Tractor & Farming Heritage - May 2014 - Sample Issue

LastWord

A place for everything and everything in its place?

Confessions of a tractor widow

WORDS Jean Brown CARTOON Anita Waters

A

s far as I see it there are two kinds of husbands – those that religiously keep their spanners hung in order of size on a neat row of nails on the workshop wall, and those that have everything lying about all over the floor and the work surfaces. I’ve got the latter type. Farmer Brown’s workshop is a total mess and I would love to get in there and have a good tidy up, but I suppose it is his domain, and there are times in a woman’s life when she has to know when to turn a blind eye.

But the lack of order is getting to me.

You see, for my birthday Farmer Brown bought me a jigsaw, as in the power tool, not the puzzle, and lately I’ve been making wooden shaped hearts to decorate as presents. I say he ‘bought’ me a jigsaw, what he did was ask me what I wanted for my birthday (aer prompting), and then I bought the item off the internet through our shared account.

Present disaster

I’ve learned a couple of things about husbands over the years. Firstly, always remind them that your birthday is approaching, otherwise you won’t get anything at all, and the subsequent row will wreck your day. Just waiting and hoping he’ll remember is never going to get you

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anywhere. And secondly, it’s always wise to direct your husband towards an actual present, because leaving him to hopelessly wander the shops is bound to end in disaster.

I had some very strange presents back in the days when I used to tell Farmer Brown he had to get me a present and he had to think of what to get, and he had to buy it, all by himself. Just off the top of my head I can recall receiving a galvanised cattle trough, a food blender identical to the working one I already owned, and on one occasion a size 22 leopard print night dress.

I might be well covered but I’m nowhere near size 22 thank you very much. So now I’ve learned my lesson, and I always tell him exactly what I want for my birthday.

Clear the decks

Anyway, back to this jigsaw. ere I am with my bit of wood all ready to cut in the vice, and I’m cursing because there is just stuff everywhere and it’s almost impossible to swing a saw without having a little clear up first.

I know Farmer Brown hates it if I tidy up, as he says he can’t find anything aer I’ve been in there, but really, you can’t see the workbench for tools and bits of wood and steel. I wonder what it would be like to be married to one of those men who uses a spanner rack and has cupboards and

drawers clearly marked with their contents, and everything in its place, all neat and tidy.

I decide that there must be downsides to this level of order. Perhaps chaps that are as neat and tidy as that also demand a certain ratio of carbohydrates to protein in their meals, and perhaps they spend their weekends in the gym, or having their backs waxed and dyeing their hair. I wouldn’t like it if Farmer Brown took too much interest in his appearance. It would only mean that I’d have to step up to the mark too, and that sounds like a lot harder work than having to clear the occasional work surface in the shed.

At the end of a good aernoon of shaping wooden hearts I show my wares to Farmer Brown. “ey’ll make nice presents once they are painted up and hung with a ribbon,” I say.

He studies them with a bewildered look on his face. “Very tidily done,” he says.

“But what are they for?”

“Decoration,” I say.

“Oh I see,” he says. But he doesn’t see really. He wonders why on earth anyone would want or need a wooden shaped heart to hang on their wall. And now that I’ve made 20 of the blooming things I’m beginning to wonder too. Still, at least the workbench is a bit tidier than it was when I started. ✦ tractormagazine.co.uk

Welcome

A 1929 International 10-20 in the working area at the Great Dorset Steam Fair back in 2012.

B

asildon will be in the news a lot this year celebrating the golden jubilee of the plant’s launch back in 1964. In March, New Holland celebrated in style by reuniting over 70 veteran workers who clocked in on the flagship factory’s opening day 50 years ago.

Its success can be measured by some of the statistics from the company; since 1964 more than 1.8 million British-made machines have rolled off the now twokilometre production line; the site employs 1000 people, makes 23,000 tractors each year and uses 600 tonnes of material every day. I think New Holland managing director Andrew Watson summed it up for me when he said: “e reunion is important because the people who set

up the plant in 1964 are actually part of the heritage of the New Holland brand and culture of the factory.”

Back then the first models produced were the Ford 3000, 4000 and 5000 series; machines which are a key part of the tractor heritage scene, but are now replaced on the production line by the powerful T6 and T7 ranges. And it’s sometimes a sobering thought that today’s innovation will at some point become tomorrow’s heritage.

