1949

The McCormick O-6 Orchard Tractor at Rhomberg Farms, St. Louis County, MO.

For the Fruit Grower its the

     A Tractor and a suit of clothes have this in common - to be any good they must fit the individual owner's requirements.  In the case of tractors one man needs a small row-crop, another man a medium size standard, and still another a large diesel crawler.  It all depends on the type of work to be done, and the amount.  And when it comes to orchard and grove work - well, that's something else again.  The fruit growers conditions and requirements are different from all others' - and so much his tractor be if he is to use it efficiently and satisfactorily.

     That's why, in addition to all the other types, Harvester engineers have designed the O-6 (and the O-4) exclusively for the use of fruit growers.  These two types of tractors are literally made to order, having just about everything a fruit grower needs, whether they are in Florida or California, Washington or New York.

     Streamlined?  And how!  Not a "fruit picker" in a trainload.  Low-hanging branches glide over and around them like water on a duck's back.  The most striking feature of these tractors is their sleek streamlined exterior.  Unlike most tractors, these Orchard and Grove models have no projections and no crevices to catch branches and tear fruit off when run close to trees.

     The O-6 in our collection is similar in every respect to the O-4 in our collection, but it is a larger, more powerful tractor, capable of pulling three plows and turning over 9 to 13 acres a day (versus 7-12 with the smaller O-4).  The overall height of this tractor is low and the regular turning radius is short.  Extra short turning is provided by means of the foot-operated steering brakes and the wide-swinging drawbar, which are regular equipment.  A convenient locking device enables the operator to set one or both brakes to hold the tractor on inclines, for belt work, etc.

     McCormick Tractor engines have always been smooth, dependable, and economical.  But year by year the standard of performance has risen higher and higher, as research and experimentation in Harvester's extensive laboratories have added improvement after improvement.

     Five forward speeds give flexibility of operation never before obtainable with 4-speed or 3-speed transmissions.  With the wide choice of governor-controlled, full-load, full-throttle engine speeds, there are almost unlimited combinations of tractor traveling speeds and drawbar pull.  The practical result is high operating efficiency, with reduced fuel consumption and engine wear.