38 RUSSELLS OCT / NOV 2021 • farmers-mart . co . uk
The thinner was available in three different configurations priced between £ 24 and £ 26 . The hoes of Russell ’ s thinner were mounted on a pivot from the hub of the road wheel working just below the centre of the hub . This gave the thinner a form of depth control and allowed it to gap turnip and sugar beet crops accurately on uneven terrain .
According to testimonials carried out across the country the TB Russell patented root thinner was far superior to competitor ’ s machines at cutting through weeds .
This success led to Cambridgeshire based machinery agents Laurie and McConnal securing a medal at the 1927 Isle of Ely Show for the root thinner . The 1930s saw a surge in development of alternative products by Russells , this included the testing of various elevator and crop loaders that were compatible with tractors such as the Fordson Standard Model N and Ferguson Brown Model A with its revolutionary three-point linkage introduced in 1936 .
The launch of this tractor led Russells to develop a range of tractor accessories including adjustable height drawbars , a range it expanded during the 1940s to fit tractors like the Fordson E27N , Ferguson TE-20 , David Brown Cropmaster , and Nuffield Universal . These were all tractors Russells would go onto sell successfully alongside each other .
Russells also introduced a bespoke range of steel treads for the Fordson Model N as an alternative to spade lug wheels that were designed for road travel as well as field work .
Prior to the second world war Russells line up of drills consisted of the Slutherum fitted with hoe blades available in two , three , and four row configurations . A light weight four row utility root drill was also produced alongside their award-winning combined seed and manure drill available in two , three and four rows .
At this time the company was trading as Slinsgby Russell & Brown Ltd . However ,
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Russells became Fordson tractor dealers in 1942 , and they enjoyed much success with the E27N introduced in 1945 .
Russells also sold the diminutive Allis Chalmers B that was produced between 1937 and 1957 . Russells developed a range of implements to use with the Model B including various midmounted hoes , a two-furrow plough , and a three-point linkage .
following the culmination of the second world war the company was renamed Russell ’ s ( Kirbymoorside ) Ltd and received additional investment from members of the Shaw family who had taken on the neighbouring Welburn Manor Estate , a farming operation they continue to run today .
Despite there being a steel shortage following the second world war Russells pressed on with the development of many more exciting products .
This is where Russells benefitted from their factory at Kirkbymoorside being in close proximity to the town ’ s railway station . Raw materials and sub-assemblies could be transported quickly and efficiently into their facilities whilst completed products could soon be delivered throughout the country to agents or customers .
By the late 1940s and early fifties Russells were dealers for Allis Chalmers , David Brown , Ferguson and Fordson tractors . A range of mid-mounted hoes were developed especially for the baby 20hp Allis Chalmers B along with a two-furrow plough fitted with general purpose bodies and Sheffield steel mouldboards .
Other products being offered by Russells in the early fifties were a pair of standard and light steerage hoes featuring eight discs and a set of cushioned castor wheels for use with tractors fitted with a hydraulic linkage . A host of bespoke 30 ft hay and straw elevators were also now available and these could be supplied with or without a 1.5hp Petter engine .
Russells were quick to recognise the importance of developing a new range of elevators following the emergence on UK farms of engine and power-take off driven pick-up balers in place of stationary belt driven balers . This coincided with the growing popularity of self-propelled combine harvesters taking over the work of the threshing machine .
By this time Russells were selling the first British built Massey Harris 701 square balers alongside the company ’ s 726 combine harvester . This led to the
Russells developed a bespoke range of adjustable drawbars for tractors it sold such as the David Brown Cropmaster , Ferguson TE-20 , and Fordson E27N .
Russells began manufacturing a greater range of machinery for export markets in the 1950s , most notably a Cotton drill . This example is seen attached to a David Brown Cropmaster in the Sudan .
introduction of a more compact elevator called the Duo-Level available with rubber tyres , and a choice of three conveyer tracks . The Duo-Level was designed for both industrial and agricultural applications , specifically the handling of bales , sacks , boxes , and loose root crops , and would remain in production until 1970 having evolved significantly during its lengthy production run .
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