Allis-Chalmers Model B

Name: Allis-Chalmers Model B
Brand: Allis-Chalmers

Row-crop tractor · 1937–1957 · Gasoline

The Allis-Chalmers Model B was a compact one-plow row-crop tractor aimed at small farms, offering an affordable alternative to bigger machines like the WC. Its long 1937-1957 production run and low price made it one of Allis-Chalmers' best-selling models and a common sight on family farms across the United States.

Compare this tractor All Allis-Chalmers models

Photo: Charles01. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

belt power: 15.7 hp
Displacement: 116 ci (1.9 L)
Total built: 120,783

Overview
Type	Row-crop
Production	1937–1957
Factory	West Allis, Wisconsin, USA
Total built	120,783

Engine
Make	Allis-Chalmers
Fuel	Gasoline
Cylinders	4
Displacement	116 ci (1.9 L)
Cooling	liquid-cooled
Aspiration	Naturally aspirated

Power
Drawbar power	13 hp (9.67 kW)
Belt power	15.7 hp (11.7 kW)
Nebraska test	Nebraska Test 302

Transmission
Transmission	sliding-gear — 4 forward, 1 reverse
Chassis	tricycle (single front wheel standard; adjustable wide-front optional)
Steering	manual
Brakes	mechanical

History

Allis-Chalmers introduced the Model B in 1937 as a lightweight, low-cost tractor for small acreages, priced to compete directly with the Farmall A and John Deere L. Early production tractors used a Waukesha-sourced engine before Allis-Chalmers switched to its own 116.1-cubic-inch four-cylinder "BE" engine in 1938, the configuration tested at Nebraska as Test 302. The tractor's narrow, single-front-wheel tricycle layout and short wheelbase suited it to cultivating row crops on small farms.

The Model B proved remarkably durable in the marketplace, remaining in the Allis-Chalmers lineup for two full decades with only incremental updates, including a mid-1940s bump to a larger 125.2-cubic-inch "CE" engine. Its low price and simple, dependable design made it accessible to farmers who could not justify a larger row-crop tractor, and its more than 120,000-unit production run made it one of the company's most successful models.

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