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Versatile Manufacturing Ltd
Successor Buhler Versatile
New Holland
Founded 1946
Founder(s) Peter Pakosh and Roy Robinson
Headquarters Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Products agriculture machinery, tractor, auger, swather, Combine harvester
Parent Basak
Website http://www.versatile-tractors.com


Versatile is a Canadian brand of agricultural equipment that has produced augers, swathers, Combine harvesters and most notably tractors. Founded by Peter Pakosh and brother-in-law Roy Robinson in 1946, working in a basement. Tye company is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Peter as a tool designer for Massey-Harris and had been turned down when he tried to join the product design department.[1] They sold out to Cornat Industries in 1977, who then sold out to Ford New Holland in 1987. Ford New Holland had been partially purchased by by Fiat. Fiat increased its stake in Ford, and the name changed to New Holland. Versatile was sold to Buhler Industries in 2000 due to regulatory concerns when Case IH merged with New Holland to form CNH Global. The tractors were branded as Buhler Versatile. In 2007, the Russian combine manufacturer RostSelMash purchased 80% of company. In 2009, they dropped the Buhler name and returned to just Versatile.

In early 2024, it was announced that RostSelMash had sold all shares of Versatile (Buhler Industries) to Turkish-based Basak Traktor. [2]

History[]

Founded as the The Hydraulic Engineering Company in 1948 after Founder Peter Pakosh was disgruntled with Massey-Harris and first produced grain augers. Sprayers were next, followed by a new harrow drawbar. In 1964 a new factory was built in Fort Garry, Winnipeg, Canada; producing 5000 swathers in 1964 alone. The company was incorporated in 1963 as Versatile Manufacturing Ltd. In 1966 they entered the 4wd tractor market with the Versatile D-100, a 100 hp (75 kW) tractor fitted with a Ford 6-cylinder diesel engine. The Model Versatile G-100 had a 318 V8 Chrysler Industrial engine. Both had 3-F 1R gear boxes within a 4-range transfer case. There was no cab, thus selling for less than $10,000. Only 100 D100's and 25 G100's were built due late introduction in the model year.

Next year (1967), the Versatile D-118, Versatile 125 and Versatile 145 were introduced. The same year a Self-Propelled combine was introduced, called the Versatile SP420, along with the Pull type Model 420. A new line for 1968 was a self-propelled swather, the Versatile SP400, with hydrostatic drive. The swather was followed by the Versatile 5000 hydrostatic combine in 1970.

Versatile logo 2

  • During the 1970's the next generation was introduced. As the Versatile 700, Versatile 800, Versatile 850 and Versatile 900 series. the 700 being of 220 hp (160 kW), 800 was 250 hp (190 kW) and the 850 was 280 hp (210 kW) from a Cummins engine. The 900 was a massive 300 hp (220 kW) from a Cummins diesel.
  • The model Hydro-Mechanical Versatile 300 a Row crop tractor with Live power take off was next.
  • In the 1970s, it was an independent operation, that had 70% of the 4WD tractor market.
  • The series 2 followed with extra models Versatile 750, Versatile 825, and Versatile 950 added to the line up and the others upgraded.

Versatile logo An innovative Tractor of a Push-pull design was introduced in 1977 called the Versatile 150 Bi-Directional, followed by the 160. Replaced by the Versatile 256 Bi-Directional of 85 hp (63 kW) in 1984 . A more powerful 100 hp (75 kW) Versatile 276 Bi-Directional followed in 1985.

Versatile then built a tractor to be the biggest in the world. This 600 hp (450 kW) monster had 8 wheels, a 19-litre engine from Cummins and weighed in at 26 tons. It was Nick-named as "Big Roy" after Roy Robinson but was designated as the Versatile 1080. It never went into production,.

The Constant power series was introduced in 1977, of 4 models. The Versatile 835, Versatile 855, Versatile 875, and Versatile 935, ranging from 230 hp (170 kW) to 330 hp (250 kW). The Company was sold to Cornat Industries of Vancouver in 1977 after a failed bid by Hesston.

The world market was open up in 1979 by a deal with Fiat to supply tractor to the European market. Sold as the Fiat 44-23 (230 hp (170 kW)), Fiat 44-28 (280 hp (210 kW)), Fiat 44-33 (330 hp (250 kW)), and the Fiat 44-35 (350 hp (260 kW)), painted in the sandy orange color of Fiat. The company was taken over by Ford Tractors in 1987, who also bought Sperry New Holland, and renamed the tractor division Ford New Holland.

Versatile Noble[]

Versatile Noble logo

Noble was a Canadian company that manufactured tillage equipment. It was purchased by Versatile, another Canadian company, in 1979 to extend Versatile's products. They were marketed for a time as Versatile Noble.[3] The tillage division was later spun off as New Noble, possibly when Ford Tractors purchased Versatile.

UK Market & Preservation[]

They were best Known in the UK for the High-horesepower tractors, which were imported mainly under the Fiat brand.

There are a few examples under preservation in the UK or being worked by smaller farms as a cheap big tractor to cover a lot of ground. The UK conditions didn't suit them as the design suited USA/Canadian conditions of fast shallow tillage work not deep heavy ploughing.

Model range[]

Versatile ad
Versatile grain drill

Versatile Grain Drill

Tractors[]

Versatile[]

Ford Versatile Models[]

Fiat Models[]

Other Models[]

Versatile Harvester Models
Model Year(s) Produced Horsepower Engine Type Misc Notes Photo
Versatile 42 swather
Versatile 400 swather Ford
Versatile 4400 swather Ford
Versatile 4700 swather
Versatile 4750 swather
Versatile 420 combine
Versatile 5000 combine -

See also[]

References[]

External links[]




Smallwikipedialogo This page uses some content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Versatile. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons by Attribution License and/or GNU Free Documentation License. Please check page history for when the original article was copied to Wikia


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