All language subtitles for The Machines That Built America s01e01 Tractor Revolution

‐ [Narrator] From
backyards to big ag,

they generate $75 billion
in global sales every year.

(dramatic music)

258 manufacturers

producing over 100
different models.

(dramatic music)

But 150 years ago,

getting our food
from farm to table

took slow, back‐breaking labor.

‐ Farm life is grueling
in the 19th century.

‐ The ability to move equipment
through a field dependably,

it was one of the great
challenges that farmers faced.

‐ [Narrator] As the
20th century approaches,

inventors compete in
a race to change that.

‐ A year from now,

every farmer in
America is gonna own

one of my Fordson tractors.

‐ They saw the opportunity

and they jumped on it.

‐ [Narrator] Their quest to
corner the market will produce

some of the greatest innovations

and most iconic brands.

‐ But I think I
have it figured out.

‐ What?
‐ My engine.

(dramatic music)

(photographer laughs)

‐ It crawls just
like a caterpillar.

(dramatic music)

‐ I got to hand it to you, John,

I didn't think it was possible,

but this thing is impressive.

(dramatic music)

‐ From agriculture
to highway building,

to mining, to energy.

‐ The tractor actually
changed the American landscape

as a whole.

‐ [Narrator] This is
"Tractor Empires."

(dramatic music)

(steam engine chugging)

It's the 1870s and America
is undergoing a massive shift

in where people live and work.

‐ By the close of the Civil War,

the United States is still

primarily an agricultural
nation.

About half of Americans
worked in agriculture,

compared to about 1% today.

But that's gonna change rapidly

with the industrial revolution.

(dramatic music)
(steam blowing)

‐ People were being
drawn from the farms

by higher paying jobs in
the factories of the cities.

As people moved from
farms to the city,

they discovered they can't
grow their own food anymore.

Somebody has to grow
your food for you.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] With fewer
people on the farms,

those left behind have
to work much harder.

‐ [James] Farm labor was
incredibly challenging work

for everybody,
including the animals

who provided a lot of
the literal horsepower

to plow the fields,
to pull the combine.

‐ [Narrator] Harvesting
a single five acre farm

usually requires
walking 40 miles

behind an animal drawn plow.

(dramatic music)

In 1875, one young farm
boy will do anything he can

to avoid that labor.

‐ Henry.

Time to feed the horses.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] His
name is Henry Ford.

‐ Henry Ford grew up on a farm,

middle‐class background
just outside of Detroit.

He knows what arduous
work farming is.

He's seen it with his own eyes

and he's experienced it himself.

He's worked out in the field.

‐ He didn't like
farming in large part

because it's sort
of a back‐breaking,

endless cycle of toil.

‐ [Narrator] Young Henry
has a different passion.

(dramatic music)

‐ Henry Ford was a
natural born tinkerer.

When he was 12‐years‐old,

his father gave
him a pocket watch.

He took it apart and put it
back together so many times

that he used to joke

that when he would
walk into the house,

the clocks on the
wall would shudder.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] Ford's ingenuity
will one day make him

among the richest
Americans in history

and head of a
$140 billion empire

of cars, trucks, and tractors.

But for now, he's just a kid

who's about to see something

that will change his life.

(dramatic music)

‐ What the heck?

‐ Henry!

(dramatic music)

‐ Hey, Mr., what's this?

‐ This is a steam
traction engine.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Henry] That piston
makes the wheels move?

‐ [Man] Yup.

‐ [Henry] How many turns
does it do a minute?

Like 200?
‐ Uh‐huh.

‐ And it powers
your thresher too?

‐ Sure you've not
seen one before?

(gentle music)

‐ Now, Henry Ford has
seen locomotives before,

but he's never seen
anything like this.

It's a huge contraption.

It's not on rails,

it's just sitting
there on the road.

What is this thing?

‐ [Narrator] The so‐called
road locomotive is used

for hauling heavy loads.

In the late 19th century,

it's one of many machines driven

by a revolutionary new power.

(dramatic music)

‐ The steam engine is
the single biggest driver

of the industrial revolution

and ventures are dazzled

by its power and
its possibilities.

