The Little-Known Genius Behind Parrett Tractor Company

Engineers rarely receive recognition for their contributions to the advancement of agricultural machinery, on the whole, and tractors, in particular. Yet, their efforts contributed directly to the U.S. becoming the breadbasket of the world.

Among the pantheon of engineering greats stands an extraordinary talent whose influence on early tractor development is legendary.

Little-Known Genius

Yet few collectors would be able to recognize Dent Parrett if asked about him. But, the advances he introduced had a huge influence on tractor design for four decades starting in the early 1920s. Parrett, who had but one year of college education, would earn enough patents to wallpaper a room.

His designs gave birth to tractors sold across the globe under such names as Massey-Harris, Sears, Roebuck and Co., Graham Bradley, Custom, and Co-Op. His innovations would be widely copied in the industry.

At the age of 27, Parrett would build what was then the largest factory devoted to tractor manufacturing in the world.

Young Entrepreneur

Parrett’s incredible story begins in 1913 when, at 27, he founded the Parrett Tractor Company of Ottawa, Illinois. A year earlier, Parrett built his first tractor, the Parrett All Purpose, which would later be renamed the model E 12-25.

This lithe machine stood out among the hulking behemoths of the time. The Parrett was one half the size of most tractors, yet it matched them in power. In addition to offering superior ground clearance, the tractor was highly maneuverable, due to a Parrett-designed and patented automotive-type steering system (a first in tractor design) whose basic approach is still in use on tractors today.

The 12-25 was a hit with farmers looking to replace horses or massive steam-traction engines with a reasonably priced (originally set at $1,075) tractor.

The Parrett Tractor

Parrett, who proved to be as innovative a marketer as he was an engineer, promoted the 12-25 as the “One Man” tractor that could serve all the power needs of a farm. Parrett recommended the tractor be utilized for row-crop work like cultivating – a concept unheard of at the time.

Success with the 12-25 prompted Parrett to move his operation to Chicago in 1915, where he set about erecting the factory mentioned previously.

That same year, Parrett Tractor Company introduced the model 15-30, which, true to Parrett fashion, was replete with a host of advances, including an enclosed final drive (another tractor first), 11-foot turning radius (unrivaled at the time), a belt pulley that was driven directly off the transmission (another rarity), and a force-fed engine lubrication system (a feature little used at the time).

It was around this time that Parrett innovated a water filter cleaner to remove dust from engine intake air. This basic design would later become standard equipment on all tractors and combines.

Designed the First Massey

Touted as “America’s Greatest Tractor,” the 15-30 caught the eye of industry giant Massey- Harris. In 1918, Massey struck a deal with Parrett to license the 12-25 and 15-30’s designs for building Massey-labeled tractors.

The results? Massey-Harris models #1, #2, and #3 (that firm’s initial foray into tractors) were sold in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.

In the Military

In 1918, Parrett accepted a commission as a captain for the army to oversee engineering production of engines and artillery tractors built by Holt Manufacturing. His involvement with Holt undoubtedly had an influence on Holt’s future Caterpillar crawlers.

In his absence, however, Parrett Tractor was mismanaged, which, combined with a downturn in the economy that soured the tractor market, led Parrett to sell off his firm. In 1919, he served as a consulting engineer and was eventually hired by Massey-Harris, where Parrett was put in charge of creating the experimental tractors that led to the launch of that firm’s first original Massey machines.

Parrett departed from Massey in 1923, returning to private consulting and engineering. That same year, he developed a motor cultivator, which was later produced by Continental Cultor. It was during this time that Parrett became a close friend of another tractor pioneer, Henry Ford.

Parrett’s experimentation with tractors led him to set up shop in Michigan. It was during this time that Parrett innovated one of his hallmark designs, an all-purpose tractor that could be used to not only power a thresher and pull a plow but also to cultivate row crops and transport produce to the market.

Best All-Purpose Tractor

Parrett was in good company in that regard. Similar design plans were being hatched across Lake Michigan in Chicago, where a team of International Harvester engineers were fashioning the Farmall Regular.

IHC unveiled the Regular in 1925, earning recognition by introducing the first all-purpose tractor in history. Parrett may have been beat out, but he was not beat down. He introduced his design, the Parrett model 6, in 1928.

Built by Parrett Tractors (a division of Ross Carrier Corp. in Benton Harbor, Michigan), the model 6 was superior to the Farmall Regular in every way. For starters, it offered nearly twice the drawbar horsepower as the Regular. Plus, it was equipped with full electric features (starter and lights), an oil bath-type air cleaner (another first in the industry), and a high-speed transmission, offering a blazing top road run of 20 mph.

The advance that marked the model 6 as a trailblazer was its use of pneumatic tires. That tractor design would be licensed to Sears, Roebuck and Co., who sold it as the Bradley model 6 until 1931.

The Co-Op Tractor

While Parrett was working for Ross Carrier, he also served as engineer for Duplex Machinery Company of Battle Creek, Michigan. It was in that second role that he fashioned the design for the Co-op No. 1, 2, and 3 tractors sold by a consortium of farmer cooperatives in the Midwest.

During the late 1930s, Parrett was designing for Auto Specialties Manufacturing of St. Joseph, Michigan, where he adapted disc brakes in use on cars for tractors. His double-disc brake design soon became an industry standard.

Live PTO Innovator

In 1946, Parrett would innovate a high- capacity clutch that allowed for the creation of the independent live PTO. That design quickly became standard equipment in all tractors. In time, Parrett’s skills were put to use designing the Graham- Bradley, Custom, and Kaywood tractors.