Watching a new AGCO Challenger machine at work the other day, it was clear that its power, productivity and reliability were unquestionable. Another key selling point for this new breed of tractor is its ‘Mobil-trac’ design, a major feature to reduce field compaction. I can’t help feeling that things have turned full circle when I think of the old Caterpillar, International and other crawlers which were developed all those years ago for much the same reason.

Meet the team...

Ben Phillips

Polly Pullar

Jo Roberts

Pete Small

J Whitlam

Stuart Gibbard

Tractor restorer - aka the tractorlad.

Photojournalist with a passion for heritage.

Professional heritage Farming heritage writer based in Wales. historian and writer.

Tony Hoyland

Editor

To link to our Facebook page, just scan the image (right) with your smartphone.

Alternatively, go online and visit www.facebook.com/TractorMag

tractormagazine.co.uk

Writer and farming video producer.

Author, historian and tractor specialist.

Also thanks to Peter Simpson, Alan Barnes, Graham Hampstead, Dave Taylor, Dave Bowers, Bernard Holloway, HR, Old Sump Plug May2014Tractor

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CONTENTS

TRACTOR AND FARMING HERITAGE MAY 2014

Regulars 3

Welcome

18

News

20

All the latest news in the world of tractors and heritage.

34 COVER STORY

40

Graham’s Grumbles

There is a lot in the news lately about everybody’s favourite moan, pot holes.

24

Tractor Talk

74

O lucky man

Your news, views and comments about the vintage and classic scene.

44

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

80

Down to business

48

106 Next Month

Preview of the June issue of Tractor & Farming Heritage magazine.

138 Last Word

Jean Brown enters the world of Farmer Brown’s workshop where there is a place for everything and everything is in its place – apparently.

YourTractors 6

Ford in the Blood

COVER STORY

12

For 75 years Fordson, Ford and New Holland tractors have taken pride of place on the Cradock’s farm.

MF 20 – the industrious brother Russell Watts has been blessed to own and completely restore this tractor which was once the property of the Carmelite friars.

28

30

4

50 COVER STORY

56 COVER STORY

60

64 COVER STORY

68

Blue Force 1000 update

Celebrating 50 years of the 6X 1000 Series Ford tractors means a whole range of machines based on these skid units need to get a mention.

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Horses at war

We take a look at what happened when Mark Cotterill decided he would like to own a rare John Deere 5020 with a V8 Detroit Diesel engine conversion.

The Jerk-O-Matic

Ben Phillips tells us about the restoration of Alan Braithwaite’s Ford 3000, fitted with the then revolutionary Select-OSpeed gearbox.

Multi-purpose Massey

How a brand new Massey Ferguson 3075 back in 1994 brought a whole new world to an arable farm in Suffolk more used to little MF 135s.

69

Workshop 84

Buying a tractor – Getting it restored

Planting a lasting legacy

We look at the life and times of potato breeder, Archibald Findlay, whose work over a century ago is still an influence today.

Dave’s Tractors

When a tractor joins Dave Tayor’s collection it always needs work doing to it and there always has to be a story behind it; this Nuffield Universal is no exception.

56

Heritage

Jo Roberts goes to the seaside and finds out what it’s like to spend a day in the life of a self-employed tractor mechanic.

Well, after all the time spent talking about restoring the Dexta Graham Hampstead decides he’d better make a start on the poor old thing.

Persistence is a powerful tool

Porsche, there is no substitute

Whether it’s the ubiquitous 911 sports car or the Allgaier AP22 tractor, Bill Foreman’s affinity for the brand is unswerving.

Now you’ve bought your tractor and wondering what to do next, Ben Phillips explains what typically happens when you entrust your tractor into the hands of a restorer.

86

Giving you a heads up

COVER STORY

Many of the restorations in our magazine refer to work on the cylinder head, this time Ben Phillips shows you how it’s done.

90

Making the connection

Richard Lofting puts an easy twist on electrical maintenance whose theory can sometimes seem somewhat more complicated than actually carrying out the repair.

Horses at War

We consider how the First World War influenced the use of horses in agriculture and their decline as a draught animal.

Home Farm Diaries

The winter of 63, vetoed from the Common Market, myxomatosis and soaring prices; but it wasn’t all gloom and doom.

