Opinions from .Others.
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters :..hcirild be on one sLe of the paper only and typewritten by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for ,'vie'ws expressed is accepted.
The Ivel Tractor.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL Morale
[1480] Sir,—We have just received a letter from a customer who has had one of our Ivel tractors for some time. This letter we consider week{ be of general interest., especially at the present time, as there are quite a number of different machines working in various parts of the country. It reads as follows :— " I wish to tell you that the tractor is working well and giving good satisfaction to myself. The little tractor is the admiration of all the farmers ground. There are several other tractors in this district now, but none like the live]."
(Signed) "S. TIfOMA S."
EgIwyS1111Hyd Farm, Margam,
. Pert Talbot, Glam." -. Yoursfaithfully,
' For THE IVEL AGRICULTURAL MOTORS, LTD., The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
(1481.1 Sir,—With reference to the question of the [ife Of Ford Conversion -units as well as the life of tires when fitted to these outfits, it may interest your readeos to know that we'. have just received news conc2rning the first unit supplied on this side of the Atlantic, advising us that it was fitted to a vehicle in the Royal nail Service, and that its mileage now exceeds _14,000, this mileage having been done on the same tires, which are still in .service. Our customers, who have, seven of these Ford Olson outfits in their mail service, further inform us with regard to the tires, that no retreads have had to be provided yet for any one On their fleet.
We may add that we are now arranging to inanufacs tore these units in this .country.—Yours faithfully, Coventry. BRAMCO,., LTD. What is the Use of Coal-gas?
The Editor, THE COMMEROIAL MOTOR.
[1482] Sir,—At the bottom of page 243 -of THE COMMERCIAL Moroo dated the 17th May there is a very interesting paragraph,, pointing oat the •value of coalgas on the roof of a motorbus or the canopy of a
motorcar, • etc. _
I should very much like to know what. the use of the coal-gas is. Is it suggested that if the holder is of sufficiently large size that the motorbus will fly, or is it proposed to turn on the gas when the petrol gives out ?
The idea of motorcars with miniature gasometers .
the roof flyiog down Regent Street is certainly development not hitherto contemplated. . Perhaps in the next issue of your interesting paper you will give your readers some explanation of what is _meant by the paragraph in question.—Yours faith fully, A. W, ToottimorroN. London.
['various references in tith issue answer Mr. 'Pork ington's: enquiry.—En,] The Agrimotor Position.
The Editor; THE COMMERCIAL. MOTOR. Sir,—As one of the agents appointed under the Perry scheme," we were very interested in your report of the a-grimotor position in your issue dated
the 10th nay.
'Eating -eXperieliced the difficulties of the " Godc2
fathers' " work, we are not altogether surprised at the comparatively unsatisfactory. report, but, at the same time, we most emphatically deprecate any tendency to pessirniern so far as the future use labtractors is concerned.
The agrimotor is very much in the pos,ition of the early autocar or aeroplane, not only ii regard to the
machine itself, but also in regard to the inexperience of the operators, and we believe that, given a little encouragement, rapid improvement is as possible with thhi latest aspect of the internal-combustion motor as with its forerunners.
We would suggest that a collection of opinion be obtained from all the " Godfather's" Who have acted under this scheine,'-as -We feel sure that it would be productiveof some -Useful criticism.
The tendency of our own opinion is that the present type will 'be largely discarded in favour of a model with Winding gear attachment', which will operate in the same manner as the steam plough, this opinion being 'based upon the following' advantages :— 1. The power unit will not have to drag its own weight about upon a surface which is almost the worst that could be found for tractive effort.
2. 'The power saved will enable the tractor to haul a larger load, especially as the power will be applied at a mechanical advantage, viz., transversely 'to the plane of the axtes.
3. The risk of " bogging ',' will be reduced to a. mini-mum, as the tractor will ohly have to travel on the headlands, which are usually firm ground and, in any case, can be easily " prepared" in immediate advance of the travel of the tractor.
4. The delay in turning at the end of each furrow will he reduced to the minimum, as, so far as we can see, the only practical way to work the ordinary tractor is by working two lands" at a time,. which means considerable idle running.
5. The field can be.ploughed right out, whereas with the present type several strips the width of the tractor have to be left to be finished by a horse plough.
6. The land is not pressed down by the heavy weight of the tractor.
The disadvantage of the extra capital expense should be more than outweighed by the operating expenses saved, especially as the first cost of two tractors should not equal the cost of one steam tractor.
Should it be impracticable to operate rope haulage in fields of certain character. (and on that matter we must admit ignorance), the present. tandem style could be reverted to, with the same tractor, which should be capable of being' operated in both was.
In regard to the reorganization of the Government scheme, we think that your plea for further considera tion of the beSt agents strikes the right note, for many have done their best to operate the scheme, and we believe that no other branch of industry could have
done better., Moreover, seeing that many failures have been the result of inexperience, -which inexperience has now been ;largely removed, it would 'sewn
folly to throw over that experience which has been gained, but wisdom to use it to increase:the efficiency of a future scheme..
Furthermore, in defence of the agent, we would .point out that some of the failure is due to the poor • selection of machines. For instance 'we" had charge of a 16 h.p. Mogul, which was provided with a three
furrow plough, which it was not really powerful enough to operate, and we since learn that this particular model is only supposed to operate a two-furrow plough. We had to. do our best with that given • The Agrimotor Position—con.
to us, but, needless to say, although we •Gild good work, the results were not wholly satisfactory. Another agent known to us had sent to him an enormous machine of about 75 h.p., and weighing about 10 to 14 tons, and the failure of such a Colossus in our small fields was a foregone conclusion. In justice to those agents who did their best with poor material, we think that their experience and opinions should be invited by the technical Press, not only to clear them from any. charge of incompetence, but to enable designers of future tractors to estimate respective values of various technical data observed and collected during this work.—Yours faithfully,
MILNE AND RUSSELL, LTD. ,
P. D. Ai znxE, Director.
72, High Street, Croydon.