The use of agricultural tractors didn't happen overnight; rather, it evolved through a long process, from steam power to the internal combustion engine. The large-scale commercialization and agricultural application of tractors began in the early 20th century (roughly 1910-1920s), but their development can be traced back much further.

Here is a key timeline of tractor development to help you understand more clearly:

1. Pioneer Era: Steam Tractors (Early to Late 19th Century)

• Early 19th Century: The world's earliest "tractors" were steam-powered. These were very cumbersome, more like steam engines moving on rails, towing farm implements through the fields via cables.
• Mid-19th Century (after the 1850s): Self-propelled steam tractors appeared. They were used for heavy labor such as threshing and plowing, particularly on large farms in the United States and Britain. However, due to their large size, high cost, and inconvenient operation (requiring large quantities of water and coal), they were not widely adopted by ordinary family farms.

2. Birth and Transition: The Emergence of the Internal Combustion Engine (Late 19th Century)

• 1892: American John Frohlich builds the first agricultural tractor powered by a gasoline internal combustion engine and successfully plows the field. This is considered a direct precursor to the modern tractor, but it was not commercialized at the time.
• Late 19th century: Many inventors and small companies begin experimenting with developing tractors powered by gasoline or kerosene internal combustion engines.

3. Commercialization and Popularization: The True Beginning of the Tractor Era (Early 20th Century)

• 1900s-1910s: Automotive pioneers like Henry Ford saw the potential of tractors.
• 1917: The Fordson Model F tractor was introduced. It was the first mass-produced, affordable tractor designed specifically for agriculture. It significantly reduced tractor costs, making them affordable for ordinary farmers and ushering in an era of widespread tractor adoption in agriculture.
• 1920s: With Fordson's success, other companies (such as International Harvester and John Deere) entered the competition, leading to the rapid maturation of tractor technology and its continued enhancement.

4. Technological maturity and globalization (mid-20th century to present)

• 1930s: Pneumatic rubber tires replaced heavy iron wheels, making tractors faster and more efficient.
• 1940s and beyond: Key technologies such as hydraulics and the three-point hitch system (invented by Harry Ferguson) were introduced, enabling tractors to more efficiently and safely attach and operate various agricultural implements.

After World War II: Tractors were rapidly promoted around the world, becoming an indispensable core power for modern agriculture, and gradually developed towards greater power, greater intelligence, and greater environmental protection (such as electric tractors).

Summary table

Period	Main driving forces	Characteristics and landmark events
19th century	Steam engine	It was bulky, expensive, inefficient, and not popular, and was the prototype of the tractor.
Late 19th century (1892)	Internal combustion engine	John Frohlich built the first gasoline tractor, marking the beginning of the modern tractor.
Early 20th century (1917)	Internal combustion engine	The Fordson F-type tractor was mass-produced and affordable, and tractors began to be widely used.
After the 1930s	Internal combustion engine	With the introduction of pneumatic tires, hydraulic systems, and three-point suspension, the technology developed rapidly and became widely popular.
Early 20th century (1917)	Internal combustion engine/electric power	The power is getting bigger and bigger, and it is developing towards intelligence, precision agriculture, autonomous driving and new energy.

So, the most direct answer is: agricultural tractors began to be truly used and popularized on a large scale in agricultural production in the late 1910s, especially with the launch of the Fordson F-type tractor.

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