Reminisces of island life

Lawrence MacEwen, who is delightfully eccentric and now in his early seventies, tells Polly Pullar about some of the highlights of his farming life on the Island of Muck.

Old Reliable

During 1907, Hart-Parr introduced a massive machine, the Hart-Parr 30-60, which was probably its most successful model of the period.

Tractor Archive

More heritage memories from the farming literature of yesteryear.

94

Products

All the latest tractor and farming heritage related product releases.

Marketplace 96

What’s on

Your guide to heritage days out throughout the season in our comprehensive event guide.

102 Sales & Marketplace COVER STORY

We take a look at HJ Pugh’s auction at Malvern in March and preview the big Cheffins’ April sale.

SUBSCRIBE! Only £3 per issue ✦ see page 22 for further details

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Porsche there is no substitute

TRACTORS FEATURED THIS ISSUE Ford 1000 Series 6X Conversions.....30 Ford 3000 ....................................................40 Ford 4000 ....................................................64 Fordson E27N...............................................6 Fordson Model N........................................6 Hart-Parr 30-60..........................................68 John Deere 4020......................................34 John Deere 5020 V8................................34 John Deere B..............................................34 Massey Ferguson 3075..........................44 Massey Ferguson 35X............................64 Massey Ferguson.....................................74 Nuffield Universal....................................28 Porsche Allgaier AP22............................48 Super Dexta................................................80 Track Marshall............................................60

30

1000 series 6X conversions

74

O lucky man

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

28

Why not Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month?

1951 Nuffield Universal

102

Malvern comes in like a lion

64

Memories of island life

6

Ford in the blood

32

PAGES O NEW T F OUR RACTO R CLASS IFI SECTIO ED N

Page 10 7

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Workshop

Making the connection Richard Lofting puts an easy twist on electrical maintenance – which can sometimes seem somewhat more complicated in theory than it does in actually carrying out the repair.

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tractormagazine.co.uk

TractorNews The Paul Rackham Collection is housed in a modern facility and, in addition to tractors and implements, includes horse-drawn carts, lorries and earthmoving equipment. Photo Rachelle Vandersloot

Ferguson Club helps hospice

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visit to the extensive Paul Rackham Tractor Collection helped the Ferguson Club raise £1000 for charity recently. e cheque was given to St

Nicholas Hospice Care and handed over by Peter Rudling to Paul Rackham’s ‘curator’ Lee in front of a large group of Ferguson Club members and friends during the visit. is amazing collection

New man at the helm

A new editor has been appointed for the Friends of Ferguson Heritage magazine. Peter Simpson has taken over from John Briscoe, who has worked with tireless dedication to produce a full and interesting publication for the last 39 issues.

John is steeped in the history of Massey Ferguson. He joined the company in the public relations department in 1969 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Dedicated tractor enthusiast Peter Simpson said: “The membership had been asking for four issues of the Heritage per year for some while now; by looking at up to date production methods and costs, after consultation with the FoFH board of directors, I was asked if I would like to edit and produce the club magazine.

“For any enthusiast, taking on the full magazine production role is an exciting offer and a great challenge indeed, especially after John’s professionalism. Although the magazine will follow the format and style John laid down over the past 13 years, it will take on a more modern appearance with some exciting plans for the future.”

For further information visit www.fofh.co.uk

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incorporates e Hunday Collection of Ferguson tractors and implements amassed by the late John Moffitt. Paul Rackham has collected some 200 plus tractors which include e British Wallis of circa 1925,

believed to be one of only three in the UK, and the WeeksDungey ‘New Simplex’ manufactured in Maidstone in Kent circa 1922 and the only known example of the ‘New Simplex’ styling.

Full steam ahead for Scorton Scorton Steam celebrates its 10th anniversary on June 14-15 with organisers promising more than 600 exhibitors and a line-up of spectacular shows.

There are eight categories of vehicles for the enthusiast to admire including tractors, steam, commercials and custom, military, classic, motorcycles, static engines and models and crafts. Covering a 30-acre site, Scorton Steam claims to be the biggest steam fair in the North West and is the perfect thing to do for Father’s Day. Scorton Steam takes place at Woodacre Farm, Gubberford Lane, Scorton, Preston PR3 1BN. For further information visit www.scortonsteam.co.uk tractormagazine.co.uk

Ploughmen show support for flooded farmers

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ore than 70 ploughmen turned out for a vintage ploughing match at Elms Farm, Nailstone, near Market Bosworth, and raised over £1000 into the bargain for farming charity the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI).

