Development in the 19th Century. John Froelich is who you should thank for the progenitor to the tractor. An inventor who lived in a small village in Iowa named after his father, Froelich developed the first gas-powered traction engine in 1892.

When did farmers start using tractors?

By 1928, the first General Purpose Tractor was introduced, which allowed for planting and cultivating three rows at a time, increasing productivity. Until the late 1930s, farm tractors had steel wheels, making farmers very cautious about whether rubber wheels would be able to do as much work as those with steel wheels.

How much did the first tractor cost?

Early tractors cost as much as $785 in 1920. Just two years later in 1922, a tractor could be purchased for only $395. The price dropped by nearly half in just two years, making tractors an affordable piece of agricultural machinery for almost every farmer.