In episode 6 of the Tractor Factor we take a look at the David Brown, crop master with traction control and Conquip three-point linkage implement's. Founded in 1860 as a pattern manufacturing company, by 1873 David Brown had focused on gear systems, and by 1898 was specialising in machine cut gears. The company moved in 1902 to Park Works at Huddersfield, where the firm is based today. They first ventured into tractor production in a joint project with Harry Ferguson in 1936 building the Ferguson-Brown tractor. David Brown became one of the biggest British tractor manufactures in the post war period, with a major manufacturing plant at Meltham, West Yorkshire England. The company broke new ground which others were only to follow later, but being a pioneering company ultimately lead to their downfall. The Ferguson-Brown had a lot of innovative features, including the use of cast alloy for a lot of the components, which was light but could be prone to damage. The Ferguson-Brown used a Coventry Climax engine for the first 350 tractors. Browns developed their own engine which was fitted to subsequent production. Total production was 1350 + 1 built from parts in 1940 after production finished. Brown and Ferguson disagreed over tractor design details in the late 30s, which led David Brown to design his own version. The VAK1, in secret, which was launched at the 1939 Royal Show.[4] Ferguson split away from Brown and joined up with Henry Ford in 1938, after a 'handshake' agreement, to allow his 'Ferguson System' three-point linkage to be used on the Fordson N tractors. That agreement was eventually terminated by Ford's Grandson in 1947 and Ferguson again split away to form Ferguson Tractors in 1948. During the Second World War Brown's new heavier tractor, the VAK1, was produced, with over 7,700 units eventually sold, making Brown a wealthy man. Brown also built aircraft tugs (VIG) for the Royal Air Force and for pulling the bomb trolleys for aircraft re-arming. These tugs are distinctive, with truck like tyres, wrap round bodywork and HD bumpers front and rear, some being fitted with winches. In 1942 Brown started building a tracklayer version, the DB4. The DB4 was built for the Army engineers and solved some of the problems found with the VTK, and got round an embargo on imported machines for military use. It was powered by a 38 h.p. Dorman diesel and a five speed gearbox. The DB4 was replaced in 1950 by the Trackmaster 30. The Oliver Company was formed in 1929 after the merger of the Oliver Plow Company, the Hart-Parr Company, Nichols & Shepard Company and the American Seeding Machine Company. It was later to be known as the Oliver Corporation. Production of the Hart-Parr tractor range continued on. "Oliver Hart-Parr" tractors became available sometime in1930. The "Row Crop" was Oliver's first general purpose tractor. Later in 1930, Oliver introduced two more standard tractors, the Model 18-28 and the Model 28-44.Put early pics hereThe 18-28 and the Row Crop remained in production until 1937 when the 28-44 was transformed into the Model 90 tractor which remained in production until 1952 1935 saw the Model 70 and in 1937 the Model 80[a larger version of the Model 70] was introduced. Oliver's first diesel tractor was powered with a Buda-Lanova diesel engine; an option for the Model 80. In 1940, the Model 60, [a smaller version of the Model 70] became available. Production of the 70 and 80 series tractors ceased in 1948; they were replaced in the same year by the Oliver 77 and 88. The 60 was replaced by the 66 in 1949. The 66, 77 and 88 were no longer made by the end of 1952, production of row-crop versions ended in 1954.