The Bi-directional tractor: A Versatile concept. 

Back in the late 1960s, Peter’s brother, Dan Pakosh had a simple idea.  Why fit a loader on the front of a tractor when it would be far easier to mount it on the rear and swivel the operator around to work it?  That simple idea lead Versatile to the development of the world’s first bi-directional tractor.

First offered in 1977, the Model 150 was referred to as a ‘push-pull’ tractor and was marketed as being a ‘number of self-propelled machines in one.’   It was sized and priced to compete with conventional 2WD tractors with similar horsepower and offered full-time hydrostatic drive to all four wheels and articulated steering.

The 150 allowed farmers greater choice in connecting equipment and could achieve equal power whether using a push or pull implement.  The Bi-directional was truly ‘Versatile’!  It was an instant success and, virtually overnight, became ‘the’ tractor for swathing, mowing and heavy swather work.

TV(Tractor Versatile)140

New Holland continued the tradition and brought Dan out of retirement to help update the tractor for the next century.  Although the basics remained the same, practically the whole tractor was modernized, from new mechanical and transmission changes to a larger and more comfortable cab and controls that now turned with the operator. The TV140 was released in 1998.

Click here for more about the Versatile inspired TV140 bi-directional tractor.