Versatile

From Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki

Versatile is a Canadian brand of agricultural equipment that has produced augers, swathers, Combine harvesters and most notably tractors. Founded by Peter Pakosh and Roy Robinson in 1946, working in a basement. They sold out to Cornat Industries in 1977, who then sold out to Ford New Holland and then sold on to Fiat's as New Holland, it was then spun off when Case IH merged with New Holland to form CNH Global.The company, now based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, currently belongs to Buhler Industries. The tractors now branded as Buhler Versatile Inc.

[edit] History

The company was incorporated in 1963 as "Versatile Manufacturing Ltd In 1964 a new factory was built in Fort Garry, Winnipeg, Canada. producing 5000 swathers in 1964 alone. In 1966 they entered the 4-wd tractor market with the D100, a 100hp tractor fitted with a Ford 6-cylinder diesel engine. The Model C100 had a *-cylinder Chrysler engine. Both had 3-F 1R gear boxes withn4 range transfer case. There was no cab, thus selling for less than $10,000. Sales of over 100 units being achieved that year. Next year the D118 & G125 & D145 were introduced. The D118 having a V6 Cummins engine of 118 hp. The G125 a V8 Ford Gasoline engine of 125 hp. The same year a Self Propelled combine was introduced, called the SP420. A new line for 1968 was a self propelled swather, the SP400 with hydrostatic drive. The swather was followed by the SP5000 hydrostatic combine in 1970.

During the 1970's the next generation was introduced. As the 700, 800, 850 and 900 series. the 700 being of 220 hp, 800 was 250 hp and the 850 was 280 hp from a cummins engine. The 900 was a massive 300hp from a V8 Cummins diesel. The model 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 750,825, and 950 added to the line up and the others upgraded.

An innovative Tractor of a "Push-pull design was introduced in 1977 called the Model 150. Replace by the Model 256 of 85 hp in 1984 . A more powerful 100hp model 276 following in 1985.

They then built a tractor to be the biggest in the world. This 600 hp monster had 8 wheels, a 19 litre engine from cumins and weighed in at 26 tons. It was Knick named as "Big Roy" but was designated as the Model 1080. It never when into production,.

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

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), 44-28 (280hp), 44-33 (330hp), and the 44-35 (350 hp), painted in a Sandy Orange of Fiat.

The company was taken over by Ford in 1987 who also bought Sperry New Holland, and renamed the tractor division Ford New Holland.

[edit] UK Market & Preservation

They were best Known in the UK for the High Hp 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.

[edit] Model range

(details required)

[edit] 1960s

• Versatile D100 6-cylinder Ford engine of 100 hp 1966
• Versatile C100 8-cylinder Chrysler engine 1966
• Versatile D118 V6 Cummins engine of 118 hp 1967
• Versatile G125 V8 Ford Gasoline engine of 125 hp 1967
• Versatile D145 - 1967
• Versatile SP420 - A Self Propelled combine 1967
• Versatile SP400 a self propelled swather, the with hydrostatic drive -1968

[edit] 1970's

• Versatile SP5000 Hydrostatic drive combine in 1970.
• Versatile 700 being of 220 hp,
• Versatile 800 was 250 hp and the
• Versatile 850 was 280 hp from a cummins engine.
• Versatile 900 was a massive 300hp from a V8 Cummins diesel.
• Versatile 300 Row crop tractor with Live power take off

[edit] Series 2

• Versatile 750 Series 2
• Versatile 825 series 2
• Versatile 950 series 2
• Versatile Model 150 - Push pull tractor

[edit] Constant Power range

• Versatile 835, - 230 hp
• Versatile 855,
• Versatile 875,
• Versatile 935, - 330 hp.

[edit] 1980s

• Versatile Model 256 - 85 hp added in 1984
• Versatile Model 276 - 100hp in 1985

• "Big Roy" Versatile Model 1080 - A 600 hp monster that had 8 wheels, a 19 litre Cummins engine, weighed in at 26 tons. But was only built as a prototype. ( today tractors are catching up to this power with 500 hp models being built by several manufacturers).

[edit] The "Fiat Models" (European versions)

• Fiat 44-23
• Fiat 44-28
• Fiat 44-33
• Fiat 44-38

[edit] The Ford Line

• Ford 946 - painted Blue & White

[edit] See also

• Ford
• New Holland
• Ford New Holland
• Fiat
• Fiat New Holland
• Buhler
• Hesston
• John Deere

[edit] References

• wikipedia for base article
• Versatile "A farm boy's dream" by Jarrod Pakosh
• The World Encyclopaedia of Tractors & Farm Machinery by John Carol
• Classic Tractors of the World by Nick Baldwin

[edit] External links

• Buhler official web site - Versatile Tractor Brand
• Versatile web site

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 GNU Free Documentation License.