Specialized Vehicles
Page 49
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on the farm and estate
ORDINARY transport work on the estate or farm can be carried out by the general-purpose lorry and, in the absence of specialized requirements, nothing more is needed. But it so happens, on many estates and large farms, that specialized vehicles or means for traction are necessary. There are many tasks in agriculture for which the general-purpose vehicle is not always the best.
Vehicles that will easily traverse soft ground are always more useful in farming than are those that will not. All pneumatic-tyred machines fulfil this requirement to a certain extent, but, at the same time, specialized types, such as the Morris-Commercial and other light six-wheelers, and the International Six-Speed Special, are better where much transport has to be effected over soft or uneven ground.
Most manufacturers can supply vehicles that will traverse soft or uneven ground, whilst there are, of course, the rigid six-wheelers of the War Office subsidy type.
For certain classes of agricultural and estate work, such as timber hauling, etc., tractors form the most suitable means for transport, and, of these, the best for the purpose are often those of the track-laying type: Prospective buyers need not fear these machines now. In the early days the cost of maintaining tracks, added to the higher initial capital outlay, made them prohibitive for many transport users. This difficulty has been overcome by the introduction of the rubber joint, and the track-laying type is becoming popular, especially in cases where it is important to obtain a good grip of the ground. Several well-known and established makes, such as the Caterpillar, are on the market, and
the fact that the International Harvester, Case, Ford and other concerns are producing them is proof of the demand.
If a track-laying machine be not required and there be still land haulage to be done, a four-wheel-drive machine, such as the Massey-Harris,
is recommended. .
The Lath l is a splendid machine for getting off the land with a heavy load. It has a four-wheel drive and pneumatic tyres for road work. By the use of special strakes, forming a permanent part of the wheel, the machine can be adapted for any kind of land work, including ploughing, cultivating and hauling heavy loads over soft ground. On the road it is fast, even when drawing heavy ':loads.
The Citroen-liegresse is in some respects similar, although it is a different type of machine. It runs on rubber driving tracks with ordinary steering wheels. It is capable of hauling a ton on the road, will perform any class of land work and can quickly be converted into a car for travelling on the roads or across fields. As a car it provides the convenience of a six-wheeled vehicle, and can be used for sporting purposes.
Special tractors of the heavy type, such as the Hardy, are useful on big jobs. There are also tractors suitable for work on sports fields, golf courses, etc.
. A demand exists for vehicles of the convertible type, which can be used either for carrying goods or for private purposes. A number of coachmakers produces bodies of this pattern and one or two car manufacturers make convertible units. One of these is the Willys Commerce saloon.