Power Horses. One of those will be shown at the Utah Centennial next year. I'm trying to locate the whereabouts of other Power Horses to find out how far they went throughout the U.S." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kent Keller, 4346 South Vernal Ave., Vernal, Utah 84078 (ph 801 789-3472).

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