| Show FULL TRACTOR LOAD EFFICIENT use of the rated capacity saves time fuel by E R 11 REED associate is in agricultural engineering university of illinois up to one ha half af of all the time spent driving tractors in tho the field and 20 to 25 per cent of the fuel cc could auld be saved if tractors were loaded to their full rated capacity pulling two or more light draft implements clements ts behind a tractor is one way of raising the load nearer to the rated capacity among the machines which are particularly adaptable to being pulled in this manner are mowers binders rotary hoes harrows drills and culli packers all these implements have a low draft pounds of pull for each foot of width and thus are the units which contribute most to low average loading mowers for example are wider than they used to be but still make a rather light load for most tractors some farmers have hitched one or two horse mowers behind the tractor to double or even triple the width of the cut and thus reduce the labor and fuel cost two binders also may be pulled to advantage especially in the northern half of illinois the combine has replaced most of the binders but this fact frequently means that where they are used sm small all horse binders are pulled behind a tractor operated at a very low per cent of its rated capacity the rotary hoe must be used in the wider widths if it is to load the tractor to capacity chene whenever ver possible two or even three rotary hoes should be used to reduce labor laboi save fuel and enable the operator to io obtain timeliness of operation spike tooth harrows must be very wide to develop a full tractor load fortunately additional sections dont cost much last a long time and are usable until worn out they can be used regardless of their make or shape rollers and culli packers have about the same characteristics acte frequently Frequent lythe the time and expense saved by using two implements will not justify the purchase of the second unit reed suggests that farmers may be able to exchange machines with their neighbors in order to use two units atthe at the same time |