(steam blowing)
(steam engine revving)

You have locomotive,
steam powered cars,

steam powered factories,
steam powered everything.

(dramatic music)

‐ Can you imagine a steam
powered wagon pulling

a plow, Pa.

We could get rid of
our horses for good.

‐ Let's go, Henry.

Nothing can replace a horse.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] Despite his
father's lack of enthusiasm,

young Henry Ford is
hooked on a new idea.

‐ Henry Ford was
obsessed with the idea

that we should replace
the work done by muscles,

by human muscles
or animal muscles,

with work done by machines.

‐ Many pioneers,
they know exactly

what their role is in bringing
something to the market

that perhaps the market
doesn't even know

that they need just yet.

‐ [Narrator] And the demand

for more powerful farming
equipment is about to explode.

(dramatic music fading)

(upbeat music)

2,400 miles to the
west of Henry Ford,

one budding entrepreneur has
just arrived in California

to seize what he hopes
will be a big opportunity.

His name is Benjamin Holt.

‐ Brother.

‐ Charles! Good to see you.

California is treating you well.

(dramatic music)

‐ Benjamin grew up in the
Northeast in New Hampshire

and he and his four brothers
worked in the family saw mill,

helping make wagon wheels

and learning the business.

And Benjamin Holt himself out
of the brothers was probably

the most mechanically inclined.

‐ [Narrator] His brothers run
the Stockton Wheel Company,

but Benjamin wants to make
more than just wheels.

‐ He pretty quickly realized

how inefficient the mobility was

and the planting,
seeding, harvesting was

with the equipment that
was readily available.

‐ [Narrator] He
sees an opportunity,

thanks to a recent surge in
California's farming industry.

(dramatic music)

‐ After the Gold
Rush, in particular,

wealthy prospectors began to
buy up huge tracks of land

where they start
large commercial farms

because they recognized
enormous profits

to be made in the sale
of farm goods back East.

(upbeat music)

‐ [Narrator] The
transcontinental railroad means

food grown out
West can now reach

city markets back
East much faster.

To meet demand,

farmers turned to new
steam powered equipment,

but it still has to
be pulled by horses.

‐ But then,
inventors figured out

how to get the steam engine

to move the machine itself.

And that's how you get
the first tractors.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] A handful of
inventors began experimenting

with these new machines,

but Benjamin Holt believes
he can build a better one.

So he and his brothers gamble

and invest nearly
every cent they have;

some 2 million, today,

into a factory to produce
huge steam tractors.

(dramatic music)

The only problem, Benjamin Holt
has never built one before.

(dramatic music)

One day, his company will
be known as Caterpillar.

(dramatic music)

The biggest producer of
construction equipment

in the world;

helping farmers, builders,
and even astronauts,

while earning over
a $100 billion.

But in the late 1880s,

he's struggling to
build a steam tractor

with enough power to
pull a big combine.

(dramatic music)

Finally in 1890,

he unveils his new machine.

Nicknamed Old Betsy,

Holt's tractor features a
single cylinder steam engine,

capable of generating
60 horsepower,

twice as much as his
closest competitor.

And it's the first to
feature steering clutches,

making it far more maneuverable.

‐ Holt's steam tractor
could do the work

of dozens of horses
at one sixth the cost.

This is a major cost savings

for the commercial farmer.

‐ [Narrator] The
Holts quickly sell 130

of their steam powered
tractors for $8,000 each,

nearly 225,000, today.

Then a flaw emerges,

threatening everything
Holt's built.

‐ [Man] Ben Holt?

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] By the early 1890s,

some 2000 steam powered
tractors are at work

on American farms.

They're expensive and their
immense weight makes them hard

to maneuver and prone to
getting stuck in the mud;

a major issue for Benjamin
Holt's new machine.

‐ Because that
engine was so heavy,

he had to build wagon wheels

that were six foot in
diameter and three foot wide,

and it just made for a
pretty ornery machine.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Man] Ben Holt.

‐ That's me, sir.

‐ So guess what
happens when you have

a 48,000 pound
piece of machinery

in very soft dirt.

‐ My tractor's stuck

and it's all your doing.

