100 years of Economy

(Page 2 of 2)

May 2009
By Glenn Karch 
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Beginning in early 1910, a simple, low cost, easily maintained engine for the masses was available to the public. In all, some 36,000 “Sparta Economy” engines were produced from 1909-1914. Although the factory, parts, machines and some people were moved to Evansville, Ind., in late 1913, the first engines built in Evansville were assembled from parts shipped in from Sparta.

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In all, there were 15 different models produced, beginning with the Model A in 1909 until the last JK was produced in the fall of 1933. Of the approximately 400,000 engines built during this time frame, about 250,000 of these were sold as Economy engines.

For the collector, there are certainly many models to choose from, and most are fairly easy to come by and to find parts for repair. The Economy engine is usually economical to purchase and is a great choice for new collectors looking to purchase their first engine.

For the model D through S engines, the Hercules, Jaeger, and ARCO engines essentially use the same parts as the Economy.

This summer there are a couple of excellent opportunities for Economy and Hercules-built engine collectors to get together.

The Southern Indiana Antique Machinery Club (SIAM) is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Economy and 95th anniversary of Hercules-built engines at its Classic Iron Show, June 12-14, in Evansville, Ind. Then in Coolspring, Pa., June 18-20, the Coolspring Power Museum will be celebrating these milestone dates as well as hosting the “Gathering of the HVIDs.” So get those Economy and Hercules-built engines out of the shed and show them off this year!

Contact Keith Kinney with any questions regarding Hercules, Economy, Jaeger, Thermoil, etc., at kkinney@herculesengines.com

 

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