Event organiser Richard Hewitt said: “I’m thrilled to have raised such a fantastic amount of money for RABI once again to help support my fellow farmers who are in need.”

RABI East Midlands regional manager Milly Wastie said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Richard Hewitt and the local RABI fundraising committee who have worked so hard to make the event a triumph.

“Annually RABI provides approximately £30,000 to low income farmers and their families in Leicestershire who call upon the charity in times of crisis. Our support, practical or financial, is provided in confidence to around 27 families

Brian Sutton, local farmer and RABI committee member, with fellow ploughmen. locally and over 2000 families across England and Wales.”

For further information on RABI tel: 0300 3037373, email: milly.wastie@rabi.org.uk or visit www.rabi.org.uk

CV23 0SX, by kind permission of Mr David Lloyd. The 200-acre site, which will be on rape stubble, is reasonably easy working ground with ‘no flints’ which is ideal for ploughing and cultivating. Contact Simon Perry on 07967 461021, Philip Gibson on 07713 251155.

Barnetby Working Weekend (Sept 27-28) will be held at Mill Farm, Barnetby, north Lincolnshire DN38 6EB, two miles from junction 5 of the

M180 (same farm venue as last year) by kind permission of The Nelthorpe Family and Mr A G Turnbull.

Over 200 acres of prime arable land to be ploughed here, and many big blue classics have already entered for this event, but all ages and sizes of tractors encompassed by the club are welcome. A special feature will be a 24-hour ploughing marathon presented by Michael Fisher on his Ford 3000.

For further details contact Gary Capp on 07879 002584 or Philip Gibson on 07713 251155.

Meanwhile, a third event is in the planning stages and further details will follow shortly, so keep a look out for further updates on these pages.

We want your news and views

All Fordson, Ford and the various conversions are most welcome at the 2014 working days and exhibitors who do not want to work their tractors are able to join the static displays.

tractormagazine.co.uk

Vintage display A selection of vintage farm machinery and tools will be on display at Tithe Farm, Church Lane, Grainthorpe, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 7JR on May 5 from 10am-4pm. For further information tel: Rob Lingard 01472 388420.

Blue Force Working Days

Blue Force has organised two working events for 2014; both are in September and one in an area where the club has not ventured before. Both venues will feature a road run which will be held on the Saturday afternoon, taking in onand off-road sections through some fine English countryside.

The Midland Working Weekend (Sept 6-7) will be held at Lilbourn Lodge Farm, Lilbourn, Warwickshire

Snippets

Write to us at Tractor, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ or email news@tractormagazine.co.uk

Tractor Rally – goods to go The Market Bosworth Vintage Tractor Rally (May 1011) will be held in the old goods yard at Market Bosworth Railway Station, Leics. For further information email: tractors@BattlefieldLine-Railway.co.uk

Road Run takes off The Carrington Vintage Vehicle Road Run is on Easter Saturday, April 19, from The Aviation Museum (PE23 4DE) at East Kirkby. It will follow a route through the Lincolnshire Wolds, a Designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and on return there will be a chance to visit the Aviation Museum to view and experience the sound of the Lancaster Bomber.

Entry fee is £10 which includes admission to the museum.

Contact Malcolm Robinson on 07768 233948 or Alex Bell on 07949 521366.

Llandudno Festival The May Day bank holiday is the weekend for the everpopular Llandudno Transport Festival (May 3-5) at Bodafon fields, Llandudno, North Wales LL3O 3BW. For further information tel: 01492 545053 or www.llantransfest.co.uk

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FarmingHeritage An elderly Archibald Findlay in a field of Northern Star potatoes probably at Mairsland Farm, Auchtermuchty.

Planting a lasting legacy Farming Focus

We look at the life and times of one of the greatest ever potato breeders, Archibald Findlay, whose work over a century ago is still an influence today.

Words & pictures Pete Small

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rchibald Findlay. was born in 1841 and was to become the publican of the Portland Bar in Commercial Street, Markinch, near Glenrothes in Fife. He was heavily influenced by the Irish Potato Famine of 1845/46 which saw over a million people die of starvation and another million emigrate to America.