(upbeat music)

‐ [Narrator] If he can't
find an answer soon,

Benjamin Holt's new
business could go under.

(dramatic music)

1800 miles away in Iowa,

a commercial farmer is
working on a solution.

‐ John Froelich is
one of nine children.

Froelich grew up on the farm,

but he was college educated.

He was mechanically minded.

He ended up building

and running a grain elevator.

‐ [Narrator] But after
starting a new venture,

he runs into a problem.

‐ Froelich gathered
an army of employees

in every fall.

They would go to South Dakota

to help bring in the harvest.

‐ [Narrator] His 45,000 pounds
steam powered tractor is key

to making a profit,

but getting it from
Iowa to South Dakota

is nearly impossible.

So he decides to
redesign the machine.

‐ Gotta be big,
bulky, and heavy.

And this is in the late 1800s

where the roads are dirt

and the bridges are rickety,
old, wooden bridges.

‐ Froelich really
just thought there had

to be a better way.

‐ [Narrator] Frustrated
after weeks of effort,

Froelich takes a break

to refuel his gas
powered grain elevator.

(dramatic music)

(engine revving)

‐ Well, I'll be damned.

(dramatic music)
(engine revving)

‐ He has this epiphany.

He thinks, "What if I could use

"this gasoline powered
combustion engine

"to drive a tractor."

This was a genius idea.

‐ [James] The first internal
combustion engines in the U. S.,

many of them were on farms.

There was a huge wave
of farmers buying

stand‐alone gasoline engines

and they would hook it up

to some other machine
they wanted to run.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] Froelich
believes if he can replace

his tractor's massive
22 ton steam engine

with a lighter gas
powered engine,

he might save his business.

(dramatic music)

‐ What the heck?

‐ That is a gas engine
from my grain elevator.

It's going on that chassis.

‐ How?

‐ Don't know yet.

‐ [Narrator] But he's
not the only one dreaming

of a new use for the
gas powered engine.

(upbeat music)

Now, 30‐years‐old, Henry
Ford has left the family farm

for the booming industrial
hub of nearby Detroit.

(dramatic music)

‐ Ford has become
really interested

in how the internal
combustion engine works

and he starts tinkering,
wanting to build one,

and he actually builds
one in his kitchen sink.

‐ [Narrator] During the day,

Ford works as the chief engineer

at the Edison
Illuminating Plant,

but every night he returns home

to work on his lifelong dream;

creating a vehicle that
can replace the horse.

‐ Clara, get in here.

‐ Henry, it's Christmas Eve.

‐ But I think I
have it figured out.

‐ What?

‐ My engine.

‐ He built from parts he
could find around the house,

at the hardware store,

plumbing components,
things like that.

It shows the innovation
and how clever,

and how driven he was.

‐ [Woman] You're
ruining the light.

‐ It's not a light.

That's my ignition system.

(dramatic music)

I need you to feed this
into the intake valve

while I turn the flywheel.

Just two drops at a time, okay?

(dramatic music)

(flywheel rotating)

Okay, again.

(flywheel rotating)

(engine revving)

‐ [Narrator] Ford has just
built a working engine

using cheap, off
the shelf parts.

He's one step
closer to his dream

of replacing the
horse with a machine.

(dramatic music)

But John Froelich is
even further ahead.

He's almost connected the gas
engine from his grain elevator

to a tractor frame.

(dramatic music)

After months of work,
Froelich has managed

to install a single
cylinder gasoline engine

onto a steam engine chassis.

(dramatic music)

‐ She'd be a beauty
if she wasn't so ugly.

Why don't you give her a whirl?

‐ [Narrator] A gasoline
powered tractor could be

a game changer.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Froelich] Here, let me try.

‐ [Narrator] But they
can't get it to start.

‐ Months of hard work

and this piece of machinery
will not turn over;

and there's nothing more
frustrating than going through

and working on everything,

and it won't work.

(metal clinging)

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] John Froelich
has just spent months trying

to build a revolutionary
gas powered tractor,

but he can't get it to start.

‐ I got this.

‐ [Narrator] Froelich's
blacksmith has an idea.

‐ He gets an old
school shotgun shell.

