OUTSTANDING NEW RANGE OF TRACTORS FROM FORD

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 36, 11 May 1965, Page 12

OUTSTANDING NEW RANGE OF TRACTORS FROM FORD

They say there is nothing new under the sun, but Ford Motor Company's tractor division has set out to prove this old saying wrong. And succeeded. With every thing "new-look,,, from the fancy, sloping forward front to the sprung driver's seat, the tractors are really new.

Built in a range designated as 2000, 3000. 4000, 5000 and 6000, they range from 37 to 78 h.p. With both cliesel and petrol engines available for the "baby" of the fleet, the 2000, the rest are rugged slogging types with three and four cylinder engines. But the big news about the range is something which seems to have been borrowed from the old Model T of bygone years. This is the Select-o-Speed gearbox, one of the greatest advances in tractor engineering since the invention of the hydraulics. Actually, the only resemblance to the Model T is in the principle of the box. It is a series of three gears, sun wheels, brake bands and clutches which in eombination give the staggering total of 10 gears to choose from. Although this is activated by a hydraulic shift, the engine is coupled directly to the transmission — there is no fluid coupling. Changing is made on the move with; smooth transition from gear to gear. No clutch is required for changes. nor inj

deed for starting under some circumstances. However, an inching clutch is provided which gives wonderful control for back and fill operations. The entire range of speeds overlap so that the operator has a tremendous advantage in working difficult ground of any sort. There are many new features on these machines which indicated years of testing before being put on the market. Indeed, some of the parts included in the range have been under test for up to six years. Probably the best news of all, however is that Ford will now make the same tractor for all countries in the world in only three plants — one in England, one in USA and one in Holland. This means better quality control and a . truly standardised range of tractors. These machines will be on display at a field day to be announced by Johnstone Motors shortly and this will give farmers and contractors an opportunity to see them in operation and try them out on tvpical pumice country.