Friday the 12th (2010)
I was at the Annual
Southern Field Days
Waimumu (NZ)
Where- amongst other things
I spotted the TRACTOR PULL section.
Here's my compilation of the LAST of the tractor drags... featuring the Computor controlled
WEIGHT TRANSFER SLED
To see "more" of the NZ Weight Transfer Sled
&
To read about WHY it's a SAFER "deal"
(than the overseas types of "slidingweight" sleds)
Check out NZ's own
http://www.tractorpull.co.nz
For "all" of the RIGHT (safety) reasons
(for using a weight transfer "sled" instead)
It's NZ's OWN "unique" style of Tractor Pulling Event.
1, or 2, DRAGS- were by North Island Based DUTCHMAN
Karel
Driving a "beast" with an inline 6 cylinder Scania 1000 HP (diesel_guzzling) "monster" motor
Unfortunately (as I see it)
There were 3 things wrong with the "way" he'd set_up his tow hitch.
1/- he did NOT have the tow hitch positioned dead centre
NOR
2/- "low" enough
PLUS... & probably the most important for "steerage".
3/- he DID_NOT have the "tow_pivot_point" far enough REMOVED rearwards
(from the vertical axle "line" of the rear wheels)
& thus vastly exagerating ANY "offcentredness" of the tow_hitch
Immediately obvious to this Old Ex_Farmer
(because as soon as the "front" steerage came OFF the ground - the tractor slewed HARD LEFT)
Whenever Karel "PULLED" the steerage centre
(using wheel brakes & loss of power)
his beast immediately slewed sideways again
TO THE LEFT
with it's front "steering" wheels aimed ?
somewhere towards the moon & about as "usefull"
Sure... 2 anti_overturn (tail_rider) SLIDERS were out back
Yes- out_back & in my opinion entirely USELESS as they ONLY created more unwanted ADDED DRAG
(Like ? they'd stop- DIDLYSQUAT- if that 1000 hp actually let_rip & FLIPPED the tractor)
All that's needed OUT_BACK - is a modified
& THUS USEFULL
LOW_TOW ... HITCH_POINT
(into the same device)
Thereby KEEPING the nose ON the ground
(unless "dropping_clutch" is a desired CROWD PLEASER)
If the "dutchman" were to lower his tow "point" height by even an INCH... he'd keep MOST of the weight DOWN
& On the rear wheels (where it's needed)
with front "steerage_wheels" STILL contacting the ground
& thus STILL of some use
ALSO
If HE correctly "centred" his tow hitch point
In line with the ACTUAL "centre" of pull_grip- "offered" by those two massive wheels
Then HE MAY have a better "chance" of avoiding unescessary usage of WHEEL_BRAKES
& with a "correctly" positioned PIN coupling point
(further rearwards)
IN_LINE_WITH- or behind- the rearmost "extremity" of those Rear Wheels
IMMEDIATELY his "triangulation" PULLING power - would CENTRE his tractor- on track
(avoiding almost ALL front end "waving" caused by massive loss of steerage)
Thereby
KEEPING his beast... "aimed"
STRAIGHT DOWN THE TRACK
"automatically"
But hey - if HE wants to "keep" losing all that sought after pull_power
(don't take notice of any - EASY "ex_farmer" answers)
Remember
For "info" on the NZ Weight Transfer Sled
Check out NZ's own
http://www.tractorpull.co.nz
P.s...
The only reason I was even there - was because my son had asked me to go - WITH HIM...
(as) - I'd spent "last_week" down there ... on the dairy farm where he now works full time.
He was "going" over to have a looksee & said
C'mon DAD - it'll be fun (& he weren't WRONG)
The "farm" my SON works upon- is in the foothills behind the Old_Town of KELSO- in West Otago
KELSO doesn't exist as a town NOW...
As it was completely flooded out & thus eventually abandoned & destroyed by 3 (yes three) - 100 year floods all occuring within a 5yr period between 1978 & 1983
The 1st was a "so_called" 1_in_100_year "flood"
But was just the ? 1st of 3 ?
& occurred in 1978.
1978 was the same year- the South Island "wide" storm- annyhilated 300 metres of Central Otago Railway Line "embankment" at the Manourburn Dam Creek "Bridge"- 4 miles N/E of Alexandra at Galloway
(a mile south of where we used to "farm" ourselves)
Then- in 1980
ANOTHER
HIGHER "flood" ?
Occurred & inundated KELSO again
(1.5 metres deeper than supposed 1_in_100 flood of '78)
Finally the last straw came in 1983
With another- slightly smaller flood- barely half a metre LOWER than that of '78
The KELSO community decided- THREE utterly major floods occurring within 5 yrs
?
Meant that...
THERE WAS NO WAY- they could save their town AGAIN
& So- the town of KELSO - was abandoned
(Strangely there hasn't BEEN another of significance since)
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8:02
Awesome Tractors : Tractor Pull : Southland, New Zealandby keithlightfoot2,166 views
Ok
For general interest...
I've tossed six OTHER "vidz" in here
ALL are of "strange" vehicles
(of some description)
Yes... &
ALL are completely different
- yet -
ALL are "very_interesting".
QUIX4U 2 years ago
What happens then - is that a wee 35HP tractor - LOOKS to be outpulling a 1,000 HP unit - then along comes a modified - and an old I_H tows straight after, then maybe a fully dualed JD, ahead of... (one after the other - with ONLY the track leveler & returning "sled" to deay the show)
...
Becomes crowd "friendlier" that way
QUIX4U 2 years ago
PLUS... there is absolutely NO delay - between using the weight transfer sled (via computor controlled tractor hydraulics) ... between varous "classes" - thus ANY CLASS - can line_up ... and at the flick of a program - PULL it's OWN weight_class ... even when there may be ten - 15 different classes between "pulls" (Makes for a better CROWD pleasure too - all sorts are SEEN - not just one variety - then a ten minute delay setting the sled for the "next" class?)
QUIX4U 2 years ago
@Goregoon ;-) Yeah... well we KIWI's are a little gun shy of "anything" that simply SLIDES towards the tractor - especially IF - it has the disadvatnge of "continuing unabated in it's forwards direction - irrespective of whether the tractor is still moving or not...
Hence the massively IMPROVED "safety" margine - of using a computor controlled "weight Transfer Sled - which simply "allows" the weight to be transfered from (rolling) towed tractor - onto sleds - by using hydrualics to it RAISE UP
QUIX4U 2 years ago