Massey-Harris
History
Predecessor Massey Manufacturing Co
A.Harris, Son & Co
Successor Massey Ferguson
Founded 1891
Founder(s) Hart Almerrin Massey and Alanson Harris
Defunct 1953
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Products agriculture machinery tractor, combine harvester
Massey-Harris 744D of 1949 fitted with a Perkins diesel engine
Added by BulldozerD11Massey-Harris Seed Drill at the Bath and Southwest Tractor show in 2009
Added by BulldozerD11Massey-Harris was started in Canada in 1891, created by the merger of the Massey & Harris manufacturing companies.
History
Massey Manufacturing Co.
The firm was founded in 1847 in Newcastle, Ontario by Daniel Massey as the Newcastle Foundry and Machine Manufacturers. The company began making some of the world's first mechanical threshers, first by assembling parts from the United States and eventually designing and building their own equipment. The firm was taken over and expanded by his eldest son, Hart Almerrin Massey, who renamed it Massey Manufacturing Co.. In 1879, Hart moved the company to Toronto, Ontario, where it soon became one of the city's leading employers. The massive collections of factories on King St. West became one of the best known features of the city. Massey expanded the company and began to sell its products internationally. Through extensive advertising campaigns he made it one of the most well-known brands in Canada. The firm owed much of its success to Canadian tariffs that prevented the larger American firms from competing in Canada. A labour shortage throughout the country also helped to make the firm's mechanized equipment very attractive.
A. Harris, Son & Co. Ltd
Alanson Harris, a farmer and mill owner, founded his implement business in 1857 at Beamsville, and was later joined by his son, John, in partnership in 1863. Using some good American designs, such as the Kirby mower and reaper, business flourished, and the company became keen competitors to the Massey company, moving to Brantford in 1872. During the 1880s, the "Brantford binder" became one of the firm's best-selling lines and in 1890, the Harris Co. introduced the open-end binder, a modification of the D.M. Osborne company design. Hart Massey, beaten for the first time in a technological advance, did not counter with his own technological change. Instead, he proposed a merger of the two companies. Alanson, perhaps recognizing after the death of his son in 1889 that this course was astute, agreed, and on 6 May 1891, Massey-Harris Company Ltd. was formally established.
Massey Harris 201 (One of only 503 made) on the Massey Ferguson owners group Stand at the at the 2008 Newby Hall Vintage Show in Yorkshire.
Added by BulldozerD11The Merger Of Massey & Harris companies
The serial Nimber plate for a British Massey Harris tractor
Added by BulldozerD11In 1891, Massey merged with the A. Harris, Son & Co. Ltd. to become Massey-Harris Co. and became the largest agricultural equipment maker in the British Empire. In 1910, the company opened a factory in the United States, making it one of Canada's first multinational firms.
The Massey-Harris Company decided that they needed a tractor in their range, so in 1917, they introduced Bull tractors built in the U.S. and branded them as Massey-Harris for the Canadian market. When in 1919 the Bull Tractor Co. failed, Massey-Harris then sold tractors based on Parrett designs that were built over the border in Chicago.
In the 1930s, they introduced the first self-propelled combine harvester. Massey Harris also produced one of the world's first four-wheel drive tractors. Hart Massey's sons, Charles, Chester, Walter, and Fred became closely involved in the business and eventually took over its operations. They were, however, the last generation of the Massey family to run the company. Other members of the family went on to do other accomplishments: Vincent Massey became Governor General of Canada and Raymond Massey became a noted actor in American films. The Massey family used their fortune to improve the city of Toronto, and many institutions, such as the University of Toronto, Upper Canada College, Crescent School, Appleby College, Massey Hall and Metropolitan United Church, were partially financed by the Massey family.
Between the two World Wars, Massey-Harris also opened factories in France and Germany. In 1930 they acquired a majority interest in H.V. McKay Pty. of Sunshine, near Melbourne, Australia. In 1946 Massey-Harris began producing mowers and hay machinery at Trafford Park, Manchester in the United Kingdom, (an industrial area now more famous for football as home to Manchester United and shopping at The Trafford Centre other neighbours included Ford and cereal maker Kellogs).
Imported Canadian built 44 and 55 tractors were sold by the U.K. branch of the company until the 744 PD went into limited production at Manchester in 1948. The British division of the company Massey-Harris Ltd, had operations in Manchester, England and Kilmarnock, in Scotland.
J I Case Plow Works Company Take over
Main article: Wallis
In 1928 after 2 years of negotiations to market Wallis tractors, built by the J.I. Case Plow Works of Racine, Wisconsin, USA. In 1928 Massey Harris bought the company, and gained a tractor to add to their line up. They then sold the J. I. Case Plow Co. name to the J. I. Case Threshing Machine Co., effectivly bring back together the Case company that had split years earlier. The Wallis tractor was then developed to form the Challenger and Pacemaker models in 1936.[3]
The Formation of Massey-Harris-Ferguson
For more details of the merger, see Massey-Ferguson.
