Model 70 Winch Tractor

Product Summary

drawing of Heider 18-35 from Gray’s “Agricultural Tractor”

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Just prior to publishing this website, I happened upon this ad for the Model 70 tractor winch Rock Island advertised for well drilling applications. When I ordered this early 1928 ad, I expected to see nothing really interesting besides the winch apparatus. Instead, the tractor bears an interesting similarity to Grays drawing and has notable differences from other Heider/Rock Island tractors.  I had started a thread on SmokStak to discuss this, but no responses so far HERE.  Since then, I have obtained some information on the Heider Model E 18-35 that allows me to make some speculations.

 

The first issue with this is whether this was a model 70 winch tractor, or was actually the Heider E 18-35 with a model 70 winch. Rock Island did sell the model 70 winch seperate , ads exist of the Heider C with one mounted. In the cas eof this ad though, it appears some additional changes were required to mount the winch. The advertisement lists tractor information, but does not actually name the tractor.  The side panel does say “Rock Island model 70”. Also, the model 70 Is referred to in some parts catalogs as a tractor model. I now suspect this was a catalog error and that the ad is referencing the winch system and not the tractor itself; And probably should have been the” Heider E 18-35 with integrated model 70 winch”. 

 

As mentioned in the Heider 18-35/E section, Henry Heider’s patented late model friction drive tractor from 1922 never made it into large scale production by virtually any account. Thanks to Bud Tierney’s third party parts catalogs though, it now seems likely that enough were produced to warrant inclusion in these catalogs. It appears the Ag version was announced around mid 1923 or 1924 in a Waterloo Mfg catalog.

 

One item a couple of the catalogs agreed on was that the engine was the same as the 18-35 F. Unfortunately, the advertisement and Waterloo ad for the Heider E 18-35 directly contradicts this with mention of a Waukesha (EU) engine.  It is possible both sources may have been correct and both a Buda YR and a Waukesha may have been used, but no Rock Island advertising so far has surfaced with reference to a Buda on a Heider.

 

As a winch tractor, the variable speed friction drive would have been extremely useful and  the  Model E had a two speed gear drive that allowed a high and low setting, likely still with the 7 speeds of earlier Heiders.

 

I am desperately looking for more information on Either model. I have information that an article may have appeared in Texaco’s Lubrication Magazine volume 12 (unknown issue) and another in World Oil volume 47 (unknown issue).  Any help pinning these articles down or any other information would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

See Heider E 18-35

Heider C 12-20

Below: Model 70 Tractor winch ad

Copy write 2011, 2012, 2013 not for republication or sale without express written consent. All images are the property of their respective owners and are not to be reused without their express permission. 

Above: Close up of the tractor and winch. The logo’s are RIPC and the engine curtain says Rock Island Model 70.

Below: earlier Heider winch ads.

Model 70 Winch tractor 1925-1929?

HP 18-35?