March/April 1993
Theo Mc Allister
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Theo with dump rake, 1992 Belgrade show.
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456 N 300 W, Kanab, Utah 84741.
This unique tractor filled a need as it replaced the horse on
the small farms and ranches in the west.
The 'Power Horse' was designed to hook up to the horse
drawn equipment- 'no need to buy more equipment with this new
'horse',' was one of the selling points. It was
designed to control completely from the seat of a mower, dump rake,
wagon or sulky plow, etc.
Just snap the reins, like with a horse, and it closes the two
control clutches and you're off; pull on the reins and you
stop. Pull extra hard and the tractor will back up; release the
reins and go back to neutral. Then back to snapping the reins and
you're off again. Pull left line back and the tractor will
start a left turn. Pull one rein back to reverse and the other in
forward and the tractor will spin a turn in its own length.
This tractor is four-wheeled drive and weighs in at 2500 pounds.
Roller chains drive the wheels in the large side castings.
To this tractor's gear box, transmission and wheels, an
Allis Chalmers B engine was added, giving the power horse the
'Allis' look. The tractor will pull about 80% of its own
weight. Instead of spinning down like other tractors, it starts to
crow hop like a four wheel pickup.
The Bonham brothers, Bond and Bert, designed and built the power
horse with Eimco Machinery of Salt Lake City, Utah doing the
casting work. (See photo of prototype from 1937 Popular Mechanics.)
The tractor was in production from 1937 through 1941. Mr. Bonham
told of World War II shutting them down. Eimco Machinery was also
building mining equipment. The military figured that mining
equipment was more important to the war effort than tractors. Eimco
still builds mining equipment today.
When the Utah club hosted a small show in Hurricane, Utah, one
of the club members invited Bert Bonham, who then lived in St.
George, about 20 miles distance. Mr. Bonham was very pleased to see
what was happening to his old 'power horse'. (He can be
seen in picture with reins in hands).