Tractor Snowmobile Combo circa 1929

[NSBound]

Interesting unit - - with an old Fordson tractor powering it. Fordsons were some of the big selling early farm tractors which had a lot of innovative tractor technology.

YouTube - Fordson Snow Machine - 1929 Concept

 

[brandoro]

My Grandad had a set of half tracks for his 8N, that's how they would go to town in the winter when the roads were drifted too much for the one ton grain truck. They were only 8 miles out so not too bad a trip.

 

[wwalkersd]

Interesting unit - - with an old Fordson tractor powering it. Fordsons were some of the big selling early farm tractors which had a lot of innovative tractor technology.

YouTube - Fordson Snow Machine - 1929 Concept

Much to my surprise, I actually ran into one of these at the The Heidrick Ag History Center & Antique Tractor Museum in Woodland, CA. See below:

 

[Johndeere3720]

Thats cool. Now why dont they make them any more?

 

[ben2go]

Thats cool. Now why dont they make them any more?

To practical or to expensive to produce.Probably both.

 

[aczlan]

Thats cool. Now why dont they make them any more?

How do you spell personal injury lawsuit?

Aaron Z

 

[JB4310]

Much to my surprise, I actually ran into one of these at the The Heidrick Ag History Center & Antique Tractor Museum in Woodland, CA. See below:

The video has been on TBN several times, It's very cool but some may be "burnt out" from seeing it so many times before, that's why there's not more replies than you'd expect from such an interesting machine.

Seeing an actual picture of it is pretty interesting, seeing it close up.
Wonder if it floats on water

.

 

[NSBound]

Thats cool. Now why dont they make them any more?

If Ralph Nader is still alive, he probably ensured its demise!

 

[ben2go]

The video has been on TBN several times, It's very cool but some may be "burnt out" from seeing it so many times before, that's why there's not more replies than you'd expect from such an interesting machine.

Seeing an actual picture of it is pretty interesting, seeing it close up.
Wonder if it floats on water

.

Seeing as how snow isn't usually as dense as water,it may just float.I don't have enough info to do flotation calculations.

 

[E/S]

Thats cool. Now why dont they make them any more?

Can you imagine what it would look like after OSHA got through with it !

E/S

 

[tugboat-2]

Yes I too have seen this unit before and have asked the same question. WHY did it not sell like hotcakes,...it seems like a magnificent idea. Not just for snow but anywhere,....even be great on desert sand and swampy areas etc.

It is a great idea to "begin" with and could be lowered slightly for better COG and various changes and adaptations could be a wondrous machine. Doesn't have to be expensive and could be made just as safe as any other "thing".

I'd love to have one here in the country! Oh well,....what else ya got?

Merry Christmas!
CHEERS!
. . tug

 

[mjncad]

The Russians also tried this design for one of their military vehicles. I suspect these didn't catch on is due to the rigid nature of the screws. They can't adapt to changes in terrain the way tracks can. A track system can follow the terrain more readily than a rigid screw can. With the screw, it's possible to get just a small contact point on the ground with the rest of the screw eating air. This is what I noticed on the Russian vehicle when they were driving it on solid to marsh ground.

However I still think this is an extremely interesting design concept that unfortunately didn't pan out.

 

[The Haymaker]

The Russians also tried this design for one of their military vehicles. I suspect these didn't catch on is due to the rigid nature of the screws. They can't adapt to changes in terrain the way tracks can. A track system can follow the terrain more readily than a rigid screw can. With the screw, it's possible to get just a small contact point on the ground with the rest of the screw eating air. This is what I noticed on the Russian vehicle when they were driving it on solid to marsh ground.

However I still think this is an extremely interesting design concept that unfortunately didn't pan out.

Here's the link to the Russian machine:

YouTube - ?ross-country vehicle ZIL-29061

But tracks do ride better:

YouTube - extreme offroad from Russia.PART 2

 

[JB4310]

Here's the link to the Russian machine:

YouTube - ?ross-country vehicle ZIL-29061

Pretty cool, I agree not as practical as tracks for all around use but I bet there are some environments that the screws would do better.

I like how they turned the screws in the same direction and allowed the machine to travel perpendicular to it's normal travel path (sideways).

 

[dcyrilc]

I saw a video on Utube about a team who used this design to try to make an artic crossing from Alaska to Russa.

 

[mjncad]

Haymaker:

Thanks for finding and posting the Russian videos. Another thought I had concerning the screws is that the flights would be subjected to extreme wear, especially if they are made of garden variety steel.

A friend of mine at the renewable energy lab I used to work at has an experimental wood chip fueled heating plant that is giving them all sorts of grief. The plan is to use bark beetle killed trees as a fuel source; but the mineral content in the chips is causing clinkers that are chewing up the flights of the ash pit augers the boiler manufacturer insisted on using.

 

[dcyrilc]

I saw a video on Utube about a team who used this design to try to make an artic crossing from Alaska to Russa.

I guess it wasn't Utube. Here's the link. Icechallenger

 

[ben2go]

I guess it wasn't Utube. Here's the link. Icechallenger

That's a modified Snow Cat.

Something like this.

 

[Reg]

Thats cool. Now why dont they make them any more?

Not ENTIRELY abandoned; see mecanum wheels.
(approximate spelling, but a search should find it).

The point contact problem would probably go away with low pressure pneumatic cylinders/rollers and a thick fat rubber screw thread.
With modern control systems the power distribution for direction changes could bring handling down to steering wheel and stop/go pedal, or fwd/stop/reverse.
As easy to handle as a hydro tractor ? Yeah, probably.

 

[The Haymaker]

Haymaker:

Thanks for finding and posting the Russian videos. Another thought I had concerning the screws is that the flights would be subjected to extreme wear, especially if they are made of garden variety steel.

A friend of mine at the renewable energy lab I used to work at has an experimental wood chip fueled heating plant that is giving them all sorts of grief. The plan is to use bark beetle killed trees as a fuel source; but the mineral content in the chips is causing clinkers that are chewing up the flights of the ash pit augers the boiler manufacturer insisted on using.

I pull a lot of augers from a Domtar paper pulp mill to be rebuilt. It's amazing what clinkers, and even wood chips, will do to these in time. I thought the same thing, especially if operated in a rocky area. Does Russia have rocks? I thought it was nothing but snow and mud!