Black days

Findlay’s potatoes being dug in Markinch. No doubt extra tubers were added for the photograph to enhance the potential of the particular variety being advertised.

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Scotland too was hit by blight. A few wet muggy days in July 1845 saw the haulm blacken as the crop succumbed. In 1846 it came back again but this time it was worse.

While the effects of the Scottish outbreak did not compare to that of Ireland, the Highlands and Islands suffered badly.

One of the most common varieties of the time was Lumper but it did not have any blight resistance. Two men who were forerunners of Findlay’s work helped produce potatoes with blight resistance.

William Paterson of Dundee launched Victoria in 1863 and John Nicoll of Forfar

raised Champion in 1876 and it withstood attacks in the bad blight year of 1879.

It was against this background that Findlay began raising potatoes in Markinch. He eventually was to grow his potatoes on Pittillock, Muirhead, Balbirnie, Carriston and Treaton farms. He would cross pollinate from the flowers of the potatoes to get his hybrid varieties and his first real success was a variety called the Bruce in the 1880s. is was followed in 1891 by an exceptional new main crop variety called Up To Date that would help pave the way for the world renowned Scottish Seed Potato Industry.

Findlay’s work was becoming widely recognised and with his wonderful publicity and marketing skills he would entertain many of the great and good of farming at his potato picnics during the 1890s. One such picnic took place on a Saturday at the end of September 1894. When the dignitaries arrived by train, some from as far afield as Liverpool, they inspected some of Findlay’s crop in a field next to the railway station.

Aer this they travelled round the area looking at crops on farms before returning to tractormagazine.co.uk

Making a big impression

When Findlay moved to Langholme together with his younger son Andrew they took their Clydesdale Horses south where they impressed the neighbouring farmers. He also

took a fleet of box carts from Archibald Aitken Cartwright of Freuchie with him and these certainly made a big impression compared to the big unwieldy English carts.

The Langholme farmhouse, which is probably from some sort of publicity material relating to Findlay. a hearty dinner in the Bethune Arms. e potatoes served up included Farmer’s Glory, British Queen and Up To Date. British Queen was another variety that was to receive wide acclaim especially in Ireland were it was just known as Queen and stayed popular until aer the Second World War. In 1900 he purchased Mairsland Farm at Auchtermuchty and raised his potatoes there.

He was also breeding Clydesdale horses and Aberdeen Angus cattle. He then got hold of an old linen mill at the Upper Greens in Auchtermuchty to use as a seed store and warehouse.

Inside the potato store in Auchtermuchty, which was a former Linen Mill.

Move south

While staying with a potato colleague, a Mr Blaydes of Epworth, he was shown a farm at Langholme, Haxey in the Isle of Axholme, Lincolnshire which he bought in 1905. is 420 acre unit was ideal for potato business with fields straddling the main road and a railway station nearby in Haxey. e farm was flat and low lying, on the border with the neighbouring county of Nottinghamshire and the River Trent. It was on Warp Land described as the finest for growing potatoes and 180 acres were grown here and another 120 at Mairsland. ere can be no doubt that the funding for all this expansion came from his potato breeding exploits. A succession of varieties had appeared; Empire Kidney, Goodhope, Jeannie Deans, Lady Fife, Mairsland Don, Royal Kidney, Scottish Chief, ane O’ Fife and Catriona – still a favourite in gardens and flower shows alike.

In 1903 and 1904 when the potato boom occurred aer a couple of poor harvests, Findlay announced a new variety called Northern Star which caused a speculative stir. en he launched Eldorado that was going to be better than anything before. Demand for the seed became insatiable with single tubers selling for £100 or £5 for a sprout. tractormagazine.co.uk

Speculators queued up to get the smallest quantity of seed, in the hope of cashing in on the boom. Potatoes were forced to get more tubers and further money invested before any real production figures were known. As with any boom there comes a bust and the subsequent poor yields of the crop and the claim that Eldorado was in fact an older variety relaunched, led to a crash costing many people thousands of pounds.

Undaunted

e bottom had fallen out of the market just like a bag of rotten spuds. It was said that homes and farms had been purchased on the promise of quick wealth. Findlay himself was an honourable man and repaid any monies outstanding on his part.