This is an explosive

and it could be
really dangerous.

(dramatic music)

(metal clings)
(engine revving)

‐ [Travis] And the spark
from the shell exploding

ignites the combustion
and starts the engine.

Sometimes, fortune favors
the bold when it comes

to invention and innovation.

‐ [Narrator] Froelich
has just created

the world's first
gasoline powered tractor.

It's nearly 17 tons lighter

than its steam
powered predecessor

and also features
a reversing clutch,

making it the first tractor
capable of going backwards.

‐ Froelich's gas powered
tractor is a huge leap forward.

You don't have to wait
hours for the water to boil,

it powers up instantly.

And it's light enough

that you can easily
transport it anywhere.

It's really an
incredible machine.

‐ [Narrator] With his
breakthrough creation,

John Froelich now
has the potential

to create a new market

and he quickly goes all in.

With a group of investors,

he forms the Waterloo Gasoline
Traction Engine Company

and makes himself president.

(dramatic music)

Froelich is so confident,

he promises to build 50
tractors, the first year.

(dramatic music)

But in the first month,

he can't even complete one.

(dramatic music)

(metal clings)

‐ [Neil] Froelich
suffers from a lot

of the same issues
as early inventors.

You can't go to
the hardware store

and buy parts for your machine.

They're all fabricated
from scratch.

So when you're
building an engine

that needs to be precise,

building with parts
that are not precise,

it makes it difficult to
replicate your success.

‐ [Narrator] Over the next year,

Froelich builds
just four tractors

and only sells two.

Both are returned.

‐ By 1895, his partners
decided they wanna go

a different direction.

(metal clings)

And Froelich, very
quickly is no longer

in the tractor business.

‐ [Donny] So many startups
do have the great idea,

but the product is
a little deficient.

You need all of the above.

‐ [Narrator] Froelich's
tractor will one day return,

but for now, his
business is collapsing.

(dramatic music)

In California, Benjamin
Holt continues to struggle

with his steam powered tractor

and he's desperate
to find a new way

to stop the 24 ton machine
from sinking into the mud.

‐ Charles, take a look.

What do you think?

‐ [Charles] It's a wheel.

‐ See how a wheel only
touches the ground

on this one point?

A wheel sinks into the mud

for the same reason you do.

All that considerable
weight pushes down

on just a few spots.

But if I attach
these slats together,

that weight spreads
over a much bigger area,

kind of like a snowshoe.

And I think it should stay up.

‐ [Narrator] Other
inventors have experimented

with using belts or steel tracks

to keep heavy
machinery from sinking,

but none have been successful.

Holt believes wooden
tracks are the key.

If he's wrong, the Holt
brothers massive investment

will be for nothing.

‐ [David] Inventors and
entrepreneurs too

share something and that's
a kind of obsession

with achieving their vision.

Sometimes, it can
border on the fanatic.

You wonder why they won't
let go of this idea,

but they keep on pushing
even though they hit wall

after wall, after wall.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] Finally,
on Thanksgiving, 1904,

Benjamin Holt is ready to
unveil his new creation.

He invites a
photographer to capture

what he hopes will be
an historic moment.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Benjamin] It'll be here.

‐ What in the name of God?

(camera shutters)

(photographer laughs)

It crawls just
like a caterpillar.

‐ Caterpillar it is.

That's the name for it.

(dramatic music)
(tractor engine revving)

‐ [Narrator] It's a name
that will stick

as will Holt's
innovative tracks,

inspiring the design of
tractors and heavy machinery

for the next century.

‐ It's amazing that
the track type system

that you see on construction
equipments, oil rigs,

a variety of equipment, today,

is still almost exactly the
same as it was, 130 years ago.

It completely revolutionized
mobility in those industries.

‐ [Narrator] Holt
quickly sells a hundred

of his tract crawlers
for $5,500 each,

nearly 165,000 today.

(dramatic music)

For now, the future of farming
belongs to Benjamin Holt,

but that's about to change.

(dramatic music fading)

‐ [Narrator] At the start
of the 20th century,

there are just 140,000
cars on the road.

(dramatic music)

For the last four years,

Henry Ford has
focused on developing

gas powered automobiles,

and they're finally taking off.

