THE THREE-WHEELED AGRIMOTOR.
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The Success of the Three-wheeled Power Plant Depends on the Careful Disposition of Weight. Some New Tractor Implements.
.I T WOULD almost seem that the three-wheeled agrimotor has quitegone out of fashion in England. The fact that there were only two such agrimotors at the Lincoln tractor trials last autumn seems to give an indication of this. The fact also gave rise to a considerable amount of discussion on the subject among farmers and, to some extent, a revival of interest in the three-wheeler.
Since-that time, I have encountered a-considerable volume of opinion both for and against the principles of three wheels. On the one hand, there seems to be a great deal of prejudice against three-wheelers of all kinds, while some people think that a properly constructed-three-wheeler ought to be-possible. There is no doubt that the agrimotors mounted on three wheels in the past have been failures so far. as this country is concerned, and I do not think one need seek far to find the cause. Most of these tractors, to say the least, were very badly balanced on the three wheels. The even balancing of the machine -upon its wheels—whether three. or four—is all important. Unless this be accomplished, no machine will stand up to its work or carry the heavy strain placed upon
it in the fields. , To throw the greater portion or the weight and the 'strain upon one or two wheels was one of the great mistakes of the past, and, because this was done in the ease of the three-wheeler, to the. extent very often of throwing the greater part of the strain upon one wheel, it has brought upon this type almost wholesale condemnation.
Whether an agrimotor should run on threewheels or four depends entirely upon the construction. To run economieally and with advantage upon three wheels, the whole appliance must be constructed accordingly. It is worse than folly to mount on three wheels a machine that should be mounted on four.
There are certain ad-vantages in three-wheel construction, including quicker response to the steering gear, a three-point contact with the ground, the avoiding of over-straining of the frame, and all wheels always solidly on the ground. These are distinct advantages which manufacturers have realized, but, unfortunately, especially, in regard teethe contact of the wheels with the ground, they did not take care to construct the machine so as to secure this.
The three-wheel idea ha,s been blamed for failures ' due to manufacturers placing upon three wheels tractors that should have been built with four. In this connection I would like to mention one of the few really good three-wheeled tractors to be found on the market in this country. I do so because of the advantages in economy mentioned above, and also because of the peculiar characteristics of this particular agrimotor. I tefer now to the Chase made in Canada..
Except the Glasgow, the Chase is the only type I have seen that has had successfully worked out into practice the three-wheel idea. In the first place, the balance of the Chase has. been calculated with scientific exactness. The weight is distributed properly, being well forward so that the front wheel supports its Aare and so holds true m its course.
The front wheel has an 8 in. concave rim, ;which holds true to a straight line without. the tendency to skid or slip. In the past, the ...rent wheels of three-wheelers have been constructed with rolled edges, which, on account of their tendency to slip, have made steering difficult One or two other points of the Chase are worthy of consideration. It has no differential gears. Generally, in the case of three-wheel tractors, the blocking of the drive wheel resulted in the differential gears tending to kick the tractor from its course. The side draught of the plough had the same effect. This is avoided in the Chase, because it has no differential gears. It pushes ahead with an equal drive on both rear Wheels, and with all three wheels on the land, each carrying its proper proportion of weight, the two rear wheels carrying an equal , amount., These advantages are summed up in a few words, viz.,, easy steering, quick response to the touch of the eteevingx-wheel, and the holding of a steady courses1s great point. is. that the drive is given on both rear wheels. In the past, with other tractors, the drives have been confined, in most cases, to a single wheel. The Chase is very good at turning, because either wheel caiebe thrown out of gear and a sharp, quick, easy turn made: • :'it is no policy of minatp. attempt saying nice things unnecessarily about this agrimotor. What I have said has been merely to pointout that, so far, in my opinion,. this is ,one of the few three-wheel tractors . that have be-en properly constriicted, and that, because it has been properly constructed, it is a really good -thing. sec'a,e.%,
ow ridger and nine tineon the next page).
Another impostant'detail in the cc.nstruction of the Chase is that of the hull gears-and bull pinions being made of tool steal. In many of the agrimotors of former days the gears were made of east steel or iron, consequently wearing thin and breaking under the heavy grind of the bull pinions.. Though increasing slightly the first cost, this use of tool steel reduces considerably the subsequent working expenses, besides being a greater security egainst the tractor failing in the busy season through the wearing or breaking of the gears.
Of course, the production of tool steel gears is a somewhat costly process. The bull gear is rolled from low carbon steel. The gears are truedand machined. • Then they are specially treated by heat until they have a glees hardness that afile would not touch, their life thus being much lengthened. I do not know that it is necessary for me to say more about this machine, unless it be to point out that throughout the whole cf its construction the same thoroughness and strength can be noted as in the case of gears. :Construction for the distribution of weight is very satisfactory, and the whole machine, including the motor, is indeed very well designed.
The only other three-wheeled agrimotor that has met with anything like success in this country, and that holds its own at the present moment, is the Glasgow. But this (an especially good machine) is, if I may say so, in a class by itself, having embodied in it the three-wheel drive principles.
A new cultivator implement has been introduced, and will shortly be placed' on the market by Martins Cultivator Co., of Stamford. It is a new self-lift tractor cultivator and three-furrow ridger. T h e machine is the latest and most up-to-date tractor implement yet devised.
We have many times pointed out that, unless the tractor enables the farmer to secure larger yields of crops through increased cultivation of his land, it will not have justified itself, and this appears to have been the idea behind the design of the new implement. It is intended for the cultivation of stubbles and fallow land, but by certain simple adjustments, in addition to being used for skimming. stubbles and clearing land of trash, it is also most effective in preparing the land for seed beds and general work, and it is convertible into a cultivator and ridger, which will often save the operation of ploughing, and will thus, at one and the same operation, cultivate and prepare the land for root cultivation.
As a cultivator, it has embodied in it all the wellknown Martin patented improvements, and the fact' that it can be so quickly converted into a ridger adds greatly to its utility. .It.'is bound to meet with a heavy demand, because of the variety of work which it can do, from which fact it will be seen that it is an implement that can be used all the year round for various jobs of skimming and breaking up stubbles; preparing seed beds and land for roots, crosscutting .fellows, breaking up turnip land and ridging land instead of ploughing for winter fellows.
The makers hope to iommence delivering the Model No. S.L. 20 A. (9 tine) machine by the end of April, and hope to complete their tools and jigs for the 11 tine and 7 tine machines in time for the autumn trade.
Saunderson's have introduced a useful tank (illustrated herewith) for the purpose of conveying water and fuel for the tree
tor at work in the field. The tank supplies a great need, and .1 am sure farmer tractor users will take advantage'of its usefulness.
The effect of these. notable improvements in machinery should prove of great value to tractor
makers and users. AGRIMOT. •