Rumely 25-45 Type R

The early 1920’s saw a shift in the tractor market, away from the big heavy models to smaller, lighter and most importantly, more economical versions. Rumely had offered lightweights since 1916, but 1924 saw the introduction of four new lightweight models, the L at 15-25 hp , the Type M at 20-35 hp , the Type R at 25-45 hp and the Type S at 30-60 hp.  These models would remain in production into 1927.

In this post we’ll take a look at the Type R, like this example that the Shealy Family brought to the Richland Creek Antique Fall Festival at Saluda, South Carolina in Nov. 2016.

Kerosene was the preferred tractor fuel in the early years of the twentieth century because it was cheaper and more commonly available than refined gasoline but it had its drawbacks. A higher operating temperature was needed to properly vaporize the kerosene but the higher temperature created cooling problems as well. The boiling point of water was too low to be a suitable coolant for a kerosene burning tractor as many a Fordson owner could attest. Rumely solved the problem by using oil as a cooling medium since it boils at 400 degrees F. Think maybe that’s where the name “Oil Pull” came from? 

Rumely shipped a Type R to the University of Nebraska in 1925 where it was evaluated from July 7 to July 14 in test number 116. The following observations were recorded. Brake horsepower for the rated load test was listed as 45.55, drawbar rated at 27.42 hp. Advertised speeds were: low, 2 mph, second, 2 ½ mph, high, 3 mph. Total weight as tested, with operator, 11,900 pounds. 

The R was powered by a Rumely built 2 cylinder, horizontal, valve in head engine with a bore of 7 13/16 inches and a stroke of 9 ½ “. Engine speed was listed at 540 rpm.  The engine speed was controlled by a Rumely built flyball governor. Rumely advertisements claimed it could pull 5 or 6 14” plows or a 10 foot road grader. It came from the factory equipped with a price tag that read, $3200. 

Sources:

Encyclopedia of American Farm Tractors  by C.H. Wendel

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu 

1928 Model X Rumely

Last November, as events at the Steam Expo drew to a close, the traction engines began to return to their shed on a back lot of the Cumming, Ga. Fairgrounds so I followed them. I spent the next hour or so inspecting and photographing the amazing collection of steam engines that’s assembled there. In the very last berth I found this nicely restored 1928 Rumely Model X. I was intrigued, not just because it’s a nice Oil Pull , but because all the others I’ve seen have been painted in the usual faded Rumely green.

In response to inquiries I made, John Walls, the tractors owner replied that he had purchased the Rumely from a man who lived in Indiana, not far from the site of the Rumely factory in Laporte. “The blue is correct but the red wheels are not, they should be blue as well. The early Rumelys were green but around 1927 or 28 the color changed to blue. Legend has it that Rumely got a better deal on some blue paint and decided to to change the color of their tractors.”

Well, maybe. While doing some research for this post I found that there was more than one version of the story as is so often the case. It seems that It’s generally agreed that 1928 saw a change in color. What that color was depends on who you ask. In his Encyclopedia of American Farm Tractors, C. H. Wendel  writes; “ In this last series Rumely changed to a steel gray enamel after using the dark green paint for years. A former Rumely employee relates that the management simply liked the new gray  color and adopted it as standard.”

Browse some photos of the Model X on line and you will find an array of colors from green to gray to powder blue. Probably the only way to get a definitive answer would be to have access to factory records or maybe analyze the paint from a tractor that was known to be factory original. If you look closely at this photo you can make out what appears to  be a layer of green  and one of gray as well as the blue.  

Rumely established it’s reputation as a manufacturer of big heavy and expensive tractors during the period when the open plains were being developed for agriculture. By the 1920’s farmers were looking for smaller, lighter and more affordable equipment to maintain their farms.  In 1924 Rumely obliged with a new line of lightweight Oil Pulls , the smallest being the Model L, rated at 15 - 25. In 1928 they modified their line of tractors again, primarily by increasing engine speed  to gain a boost in horsepower. The Model L got bumped up by 95 rpm and became the W 20 - 30. The Type M got revved up and became the Type X  25 - 40. It is entirely possible that Rumely management decided to change the color as a way to emphasize the difference that the 1928 lineup offered.

The X model was in production from 1928 to 1930 with only 2400 units built. It was powered by a horizontal two cylinder engine that displaced 604 cubic inches. Three forward speeds were available at 2.3, 2.9 and 3.5 miles per hour.

The lightweight series that included the X tractors proved to be among the last that Rumely produced.  1928 also saw a radical redesign of their product with the introduction of the Rumely Do All  that followed the row crop trend. It was followed in 1930 by the Model 6 A. By this time however Rumely was in serious financial difficulty and it was acquired by Allis-Chalmers in 1931.

So here we are at the end of the post with no definitive answer about the color of the Rumely X.  As always, reader comments are welcome.  Bottom line; It’s a good looking Oil Pull and it’s John’s tractor so he can paint it any color he likes. Even pink if he wanted to. What ???? Did I really say that? Perish the thought!

Sources:

Information provided by John Walls

Encyclopedia of American Farm Tractors by C.H. Wendel

www.jensales.com

Manitoba Agricultural Museum http://ag-museum.com

Rumely Oil Pull Type M 20-35

Meinrad Rumely was dead, there was no doubt about it. Even the board of directors said so. His grandson, the good Doctor Edward A. Rumely had returned from Germany where he had been studying medicine to head up the company. He had met Rudolf Diesel while he was there and was  impressed by the potential of his engine. On this side of the pond John Secor had also been developing an engine that could burn cheap fuels and in 1908 Dr. Rumely recruited his services. Assisted by the Rumely factory superintendent, William Higgins, he designed the first Oil Pull tractor in 1909. By the end of 1910 more than a hundred had been manufactured.

Early production models like the Type B 25-45 Oil Pull were large, heavy and expensive but they were well received and Rumely sold a lot of them. As it turned out Rumely sold too many of them ( most on credit sales ) and a crop failure in 1914 sent the company into bankruptcy when farmers defaulted on their loans. The company was soon reorganized but without the Rumely family who were left holding a lot of worthless paper. Maybe Ed Rumely should have studied business administration instead of medicine.

In the day of sod busting on the the prairies the big tractors were king, but by the 1920’s the market was shifting toward smaller, lighter and less expensive equipment. Rumely had produced a light tractor as early as 1916 when it introduced the 8-16 All Purpose which was followed in 1919 by a 12-20 Oil Pull. The type M 20-35 Oil Pull ( the subject of this post ) was introduced in 1924 and remained in production until 1927.

Early in 1925 Rumely packed up serial number 79 of the M 20-35 and shipped it off to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln where it was tested between March 29 to April 15 in Tractor Test # 111. You can view and download a complete copy of the test report by visiting http:// digitalcommons.unl.edu/tractormuseumlit/ .

Specifications listed on the report gave the model M a horizontal 2 cylinder valve in head engine with a bore of 6 13/16” and stroke of 8 ¼” . Turning at 640 rpm it produced 35.39 brake hp and 21.13 hp at the drawbar while consuming 3.586 gal. of kerosene per hour. Forward speeds were recorded as 2 mph in first, 2.5 mph in second and 3 mph in third.

Sources: Nebraska Tractor Test # 111 report, Encyclopedia of American Farm Tractors by C. H. Wendel. And special thanks to the members of the Richland Creek Antique Power Association for providing the photo op.