Posted by Tim Daley on December 24, 2006 at 08:10:47 [URL] [DELETE] :
In doing research on the Ford 9N17014 Plow Wrench, I discovered that Henry "Harry" Ferguson conceived and designed the tool in 1936 for issue with the Ferguson-Brown Type A Tractor. Since this was well before the Ford merger and the introduction of the 9N Tractor, and the fact that only 1200 Ferguson-Brown tractors were made, then we can conclude that the Plow Wrenches issued with those tractors are few as well. Ferguson most likely based his design on an earlier version of a plow wrench made by the LaCrosse Plow Company, Racine, Wisconsin, 1860-1969, and pictured below. LaCrosse was sold to the Allis-Chalmers Company in 1929 and Allis closed down LaCrosse for good in 1969. This is going to take some digging to verify, and I am still trying, but the manufacturer of that Ferguson-Brown Spanner is the bonus question of the day. Originally I believed that one of the so-called "generic" versions we see, the ones with only the hash marks and the 3 and 6 pronounced but with no other markings on the front or back, was the first Fergie Spanner. Then I reasoned that there are just too many around ( I must have a half dozen myself in my collection )for it to be the first plow wrench as we know it. I began researching Ferguson sites and talking to people in England who might know. Unfortunately, my one source, a very nice English gentleman named George Fields, passed away and his wife could not provide me with any more information. Just when I was at a standstill I spotted an unusual plow wrench for sale on eBay, bid on it, and won the auction. It had an English Ford Tool Manufacturer logo on it and a part number! The initials VBW in what is called the Staffordshire Knot is the logo-see next picture. The part number 4161c is also on the tool. I tried googling Staffordshire Knot and came up with little to go on. The next picture is of another plow wrench with FERGUSON in raised letters, but I've only seen this one. Could this be the 1936 version? Does anyone else have one like it? I am posting this information in hopes of getting a breakthrough from one of you out there who might know the answer. The other picture is of a list of Ford Tool Manufacturers that was published in the Ford Tool Times newsletter a few years ago...
LaCrosse Plow Wrench and Ford and Ferguson Versions-
VWB/Staffordshire Knot Logo & 4161c Part Number-
Ferguson-Brown Spanner?-
Ford Tool Manufacturers Trademarks-
Tim Daley (MI)
*9N653I*
*8NI55I3*
Posting not permitted in the forum archives.