Ford wind mill power generator. Anybody seen one ???

[beechbum444]

Evening....I'm not sure where this goes, if it needs to be moved, I apologize and please move to appropriate place. A few days ago I saw a for sale ad for a ford wind mill generator. It was a large propeller type blade on a very tall industrial type pole, at the bottom was what appeared to be the front end of a Ford tractor, about two feet wide, blue and had FORD written above the grill. If I had to guess, Id say it was from the 50s or 60s. The pictures showed a pole barn in the background, so I assume it was on a farm. has anyone seen one of these, owned one....any info is appreciated....Regards

[corbinace]

Is it a generator or a wind machine? In these parts, we have machines like you mention to move the air around so that the frost does not damage the buds in the springtime

[beechbum444]

Honestly...Im not sure, I assumed that it was a wind machine that produced limited electricity via a Ford tractor looking front end......the pole that the blade sat on was 30-40 feet tall.........you could be correct, maybe it does what you say and the FORD tractor looking front end is the engine. That's why I like this forum....tons of knowledge.......thank you

[Winger Ed.]

If it was a wind driven generator--- you'd think it wouldn't need an engine.

Being an over size out door fan sure makes more sense.

[corbinace]

Back in the day, they made many different types for the area.
Many fighter plane props being used.
Some had large V8s mounted at ground level driving huge blades, via drivelines and gear boxes. Still a viable type today.
Now mostly they are electric motors, mounted pole top, direct driving the blades, I think.
On some mornings in the spring, the whole valley is roaring away with farmers trying to protect the new buds. Amazing that just moving the air keeps the cold from pooling in the low spots.

Some pictures here;

https://wenatcheewind.com/windmachines

[Three44s]

Wind machines are used in farm country to bring slightly warmer air from above the ground down to ground level, mixing it with colder ground air. The hope is that the resulting mixture saves a crop susceptible to injurious frost.

In the Pacific Northwest we have scads of these and it’s a huge roar on frost nights when our fruit crops are at risk. The power is generally by way of a Ford 460 V8 (some are Chevy 454s) burning propane. No muffler and a mighty short “tail pipe” running cherry red on the manifold so they are running flat out!

What protection the wind machine can not muster up, then water applied through sprinklers and/or out and out orchard heaters add to the protection! Imagine the cost, imagine the stakes!

Three44s

[Winger Ed.]

the FORD tractor looking front end is the engine.

Oh yeah.
On most tractors, pretty much everything in front of the transmission case IS the engine, or attached to it.
The engine doesn't even sit on a chassis or frame. The engine block itself does that job.

[15meter]

Back in the day, the implement companies sold "stationary engines".

Basically an operating engine on a self-contained pallet. Place it where you want and hook it up to your magic widget to get the job done. Generator, pump, feed grinder, sawmill. Or windmill.

There used to be a local machine shop, all flat belt driven. Grandpa started with steam, dad went to a stationary gas engine and when Jr. inherited the business, he "modernized" with a single huge electric motor to run the line shaft.

https://www.google.com/search?q=john+deere+stationary+engine&client=tablet-android-google&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjk-YWK-6T2AhW4lmoFHZEkB5sQ_AUoAnoECAIQAg&biw=962&bih=601&dpr=1.33#imgrc=QIVb0yKc3wHnyM

[country gent]

On the farms A lot of those engines were mounted on a small cart / wagon and could be pulled to where the work was being done. They powered many things washing machines, shellers, grinders, cream separators. A quick change of the drive pulley and they were ready. The bigger equipment was powered with the pulley on the tractors.

It was a dangerous environment with those flat belts running in the open. The mills and factories even more so.

[MUSTANG]

Evening....I'm not sure where this goes, if it needs to be moved, I apologize and please move to appropriate place. A few days ago I saw a for sale ad for a ford wind mill generator. It was a large propeller type blade on a very tall industrial type pole, at the bottom was what appeared to be the front end of a Ford tractor, about two feet wide, blue and had FORD written above the grill. If I had to guess, Id say it was from the 50s or 60s. The pictures showed a pole barn in the background, so I assume it was on a farm. has anyone seen one of these, owned one....any info is appreciated....Regards


Back in the 1930's (Before the Demi-God Roosevelt introduced the ERA - Electrification of Rural America); it was quite common for farms and Ranches in the mid-west and west to have Wind Generators mounted on towers like windmills that charged battery's on the Farm Ranch for electric lights and small electric motor items. My Great Grandmothers and Grand Mother told me about these in my youth; along with their being hoodwinked by the "Government Men" who would come by every few weeks encouraging the population to support the implementation of Social Security and the ERA.

Any way; I would not be surprised that Ford would make "Wind Machines" for that market in the 1920's and early 1930's.


Note: I HATE autocorrect anymore; I just had to go back and edit my post because THE SYSTEM decided that Mid-West needed to be changed to moodiest.

[MaryB]

Wind Chargers... charged a 6 or 12 volt battery to power some lights and a radio. Grandpa had one to power the radio, after they had rural electric come in when I was 2 he moved the battery to the workshop and used it to power the radio out there.

[Bmi48219]

We had two implement power motors. Both were cast, had one horizontal cylinder with a cast, open top water jacket for cooling the cylinder. Exposed valve rockers/stems/springs. One was on a small pallet and the other powered a (hand rolled and riveted drum type) cement mixer mounted on a Model A front axle with spoke wheels. Dad would fire them both up every year or so. He also had a pedal start washing machine motor. When we asked about using it for a go cart he sold it.