Hello Graham,
some remarks about Your post concerning weight of a walk-behind tractor.
As a boy of 14-15 years old, I did some field work with a Holder E12.
http://de.wikibooks.org/wiki/Traktorenlexikon:_Holder_E12
It worked well in plowing and other tillage operations. Its weight without implement in more than 400 lbs, and I think that mass is necessary. While plowing it had a slow steady pace along the furrow. Every two-wheel tractor I have ever seen with much less weight worked poor in tillage getting stuck with every stone or hardpan in the soil.
So my experience tells me not to go for a real lightweight, it won't do the work. Also I don't think it was hard work, the Holder was easy to operate if You knew how to. It was just fun for me as a boy! Its prob important that weight distribution and steering/brakes are well designed.
Another issue with the microtractor design is, a power cube with 27+ hp is inapt for a walking tractor. With its low speed (walking) 10-12 hp are more than enough, anything else is wasted.
I wonder also if designing a two-wheel tractor is worth the effort? The GVCS is a set intended for serious production. A tractor for your home garden doesn't qualify for the GVCS IMO.
Wouldn't it be better to design a for-wheel tractor similar to this?
http://de.wikibooks.org/wiki/Traktorenlexikon:_Holder_B_10
A full-time farmer whose farm is too small for this size of tractor won't be viable in the future. And 4-wheeltractors are much more versatile and easier to operate.
I would urge everyone to rethink building a single-axle-tractor !!!
Mike
Personally I think the wheeled articulated LifeTrac 1 configuration was much more promising than the skidsteer-with-bandtracks that replaced it, tracks are good in a number of ways but as the basis for a general purpose farm tractor they pretty much suck.
Agreed !!!
Decision for skidsteering was deadly for development of an agricultural tractor. Just a stupid decision, though the reason for this decision is obvious: FeF was unable to build a non-breaking articulated joint.
Tracks have their qualities, but not if designed as in Liftrac3. Best feature of tracks is their low ground pressure, giving high mobility in very soft terrain. But for low pressure the tracks have to be supported over the entire length.
Besides that IMO that a second axle should be added to the microtrac, powered or unpowered. It has oo many advantages that outweigh the additional cost.
Mike
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