Cockshutt 540
{{Short description|Utility tractor}}
{{Infobox tractor
|name = Cockshutt 540
|image =
|caption =
|manufacturer = Cockshutt Plow Company
|production = 1958-1962
|length =
|width =
|height =
|weight =
|propulsion = Rear wheels
| engine_model = Continental F162 2.7L 4-cylinder gasoline
| gross_power = {{convert|34|hp|kW}}
| flywheel_power =
| drawbar_pull =
| drawbar_power = {{convert|26|hp|kW}}
| speed =
| PTO_power = {{convert|31|hp|kW}} (belt)
|type = Utility agricultural tractor
|preceded = Cockshutt 20
|succeeded =
| NTTL =
}}
The Cockshutt 540 utility tractor was built by the Cockshutt Plow Company, from 1958 to 1962. It was a utility successor to the Cockshutt 20 tractor, capable of operating two or three plows. Following industry trends, the 540 was styled with squared-off lines compared to the streamlined look of previous models.
Description and production
The Cockshutt 540 was the only Cockshutt tractor to be marketed as a utility tractor. In accordance with industry trends of the early 1960s, the 540 was styled with squared-off lines by industrial designer Raymond Loewy. The 540 was powered by a Continental Motors Company {{convert|162|cuin|cc|adj=on}} four-cylinder gasoline engine with a six-speed transmission, sharing the transmission with the larger 550. Although it was a utility tractor, the wheels could be adjusted in a manner similar to row-crop tractors, with power rear wheel adjust an option. A wide adjustable front axle was the only front wheel offering. The 540 came with a three-point hitch, power take-off (PTO) and hydraulics as standard equipment.{{cite book |editor1-last=Miller |editor1-first=Melissa Carpenter |title=Cockshutt: The Complete Story |date=1999 |publisher=American Society of Agricultural Engineers |isbn=1-892769-07-7 |pages=67-68}}{{cite web |title=Cockshutt 540 |url=https://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/6/5/659-cockshutt-540.html |website=TractorData |access-date=20 March 2022}}{{cite book |last1=Pripps |first1=Robert N. |title=The Field Guide to Classic Farm Tractors |date=2020 |publisher=Motor Books |isbn=978-0-7603-6844-2|page= 192}}{{cite book |last1=Swinford |first1=Norm |title=The Proud Heritage of AGCO Tractors |date=1999 |publisher=American Society of Agricultural Engineers |isbn=1-892769-08-5 |page=134}}
About 2,500 Cockshutt 540s were built at Cockshutt's Brantford, Ontario plant from 1958 to 1962. None were produced in 1960 due to excess inventory from previous years.Cockshutt 1999. p. 97 Base price in 1958 was CA$2,667. Cockshutt 1999. p. 103