IH Committee Reports

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,610]

I found this on the IH Registry (I do own a CC 104 now). Interesting stuff, it's their report on entering the garden tractor market. It mentions Wheel Horse.

http://ihregistry.com/ref/report/tc31.pdf

Look at this entry:

POTENTIAL TARGET:

The garden tractor market is a highly competitive field. The main competitors in this field are Wheelhorse, Bolens and Slmplicity. Wheelhorse has apparently been the most successful, with an estimated production and sales of approximately 10,000 units in 1958. The lndustrial sales group estimate that the demand for the proposed unlt will amount to between 5,000 and 10,000 units per year.

This report was dated February 4, 1960.

This sort of stuff always interests me. I also read the summary of the field tests - cool. Man, those first tests revealed some things, i.e. engine cutting out when turning left, axle seals leaking, etc. See this report: http://www.ihregistry.com/ref/report/409re.../409report.html

[CasualObserver 3,411]

Yep, good stuff there T-Mo. I haven't looked at those for a while. Never noticed before, but the Wagner Big Giant is also in that first market report. You might notice that the testing report is on unit number 409. Last I knew a very well known collector named Paul Bell has it. I would also guess he's the source of these scanned docs as well.

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,610]

Jason,

Also it looks like IH had considered using Wagner as a source, but IH wasn't impressed with Wagner's offering. So IH developed their own tractor. It's also interesting to note the name proposals and color proposals. The first name selected was Cubette and the color scheme was Harvester Red and Harvester White instead of the final name of Cub Cadet and Federal Yellow and Harvester White. Hmm, Cubette, Cub Urban or Ranch All? Awful, especially if they did go with Cubette. :thumbs:

[wh500special 2,277]

This is GREAT STUFF!

Couple comments:

1. Seems like I recall hearing/reading somewhere that IH approached WH with a rebadge proposal for the WH line of tractors.

2. IH developed that tractor really quickly if you look at the date of the memo. They rolled those suckers out as 1961 models. That's not much time to design, draw, prototype, test, tool, build, market, and release. I know they used as many parts from the Cub as possible but I still see that as a remarkably efficient use of time.

3. "Cubette" seems like it ran the risk being pronounced "cube-ette" which definately has a lousy ring to it.

4. Whoa, that WH was expensive considering it had a smaller engine than most of the others and still was at the top of the price ladder (yes, I know it was electric start).

Steve

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,610]

Steve,

I was also thinking how fast a turn around time that was. From that report dated February 1960, they wanted experimental units by March the same year. Then they wanted a 100 units to be shipped by November 15 of the same year. That is a very fast turn around to design, develop, build, test and go into production a new design. That seems incredible looking at how my company moves on things. If you get a moment look at all the reports on this page:

http://ihregistry.com/info/messages/179/179.html?1168445145

[fritz 1]

Thank you!! That part of the report where it said "Wheelhorse has apparently been the most successful, with an estimated production and sales of approximately 10,000 units in 1958." That part was so useful for my report. So if you dont mind may i use it in my report?" If you dont want me to I wont. But I think that would help out my persuasion point alo. Thank you.

Devin

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,610]

Devin,

Those aren't my figures, nor do I own those reports. I wouldn't think that after almost 50 years that information is proprietary information anymore - and it's on a public domain website, so that also makes it non-proprietary info. So, go ahead, use it.

While we somehow gotten into proprietary information, some companies protect their information more diligently than other companies. Case in point, JD has made it known that any use of their copyright information, i.e. selling and even giving that info away free, is illegal.

Getting back to your question, Devin, if you name the source, then you should be able to use it.....It's my long answer to a short question. :thumbs:

[big mike 13]

Jason,Paul did own 409 and did a magnificent restoration on it but it now belongs to Tim Delooza of New York state.Tim,by the way,took one old black and white photo of the Cubette and made an exact(as possible)reproduction.....it is awwesome!

T-Mo,ya better be careful.....you'll end up infecting a bunch of these guys with Yellow Fever :thumbs:

[linen beige 15]

T-Mo,ya better be careful.....you'll end up infecting a bunch of these guys with Yellow Fever

A long as I can still remember watching my 400 suburban drag a kicking and screaming 10 horse Cub Cadet backwards down a driveway I'm immune. :whistle:

[bitten 134]

As a IH fan this is some really cool info. Im not a cub man but if they would have got in the game at this time, one never knows? I will keep the IH656 for the heavy chores and the Wheel Horses for everything else. I do miss my old IH truck and Scouts but that is something completely different.

P.J.

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,610]

Jim,

It looks like a Charger 12 just got beat by a CC 147 in a pull off today. :thumbs:

[TT-(Moderator) 1,162]

It looks like a Charger 12 just got beat by a CC 147 in a pull off today.

Did somebody forget to start it? :thumbs:

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,610]

You know, TT, I'm always skeptical whenever anyone tells me this out pulled that, or this drugged that around. Is all things equal? Did one have a weight advantage, i.e. wheel weights? Did one have better tires? Was the ground level, etc? There are too many factors in these things. Jim made a statement, and someone over on the CC made a statement. Both are probably correct, but what were the circumstances. You made a very good point, that's all I'm saying. :thumbs: