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148 
Meeting Tractor Troubles Halfway
Page 75
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To Reap Full Benefit from the Farm Tractor It Must Be Available When Needed. Regular and Thorough Maintenance Ensures Reliability and Enables Big Losses and Expensive Repairs to be Avoided
JUST as the older farmers of this country have always taken a pride in their knowledge of horses, so now do the younger ones value their understanding of things mechanical. Success in agriculture calls for a high degree of intelligence, and, given the-•possession of this quality, it may be applied in one direction as well as in another.
Whilst the ways of the countryman may he rough and ready, he is certainly practical and, once his hesitation to abandon the well-tried practices of the past and his natural conservatism have been overcome, he is ready to appreciate the efficiency of modern methods.
To-day the British agriculturist is tractor minded, and is as capable of attending to the requirements of the machinery he uses, as he is of looking after his livestock and his land. It is, of course, hardly to be expected that the men responsible for the driving and maintenance of farm tractors should have the skill of the trained mechanic, but there are few instances of their finding the execution of the operations set out in tractor instructioit books beyond their capabilities, The Maker Knows Best.
These manuals, in the main, are lucid and comprehensive, and one feels that the best advice that can be given on the subject of maintenance is to pay full heed to the information contained in their pages. Tractors differ widely in design and, obviously, there is a different series of operations for every make and every type, Nevertheless, certain general rules can be applied, more or less, to them all.
Perhaps, lubrication is of first importance and next, protection from the harmful effects of the conditions under which tractors are called upon to operate. These two, in some respects, have a distinct bearing upon each other. On the one band, the proper provision of oil and grease where it is required, and its regular renewal when necessary, will hinder, if not entirely prevent, the entry of moisture and grit to parts which would certainly be harmed thereby, A Use for Used Oil.
On the other hand, used oil, of which there will be a plentiful supply if the lubrication rules receive due observance, is invaluable for use as a protective coating for bare metal parts, suchas there are, to a limited extent, on the tractors themselves „and, in greater numbers, on the implements. The screw threads of lowering and raising gear are an example.
Oil, paraffin and petrol are the three main fuels on which tractor engines are run. In the case of the first, the lubricant in the crankcase may deteriorate either through dilution, caused by unburnt fuel passing the pistons, or as a result of carbon particles mixing with it and forming sludge.
From paraffin engines, dilution troubles are practically inseparable. Unless a high temperature be maintained, a certain amount of liquid fuel is almost bound to be present in the cylinders. For this reason alone, a heavier grade of oil is commonly recommended for this type of power unit. In the case of both oil and paraffin engines, the operative should never fail to change the oil after the appointed periods of running.
Petrol is much more volatile than paraffin, and, accordingly, its effect as a diluent of the lubricant is considerably less. Nevertheless, some dilution does occur even with this fuel, and, in any case, the oil becomes contaminated in time, So the rule still applies.
Combating Dilution.
. The matter of keeping up the temperature of the paraffin tractor is most important. The engine should always be run, from stating up, on petrol for too long rather than for too short a period, and when it is working at light load, either the radiator should be partly blanked off or petrol should be used.
It is not only a question of initial vaporization. The gas reaching the induction parts may be dry, but, if the temperature of the combustion Chamber and cylinder walls' be not high enough, condensation will take place and liquid fuel will work down to the crankcase. • .
One refers, loosely, to paraffin, in this connection. To do so, unfortunately, is general practice. Vaporizing oil is a better term, and for engine fuel the best-quality oil should always be used.
One great advantage of the tractor is its speed. By its means, a farmer can often reap a large profit or save a crippling loss by being able to do, say, in one day, when weather and ground or crop conditions are simultaneously right, a job that might otherwise take so long to accomplish that the conditions changed before it was completed.
By comparison with the semis of money that, thus, may he counted as credit, the cost of oil, which,. at the time of draining and replenishment, may seem extravagant, is negligible and a first-class investment.
Had parsimony or neglect caused failure in this matter, and had, in turn, a breakdown or serious loss of powe resulted, the benefit might not hay been enjoyed.
In similar manner, time devoted t• maintenance and money spent on earl: replacement of worn or damaged parts are rewarded by reliability and unfai: ing service at the moment it is mos required.
There is work for the tractor all th year round, but, nevertheless, plent of opportunities arise for attending t its requirements. The best time to overhauling is probably the sprine when there is plenty of daylight, an possibly rain prevents -non-essentie out-of-door work. It is, howevei difficult, if not impossible, to lay dow hard and fast rules as to when majo maintenance operations should be dont
Workshop and Equipment.
So much machinery is now used o farms that there is justification fe employing and equipping a buildin solely for repair work. Bench, vict and drill may be regarded as indispem able, and an extremely useful item i some form of lifting tackle, which ma be slung from a stout beam and shout be capable of lifting a light tracte complete.
A set of screw-cutting equipment, t cover all usual tractor and implemen thread sizes, is extremely hanc1.y renders the farmer more independent c 'outside assistance and will soon pay le itself, The need for a lathe often arise, but Such a machine calls for speck skill on the part of the user, and it inclusion, in fitting-out the workshor must depend on the class of man th farmer has available.
If there be no one who can operas an expensive tool, it is, obvieusly futile to purchase it; on the other hanC. money spent in providing a cleve workman with the equipment he need for full advantage to be taken of hi skill, will save expenditure throug calling in the expert mechanic whos services are usually costly.
Money Well Spent.
As in the case of the outlay o lubricant, mentioned earlier, this als can be reduced to a question c economics.
The subject of maintenance is far to large for it to be possible, in a slim article such as this, even to review th numerous operations that should b carried out on the many types tractor available. On all, however, th regular periodic • inspection slimul cover tightening up bolts and nutspounds can be saved this waychecking sprockets, shafts, etc., fe alignment, testing tracks and drivin chains for tension, keeping all contra' in proper adjustment, looking for exces sive play in all joints and be.aring, attending to tyre pressures and doin all the operations that are common t both the tractor and the ordinar commercial vehicle.