He's found success with
his model A, F, K, and N.

He's just earned his first
$1 million in profit,

but he's never forgotten
the drudgery of farm life.

(dramatic music)

‐ Not long after Henry Ford
begins work on his automobile,

he starts to move into tractors.

It's something that he sort of
has a heartfelt passion for.

‐ Some of the best
businesses come from wanting

to find a solution to
something that you feel

or that has happened to you,

or somebody that you love.

I think sometimes we think

that we have to be experts
to build something,

but I think that you
just need passion.

‐ [Narrator] Ford knows
that Benjamin Holt caters

to the large commercial farmer.

So he sets out to conquer an
even more lucrative market;

small family farms like
the one he grew up on.

If he can create an affordable,

ultra‐lightweight
gasoline powered tractor,

he'll make a fortune.

(knocking)

‐ Have a seat.

‐ [Narrator] He calls his
machine, the automobile plow,

and assigns its creation

to one of his best engineers.

‐ [Henry] Is the
Model T on schedule

to start production next year?

‐ Yes, sir.

‐ Good,

because there's something else
I want you to work on

that's just as important to me.

I want it light,
I want it strong,

and I want it
simple, understand?

‐ Yes, sir.
‐ Good.

The Model T is about to
finally drive the horse

from our streets

and I want the automobile plow

to do the same for the farm.

‐ [Neil] Having a lightweight
tractor was something

that Henry Ford
wanted to accomplish

from the very beginning.

Growing up on the farm,

everyone works on the
farm; men, women, children.

So, lightweight,
something that was easy

to steer and operate
was important.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] Ford knows
he can keep costs down

if he uses parts
from his automobiles.

So he borrows the engine
from his Ford Model B

and the radiator and
axle from the Model K.

‐ Henry Ford was like
a once in a lifetime,

unicorn entrepreneur who's
excited about new problems,

excited about fixing,

you know, new things.

And it didn't, his doubt

never stopped him.

He believed in his destiny.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] A few
months later in 1907,

Henry Ford tests his first
automobile plow prototype.

At 1500 pounds,

the revolutionary
tractor is far lighter

than any competing model.
(tractor engine revving)

And it immediately fails.

‐ You want a
tractor to be light,

but not too light.

(paper rustling)

Ford's tractor was so light
that it would overheat

and it would tip over.

‐ [Travis] Finding the
perfect balance on how heavy

or how light the tractor
needs to be is hard to do

'cause you want it
to be heavy enough

to pull the plow,

but not so heavy

that it gets stuck in every
little bit of loose dirt or mud

that a farmer is
going to encounter.

‐ [Narrator] When his
first tractor fails,

Ford's investors pressure him

to get out of the business,

but he refuses to give up

and instead starts a side
company called Fordson

to stay in the fight.

‐ Great innovators
never give up.

They may fail, but
they don't give up.

You just have to
have this resilience

to just keep getting
up and getting up,

and getting up.

And the great ones have that

and that's part of
that pioneering DNA.

‐ [Narrator] Over
the next few years,

Holt sells over 2000 tractors.

And while Ford's Model T
is a resounding success,

his tractor business is
mired in development hell.

Then in 1914,

a conflict overseas shakes
up American industry.

(dramatic music)

‐ First thing you need
to know about World War I

in the United States

is that it was
really profitable.

When you have sides fighting

with massive armies bigger than
ever been organized before,

we sell tremendous amounts

to the European
allies, especially,

and we'd make a great
deal of profit from that.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] In California,
Benjamin Holt sees opportunity.

With sales of his giant
steam tractor slowing down,

he creates a compact
gasoline powered tractor,

aimed at the war effort.

Thanks to their
signature tracks,

his powerful machines are able

to easily navigate the
battlefield trenches

and the allies take notice.

‐ All right, boys,

we just got a telegram from
the war office in England

and they want 1000
Caterpillars to start.

(workers cheer)

‐ Britain was the first
military superpower

to use the Holt Caterpillars.

They quickly realized that
these track type tractors

can carry a lot of weight

and still maneuver well in mud

and all types of terrain.

For Holt, it was a
boom for business.

