KEROSENE ANNIE

RUMELY OIL PULL

The Rumely Oil Pull was a very famous and influential line of farm tractors produced by the Advance-Rumely Company from 1910 to 1930.

Its main claim to fame came from its unique engine design:

• Kerosene Fuel: Unlike many of its competitors, the Oil Pull was specifically designed to run on kerosene (or "coal oil") instead of gasoline. Kerosene was much cheaper at the time, giving farmers a significant cost advantage. This is why the prototype tractor was nicknamed "Kerosene Annie."

• Oil Cooling: The tractors were named "Oil Pull" because their engine cooling system used oil instead of water. This was an advantage because kerosene-burning engines ran hotter, and the oil (which had a much higher boiling point than water) could maintain a steady operating temperature and didn't freeze in cold weather.

• Engine Design: Most models used a distinctive, heavy, two-cylinder, internal-combustion engine. They typically had to be started on gasoline and then switched over to the cheaper kerosene once the engine was warmed up.

The Advance-Rumely Company, originally the M. Rumely Company founded in 1853, was a major agricultural equipment manufacturer, especially known for its threshing machines. The Oil Pull was one of its most successful products, with nearly 60,000 units built. The company was eventually bought by Allis-Chalmers in 1931.

Today, Rumely Oil Pull tractors are highly sought-after collector's items and are often featured in antique tractor shows and museum collections.

Materials published before January 1, 1929, are generally considered to be in the public domain in the United States, which includes the entire production period of the Rumely Oil Pull (1910–1930).

Public Domain

• Original Advertisements and Brochures: Trade catalogs, advertisements, and promotional pamphlets published by the M. Rumely Company or Advance-Rumely Company before 1929 are almost certainly in the public domain. You can often find these in historical collections and archives.

• Original Technical Literature: Early operator's manuals, parts lists, and technical papers (like the one by Edward A. Rumely titled Rumely Oil-pull Tractor) published before 1929.

• Old Photographs: Any photograph of a Rumely Oil Pull taken and published before 1929 is very likely in the public domain.

• Patents: The core patents for the kerosene engine, oil-cooling system, and other features of the early Oil Pull tractors have long since expired.