Findlay remained undaunted and went on to bring out one of the most famous varieties of potatoes ever, Majestic. is variety is in the parentage of 71% of the varieties in popular use today, even Rooster, and enjoyed

a lion’s share of the market for five decades. It is said that 200 tons of Findlay’s seed went down with the Titanic. Findlay boasted that 98% of the potatoes fed to the troops in the First World War were from his breeding – he could have made the same boast for the Second World War. His spell in England came to a sad end when four wet years and the River Trent bursting its banks led to the spoiling of his crops of Majestics. He was forced to sell to pay his creditors and return to Auchtermuchty a broken man leaving Frank to run Mairsland.

He died in 1921 aged 79 and it is said that his coffin was carried to ’Muchty Churchyard on a farm cart. A sad end to a giant in the world of potato breeding that saw his home country’s Board of Agriculture introduce crop inspections in 1918. But there is no doubt that Findlay has le a lasting legacy for world food production and Scottish Agriculture in particular. ✦ May2014Tractor

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A selection of crimp on terminals, are widely 1 available.

Heat shrink sleeving is indispensable for 2 making a good dry insulated connection.

on terminal, as intended, crimped on to 3 Athecrimp wire end. Functional but not very pretty.

preferred way to make the connection is 4 My to solder the crimped terminal minus the

the end of the wire, long enough to fit 5 Bare the terminal. The terminal can still be

Words & Pictures Richard Lofting

M

ost electrical faults on tractors, other than failure of a component such as a starter motor or dynamo, are usually down to a corroded connection. To do the job properly doesn’t take any longer than bodging it, (i.e. just twisting bare wires together!) whereas they should of course be soldered together.

When a connection corrodes, it forms an oxide of the metal that either the wire or terminal is made from. is is usually caused by dampness attacking the surface along with an acidic component. Most if not all oxides have a high resistance, thus if it is not a broken connection causing the problem, it is usually the resistance of the corrosion between the two parts of the connection.

Crimp on terminals are readily available, but I find that they are more suitable for short time use. For long term reliability in the damp world of the tractor shed it is far better to solder the connection. Although solder connections are available the crimped variety can be soldered once the coloured insulation is removed, allowing access with a soldering iron. Following the soldering operation all that is then required is to add a piece of heat shrink sleeving and the job is done.

Circuit testing

To make life easier some form of test meter is a must. It does not need to be too sophisticated, just a basic model that can read voltage and resistance will do the job. In the pictures I am using a power probe. is can be very useful in tracing faults in wiring and components and it has an inbuilt overload trip, so that in the event of a short or something similar the unit will trip, avoiding damage not only to the test equipment but what you are testing.

insulation; this gives the best of both worlds, a mechanical connection (crimp) and a soldered connection keeping out moisture.

Soldered and crimped terminal ready for the 6 heat shrink sleeving. Wait until cooled before

crimped with the correct crimping pliers, making a good mechanical connection.

The shrink sleeving needs to be long enough 7 to cover the soldered connection and a small

sliding it over the joint, otherwise the sleeving may shrink before in correct position, remember to put the sleeving on the wire before fitting terminal!

amount of the wire insulation to prevent moisture being drawn into the wire by capillary action.

Use a heat source to shrink the sleeving tight 8 onto connection, a lighter is ideal, although

A straight splice is often needed on a tractor 9 loom, to extend a broken wire etc. Strip the

HealtH & safety

■ Do not use naked flames near fuel tanks

especially petrol.

■ Avoid sparks and flames near lead acid

batteries.

■ Soldering irons by necessity are hot and

will burn.

■ Avoid wearing watches with metal

straps when working near tractor batteries.

tractormagazine.co.uk

be careful if working near the fuel tank, in this case heat from the side of the soldering iron will work.

insulation back on both wires, make sure that bright copper is showing otherwise solder will not adhere.

May2014Tractor

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Workshop Ohm’s law

Georg Ohm (1787 – 1854) a German Physicist, after conducting experiments, deduced the relationship between voltage, current and resistance; this is now the cornerstone of all electrical circuits and calculations – Ohm’s law.

