Ford Tractors Service, Repair, Workshop Manuals

Ford

Ford entered farm machinery in 1917 under the Fordson name, pioneering mass-produced, affordable tractors that transformed small-farm mechanization in North America and Europe. After 1964 the Fordson badge was dropped and tractors were simply branded Ford. 

Seeking a full-line offering, Ford bought Sperry New Holland in 1985–86 and formed Ford New Holland Inc., pairing Ford tractors with New Holland hay and forage equipment under one organization.

In 1987, Ford New Holland acquired Versatile (Winnipeg), a pioneer of articulated 4WD tractors; during this period many Winnipeg-built machines wore blue Ford or New Holland livery alongside the Versatile name.

Ford exited the sector in 1991, selling a controlling stake in Ford New Holland to Fiat; the unified brand became New Holland, and the Ford tractor name was phased out. In 1999, New Holland merged with Case to create CNH, and—per U.S. antitrust requirements—CNH divested the Winnipeg tractor lines to Buhler Industries in 2000 (with transitional supply to New Holland dealers). 

Bottom line: Ford’s tractor legacy spans Fordson origins, the Ford New Holland era, stewardship of Versatile in the late 1980s, and ultimately the hand-off to New Holland and CNH at the turn of the 21st century.