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Gray Tractor Company
Headquarters Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Products agriculture machinery tractor
Gray 18-36 drum-drive at Carrington 2009 -IMG 9823

Gray 18-36 sn 8615 at Carrington Steam Rally 2009

The Gray Tractor Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA was founded in ? The company is best known for the Gray 18-36 (often known as the Gray Drum-drive tractor).[1]


Company history[]

The Gray tractor has its origins in the orchard tractor developed by a New York fruit grower, W. Chandler Knapp. Knapp marketed his two-cylinder design as the Knapp Farm Locomotive, which was notable for its two rear drive wheels that were joined together to improve traction. Further modifications saw the use of a four-cylinder Waukesha engine and the replacement of the two rear drive wheels with a single fully-enclosed drum that was driven by a chain. The Knapp tractor company was bought by the 'Gray Tractor Manufacturing Co. in 1914 and the "drum-drive" tractor was renamed the Gray Model A 20-35 tractor. A smaller Gray Model B 15-25 was latter added to the lineup.In 1917 the company was renamed as the Gray Tractor Co..[2]

In 1917 the Gray 18-36 model was added to the line up, which was built until 1922 and was probably the most popular tractor produced by the company. In the 1920s, including the Gray 22-40 "Canadian Special" was added, but the general design was outdated and the company ceased tractor production during the early 1930s.

The tractor was imported into France after WWI as the American tractor.[3]

Model range[]

add details of other models

  • Gray 15-25 (Model B)
  • Gray Model A 20-35
  • Gray 18-36
  • Gray 20-40 "Canadian Special"

Preservation[]

A few examples survive mainly in the USA and Canda.[4]

  • 3 examples are known in the UK


Template:PML GRAY Drum-drive

See also[]

References / sources[]

External links[]


Template:Gray Tractor Co range

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