MOTOR LORRIES ON THE FARM.
Page 27
Page 28
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Some Interesting Facts and Useful Information Supplied by Farmer Users.
FARM TRANSPORT is a matter of no little interest, and it was a gteat pleasure to me to read recently a number of experiences of farmer users of motor vehicles which have appearedin the columns of that very valuable agricultural journal Modern Farming. _
The editor sent out a questionnaire to a number of farmers who were believed to be users, inquiring : 1. Make of lorry and horse-power.. 2. How long it had been in use.
3. Its principal work. • 4. Average mileage per week. 5. Estimated running cost per mile. 6, Whether driver was a farm labourer or specially trained man.
7. Whether solid or heavy pneumatic tyres were favoured.
8. Does the.reeipient require any special type of body ?
9. Does he convey live stock in the lorry ? 10. Can the lorry do any actual farm work, such ,as carting crops to homestead, taking fer-,. tilizers to fields, when the soil surface is ' favourable ?
11. Does he think more farm lorries should be employed ? 12. Which does he consider most suitable for general farm purposes, the 10 cwt., 20 cwt., 30 cwt., 2 ton or over? 13. Any further remarks.
Some 26 replies with the name and address of the sender, were published.
The object of the questionnaire was made clear in an editorial note : "Farmers are becoming keenly interested in the -question of adding a motor or steam lorry to their farm equipment, and the difficulty for them is to be able to draw upon the experience of those farmers who are already users."
Although each reply is printed separately, I have taken the trouble to analyse all those that were given in the tabulated farm and many interestingpoints arise. One or two of the answers in the replies were not tabulated, and I intend to deal with them in a subsequent contribution.
In reference to the various points discovered in regard to the analysis :—Question 1, in dealing with 27 vehicles, reveals the fact that out of these the following makes were used: Albion, 7; Sentinel (steam), 5; Halley, 3; Leyland, 2; Star 2; A.E.C., 1 • Burford (28 h.p.), 1; Dennis (271.n.), 1 ; Garner (30 h.p.), 1; Maxwell (26 b.h.p..), 1; Republic (22.5. h.p.), 1; -Straker-Squire (45 h.p.), 1; Thorny. croft (40 hp.) 1.
The three Halley lorries were each 35 h.p. ; the h.p. of the two Stars were not given; the one Leyland was described as 30 h.p., and the other.one as 36 h.p. Six of the Albions were 32 h.p. and one 16-20 h.p., while the Sentinels were variously described as "30-36 hp.," "5k ton steam wagon and trailer up to 70 h.p.," 30 h.p.," "6 ton Sentinel," and so on.
In regard to the second question, as to how long the lorries had been in use, the replies are very interesting. Only one vehicle, viz., the 16-20 h.p. Albion had been in. uee seven years or over. This vehicle was stated to have been employed for the last seven years. There were three that had been on the farm between six and seven years, viz. the Burford and two other Albions; the Straker-Squire and one of the Star vehicles had been used between five and six years, and a Sentinel four years, whilst 20 out of the 27 vehicles had been purchased during the last two years' and 12 out of the 20 had been bought during the last 12 months, which seems to indicate that motor lorries are growing in favour on the farms, and that as time goes on farmers will purchase more of them. The Garner had been in use 13 months, the Dennis, Thorny-croft, two Albions and two Sentinels were purchased under two years ago, but over 12 months, whilst the following had been bought within the last year from the date of the reply being made : One Star, two Albions, three Halleys, one Republic, two Leylands, two Sentinels, one Maxwell, one A.E.G.
Dealing with Question 3, viz., the principal work, it was found that 17 of the lorries (including four steam) were used for hauling market and general produce, including milk, to the towns, and returning with manures, fertilizers, and food stuffs; two. were. used entirely for market gardenin% purposes, and one entirely for the conveyance of pedigree sheep to shows and station work. Two were used for general farm work and some journeys to town, five for station work, and 15 or 16 used in some way or other for the conveyance of live. stock in addition.
The average mileage per week varied very -considerably. Five of the lorries were only doing 50 miles or under a week, while three were running between 50 and 60, two between 60 and 70, and two between 70 and 100. or, in other words, 12 of the lorrieswere doing not more than 100.mile-s per week.. Two were stated to be 'doing 100 to 150, and seven 150 to 200, while
there was only one doing from 200 to 300, but three were averaging between 300 and 400 a week. The mileage of the remainder had not been ascertained, whilst of six the estimated running cost per mile, in answer to Question 5 on this subject, had not been ascertained.