‐ [Narrator] It's not long
before Holt's machines,

originally conceived for
revolutionizing farming,

revolutionized warfare as well.

‐ The countries
that went to war,

they tend to accelerate
the innovation process

because whoever has
the better weapon,

the better transport technology,

they have a big edge.

War as a crucible
of innovation.

‐ [Narrator] These
custom Caterpillars known

as land battleships will
become the inspiration

for one of the most
influential military vehicles

of all time.

‐ During World War I,

they looked at the
Caterpillar tractor

and they saw the
Caterpillar tractor getting

through the mud,

they looked at the traction,

and all of a sudden they
have this a‐ha moment,

that Eureka moment and go,
"Wait, that would be amazing

"to have something like
that on the battlefield.

"Let's make a tank."

‐ [Peter] The British
military quickly realized,

"Hey, we can actually
cover them with an armor,

"put high powered
guns on top of them,

"and they can be used
as an actual weapon."

‐ [Narrator] While Holt's
business is once again thriving

with sales of 5,000
tractors for use in the war,

he's about to get
blindsided by a rival

with a tractor perfectly
designed for the farm.

(dramatic music)

(upbeat music)

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] In the early
years of World War I,

Ford is well behind Holt.

(dramatic music)

He still hasn't produced
a viable tractor.

But in 1915,

he decides to drum up some
free publicity, anyway.

‐ Get me the "Nebraska
State Journal."

Take this down: a year from now,

every farmer in
America is gonna own

one of my Fordson tractors.

I'll sell 10 million easy.

(indistinct)

Why?

Because it replaces six horses

and costs just $200, that's why.

(indistinct)

Yeah, well, that's what
they said about the Model T.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] Ford is still
working on a prototype,

but begins advertising
a superior tractor

at an affordable price.

‐ So, it's that iconic moment;

entrepreneurs faking
until they make it.

I think this situation
definitely fits the bill.

‐ Promotion is critically
important for any innovator.

If he or she does not have
the passion themselves

and cannot convey that
passion to others,

they're not gonna make it.

And Henry Ford did
that with tractors.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] Ford's
claims wind up reaching

a surprising audience;
the British military.

Unable to regularly import food,

thanks to a German
U‐boat blockade,

the British need a way

to feed their people fast.

‐ The British are suffering
from manpower shortages,

shortages of horses,
and food production.

So they began to look for ways

to increase food production,

and mechanization
is the way to do it.

‐ [Narrator] They turned to Ford

and order 6,000
Fordson tractors.

‐ Now, mind you, Henry
Ford has one tractor

and it's a prototype at that.

And he says, "Yes."

(indistinct)

He's willing to dive in

with a promise to the
British government

that he's going to provide
thousands of tractors

and in the middle of a war.

And yet he doesn't have any
way to provide them, yet.

‐ [Chieh] Thinking about
him just selling tractors

to a government entity when
he didn't even have anything,

it's like just mind blowing.

It's like, man, not
the business route

I would recommend to folks.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] Ford and his
engineer quickly go back

to the drawing board.

The new model is 2,500 pounds

and has a four cylinder,
20 horsepower engine.

It's about a third as powerful
as Holt's Caterpillar,

but it's one tenth as heavy;
perfect for small farmers.

For easier production,

Ford completely
rethinks the design.

Unlike Holt's tractor,

the Fordson won't have a frame.

Instead, the rear axle, engine,

and transmission
are bolted together

to form the tractor's body.

It's a revolutionary concept.

‐ This is typical of Henry Ford.

A simple design; is
easy to assemble,

and easy to mass produce.

(upbeat music)

‐ [Narrator] On
October 8th, 1917,

four months after
getting the order,

the first Fordson tractor
rolls off the line.

All 6,000 miraculously
make it to England.

‐ Things just really don't
always work that way,

but they worked that
way for Henry Ford.

It's amazing that he
could pull it off.

‐ [David] It was possible

that Henry Ford in
providing the British

with these thousands
of tractors,

didn't just make a huge
profit for himself,

but in the longer
scope of history,

he may have staved
off starvation

for millions of people

and perhaps even allowed the
British to defeat the Germans.

