Machines that made history SAUNDERSON TRACTORS

The first American tractors were available from 1889, and most of the early arrivals were heavyweight models designed mainly to replace steam traction engines for haulage and powering stationary equipment such as threshing machines. Britain’s tractor development started less than a decade later, and most of the first generation models were smaller and lighter than their American counterparts and were designed with the versatility to replace horses for fieldwork as well as haulage and providing stationary power.

Herbert Saunderson

British designers who emphasised versatility in their tractors included Herbert Saunderson. The son of a Bedfordshire baker, he was a blacksmith’s apprentice and then spent several years in Canada during the 1880s where he