OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.
Page 33
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters should be on one side of the paper only and typewritten by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for 11443-21.13 expressed is accepted
Agrimotor ana Horse Costs.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1899] Sir,—The article by " Agritnot" in your issue of January 17th throws a searchlight on the views of some farmers towards the use of tractors, but does not entirely cover the ground. There are at present two or three additional and important factors prejudicing the farmer's views. Briefly they are as follow :— (1) His failure to reeoguize that ploughing two or three furrows at two or three miles an hour, under all sorts of conditions, needs strength and, therefore, weight of material in a tractor. (2) The insistence up to the present that this work can be done with a "too light" tractor, thus bringing about large expense for repairs and upkeep, not to mention speedy depreciation.
(3) The failure to insist upon his employee taking ordinary and reasonable care of the trator itself.
The farmer ha,s been persuaded by the salesman with the light tractor to -sell that lightness is everything, and he has fallen an easy victim, firstly, because that is the ideal, and, secondly, because it spells a cheap price. The Food Production people helped in part to this, but they were not concerned with the life of the tractor, only with getting the work done quickly, and they were right in the circumstances. It can almost he taken for granted that, in these days, any tractor can be tuned up to carry out a fair demonstration over a short period, but that should not be the deciding factor with the farmer.
The farmer knows his business right enough, but we can all be carried away for the moment. sr. The tractors whith stand up to the work are the ones to buy. A little thought of what has to be accomplished and what it means in the way of reserve strength, combined with care for the tractor itself when in and out of use, will save the farming community in this country thousands upon thousands of pounds annually in purchase money and cost of upkeep.
The facts as regards tractors are—that there are thousands of satisfied owners in the country to-day ; that no newly introduced machine has made greater strides in so short. a time that tractor ploughing is still the system which will eventually prevail, with horses as a supplement : that the present lull is brought about by fall in prices of horses and produce generally, coupled with the financial situation.
The reactionaries, like the poor, are always with us; the empties will always need convincing, but the average farmer is neither. He does, however, need the proper kind of help and advice from the manufacturer and dealer, so that. he does not find later that be has been " stung."—Yours faithfully, London. WATCHING.
What Advantages do Matti-wheelers Offer ?
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1900] Sir,—I have been very interested in your articles and suggested design for a six-wheeler. There is no doubt that the commercial vehicle industry badly needs livening up, for the building of enormous numbers of chassis of the same type during the war has calmed a stagnation of design and sales since: Can this be altered by building six-wheelers? Under the present conditions of trade, I do not think so.
Take first cost. It is well known,' of course, that a small component, say, a 2 ton rear axle, costs practically the same to build as one for a 4 ton vehicle. The six-wheeler must be fitted with two of these
axles and with three sets of differential gear. in addition, the wheels of one axle being also capable of being steered further complicates the design. There are eight universal joints against four of the four-wheeler, two extra springs, and attachments tt, the frame, extra wheels, more tyres, and .a large number of wearing points added to the steering, etc. Nearly all the above parts are, unfortunately, unsprung weight and, therefore, subject to very harsh treatment.
Granted that some parts are subject to less strain when there are more of them to bear it, the fact remains that they must be overhauled when an overhaul is necessary. This will not tend to ease the cost of upkeep. The vehicle now often suffers badly from neglect to oil the spring shackles, steering and brake joints, etc. Increasing their number will make this matter worse.
The points in favour of the six-wheeler are :— Less tyre wear.
Tyres are one of the easiest things to renew ; they can be fitted in the night it necessary, and the price of a replacement is not often so important as the time taken to fit it.
Longer chassis can be built.
Those already on the road are now too long for some country roads.
Less wear of road surfaces.
-Under the present system of taxation will the owner buy more expensive vehicles to help this? Less side slip.
is there much of this anyway ? Considering the number of buses on the roads in London, we hear of very few accidents from this cause.
As usual, I have ideas of my own (gained from a long. experience of commercial repairs) for the improvement of these vehicles, but I am afraid I have already taken up _a lot of space on what may seem a rather destructive criticism, but it is only by exchange of opinion and close examination of ideas that improvements can be effected. I trust you, sir, will open your columns to a discussion of this question.—
Yours faithfully, FRANK SMITH. Orpington, Kent.
Going Where He is Looking.
the Editor, TEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1901] was interested in the description, in
the last issue of The Coartmereial Motor' of the vehicle that appears to be running backwards. It is a good stunt, but I am afraid that the clever people who thought of it will not be allowed to make any extended use of it. I cannot see that there is anything illegal in the design, because the law does not say that a body shall be of any given shape, nor does it debar any particular shape or arrangement, and there is no legal objection to the hood covering the driver and the engine, nor to the rear of the vehicle looking like the front of other vehicles But the shape may mislead other drivers and lead to accidents: I think I should be inclined to be argumentative if I ran up towardsithe tail of a traffic block and saw that thing facing me. My remarks to the dummy driver might be unprintable, and; because of his enjoyment of the contretemps, might even ileacome lurid. Again, coming on it suddenly in front . of me. I might he tempted to swerve to its left, thinking it was miming towards me I only hope that, for the sake of publicity, no one will put on the road a bus that goes broadside 'on --Yours faithfully, TEE PLAIN MAN. Bristol.