Steel plow
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The first steel plow, sometimes referred to as 'the Sod-Buster' was invented by blacksmith John Deere in the 1830's, and was being commercially manufactured by 1837. Deere, after settling in the Midwestern United States, realized that the tough sod was too thick for the iron and wooden plows being used.It helped cutting tough prairie ground, and the sticky ground stuck to the plow, which resulted in the farmer having to clean it after only a few yards of walking. He redesigned the plow to be lighter and more durable, and the sod did not stick to the steel ploughshare. The plow was to be hitched to one or more draught animals, with the farmer holding onto handles and guiding the plow. By 1855, Deere's company was manufacturing and selling over 10,000 steel plows a year.
Steel Plow Met Prairie Needs Deere's steel plow proved to be the answer pioneer farmers needed for successful farming in what was then "the West." But his contribution to the growth of American agriculture far exceeded just the development of a successful steel plow. It was the practice of that day for blacksmiths to build tools on order for customers. But John Deere went into the business of manufacturing plows before he had orders for them. He would produce a supply of plows and then take them to the country to be sold - an entirely new approach to manufacturing and selling in those early pioneer days, and one that quickly spread the word of John Deere's "self-polishers."
