Orchard tractors

Orchard and Vineyard tractors, are a specialist type of tractor addapted with features to better suit the use in these areas, some of the first ones were small Crawler tractors used in the fruit growing areas of California, Florida and the Italian vineyards. These tractors often had strange body work to shroud the working parts with an all enclosing "Cape" of tin, or they were narrowed down machines to fit between the rows of vines or fruit trees. Even the Tyres need protection from citrus fruit tree thorns which can puncture tyres with ease when dry and hard.

Manufacturers

Ferguson Orchard / Vineyard conversion

A narrow Orchard tractor version of a Ferguson TE-C20 at Bath and Southwest Tractor show 2009

• Best - Narrow orchard versions for Californian citrus growers
• Case
  • Case Model DO
  • Case Model 400
  • Case 530
  • Case 630 Orchard (634)
  • Case 730
• Caterpillar
  • Cat D2
  • Cat 22
• Cletrac
  • Cletrac Model AD
• Fageol
• Ferguson
  • Ferguson TE-C20 Orchard
• Ford - see Kent Ford Dealers (KFD)
• Hart-Parr
• Holt
• International Harvester
• John Deere
  • JD Model AO
  • JD Model AOS
  • JD Model BO
  • JD Model GPO
  • JD Model 60 Orchard
  • JD 620 Orchard
  • JD 2355
  • JD 5400N
  • JD 6200L
  • JD 6500L
• KFD - Kent Ford Dealers conversions of various Ford models
• Landini
• Linderman-John Deere - Tracked conversion of John Deere Model BO
• Massey Ferguson
• Massey-Harris
  • Massey-Harris 44 Orchard
• McCormick
  • McCormick-Deering O-4
  • McCormick-Deering OS-4
  • McCormick-Deering O-6
  • McCormick-Deering OS-6
  • McCormick-Deering ODS-6
  • McCormick-Deering Model O-12
  • McCormick-Deering Model O-14
  • McCormick-Deering Model 10-20
  • McCormick-Deering W 30 Orchard
• Minneapolis-Moline
• Oliver
  • Oliver 70 Orchard
  • Oliver 77 Orchard
• Waterloo Boy

Collectors

A Reeki 'berry' tractor

Genuine orchard machines were very rare in the UK with just a few odd models used in the Kent Hop & fruit fields and the Hereford apple orchards and Hop areas. A few full orchard tractors with the canopys have been imported by collectors looking for different items to complete collections, with the compact Caterpillar machines appearing at the odd show. A few continental vineyard tractors can also be seen at the odd show.

The most common orchard/narrow tractor in UK preservation is the Ferguson conversion done by Reekie and the later Massey Ferguson built versions.

• Narrow Massey Ferguson 135
• Narrow 4-wd Massey Ferguson 132

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References

• Orchard Tractors by Hans Halbertstadt
• TractorData.com