The ThoriTycroft user put the total cost at is. 6d. per mile, the Straker-Squire 2s., Burford is. 2d., oi ton Sentinel 2s., and another Sentinel is. 6d. per mile, in the latter case for a tour to six ton load. The cost of one of the Halleys was said to be is. 2d. per mile, and of the Star is. 4d., whilst of the Garner it was said that is. per mile included the licence, insurance, etc. One of the Albions was put at is. per mile, and another one at is. hi. The question was answered in some cases by giving the total quantity of petrol required per mile, while others gave the number of miles to the gallon, as for instance the Leyland, which was said to do six miles to the gallon while the Maxwell did 18 to 20 miles. One of the :Ialleys was said to cost 40. per mile and one of the Albions 6d. per mile for oil and petrol, while it was said of one of the Sentinel wagons that it cost 3d. to 4d. per mile. I do not know to what part of the running cost these last figures refer, but it was probably fuel.
The answer given by one of the Albion users was as follows:—" Petrol, 7 to 8 miles per gallon with 3 ton load. Cylinder oil, about 150 miles per gallon. Running repairs very slight. Wages of driver."
The answer given by a Halley user I quote :— " Estimated running cost per mile, 5d. or 6d." Another Albion user says: ' When I got it at first, when petrolwas 2s. 6d. per gallon, I could take 3 tons into Glasgow and bring home 3 tons-5 miles a single journey—for 2s. 6d., or, in other words, 10 miles to the gallon of petrol." Another gives the running costs of an Albion as 6d. per mile for oil and petrol ; still another, for the same type and make of vehicle, puts the cost at is. per mile, whilst several do not say anything about the running cost.
The point about this is that, apparently, only a few farmers really know the cost of running a motor lorry, and many of them in estimating do not include everything. In some cases they include petrol and oil, but omit one or all of the items labour, repairs, depreciation, and interest.
It looks, on the face of it, as though the Thornycroft, Straker-Squire, some Of the Sentinel, and a few of the Albion users, who quote is. 6d. to 2s. per mile, were nearest the mark and likely to have kept the most correct records.
On the subject of the driver, 12 were, or had been, farm labourers, six were driven by trained men, five by the owner or a member of the owner's family, and one or two were various, including the farm tractor driver, and, in the case of the Republic, a chauffeuse. The following were driven by farm or garden labourers :—Thornycroft, Straker-Squire, two Sentinels, Burford, Maxwell, A.E.C., four Albions, and a Halley. It is important for the farmer to know that an intelligent farm hand can soon be trained to manage a motor lorry; in fact, it is possible to train a man much more easily than for managing a team. In regard to pneumatic or solid tyres, it is not easy to judge from the replies given whether pneumatics had been tried or not. The question reads as. follows:—" Do you favour solid tyres or heavy pneumatics? " and many oilr. the replies state that solid tyres were favoured without saying whether pneumatics had been tried. In one case, the reply states : " Have not tried the latter, but we are prejudiced against them." In none of the replies is it stated that pneumatics were used. Even. the Maxwell is fitted with solid tyr.s.
Most agricultural users seem to prefer a special or modified type of body ; only one reply states that a special type is not preferred, and one Albion user states that the "hydraulic. end-tipping wagon suits our requirements.' For market garden work, Messrs. A. J. Robbins and Sons, of Vicarage Farm, Hounslow' state that they prefer the ordinary lorry body with market gardeners' head ladder.
In other replies it is stated that, for hauling livestock, special high sides and extra open-work wood sides and a tarpaulin cover are required. This secures ventilation without draught. It is also emphasized that the body should be as readily adaptable as possible. Replies to Question 10 were very interesting. It is shown that in one case two Star lorries are used for removing corn, potatoes, hay, and straw from the field when near the road, and in many cases that the lorry does actual farm work under favourable weather and soil conditions. That is to -say, when the land is dry it could be used with great advantage, though it is not suitable in wet weather.
Most of the replies indicate that more farni lorries ought to be employed, and in regard to Question 12 the most suitablesize appears to be the 2 tonner. An analysis gives the following points in favour :— 30 cwt., 6; 2 ton, 8; 3 ton, 7; 4 ton, 4: 5 ton, 2; 6 ton, 2. A GRIMOT.