The Allis-Chalmers Company was established in 1901 and planted its roots in steam power, sawmill gear and flour-milling equipment. In 1912, Otto Falk, a former Brigadier General of the Wisconsin National Guard and prominent businessman, was appointed to take Allis-Chalmers to new heights and was instrumental in expanding the business into new markets. Under his wing, Allis-Chalmers plowed its way into the industry and introduced its first farm tractors—the Model 10-18, Model 6-12 and Model 15-30.

The Allis-Chalmers Model 6-12 was produced between 1919 and 1926—a time when horse teams were still an integral part of the farm. The names of tractor models from this era originated from the tractor’s horsepower ratings. The Model 6-12 has 6 HP at the drawbar and 12 HP at the belt pulley. Back in the day, right off the factory line, this tractor sold for $850. The 6-12 design, similar to the Moline Universal, was intended to be a multi-purpose, low-cost tractor used for plowing, threshing and cultivating.

The Allis-Chalmers Model 6-12TRACTOR USED IMPLEMENT TO PROVIDE REAR AXLE AND FORM 4-WHEEL ARTICULATED UNIT

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To make a 4-wheel articulated unit, 2-wheeled tractors used their implements to provide the rear axle, thus the operator rode the implement. This tractor includes an articulated steering with a center hinge between the implements and the tractor. It was designed to use horse-drawn implements, as this is what people were still using on farms during this time. The 6-12 didn’t take off as Allis-Chalmers had hoped, and as a result, there were

just 1,470 of these tractors built. Farmers were somewhat skeptical of purchasing the 6-12 as changing implements on the tractor was a great undertaking.

The construction was solid though, and the tractors were equipped with a reputable 4-cylinder engine assembled by Le Roi of Milwaukee. This engine type included an air cleaner, which was not a standard option at that time and was considered a unique feature.

You’ll note that the 6-12 consists of a bright-green paint scheme, and in fact, most early Allis-Chalmers were green or gray, even though the traditional Allis-Chalmers tractors are recognized for their prominent Persian Orange paint color. This color-change evolution occurred back in 1929, when Harry Merritt, Allis-Chalmers’ tractor-department manager, was awe-inspired by bright-orange,

beautiful poppies in bloom in California while on a business trip. That bright-orange color inspired him to change the Allis-Chalmers color scheme to Persian Orange.

By 1926, production of the 6-12 came to a halt due to the economic recession, and the winds of change came to the tractor world as 4-wheel designs were on the horizon.

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