Jaques-Frazer Model T Tractor

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Frame #308, Engine: Rototiller Model T E, Serial # 1208

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A Rototiller collector friend, Bob Antram, owns this nicely restored Frazer Tractor. Read his Rototiller Story on this Website. He also has numerous Rototiller attachments and a very informative display of literature and tillers on a trailer that he displays at various events. I never realized all the history behind Rototiller until I met Bob and saw his excellent display. I recently had the opportunity to display this tractor at Rough & Tumble and overhauled the engine and other repairs on this tractor. I have some additional photos in my photo album.

Frazer Farm Equipment, a subsidiary of Graham-Paige built the Frazer Model T in York, PA. Joe Frazer named it the Model T because he said it was going to be the "agricultural equivalent to the Model T Ford." The Jaques Power Saw Company in Dennison, Texas, manufacturer of the Jaques saw attachment for the Rototiller built the tractor chassis and shipped them to York, where the Rototiller engines were installed. The engine is the same Swiss-designed 2 cycle used on the B1-6 and B1-7 Rototillers with the exception of a counter-clockwise rotation of the magneto due to its location. The data tag identifies the model number of this version as T-E. The hood, which may have been optional, was made from a WWII P-51 Drop Tank. The tractor came with a three-speed transmission with a high and low range. The Model T, weighing 1020 pounds, was available in early 1948 for $695 plus $4.22 federal excise tax on the tires. Attachments that were available included a 10-inch plow, 5-foot mower, disc harrow, bulldozer blade, rotary scraper, and the same tiller used on the Rototiller. Sales were not very high and it appears the Model T was only made for one year. One source says that less than 5,000 units were produced during 1948. This venture was to help save Frazer Farm Equipment, but failed to do so. It appears Jaques Power Saw Company was also marketing this tractor with Briggs & Stratton model ZZ engine and 3 speed transmission as the Jaques Mighty Mite. In 1949 Ottawa Manufacturing in Ottawa, Kansas purchased the tractor and sold it under the name Ottawa.

This Jaques-Frazer belongs to Marion Thompson

Marion says: My tractor was bought in the fall of 1973 from a farmer who had plowed gardens. I did not know what a Frazer tractor was. I used the tractor to plow gardens in my small town because of its compact design and the 2 bottom mounted plow. It was not until 1994 that I found someone who knew something about the tractor. The men I talked to told me I have a Jaques Frazer garden tractor built at Willow Run, MI. in 1947. Since then I have found out that my tractor was built in 1948 at York, PA. - one of 1500 built that year. My tractor was painted red but in 1995 when I sand blasted it, I found the main frame to be yellow along with the hood being yellow with a white stripe. The wheels were white too. I have had quit a bit of comment on the tractor over the past few years. Very few people have ever seen one before. As of now I have the only 2-bottom 8" plow that I know about. That will not last long before somebody comes up with another one.

I would think the two bottom plow may be rare. If any one else out there has one please let me know.

Engine s/n1227 owned by James Swank

As with most pieces, there is a unique story that goes with this tractor. Jim said his dad bought the tractor in 1960 along with the snow plow, sickle bar mower, and single bottom plow. "We used it until 1975 or 1976 when my Dad wanted something with electric start and it got parked."    An interesting thing that happened on one occasion when Jim was driving it. He was hauling a heavy load of rocks on a trailer up a grade in low range, first gear when the splines stripped off the input shaft on the differential. In case you are unaware these tractors have no way of locking the brakes, so Jim sat there with the brakes applied until, eventually his dad came looking for him. They sent a letter to Frazer and got a reply that they no longer supplied parts. So Jim's dad drilled a hole through the U-joint and shaft and put a bolt thru it and it is that way today.

Around 1988 or 1989 Jim's dad called him and said he was scrapping the tractor and wondered if he wanted the it. At first he said no, but later began thinking about the rear end in the tractor and thought he could make a Butt buggy out of it.   He called his dad and ask if it was gone. He said no and Jim said he wanted it. Probably the reason the tractor was still there was the scrapper's truck was full with the attachments and some other stuff his dad had and needed to make a second trip. Jim hauled it home and it was not until 2001 or 2002 that he realized what he had. Jim was at a show and saw a Mighty Mite and was talking to the owner and he said he has a tractor like his but it has a different engine on it. He proceeded to tell me that it had to be a Mighty Mite that somebody changed the engine on it because there are no Frazer tractors around. "That is when I knew what I had and started rounding up parts to restore it." Last part of the story is when he had the tractor all done his Dad came up to see it and told me he had the hood and wanted to know if he wanted it. Jim had never seen the tractor hood and didn't remember it. His dad told him when he got the tractor the hood was off it and he brought it home and put it up in the attic of his garage and it had been there all those years. It was in great shape.

I commented to Jim that someone changed the seat.   All the ones I have seen have a stamped steel seat where his has a cast iron seat. He said that seat has been on there ever since he and his dad have owned it. He thought it was not original because when you stand behind the tractor and look at it the seat doesn't sit on the mount perfectly square.

So there you have the unique story of this Jaques-Frazer Model T that was saved from the scrap yard. I plan to have this tractor on display along with my tillers at Rough & Tumble's August show this year. Come and see it.

Owned by Les Miller

Owned by Chuck Witman

Here is a Jaques-Frazer Model T with the tiller mounted, the same tiller used on the walk behind machines. It is powered by a flexible drive shaft driven by a belt drive in front of the transmission. The rear housing of the drive shaft assembly is bolted to the drawbar and the tiller is bolted to that housing. This particular one only has an engage/disengage lever on the rear housing. Some photos I have seen appear to use the same clutch as the tractor uses mounted at the front of the flexible drive with linkage to a lever accessible to the operator of the tractor.