[AT] Need some helpSilver King

John Boehm rustyacres at yahoo.com
Tue Jan 2 06:23:32 PST 2007


They were available with an optional pto and an
optional belt pulley, but never had hydraulics. The
ones built in the 1930's had a Hercules IXB engine,
while the ones built during the 1940's had a
Continental 4 cyl. engine, but still had basically the
same transmission and final drive as the earlier ones.
The  Fate-Root-Heath Co., which was the parent company
that built the Silver Kings, built most  all of the
rest of the tractor besides the engine, steering box,
magneto, and carb, including the transmission and
final drives.  The story I've heard is that  with the
drop in orders for locomotives during the Great
Depression, the company decided to start building
tractors  in order  to keep from laying off employees.


While most SK's were sold in and around Ohio, a
surprising number were shipped to California. I've had
four of them, including one that I restored with
before and after photos at
http://vintagetractors.com/sk3050.html. Mine is a bit
different since it has front and rear cast wheels that
were made by Santa Ana Iron Works, Santa Ana, CA.
Several foundries iun California specialized in making
new and replacement wheels for all makes of tractors
as farmers in CA wanted rubber tires at an earlier
date and liked the extra weight that cast wheels gave.

John Boehm
Woodland, CA
Visit my web site at http://vintagetractors.com


--- Kevin <ironman1962 at earthlink.net> wrote:

> 
> George  I think they made locomotives  PLW before
> the plymouth - silver king 
> tractors.
> And again since then.
> The Chrysler Industrial supplied the engines, and no
> telling what else for 
> the Rockol, Custom tractors. With no connection
> between Chrysler Corp.
> And the Plymouth, Ohio silver king plant.
> When I was A kid you could buy Silver King tractors
> used well but running 
> for $100 sometimes less.
> They were a very common tractor up around Mansfield,
> Shelby, Norwalk, Tiffin 
> on and on through northen Ohio.
> The best I can recall is the ones I seen had no
> lift. Kinda like F20 F12
> Just a wagon tractor, pull type implements. Did they
> even have hydraulics ?
> 
> Kevin
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "George Willer" <gwill at gwill.net>
> To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 4:35 PM
> Subject: RE: [AT] Need some helpSilver King
> 
> 
> >I referred earlier to my friend's estate where 13
> Silver Kings were sold.
> > Actually, one was a 1934 Plymouth and it was the
> first tractor sold.  It
> > brought $15,000.  The next tractor sold was a 1935
> Silver King that 
> > appeared
> > identical except for the cast name on the grille. 
> It sold for $3,500. 
> > That
> > Plymouth name was worth a LOT!  It was worth a lot
> more when 
> > Fate-Heath-Root
> > (Or whatever their name was) sold the rights to
> the name to the auto
> > company.  They legally owned it but gave it up for
> a fee.  :-)
> >
> > I think it was before they built the tractors that
> they built the Plymouth
> > switch engines.  Powerful little brutes!
> >
> > Custom, Rockol, Wards, and others I forget were
> built by the Custom 
> > company
> > near TMCOTKU at Shelbyville, IN using Chrysler
> engines and drive parts.
> > They weren't a part of Chrysler.
> >
> > Frobl can fill you in on the details and correct
> where I'm wrong.
> >
> > George Willer
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-
> >> bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
> Kevin
> >> Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 3:47 PM
> >> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> >> Subject: Re: [AT] Need some helpSilver King
> >>
> >>
> >> My brother owns the factory at Plymouth, Ohio
> where at one time Silver
> >> King
> >> tractors were built. Since then it has been a
> Locomotive Mfg plant.
> >> The rarest of these tractors are the one that say
> Plymouth they were pre
> >> Silver King. Thic company was not affiliated with
> Plymouth Chrysler Corp.
> >> All though Chrysler Industrial made  some Custom,
> Rockol, and other 
> >> names.
> >> But only for a few years later than Silver King
> quit mfg.
> >> http://www.mosierindustrial.com/index.htm
> >> He does about anything mostly move and ship large
>  machinery, and
> >> Manufacturing, selling const equip, >> > Kevin
> wrote:
> >> >> Lyle  chrysler made some fliud drive tractors
> back in late 40s - early
> >> >> 50s.
> >> >> One name I can think of is Rockol, and I think
> montgomery ward sold
> >> them
> >> >> ?
> >> >> While I belive they made a few of them there
> was an engine option that
> >> >> used chrysler straight 8. These tractors were
> sold under other names
> >> >> also. If you looking for something different
> one of those with the S8
> >> in
> >> >> it would be rare and odd.
> >> >> Kevin
> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lyle
> Myles"
> >> >> <lyle45859 at roadrunner.com>
> >> >> To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> >> >> Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 1:03 AM
> >> >> Subject: [AT] Need some help
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>> Guys
> >> >>> I need some help from the members of the
> list. For years I have 
> >> >>> mostly
> >> >>> restored old Ford tractors and this was only
> done for resale to help
> >> >>> supplement my Social Security. Now that my
> wife has passed away I 
> >> >>> want
> >> >>> to
> >> >>> restore a tractor but this time I want to
> keep it and show it in
> >> parades
> >> >>> and
> >> >>> maybe go on some tractor tours. I have
> hundreds of photos of old
> >> >>> tractors
> >> >>> but this time I want the unusual to restore
> and I have all the time 
> >> >>> in
> >> >>> the
> >> >>> world to make parts if needed and do lots of
> research on the tractor.
> >> >>> Can
> >> >>> any one give me ideas on what they think
> would be an unusual tractor
> >> to
> >> >>> restore. The color does not matter as the
> make of tractor is
> >> unimportant
> >> >>> only the rarity of the tractor. I welcome all
> input that any one can
> >> >>> give me
> >> >>> If you like you can contact me off list at
> lyle45859 at roadrunner.com.
> >> >>> Again
> >> >>> guys thanks for any help you can give me.
> >> >>> Lyle Myles
> 
> 
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