... like this 1921 Rumely OilPull tractor, basically a farm tractor. Developed in 1909, the first OilPulls were sold to the public in 1910 and continued in production until 1930. By that time the Advance-Rumely Company was in dire financial straits, looking for a buyer. Allis-Chalmers came to the rescue, taking over the company. Allis-Chalmers, however, had its own line of internal combustion engine tractors so the Rumely-branded tractors were discontinued.
Rumely made models from Model B to Model Z, as well as the All-purpose, Do-All and Model 6A. This one seems to be no longer branded, tough we suspect it to be a Model B or a Model G. According to
Tractor Data it has to be a Model G.
With an 8 inch bore by 10 inch stroke, the 2 cylinder engine was 1005.3 ci [16.5 L] in capacity, producing 46.19 belt hp at a leisurely 450 RPM. The 12,880 pound tractor had a two speed transmission, neither of which got you anywhere in a hurry, top speed in high gear being 3.2 MPH or 5.1 KPH. As the sign on every one produced stated, they were "
guaranteed to burn successfully all grades of kerosene under all conditions".
RUMELY TRACTOR
Oily
This fully restored and functional 1921 Rumely Oil Pull Tractor was donated to the Museum by the Rustad family of Prince George. It was used in the Mandalay Ranch area north of the city and rebuilt in 1993-94.
The Rumely is a rare and special tractor and was an extremely powerful machine. With a pull rating of 25 horsepower and a brake rating of 40 horsepower it was more powerful than most others of its time. The tractor gets its name from its cooling system, which is oil filled. The oil is circulated through the engine with a pump and cooled in the large box-shaped radiator on the front.
This unit is sometimes fired up for visitors during special events at the Museum.
Advance-Rumely
The Advance-Rumely Company of La Porte, Indiana, USA was organized in 1915 as a producer of many types of agricultural machinery, most notably threshing machines and large tractors. Advance-Rumely was purchased by Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company in 1931, and the company's main works would become what was later known as the "La Porte plant".
Thanks to various mergers and acquisitions, the company's origins stretched as far back as 1836. However, the origin of the two components of the corporate name - Advance Thresher Company and M. Rumely Company - were somewhat newer, though still long-lived in the agricultural equipment industry.
Meinrad Rumely emigrated from Germany in 1848, joining his brother John in the operation of a foundry in La Porte, Indiana. This basic operation gradually expanded by 1859 into the production of corn shellers and complete threshing machines powered by horses. Following success in this new field, Meinrad then bought out his brother's portion of the business and incorporated it as the M. Rumely Company by 1887. Starting in 1895, the line expanded to include steam-powered traction engines. Meinrad himself died in 1904, but his sons continued to manage the business. Rumely's most famous product, the kerosene-powered
Rumely OilPull tractor line, was first developed in 1909 and began selling to the public by 1910. The first model being nicknamed
Kerosene Annie.
Rumely OilPull
The 1st Rumely "OilPull" tractor was tested in 1909 and the machine became known as Kerosene Annie due to its ability to burn this fuel. The tractor survives to the present day in the Wisconsin State Agricultural Museum at the Stonefield Historic Site, Cassville, WI. Tractor production began in properly in 1910 and "Kerosene Annie" became the Rumely Model B 25-45 tractor. The engine featured a special carburettor designed by John Secor and W.H. Higgings that injected water to help control the combustion process. The Model B featured a two cylinder horizontal engine design, with the characteristic cooling tower using oil (not water as other makes do), the engine being a 9.5 inch bore by 12 inch stroke.
The year 1911 saw two new "heavyweight" models appear:
• The twin-cylinder Model E 30-60
• the smaller single-cylinder Model F 15-30 (later re-rated as an 18-35).
Towards the end of the decade, these were joined by the smaller Models G, H and K, which were similar but scaled-down versions of the Model E and used a heavy steel girder frame design like the Model E. About 1919, Rumely added a motor plough design to its product range - known as the "All Purpose", this was somewhat less successful than the Rumely conventional tractors range.
The 1920s saw the channel frame replaced by a pressed steel chassis to reduce weight in a completely redesigned range of Rumely tractors. These "lightweight" Rumelys ranged in size from the little Model L 15-25 to the rather larger Model S 30-60. These models were updated slightly and given new model letter designations over the next few years.
From the Tractor Wiki