The last David Brown tractors

The new tractors incorporated the company’s ‘Selectamatic’ hydraulic system, which allowed the operator to select depth, height or traction control at the flick of a switch.

David Brown specialised in manufacturing gears long before they started building tractors, and the company soon developed a synchromesh gearbox. This provided 12 forward and four reverse speeds, and was fitted to the David Brown tractor range introduced in 1971. The new line-up consisted of the 885, 990, 995, 996, 1210 and 1212 models.

A significant milestone in the company’s history was the development of an automatic gearbox to rival the ‘Multi-Power’ and ‘Select-o-Speed’ units of the manufacturer’s Massey Ferguson and Ford rivals.

David Brown’s semi-automatic transmission was known as ‘Hydrashift,’ and it provided four clutch-less changes in each of the three forward and reverse gears available. The David Brown 1212 was the first model fitted with ‘Hydrashift,’ and the transmission won the Queen’s ‘Award to Industry for Technological Achievement’ in 1974.

In 1976, all new tractors sold in Britain had to be fitted with a cab with an internal sound rating of less than 90 dB(A). David Brown responded by introducing the Q-cab with sound insulation and a flat floor.

David Brown’s ‘90-Series’ range was unveiled in 1979. The new tractors were a stark contrast to their predecessors in appearance with their modern styling and curved Sekura cabs, a design that was to see the company though to the end of production.

The two-wheel drive David Brown 1190 was the entry-level model and it was powered by a 48hp three-cylinder diesel engine.

A 12-speed synchromesh gearbox was fitted as standard, as was a two-speed pto, hydrostatic steering and hydraulically operated brakes. The tractor had 6 X 16” front and 12.4/11-28” rear wheels. Optional extras included a pick-up hitch, cigar lighter, radio and front weights.

The four-cylinder models of the range consisted of the 58hp 1290, 67 hp 1390 and the 83hp 1490, each available with a choice of two or four-wheel drive.

FLAGSHIP MODEL

The flagship model was the 1690, the first David Brown fitted with a six-cylinder engine since the 50D launched in 1953. The David Brown 1690 had a power output of 103hp, and was also available in two or four-wheel drive configurations.

David Brown’s ‘Hydrashift’ transmission was not fitted to the company’s four-wheel drive tractors until the launch of the ‘94 Series’ tractors in 1983.

The new tractor range included the 1194 (48hp), 1294 (61hp), 1394 (72hp), 1494 (83hp), 1594 (95hp) and 1694 (108hp). The 1594 was powered by a down-rated version of the turbocharged six-cylinder engine fitted to the 1694.

Although the tractors’ styling remained relatively unchanged, there were a number of visual differences between the ‘94 Series’ tractors and their predecessors, not least of which was their new red, black and silver livery.

By that stage, the Tennaco (Case) Company that acquired David Brown in 1973 had purchased International Harvester, and the David Brown name was removed from the new tractors’ bonnet decals, replaced by ‘Case International.’

The interior colour of the tractors’ cabs was also changed from black to grey with the launch of the ‘94 Series’ models.

The last David Brown tractors manufactured at the Meltham Mills plant, before production was moved to the International Harvester factory at Doncaster, were badged as ‘Commemorative Edition’ models. This marked the 50th anniversary of David Brown tractor production.

The final David Brown tractor, a US specification two-wheel drive 1594, rolled off the production line on 11 March 1988 and can be seen on display in the David Brown Tractor Club Museum in England.

*robertkierans@hotmail.com