Unusual NC Tractor

I'm intrigued by this tractor, never seen another like it. It's down in the bottom left of the photo, which is from the recent issue of the Ford Model T Times. Would it have had a seat? Motor looks like a Clinton, maybe someone knows for sure. BTW I have a couple articles in this issue for anyone who reads the magazine. Gerrit

There is a home made tractor about a mile from here that a fellow I knew built.
He used an engine that looked like that and a motorcycle clutch and a cut down Willis rear axle.
He cultivated his garden with it.
He was a professional brick mason that specialized in industrial furnace construction and had a cattle farm here.
Richard in NW SC

Looks like a Speedex, B&S engine, made in Ravenna, OH.

an early Economy (Power King) ''chain steer'' tractor. It has a later Briggs replacement engine. Circa 1947-'49.

(quoted from post at 05:24:14 07/21/22) an early Economy (Power King) ''chain steer'' tractor. It has a later Briggs replacement engine. Circa 1947-'49.
<img src=https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto131046.jpg>

Click to expand...

Thanks, I was wanting to get a look at the whole tractor. I can just barely make out the seat in the magazine tractor when I look more closely. The Speedex that were mentioned also look interesting. There's at least one man locally who runs a Power King to cut grass. I'm guessing it's from the 1970s. Gerrit

(quoted from post at 04:57:44 07/21/22) There is a home made tractor about a mile from here that a fellow I knew built.
He used an engine that looked like that and a motorcycle clutch and a cut down Willis rear axle.
He cultivated his garden with it.
He was a professional brick mason that specialized in industrial furnace construction and had a cattle farm here.
Richard in NW SC

Click to expand...

Some Model T parts were used in the making of early tractors until Ford said they were competing with their own tractors and stopped selling parts to manufacture them. The tractor-maker started making their own components, and they were sold up until the year 2000. That's a brief rundown on my reading up on Speedex tractors. Gerrit

I just retired my 1978 Power King from main grass cutting duties. Now it pulls trailers and serves as a backup. I'm not sure what those guys were thinking back
in the late 1940's, but a Power King, or Speedex, or Gibson built back then is STILL a useful machine that, with a bare minimum of maintenance, will outlast
several owners! That doesnt seem to be a good business model these days.

That early Economy was built using a mix of old car bits, purpose-built parts and off-the-shelf hardware to take advantage of the booming post-WWII economy.
They actually employed buyers to scour junkyards and warehouses to gather up the parts they needed. If you look closely, you can see the Model ''A'' Ford rear
axle center section (''banjo'') and the tiny Crosley 3 speed transmission. Even that battered seat looks like a U.S. Govt. surplus 45 cu.in. HD part.

Heres a pre-WWII Speedex ''B''. It used a B&S engine, a Model ''A'' Ford trans, and I KNOW youll recognize the rear axle...
Speedex B

Looks like all countries had similar tractors back in the late 1940's. Here
is a British built one using a J.A.P engine and a Super Comfort Seat
specially designed for those with extra padding. ;0)

Heres a pre-WWII Speedex ''B''. It used a B&S engine, a Model ''A'' Ford trans, and I KNOW youll recognize the rear axle...
Speedex B
[/quote]

Hahaha that's quite the thing! Yes, Model T rear end, can't tell if it's the TT truck rear or from the regular Model T car. With the mishmash of parts that went into these machines, I imagine the parts men of the day had their work cut out for them. Then again they could probably cross-reference dozens of parts in their head and end up with the correct one without the aid of a computer. Thanks for the Speedex video--now at least I'll know what I'm looking at when I see one of these machines. Gerrit

(quoted from post at 04:37:44 07/21/22) I'm intrigued by this tractor, never seen another like it. It's down in the bottom left of the photo, which is from the recent issue of the Ford Model T Times. Would it have had a seat? Motor looks like a Clinton, maybe someone knows for sure. BTW I have a couple articles in this issue for anyone who reads the magazine. Gerrit

Click to expand...

The tractor is a EPCO Economy just looking at what I can see probably and early 50's model as it has a rubberized steering wheel and a by the looks of it a B&S Model 23 engine and what is refered to as a 2 post seat, the color picture tractor is and earlier model maybe a 46/47/48 model year as t has the cast iron steering wheel and the Harley Davidson seat and a B&S Z or ZZ engine. EPCO (Engineering Products Co) started building their Economy tractors in 1946and built tractor thru the 1980 when the company was sold. Despite popular stories they did not buy transmissions form junk yards, the 3 speed trans used is a Borg warmer T92 which was used in many small tractor and in many many industrial machine, EPCO used a Model A Ford differential but they bought them from Dana the mfg and they quiet using them when Dana no long produced them not because Ford said to, EPCO built well over 60000 tractors using the Borg Warner T92 as the tranny
Gerrit, if you go look at it there should be a Data tap on the bell housing with the model and SN with SN the model yr can be determined
GB in MN

The tractor is a EPCO Economy just looking at what I can see probably and early 50's model as it has a rubberized steering wheel and a by the looks of it a B&S Model 23 engine and what is refered to as a 2 post seat, the color picture tractor is and earlier model maybe a 46/47/48 model year as t has the cast iron
Gerrit, if you go look at it there should be a Data tap on the bell housing with the model and SN with SN the model yr can be determined
GB in MN[/quote]

GB thanks for all the info. This tractor is in Berrtie County, NC--about 300 miles south of me. But if I ever find myself down there I'll definitely check it out. The photo was submitted by another reader of the magazine. I'm kind of kicking myself because I've liked the Power King tractors for their simplicity and compact size and one came up for sale locally awhile back but I didn't jump on it fast enough. I think they wanted around $300 and it came with a nice belly mower. Everything looked to be in good shape, just needed some TLC as it had been stored a good long while. Do you collect any of these? Thanks again for the reply. Gerrit

Hi Gerrit, yes I have 8 Economy Power king tractors from a 1949 to a 1989 all good tractors, I really enjoy working on them and with them here's a couple of pictures

(quoted from post at 17:43:41 07/21/22) Hi Gerrit, yes I have 8 Economy Power king tractors from a 1949 to a 1989 all good tractors, I really enjoy working on them and with them here's a couple of pictures

Click to expand...

Those are really nice tractors. Loader tractor, too! Was. that something made for or by Power King? Looks to be just the right size loader for the tractor. Thanks for the photos, Gerrit

Early, (maybe late 40. or early 50s) chain steer Economy. Some collector value.

(quoted from post at 18:25:58 07/21/22)

(quoted from post at 17:43:41 07/21/22) Hi Gerrit, yes I have 8 Economy Power king tractors from a 1949 to a 1989 all good tractors, I really enjoy working on them and with them here's a couple of pictures

Click to expand...

Those are really nice tractors. Loader tractor, too! Was. that something made for or by Power King? Looks to be just the right size loader for the tractor. Thanks for the photos, Gerrit

Click to expand...

The PK with the loader is a 1984 model yr and yes the loader was made by EPCO in the 70's thru the 80's they built their own before that they used a Pony loader

[
The PK with the loader is a 1984 model yr and yes the loader was made by EPCO in the 70's thru the 80's they built their own before that they used a Pony loader[/quote]

The loader tractor is similar to the one I saw come up for sale locally. It was in a free online ad and I think the owner just wanted to get rid of it as it had just been taken out of storage. No loader, but it had a belly mower. I'll keep on looking. Thanks again for all the replies. Gerrit