Simply put, the voltage (V) is equal to the current flowing (I), multiplied by the resistance (R) measured in ohms Ω. The equasion goes V= I x R There are many analogies on how to help explain this relationship, but the easiest is to think in terms of water; if you think of the voltage as the pressure available in a hosepipe, the amount of water flowing as the current and the nozzle on the end of the hose as the resistance you can soon see the picture.

For example, if you lower the resistance (make nozzle opening bigger) the current flowing is higher (more water flows) etc.

From Ohm’s experiments another fundamental equation was deduced concerning the power used in a circuit, this in simple terms is equal to the voltage multiplied by the current and is measured in Watts.

The Ohm’s law diagram and the power diagram are easy to use and act as a reminder to the relationship between the voltage and current etc. reading the Ohm’s law diagram V = I x R, I = V / R and R = V / I and so on.

advocate that solder alone will do, but I 10 Some like to twist the wires together to help make

tinning the soldering iron, place against 11 After the twisted wires and feed the solder in from

a stronger joint. Note the shrink sleeving already in place before the soldering is carried out.

the other side until the wires are seen to be filled with solder.

Allow the joint to cool before sliding the heat 12 shrink sleeving over the joint. Notice the

mistake was remedied by cutting the 13 The shrunken part away with a Stanley knife and

mistake I made, the sleeving was too near the soldering operation and the end has already started to shrink to the wire.

then shrunk into place with the lighter making a nice strong water tight connection which will stand up to many years’ service.

A very useful, if not original, accessory this 14 inline fuse holder can be fitted up behind the

ubiquitous multi meter, indispensable 15 The when tracing electrical faults and checking

dash panel spliced into the lighting circuit for example, giving protection from a short circuit and saving the loom (and your temper) from frying.

out dynamo output etc. This model is probably more sophisticated than necessary for tractor testing.

Practical examPle

From the restorer’s view I can hear the question: “What has this to do with my tractor wiring?” Well, if you wanted to make a new loom and you had two headlamps on your tractor with 55W bulbs fitted in each, you can easily work out the current flowing in the circuit and choose the correct thickness of wire to make the loom.

Two 55W bulbs would require 110W to be drawn from the wiring. Ohm’s law states that

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the power P equals the voltage V multiplied by the current I; P = V x I. All those that paid attention during those Algebra lessons at school will have worked out how to transpose the formula so that I = P / V. Putting in our figures we get I = 110 / 12 giving the answer as 9.166 amps, from the wire chart it can be seen that the eight amp wire is too light to carry the current required for these bulbs, so the next size would have to be used i.e. 17 amp wire.

tractormagazine.co.uk

I thought I would check out the battery on the tractor, as last time I started it, it was very sluggish. Not 16 surprising with this reading, it looks as though a new battery is in order, however I will give it a long

trickle charge and retest it before replacing.

is a power probe used in the motor trade, 18 This but just as useful on your tractor, it has

several useful features, it is clipped onto the vehicle battery, the probe can then be placed on a suspect circuit connection and the LED will illuminate either red or green depending on the voltage potential.

Tracing a fault in the headlight circuit I first 19 tested the earth wire, here the LED showed

red (positive). This tractor is positive earth so it’s correct.

This tractor is showing a much healthier 17 12.84v after standing for about a month, I’m

sure this is a good battery and the tractor will fire up.

then checked the live feed to the switch and 20 Ithis showed green indicating that it was live. I

then checked both dip and main beam wires and these proved okay.

Tools required

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Soldering iron Electrical solder Wire cutters Selection of screw drivers Heat shrink sleeving Test meter

Get in touch This is why I dislike crimped terminals. This 21 wire came loose while probing under the dash

panel. To illustrate one of the other functions of the power probe, I connected the negative lead to the wire. On modern automotive testing this would be the earth. tractormagazine.co.uk

At the other end of the wire it showed green 22 (negative) correctly, the switch on the power

probe can be used to supply a positive or negative current so that suspect items can be powered up independently. It has a overload trip in the unit so that no harm will be done if a short circuit occurs.

Write in (address is on page 24), email or Facebook us. ✦ editor@tractormagazine.co.uk ✦ facebook.com/TractorMag

May2014Tractor

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NewProducts

Good turn round for steering wheels Steering Wheel Restorations has been restoring steering wheels for over 20 years. The Kent based company offers a fast, reliable, competitive service normally processing steering wheels in seven to 14 days.

