THE IDEAL AGRIMOTOR.
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Which Type of Agricultural Tractor is Likely to Prevail for Use on British Land ?
IAM NOT quite sure that the title of this article properly designates what I am about to describe. I think that what I have in inyimind is rather the type of tractor which will, in a, reasonable period, become most popular throughout these islands. I am not unaware that I am entering upon a very contra
• versial subject, and it is eXtremely'probable that, as a result of the publicity which he Is givnig to my views, the Editor will becorne the target of a somewhat heavy and probably well-directed bombardment of missives I
The types at present upon the market would appear to be numerous indeed, what with steamers, heavy agricultural-type tractors, smaller machines on motorcar lines, self-contained motor ploughs; and many ethers, betwixt and between those named. On coni.deration, however, they boil down to two, the selfcontained machine and the motor tractor, the latter being capable, to a greater or less extent, according to the details of its design, of being used for haulage purposes. Of thesetwo types, the motor tractor is again divisible according to the construction of the machine in question. It may be, for example, of the old-fashioned type, somewhat roughly built, with gearing more or less exposed, and fitted usually with a single or two-eylindered engine of a. low speed of revolution. On the other hand, it may be built more on the lines of a modern motor vehicle, with a eub.stantial smooth-running four-cylinder engine, not revolving normally at a speed greater than 900 r.p.rn., fitted with a ear type gearbox, and completely enclosed worm, or double-reduction, live back axle, full or semi floating. In expreising an opinion as to the popular type; one must give an indication; too, of the size and power of the machine which will be in demand.
The decision as between the two main types must inevitably, to my mind, go in favour of the tractor. On broad grounds, the farmer wants a machine which canibe of as much general utility as is reasonably pos.eible. The hours per year during which he can usefully employ an agricultural motor directly on work on the soil are, comparatively, few. He could probably, given a suitable niaohine, find as many hours work for it, hauling goods on the road, as he could in the field, with economy and without detrinient to either of its two mainkfunctions. The best and most convenient of self-contained.motor ploughs-reqairee, a
. certain amount of alteration to render it suitable for running on the road and, even when soaltered, it is not usual for the weightdistribution to be such as to make it a suitable haulage machine. It is:therefore doubly uneconomical. The tractor, on the ether band, apart from. the.question of removal of strakes . . or spuds—which operation must be performed on either type of machine—is equally prepared for work upon the land or upon the .road, and. since it is designed in the first place to be a suitalile hauler, it is naturally at home in that capacity, whetherton mould or macadam.
I am firm in my belief, then, that eventually, except in a few isolated instances, the tractor type will prevail. Now comes the question whether it will be a slow-speed agricultural -implement tyPe machine, or built on the; lines of a motorcar Or motor lorry. I think it will be the latter, fornhe simple reason that, so constructed, it makes a better .engineering.icib and, although I have heard from tinie to time that engineers used to say that the bicycle was not an engineering job., but that it, nevertheless, did prevail, I hope that argument will not be put up against me on this occasion. If it be,othen I can point out.that there is no parallel.
Here we have two constructions nearly alike, but
differing in their-soniadness on engineering principles. There can be 110 question but that the machine With totally-enclased working parts (and, by totally enclosed, Lmeau in the fullest sense of the word, right down to engine control rods and pins) is the type of engine to work in .fields, where, during dry warm weather, it will haVe,toltravel in a cloud of grit and dust of its .own making. The four-cylinder engine must come, and come to 'stay, for almost precisely the same reasons fel. . which it superseded the single and two cylinclered engine on the car. As _to, size. -. It is believed by many that the larger the farm, the larger the tractor, and particularly is the -faith heldethat, if .a, farm consists in the main of a comparatively small number of fields, then the owner Will perforce have. to invest.in..something of the nature of a 60 Lee traction engine, capable Of :pulling half-adozen shares-at once.' With these opimens I must emphatl icaly, d ieagree. I . think the larg -far me r will find it paeohim to deal rather in units ; to have a couple of tractors each, pulling three furrows, rather than a large one drawing six.
The argument usually urged in favour of the big chap is that it needs but one driver, whereas two ma chines would call for double the expenditure of labour. This is a fallacy on two grounds at present, and even when one of th.e.se has been removed, there will always remain, the second. Iu the first place, a satisfactory self-lift six-furrow plough has yet. to be put upon the market, so that the use of the big tractor involves a driver and a ploughman in any ease. But, secondly, the big fanner his to employ a supply of what may be termed floating labour, about the farm, and it is more than likely that at ploughing time. ploughing will be the chief operation going forward, and that he will have the men to Spare. for it.
Incidentally, the purchase of one machine is like petting all your eggs into one basket, If it breaks down—and tractors do that sometimes—the whole of the farming operations dependent upon that tractor are immediately brought to a standstill. The Odds are against two machines being broken down together.
I think that the following specificatiion will be found to be one to which the bulk of the tractors of 1920-1921 will conform. Four-cylindered engine, 30 h.p. governed, nominal speed 800 or 900 r.p.m. ; disc Clutch, of extra ample dimensions; three-speed gearbox, giving speeds of l, 2, and '4 miles per hour ; final drive by double reduction gears, to a fully floating rear axle ; wheel dimensions : rear, 4 ft. diameter by 10 ins. wide ; front, 3 .ft. diameter by 5 ins. wide ; sprung front and rear with some simple method of putting the rear springs out of action when used On the sell' fitted with two efficient brakes, or probably three, two of them being disposed one to each rear road wheel, which arrangement is particularly useful as an aid to sharp-turns. Thedrive will be taken through the rear wheels. The weight will probably be not less than 35 .cwt., nor more than 40' cwt., complete. The steeringand'control will be modelled on ear practice. The driver will be provided with a much more,coihiortable seat than is at present customary and with th.e control will be embodied a lever or pedal for operating the self-lift plough, the self-lift cultivator and other implements .which• are corning along, specially de. signed for use with tractors.
I insik upon every moving part, except the four wheels, being totally enclosed, and adequately protected from the ingress of grit and dust.Lubrication' will be necessary at the Most at three points only. I do not anticipate that a machine to meet this specifieation will be produced in this country for less than
£400. AGRIMOT.