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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match“Steel Wheeled Beauties” refers to a historical roundup of a dozen tractors popular in the 1910s and 1920s. Dave Mowitz’s feature, published by Successful Farming on January 18, 2013, shows how varied early tractor design could be: these machines used different transmissions, engine layouts and wheel arrangements rather than following one standard formula.
What the roundup covers
The twelve tractors featured by Mowitz are the Cletrac W, Garner, General Ordnance G 14-28, GS&M 12-24 Beaver, Holt 2 Ton, J.I. Case 10/20, Lauson 15-30, Nilson Junior 16-27, Parrett, Rock Island Heider IC 12-20 and Turner Simplicity. The article pairs photographs with brief historical descriptions; it is a period feature, not a modern buying or restoration guide. Read Mowitz’s original feature.
How their engineering differed
Friction drive and sliding gears
The General Ordnance G 14-28 combined a four-cylinder Waukesha engine with a friction-drive transmission. The GS&M 12-24 Beaver also used friction drive, including to power its belt pulley without transmission gearing. By contrast, the Holt 2 Ton had a three-speed sliding-gear transmission. These examples illustrate distinct approaches; neither should be treated as representative of every tractor in the roundup.
The Rock Island Heider IC 12-20 was first designed as the “C” and upgraded to “IC” in 1922, according to Mowitz. A Rock Island promotional advertisement described its friction drive this way: “You can start slow and speed up gradually without shifting gears.” The quoted line is advertising language, not an independent performance test.
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Three wheels, unusual power transfer
The J.I. Case 10/20 had one front steering wheel, one rear drive wheel and an outrigger rear wheel that Mowitz says provided additional stability. The Nilson Junior 16-27 took a different approach: its larger center rear wheel transferred power, while its Lever Hitch transferred draft over the drive wheel to the implement.
A crawler among wheeled machines
The Cletrac W was the first Cletrac crawler to reach the market, according to Mowitz, and was first built in 1918. Early versions used a Weidely-built engine; the Cleveland Tractor Company later replaced it with its own four-cylinder engine, rated at a maximum 15 1/2 drawbar horsepower. The figure applies to that later engine configuration, not necessarily every Cletrac W.
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Model details and reported specifications
| Tractor | Design or history noted by Mowitz | Reported figures |
|---|---|---|
| Cletrac W | First Cletrac crawler to reach market; first built in 1918. Early Weidely-built engine later replaced by a Cleveland Tractor Company four-cylinder engine. | Later engine rated at a maximum 15 1/2 drawbar horsepower. |
| Garner | Built by William Galloway’s firm in Iowa. Galloway arranged for Henry Garner Ltd. of Birmingham, England, to build a British version of the Farmobile. | Not stated in Mowitz’s feature. |
| General Ordnance G 14-28 | Four-cylinder Waukesha engine and friction-drive transmission. | Not stated in Mowitz’s feature. |
| GS&M 12-24 Beaver | Made by Canadian manufacturer Goold, Shapley & Muir; friction drive powered the belt pulley without transmission gearing. | Mowitz says earlier large GS&M models produced 28 to 45 drawbar horsepower; that range is not specified for the 12-24 Beaver. |
| Holt 2 Ton | Overhead-cam Holt engine with four individually cast cylinders; three-speed sliding-gear transmission; described as powerful enough for a four-bottom plow. | Mowitz reports 4,000 pounds and speeds from 2 1/8 to 5 1/4 mph. |
| J.I. Case 10/20 | Three-wheel arrangement: one front steering wheel, one rear drive wheel and an outrigger rear wheel for stability. | Not stated in Mowitz’s feature. |
| Lauson Full Jewel 15-30 | The 1920 model used a Beaver four-cylinder vertical valve-in-head engine. | Mowitz reports an engine speed of 950 rpm, with 17.7 drawbar horsepower and 30 brake horsepower. |
| Nilson Junior 16-27 | Lever Hitch transferred draft over the drive wheel; the larger of three rear wheels transferred power. | Not stated in Mowitz’s feature. |
| Parrett | Brothers Henry and Dent Parrett were involved in at least three tractor companies and designed models for other makers. Mowitz describes their plant as once the world’s largest. | Not stated in Mowitz’s feature. |
| Rock Island Heider IC 12-20 | Originally designed as “C” and upgraded to “IC” in 1922; friction drive. | Not stated in Mowitz’s feature. |
| Turner Simplicity | The short-lived tractor business preceded the later Simplicity name. William Niederkorn and Francis Bloodgood bought the name in 1921 to build small single-cylinder engines. | Not stated in Mowitz’s feature. |
Why the differences matter
These machines show that early tractor makers were experimenting with how to deliver power and manage traction. Friction drive offered a way to vary speed without conventional gear shifting, while the Holt’s sliding gears provided three defined speeds. Wheel layouts also served different purposes: Case added an outrigger for stability, whereas Nilson used its large center rear wheel to transfer power. The specifications above are the figures Mowitz reports for particular models and configurations; they should not be generalized across the roundup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Further reading
For photographs and the original brief histories of all twelve machines, consult Successful Farming’s “12 Steel Wheeled Tractors From the 1910s and 1920s”. A Younger Auction catalog also documents cast-iron steel-wheel tractor collectibles, including a contemporary cast-iron John Deere example; it is a catalog record, not evidence of current availability: Younger Auction collectibles listing.
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