‐ [Narrator] Next,
Ford turns to America.

‐ Congratulations, not
only did we sell 6,000

of your tractors to the British,

well, we've sold several
thousand more here

and in Canada.

Now, take a look at this.

‐ A new factory?

‐ That's right, we're
finally gonna build it.

‐ [Narrator] By 1918, Ford
outperforms all his competitors,

selling a stunning
34,000 tractors

to small family farmers.

Though he doesn't know it,

there's a new challenger
determined to stop him.

(dramatic music fading)

(upbeat music)

‐ [Narrator] After
years of struggle,

two companies lead
the tractor market:

Holt's Caterpillar and
Henry Ford's Fordson.

But a new player is
about to enter the game;

one of the biggest names
in farming equipment.

In 1918, they're already
worth over $33 million

or more than half
a billion today.

‐ [Neil] They're building
everything from plows

to manure spreaders,
farm wagons,

grain binders, corn shellers,

pretty much everything
you can find on the farm,

except for the tractor.

They just didn't think
there was enough of a market

to make the business profitable.

‐ [Narrator] The company's
name is John Deere.

(dramatic music)

But with the tractor
market in a frenzy,

John Deere's president,
William Butterworth,

is finally ready to
challenge Holt and Ford.

‐ Now, Frank, come over here.

I want you to watch me write
a check for $2.5 million.

‐ We're buying it?

‐ It better be worth it.

(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] Rather than
build their own tractor,

John Deere spends nearly 38
million in today's dollars

to acquire a company
with a familiar name,

John Froelich's former
Waterloo Gas Engine Company

which has recently started
building tractors again.

‐ The acquisition pays off
very quickly for Deere.

Waterloo sells just under
6,000 tractors in 1918.

(tractor engine revving)
(dramatic music)

‐ [Narrator] Today, Deere
sells over $30 billion worth

of farm equipment and
supplies every year.

It's the top selling tractor
brand in the United States

and supplies nearly 20%
of the world's tractors.

But Froelich, the man who built

the first gas powered tractor,

sees none of that wealth;

dying penniless in 1933.

Benjamin Holt also
falls on hard times.

‐ After the war, Holt
manufacturing was challenged

because most of their
contracts were government

or military related,

and so their sales were
essentially cut in half.

‐ If you built an
entire business

that's focused on only
one or a few customers,

then if those customers go away,

you're gonna be in some
deep, deep trouble.

‐ [Narrator] Holt's
Caterpillar, a vital machine

during the war,

finds few buyers back
on American farms.

‐ I'm sorry, I just can't
afford to keep you on right now.

‐ [Narrator] In 1920, Holt dies
after a month long illness.

To save the company,

the new president
agrees to a merger

with rival, C. L.
Best Tractor Company.

Now known as the
Caterpillar tractor company,

Holt's business goes
from the brink of ruin

to the largest manufacturer
of construction equipment

in the world,

with revenue nearly 50%
more than John Deere.

‐ Caterpillar was
involved in everything

from the Panama Canal to
the Golden Gate Bridge,

to really the major
interstate system.

Caterpillar literally
paved the way

for the world to be built
as we know it today.

‐ [Narrator] But at the time,

the biggest force in tractors
is still Henry Ford.

‐ Within a few years,
he has 75% market share.

The industry goes
from building

40 and 50,000 tractors a year.

By 1920, they're producing
more than 120,000 a year.

‐ [Narrator] Then in 1928,

after selling nearly
650,000 tractors,

Ford shocks the market

by abruptly ceasing
U. S. production

and focusing entirely
on the automobile.

‐ [Donny] Ford makes a killing
in the tractor business,

and then all of a sudden says,
"No, I'm just gonna go back

"and focus on cars."

He realized that the bigger
growth still came back

to his core competency;

that if you really think about

what Ford is synonymous
with, its automobiles.

(upbeat music)

‐ [Narrator] But not before
lending a hand in one

of the world's
greatest inventions.

‐ No one person can take
credit for the tractor.

It was many different
people tinkering around

to make the tractor become

what we know it is today.

And oh, how it changed America.

It changed America forever.

(upbeat music)

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