In 1953, the company merged with the Ferguson Company to become Massey-Harris-Ferguson, before finally taking on its current name in 1958. But the company soon began to decline financially. Facing increasing international competition and an agricultural sector diminishing in importance, the firm began to struggle. See Massey Ferguson for details post merger.
Model Range
Equipment
Massey-Harris 701 baler
Massey-Harris binders
Massey-Harris cultivators
Massey-Harris seed drills
Massey-Harris ploughs
Tractors
See also: Wallis
Massey-Harris Tractor Models Model Year(s) Produced Horsepower Engine Type Misc Notes Photo
Massey-Harris 1
Massey-Harris 2 Buda
Massey-Harris 3
Massey-Harris 12-20 built by Wallis
same as Wallis 12-20
Massey-Harris 15-22 4WD
Massey-Harris 20 1946-1948
Massey-Harris 20-30 built by Wallis
same as Wallis 20-30
Massey-Harris 21 1952-1954 same as Massey-Harris Colt
Massey-Harris 22 1948-1953
Massey-Harris 23 1952-1955 same as Massey-Harris Mustang
Massey-Harris 25 1938-1940
Massey-Harris 30 1946-1952 25 hp (19 kW)
33 hp (25 kW)
Massey-Harris 33 1952-1955
Massey-Harris 40
Massey-Harris 44 1946-1955
Massey-Harris 44D
Massey-Harris 44 Diesel
Massey-Harris 44 GS
Massey-Harris 44 K
Massey-Harris 44 LP Special
Massey-Harris 44-O
Massey-Harris 44 Special 1953-1955
Massey-Harris 44-V
Massey-Harris 44-6 1947-1950
Massey-Harris 50 1955-1956
Massey-Harris 50 LP
Massey-Harris 55 1947-1956
Massey-Harris 55 Diesel
Massey-Harris 55 LP Western Special
Massey-Harris 81
Massey-Harris 82
Massey-Harris 101 1938-1939 26 hp (19 kW) Continental
Massey-Harris 101 Junior 1939-1946 20 hp (15 kW) Continental
Massey-Harris 101 Super 1939-1946 26 hp (19 kW) Continental
Massey-Harris 101 Twin Power
Massey-Harris 102 1941-1945
Massey-Harris 102 Junior
Massey-Harris 103 1939-1946
Massey-Harris 201 Only 503 built, of this model some are in the UK
Massey-Harris 202 1940-1947
Massey-Harris 203 1940-1947
Massey-Harris 333 1956-1957
Massey-Harris 444 1956-1958
Massey-Harris 555 1956-1957
Massey-Harris 555D
Massey-Harris 744D 1948-1958 built in England
Massey-Harris 744 PD Perkins built in England
Massey-Harris 744S built in England
Massey-Harris 745 built in England
Massey-Harris 745S
Massey-Harris Challenger 1936
Massey-Harris Colt (No. 21) 1952-1954 same as Massey-Harris 21
Massey-Harris General Purpose 4WD 1930-1936
Massey-Harris GSF Special
Massey-Harris I-244G Air Force and Navy versions
Massey-Harris Mustang (No. 23) 1952-55 same as Massey-Harris 23
Massey-Harris Pacemaker 1936 30 hp (22 kW)
later 42 hp (31 kW)
Massey-Harris Pacer No. 16 1952-1956
Massey-Harris Pony No. 11
Massey-Harris Pony 811 built in France
Massey-Harris Pony 812 built in France
Massey-Harris Pony 820 built in France
Massey-Harris Pony vineyard
UK Preserved Examples
Massey-Harris 201
Massey-Harris 203 - LRE 23? of A Theakstone of York seen at Newby Hall Vintage Gathering 2011
Massey-Harris 744PD of 1949 EUX 811+ (seen at Cromford Steam Rally, with photo above) Immaculate looking.
Massey-Harris 744 sn 2080 seen at Somerset Vintage & Classic Tractor Show(bath)
Massey-Harris/PML
Harvesters
Massey-Harris Harvester Models Model Year(s) Produced Horsepower Engine Type Misc Notes Photo
Massey-Harris Clipper combine
Massey-Harris 21 combine combine
Massey-Harris 21A combine
Massey-Harris Super 26 combine
Massey-Harris 35 combine
Massey-Harris 60 combine
Massey-Harris 80 combine
Massey-Harris 82 combine
Massey-Harris 90 combine
Massey-Harris 92 combine
Massey-Harris Super 92 combine
Massey-Harris 630 combine
Massey-Harris 630 S combine VW
Massey-Harris 722 combine
Massey-Harris 726 combine
Massey-Harris 750 combine
Massey-Harris 780 combine mfg. by Sunshine
Massey-Harris 780 Special combine mfg. by Sunshine
Massey-Harris 890 combine
Massey-Harris 20 swather
