Wagner

The first articulated four-wheel drive tractor was created by Wagner Tractor based in Portland, Oregon. The Wagner brothers had been manufacturing machinery for the logging and mining industries since 1922 before they ventured into agriculture in the 1950s. In the late 1960s, John Deere formed a partnership with Wagner. At that time, the demand for large tractors was still limited, resulting in only 51 units being sold to Deere. In response, Deere re-entered the market in 1971 with its own tractor, the 7020. However, a five-year non-compete agreement in their contract prevented Wagner from producing tractors, ultimately leading to their exit from the agricultural sector.