Hello all, I haven't posted in some time, but I enjoy the site. My friend Ralph just saved this Wilford ditching machine from the scrap and hauled it home today. It was apparently built by Henry Ford's brother and has a Fordson tractor for power including the transmission and complete rear end. We are hoping to find some history on this machine. He seems to think that there may be a connection with this machine to the Bay City company. Ralph watched this very machine dig the ditch through his farm when he was 10 years old. (69 years ago). It would be so wrong for it to go for scrap, so Ralph stepped up to the plate and saved it. It is safe and sound here in SW Ontario, Canada.
If anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Darryn.

excellent save, i have email a few people to join us. this thing is complete, most likely came with the key to start it, LOL

thansk
KoO
Published Author

FarmDoc
GuddayM8

Nice find
if it'z gota a patent plate on it
U could thro me sum numbers from said plate n I'll do a search to dig up the why's n how fors

cya
§wishy
HasBeen

Fordsons had their serial #'s stamped in the right side of the engine block towards the front just above the intake/exhaust manifold. If you're lucky it will still be visible. It will give you the year of the tractor power unit. This fordson tractor unit looks like the later version made either in Ireland or England? It looks to have the later style vertical ribs on the radiator top casting, as well as the higher compression cylinder head and the governor/magneto drive on the side of the block, all later design features. It's hard to see, but it looks as if the manifold is the earlier style from the U.S. built Fordsons, maybe 1920-1924 or so. Possibly had an engine transplant at one time? Hard to say unless you can find the age of the rest of the machine.

Thanks so far guys. Toby, I did notice on the fuel tank that it did say England on it. I don't know a darn thing about Fordsons but one of our friends is kind of a local expert. Next weekend I hope to go over it a little closer to see if I can find any kind of serial plate on the rest of the machine.
Thanks,
Darryn:cool:

Good save! Austin Western, Fordson, and a few others made these partial swing tractors.

There is a small country fair in Wyoming Co. here in Meshoppen in NE Pa. & they have a small museum of old tractors & equip. & they have an old Fordson with a grader attachment on it.Pretty neat looking old grader for the time made up out of the Fordson for power.