# What is a B.F. Avery tractor? Anyone hear of these?



## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

I was poking around in cyberspace again and found this. I've never heard of this brand and was wondering if anyone hear had a little history on it?


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

That kind of looks like that Monkey Wards tractor you posted before. Might be the same manufacturer.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Hey Joe it is the same tractor here is the link where gwill tells about it.

http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4363


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## John-in-Ga (Sep 22, 2003)

bontai Joe,

By George, I think jodyand is correct. I did some digging around myself and found these two links. The first one seems to agree with what gwill said in his post about the Montgomery Ward Tractor. Not that I doubt him.

I am passing on the second link to show that there were probably three models of Avery’s. 

The Cletrac General 'GG' and the BF Avery 'A'
A Bit of History 

Tune up for an V, A and R 

:cpu:


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## Deerehunter (May 28, 2004)

One thing to take into consideration is that there were 2 Avery companies. One was plain Avery Co. and the other was B. F. Avery & Sons Co. 

Benjamin Franklin [B. F.] Avery started out about 1825 with a blacksmith shop at Clarksville, Virgina. Though the company started very small, it experienced several major expansions. The firm ended up being absorbed by Minneapolis-Moline Co. in 1951, but the Avery name lasted a bit longer as a product line.

Avery Co. started out as the Avery Planter company in Galesburg, Ill. in 1874 and was formed by Robert H. and Cyrus M. Avery. Building planters, Cultivators, and stalk cutters turned out to be an excellent business. The company experienced growth and the brothers relocated to Peoria, Ill. in 1884. In 1891 the firm began building sream traction engines and threshers which were to be the mainstay of the Avery business for many years. In early 1924, Avery Co. went into bankruptcy. They reorganized as the Avery Power Machinery Company. The company did fairly well until 1931- the darkest days of the Great Depression. They reorganized and once again the company did fairly well, until the intervention of WW 2.


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## gwill (Jan 1, 2004)

I responded in an earlier thread about this tractor. Here's a picture of the MM version that belongs to a friend. It was originally sold at his grandfather's dealership. I expect to see it again at the tractor show at Portland, IN next week.

<img src=http://members.toast.net/gwill/album/Tractors/Shows/Portland%5F2000/Steve_Sewell_BF_02.jpg>


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

A BIG THANKS to all for expanding my education. I had forgotten the Avery was mentioned in the previous post, but now seeing the photos together, I see it is the same tractor. Thanks also for the historical links. I love reading about the whats, wheres, hows and whys of tractor history.


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## Ernie (Mar 18, 2004)

The Massey Harris company also was contracted with the Clevland Tractor Co also and used the name General also.


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