In 1940 they changed the name to Leader Tractor Company and began producing a full size farm tractor but the engine remained the same as the previous version. 1944 saw the introduction of a row crop tractor with a six cylinder chrysler motor that they called the Model A. The Model B followed in 1945 when the power plant changed to a Hercules flathead four cylinder motor. The Model D was introduced in 1947 as a replacement for the Model B. It was at this time that “Made in Chagrin Falls, Ohio” began appearing on the tractor’s hood. According to some sources the move was made to make it easier for potential customers to contact the company by mail because Chagrin Falls, unlike Auburn, had a Post Office.
The Model D was built from 1947 until 1949 and proved to be the best selling tractor that Leader ever produced. The Hercules 4 cylinder gasoline engine displaced 133 cubic inches to produce 31 hp. The company claimed a 2 plow rating. Three forward speeds plus reverse were provided. A rear mounted pto turned at 540 rpm to power attachments. The D weighed in at 2500 pounds distributed over a 70 inch wheelbase. Apparently, demand outpaced production.
It was at this point that the Brockways made a fatal mistake for the future of Leader Tractors. The tractors had always been distributed through a chain of Ohio car dealerships owned by the Schott Brothers who offered to loan the Brockways funds to expand the factory’s production capacity. Ignoring the cardinal rule of dealing with car salesmen they failed to read every word of the contract they were signing. Hidden deep within the fine print was a payable on demand clause. In 1949 the Schotts called in the loan which the Brockways were unable to pay and were forced to forfeit their interest in the company. The Schotts then closed the factory and liquidated the assets. Or so the story goes. It seems to me, there must be more to this than we are being told. Why would the Schotts close down a supposedly successful venture?
The Brockways were not deterred by this setback and were soon back in the tractor business building a tractor they called the Brockway in a factory in Bedford, Ohio. The new tractors were in production the same year as the Leader operation was being closed down. The Brockway was manufactured until 1959 with an undetermined number being sold. Most of the sources I found online cite production of all the models being very limited, numbering in the hundreds at most, yet a member of the Brockway family has claimed that tractors were shipped by the thousands.
If anyone could answer that question it should be the members of the Leader Tractor Club but there was a problem, the website has a Mugbook address. I have always disliked everything about Mugbook, from the ostentatiously adolescent “cool” CEO to that sophomoric “Like Us” stuff. When I see that address I keep looking for another source. This time however I decided to vent, so I clicked the link, just so I could speak from recent experience. Instead of landing on their homepage you’re confronted with a pop up telling you to sign in or create an account. Not likely, I already have enough spyware, thank you. Goodby Mugbook. Not to disparage the members of the Leader Tractor Club but your website gets a big thumbs down. If you are going to spend the time and energy to create a web presence, why use a third rate platform? There are many better content management systems available. As Elon Musk said when he took his page down, “ It looked lame, anyway.” So true! Bottom line, I didn’t find the answer to the question.
The 1947 Leader Model D shown here was on display at the Steam Expo. at Cumming, Ga. in 2016. The owner, Mickey Skohow was offering it for sale for $2850 at the time.
Sources:
www.farmanddairy.com Leader tractors put Auburn, Ohio on the map, by Sam Moore, March 15, 2012
https://en.wikipedia.org
www.tractordata.com
Soy de Uruguay y recien encontre enterrado entre los pastos un modelo D ¿Es posible encontrar partes de motor y trasmision para reconstruirlo?
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