The example shown here is of David Brown 50D (Cropmaster/Taskmaster) steering wheels before and after restoration. The whole process took one week and involved removing all the original plastic, straightening the frame and preparing it to go into a mould with new plastic.

Once out of the mould, a hard polyester finishing coat was applied which was then honed to give a period sheen.

The company has numerous moulds that relate to David Brown tractors along with moulds for Internationals, Ferguson and Fordson etc. The moulds allow new rims to be recast in old frames, and also complete new wheels to be made if necessary.

Some steering wheels do not require a complete restoration, but can simply be recoated, restoring the original hard glazed finish; this can be done in black or other colours including marble effect.

Sometimes work is needed because the plastic rim has completely decayed and cracked making it uncomfortable to use; sometimes becoming slippery with the original Bakelite solvents leaching out over hands and clothes. Or simply the vehicle feels unsafe due to the condition of the wheel, as it may be broken structurally.

Whatever the cause, Steering Wheel Restorations has over 400 moulds for all sorts of vehicles going back to 1910, including cars, boats, aeroplanes, commercial vehicles, buses, coaches – and even Bren gun carriers. For further information visit www.steeringwheelrestoration.co.uk and www.steeringwheelrestoration.com

The wheel could have become unsafe as it may be broken structurally.

The plastic rim has completely decayed and cracked and needs replacement.

Turn up the temperature on seized components Attempting to wrestle with seized or corroded nuts or similar components can be a time consuming affair, and removing with force can damage the nut or component, so many will reach for the gas torch.

However, in these health and safety conscious days, there are many concerns with using a naked flame in a confined space.

Flameless heat is the way forward and offers safer, more efficient and reliable component heating. Now Laser Tools has introduced a new inductive heating solution, designed for the

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workshop. The 5834 kit is supplied with 19mm and 22mm coils for nuts and bolts and where heat has to be concentrated in a specific area, plus a universal rope coil which has many applications.

The heat inductor tool also has many body and trim applications and is particularly useful for badge, vinyl sticker and appliqué removal – the heat is induced in the metal panelwork behind the badge or sticker, softening the adhesive that secures it. In these cases a body pad is used (included in separate kit 5840).

An additional coil kit is available (part number 5841) which includes eight preformed coils in sizes from 15mm to 45mm. The coils are flexible and easily adjusted or contoured to fit difficult to access components. RRP for the hand-held heat inductor (5834) is £595, the pad kit (5840) is £114 and the additional coil kit (5841) is £182.80 (all prices + VAT).

For further information www.lasertools.co.uk

Steering Wheel Restorations can offer a seven to 14 day turn round on work like this with moulds available to suit many vehicles.

The David Brown steering wheel completely refurbished.

Traditional tool rolls These traditional oiled leather tool rolls hold eight, excellent quality combination spanners (imperial, metric or Whitworth) manufactured in satin finished chrome vanadium.

The Whitworth spanners are sized at 1⁄8, 3 ⁄16, 5⁄16, 3⁄8, 7⁄16, 1⁄2 and 9⁄16in; the metric version comes in 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17 and 19mm; while imperial sizes are 1⁄4, 5⁄16, 3⁄8, 7⁄16, 1 9 ⁄2, ⁄16, 11⁄16 and 3⁄4in.

Prices for the metric (ref 77125) and imperial (ref 77126) sets are £33.98, and £52.42 for the Whitworth set (ref 77124).

For further information visit www.gunson.co.uk

tractormagazine.co.uk

NextMonth

AND FARMING H ERITAGE MAGAZINE

King of the Countys ▲ We dig into the history of County 1884 tractors and see how such large and powerful tractors came into existence.

ON SALE M AY 6

The short and tall of it

The Steyr way to restoration

James Graham’s farm is home to the world’s smallest sheep, as well as a herd of the smallest breed of donkey in the world. However, when it comes to tractors, he chooses the Massey Ferguson Red Giants.

This Austrian-built tractor was found in a breaker’s yard unwanted and in line for the crusher; Bob Wardhaugh tells us about the tough climb he had to restore the ex-slurry scraper.

Plus Vineyard Fergie ■ Massey-Harris ■ Home Farm Diaries ■ Polly Pullar ■ Practical Workshop ■ Graham Hampstead ■ Marshall MP6 ■ Marketplace 106

TractorMay2014

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