Looking for info on these Antique Steel Wheels

[bearskinner]

I picked these up for yard art, as they are very ornate. They look somewhat like JD B wheels from the 20’s-30’s but I have not found these on a tractor anywhere. Hope someone here can help me identify them. After pressure washing them, there was some red paint a few layers down. I would estimate them as 100

or so years old.

 

[bearskinner]

Just an fyi, they’re 60” tall, and weigh over 500 pounds. 6 spline, and the bolt on cleats( hollow ) are approximately 7” wide by 5.5” tall.

 

[GrizBota]

I don’t have any specifics on the application. Are you sure that wheel was used for motivation if a vehicle?

The teeth look like they would only be intended to turn one direction. And there is nothing to keep the rim from sinking in like a pizza cutter. I’m thinking that wheel didn’t come off of a tractor that runs on the ground.

 

[skeets]

Interesting I wonder if they were off an implement that used the ground to supply power

 

[animals45]

If those were on a tractor you can defiantly see why kidney belts were invented .
animal

 

[fried1765]

I picked these up for yard art, as they are very ornate. They look somewhat like JD B wheels from the 20’s-30’s but I have not found these on a tractor anywhere. Hope someone here can help me identify them. After pressure washing them, there was some red paint a few layers down. I would estimate them as 100 View attachment 106792 View attachment 106793 View attachment 106794 or so years old.

Very nice yard art!

 

[bearskinner]

As heavy duty as these are built, they must have carried some weight, or needed the strength for something. They look Almost like old JD wheels.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Very cool looking.

The teeth look like they would only be intended to turn one direction.

I agree.

I'm leaning towards this is one of 5 or 6 (more?) on a single axle.

Kind of like a paddle wheel boat, but for some sort of tractor like machine.


Edit: Darn it.....BearSkin for the win......There goes my paddle wheel idea......

 

[GrizBota]

As heavy duty as these are built, they must have carried some weight, or needed the strength for something. They look Almost like old JD wheels.

View attachment 106806 View attachment 106807

Well, those look a lot like the yard art. There goes my lack of rim width justification.

 

[D2Cat]

Those are BC..... before chains.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

According to SGOTI, in 1935 only 15% of tractors had rubber tires. By 1940, 95% did. I think I've read that during WWII some tractors reverted to steel, due to rubber being rationed. My Dad and an uncle had Farmall F20's with steel wheels, but I never saw either one run. They started on gasoline, then switched over to distillate (tractor fuel) or kerosene.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Based on our location I'm betting those wheels were used on logging equipment.
Or possibly peat moss operations.

 

[bearskinner]

They came out of Chewelah Wa, which is originally a mining operation, at the base of the Ski Resort. There is lots of farming in the surrounding areas though.
I’ve pressure washed them a couple times now, blowing off lots of moss and grime. I can detect a little residual Red paint under 100 years of crud. I thought I might find some original Yellow, but…..

 

[RCW]

@bearskinner - I’m making some wild guesses; thinking your 100 year old estimate is pretty close, but I’m thinking a little short.

I’ve seen that cleat design many times on row crop tractors like the JD B you pictured. I think they had a 34-38” (?) wheel with rubber tires….equates to nearly 60” total height, but not quite. Our JD B started on steel but that was long before my days with it.

Those wheels also didn’t need to be that heavily built as the tractors were small horsepower and only weighed 5,000 pounds or so…

Now in the early, early 20th century “Prairie Busters” began to show up mostly in the Midwest.

Some steam, some fuel powered with exposed valves, governors, etc.

Some of the steam machines were as big as a small house and weighed 30,000+ pounds. Wheels often looked like that, but were 7-8 feet tall.

Shortly thereafter, some makers made smaller machines to accommodate smaller operations. I think still hefty at 10-20,000 pounds. I’m thinking pre-WWI, but again guessing. Your 60” wheel sounds more-suited to the “smaller” machines, even though they were still quite large.

Some of those tractors had an exposed ring gear on the axle, inboard to the wheel, driven by a pinion to put power to the ground.

The splined axle caught my attention. Not sure how that final drive system worked, but a splined axle would make sense. I’m assuming the ring gear and wheel were separate…not sure that is correct, but again guessing.

Rumley-Oil Pull is the first manufacturer that comes to mind, but there’s several others. All very, very rare today.

Again, I may be WAY off, but you might have a matched-set treasure. Those look pristine but for some rust.

I would look earlier in your research and best of luck finding an answer!

 

[SDT]

I picked these up for yard art, as they are very ornate. They look somewhat like JD B wheels from the 20’s-30’s but I have not found these on a tractor anywhere. Hope someone here can help me identify them. After pressure washing them, there was some red paint a few layers down. I would estimate them as 100 View attachment 106792 View attachment 106793 View attachment 106794 or so years old.

Might want to post photos on YT.

Suggest Tractor Talk page.

Yesterday's Tractors - Discussion Forums (yesterdaystractors.com)

 

[Magicman]

I have a similar set (4) that fits an 8N Ford. They were used when initially clearing land for pastures. No flats from Honey Locust thorns.

 

[SDT]

I have a similar set (4) that fits an 8N Ford. They were used when initially clearing land for pastures. No flats from Black Locust thorns.

Bingo.

Neighbor once had an AC WD-45 with full steel that he used to bush hog in areas with honey locust trees.