Stanhay agricultural engineers was formed in 1921.
It designed and manufactured all types of agricultural equipment and implements for all types of tractors before and after the war. Most of their products never used complicated mechanicals as they were making mainly farming tools, mining tools and other farm gear up until the 1930s when their production dwindled, Stanhay would then produce weapons and kept producing several types of small and light machinery like cable drums, hoists, winches, farm trailers for the domestic market and that kept the company active. Sales were very slow but successful specially around the Kent, Surrey and Sussex counties where their original equipment sold in healthy numbers to farmers and that provided Stanhay Limited with new product development for the next two decades.
On 24th March 1943 a bomb, carried by a German fighter bomber, hit by anti-aircraft fire, exploded as it was released from the aircraft above Stanhay’s works in Godinton Road, Ashford. 15 people were killed in this incident on a day when 52 people were killed or fatally injured in Ashford.1
From the late 1940s onwards their model range also included their own original Fordson-based Agricultural Tractors, Mobile cranes and Yard cranes. All these new machines were available in small numbers and were all powered by original Fordson sourced mechanicals and running gear. Due to larger companies competing in the same market Stanhay Limited found several difficulties and used alternative unusual Ford and Land Rover petrol engines for their new industrial machinery and farming equipment, as an alternative to the more common Fordson Diesel running gear which turned out to be cheaper and more plentiful at the time mostly because there were already many British made cars and trucks around using Petrol engines as Diesel fuel not so plentiful yet except for commercial vehicles and heavy machinery in those days.
From the 1950s the firm sold updated equipment and tried some new original cranes but these were never sold in large numbers as they hardly used hydraulics and used basic standard mechanicals. During the 1960s now under new management and trading under the new name of Stanhay (Ashford) Ltd., they celebrated a deal with Fordson Tractors who would allow them to produce a new generation of Orchard and Vineyard Tractors and other improved similar mechanical driven but lighter equipment still based on original Fordson running gear also with optional Petrol Landrover mechanicals to any customers choice. Stanhay also developed and produced Airport Refuellers and Airfield Tugs during the 1960s and 1970s.
Stanhay merged with Webb of Exning, Suffolk in the 1970s and now specializes in manufacture of seed drills.
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