Case IH History and Machinery Types
Case IH stands for Case International Harvester, an agriculture equipment company based in America and owned by an American-Italian corporation. The storied Case IH history is a tale of American ingenuity and success.
While most companies expand their product lineup once they get famous, IH chose to stick to agricultural equipment. Case equipment became a need of every agricultural farm with its diverse range of agricultural machinery.
This article will discuss the historical aspects of Case IH, how it got so popular, and the machinery types it has produced so far.
History of Case IH:
2022 marks the three anniversaries for Case IH:
- 25 years of its famous QuadTrac tractors for their power
- 35th anniversary of the first choice of all the large-scale farmers, Magnum Tractors
- 45 years of the debut of the efficient Axial-flow harvesting range
However, the foundation of Case IH history takes us many years back. Although the company acquired this name in 1985, its roots dig deep to 1842. This is when Jerome invented the threshing machine under the name “Case”. While in 1847, Cyrus founded the McCormick Harvesting Machines company in Chicago. This is essentially the company that developed to become International Harvester.
Both companies worked hard with an innovative approach to increase their market shares; Case worked on the power of the threshers, while McCormick’s main focus was to add more features to its reaper. The Case produced its first wheel-mounted steam engine tractor in 1869 and still used animals to generate power for them. The process of initial growth went on for the next decade.
McCormick’s Bad Luck and Case-IH First Collaboration:
Hard luck hit McCormick’s company in 1871 when the great Chicago fire demolished its factory. This represented the first time Case planned to work with the great minds at McCormick and offered to make their machinery.
Meanwhile, Case didn’t stop experimentation and produced its first self-propelled traction steam engine in 1876 that ran on the horses’ power. It took the next two decades to develop a gasoline engine; however, it took them two more decades to make people shift from steam to gasoline, and finally relaunched it in 1911.
The emergence of the International Harvester Company:
In 1902, J.P. Morgan Brokers merged Deering, McCormick, and three more manufacturing brands into the International Harvester Company. The company released the tremendous and vital Totan tractor in 1910 and its first commercial power takeoff in 1919.
Farmall Production:
After the first generation Farmall that was released in 1923 by Bert Benjamin, International Harvester introduced the second-generation Farmall in 1939 – the series consisted of small, middle, and large-sized tractors. It successfully released its first cotton picker in 1934.
1977 marked the year of the launch of the most sought-after product by IH; the Axial Flow Combine revolutionized the whole agricultural industry by keeping the grains in their best condition and quantity whilst maintaining the matched capacity, adding to the resale value.
More Machineries:
Row Crop articulated tractor came out in 1980 that seated the driver on its rear half. In 1984, Case came up with a powerful four-wheel-drive tractor powered by a turbocharged V8 that produced a whopping 400 hp.
Machinery Types:
There is no limit to the machinery that Case IH has added to its product categories. Each machinery has many models, and each model has many variations to meet the requirements of different farms. A Case IH service manual for each machine type represents the uniqueness and modernity added to each successor of their equipment. Although much of their work is still in progress, Case IH has been boasting the following types of machinery:
- Tractors
- Harvesting Machines
- Advanced Farming System
- Tillage
- Planting and Seeding
- Application Equipment
- Skid Steers and Track Loaders
- Balers
- Windrowers
- Wheel Rakes
- Forage Harvesters
- Mowers and Conditioners
- Loaders and Attachments
Best practices include a repair manual kept with the machine. This will help in understanding its operation and maintenance thoroughly.
Formation of Case-IH:
Although Case and IH had been working together for a long time, they didn’t come up as one company until 1985, when Case and McCormick united under one name: Case IH.
The combinations added to the product line and became the second biggest agricultural equipment producer. Then Steiger also joined the Case IH gang in the coming years.
The first engineered machine under the Case IH was launched in 1987 as ‘Magnum’ tractor. The Maxxum tractor was manufactured in the next few years as the company celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1992.
1995 was a significant breakthrough as the corporation produced its first Advanced Farming system that allowed the farmers to track their yield through a satellite system. The Quantum tractor line launched during this era. The sugarcane harvester followed the Advanced Farming System. The sprayers stepped into the list of Case IH products in 1998. They introduced CVT technology in their tractors, and Case IH Steiger Tractor won the “Machine of the year” award in 2014 in Hanover, Germany.
It is still adding to the technology it has introduced, not failing to impress farmers every time it comes up with a piece of new equipment. Case IH history remains an interactive story that has yet to reach a conclusion.
FAQ’s
Who makes the engine for Case IH tractors?
FPT Industrial, a partner of Case IH, makes heavy-duty engines for tractors and other farm machinery. Case IH’s FPT-manufactured engines specialize in the high-horsepower production necessary for towing implements and other farm duties that require adequate pulling power.
Where are Case IH engines made?
Most engines used in Case IH machines are produced at a factory in Racine, Wisconsin. The factory is billed as the ‘Home of the Magnum’ tractor series. The same facility also produces transmissions for combines and many other Case IH products.
Did IH buy Farmall?
Originally, Farmall was a model produced by International Harvester. Later, Farmall became the brand behind IH tractors. Today Farmall tractors are frequently kept as antique collector’s machines that are restored to their original specifications.