Toro Motor Co.

Toro announced its new two row power cultivator for the 1919 season. J. S. Clapper was primarily responsible for designing this outfit. From this, came the Toro Combination tractor, later bought out by Rumely. By mid-1923, Toro announced that they were behind on orders for the Toro combination machine, and were working overtime to meet the demand. The little Toro tractors were of simple, but functional design. Although this little outfit represented an incredible advance in technology, the following ten years would usher in the row crop tractor to the exclusion of all others,

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history

Toro Motor Company was organized about 1914. Its original purpose was to build the engines for the Bull tractor. J. S. Clapper was president of the Toro firm. He had previously been involved with Gas Traction Company and several other tractor builders. J. L. Record was secretary of Toro and was also the president of Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company. The name “Toro” itself reflected the connection with Bull Tractor Company since “toro” is the Spanish word for bull. After production ceased on the Bull tractor, Toro announced its plans to build a four-cylinder, 4 1/2 x 6-inch engine in 1918. By 1919, Toro was offering a two-row motor cultivator appeared. Toro marketed this machine until September 1927. At the time, President Clapper announced that Advance-Rumely Thresher Company had made a deal for the assignment of all patents and rights concerning the combination tractor-cultivator. The Rumely DoAll tractor thus had its beginnings with the Toro tractor.

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Models

Model

Configuration

Years

# Produced

Power Cultivator

1919

Combination Tractor

1920

Little Toro

1920's

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