Tractors are some of the most useful machines there are. They can pull, push, lift, or excavate with much more force than several humans or horses could. While at first they were only used to pull ploughs with much more strength and efficiency than horses, engineers have developed several tractor designs in order to get them to perform other tasks, like loading or excavating. In addition, most tractors can get implements attached that will improve their performance or allow them to perform different activities. An attachable backhoe is one very good example.
Their great power and versatility has made tractors very valuable machines, not only in agriculture, but in other fields as well, out of which, perhaps the most important one is construction.
Some manufacturers build tractors for specific areas, such as agriculture, while others build general all purpose tractors. There are only a few companies that build tractors for several different applications, as well as generic, all purpose tractors. Among these, one of the most important ones at the world level is Case Tractors.
Case Tractors is how most people know the company. Its real name is CNH Global. Case Tractors is another example of the American dream, a self made man who made it big through his inventive, vision, and plain hard work. Jerome Increase Case, a young man from the state of New York, read a magazine about machinery while he was still a kid, back in 1831. The article was about the first reaper machine, which was something that captured Jerome’s imagination. This inspired him, and when he became a young man, he moved to Wisconsin, where he founded what would become Case Tractors in 1842. Of course, in that moment, it wasn’t called Case Tractors, but J I Case Company.
The base of the company’s early success was the development of the first American steam engine used for agricultural purposes. Jerome Increase Case went from a young farmer’s son, to becoming an industrial who founded Case Tractors, a banker, a horse owner, mayor of Racine and even state senator twice.
Case Tractors, of course, continued to grow and outlived its founder. Today, Case Tractors are no longer steam powered, but use gas engines, like most modern tractors do. In addition, Case Tractors come in several different models, used for varied and specific applications. In fact there are two very clear divisions, agriculture and construction, and both are among the first companies of the world in their own divisions. You can find both general purpose tractors or very specific ones, like a cotton picker and packer. And it all began with one boy’s dream.