What is a tractor?

[Libertine]

Henro:

<font color="blue">I never really considered those two-wheelled thingees tractors...but now do... </font>

Well, good. I just posted a couple pics in the thread on 2 wheel tractors buying/using of the seed bed produced in one pass by a rotary plow on a 2 wheeler. You asked (if I recall) in another post about the difference between the so-called "garden tractors" and 2 wheel tractors. The pic isn't very good quality (I took it from literature), but you can see a nice raised bed, all fluffed up and ready to seed. There's another photo of a 2 wheel tractor baling hay on a 20% slope (and it can do it on much steeper slopes). For a person with smaller acreage who needs a do anything (except heavy lifting, although I guess you could put a scoop on one - Gravely had scoops) these are real tractors.

<font color="blue">Most people do pretty much know what a tractor is. </font>

But if they disagree on what a tractor is, it helps to have a definition, doesn't it? (Remember the bet thread?)

I repeat my challenge. Most people like sitting on their tractors (I do anyway). Go out, sit on your tractor, have a cig, or coffee, or whatever, and reflect on what makes your machine just like the old steam traction engines from the late 1800s, the Happy Farmer tractor from the 1910s, the Fordson or Waterloo Boy from the early 1920s, the Farmalls of the late 1920s, the 9ns of the late 1930s, etc, etc. Your machine is a direct descentant of those machines. What makes them unique? What traits do they have in common that other machines do not?

JEH

 

[Libertine]

Yankee:

<font color="blue">Oh, too bad! I thought it was a particularly good handle for a Libertarian. </font>

Actually was involved in late 1970s. Three types: ex-American party folks, flower children and a smattering of objectivist types. After a meet with the Libertarian presidential candidate in 1979 decided either he wasn't one, or, I wasn't one. Talked to the guy who owned the party here in Mo & he disolved it.

<font color="blue">Perhaps you're more an Epicurean? </font>

Someplace I have a file on the platform of the "Epicurean Party" I did 10 years ago for grins. Cute. Can't post it here though - family site and all. Actually, seriously, Democritus (Epicurus's mentor) was the greatest thinker of the time - far out stripping Aristotle. Too bad his stuff was destroyed by the (you know who - just like they're destroyiing western civilization today).

JEH

PS this is really getting off topic, but, I've printed out the thread to read some of the comments again and will try to come up with a better definition - unless I can get Henro (and others) to do it for me - see my suggestion in my reply to him above.

 

[AMP762]

Libertine,did you go to the same school as Bill Clinton? What is is,sex ain't sex. When I ask for a part for my Mitsu. tractor they don't try to give me a part for a Mitsu. car,even the kids at Advance Auto parts seem to know what a tractor is /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Is there a point to this question I'm missing /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Paul

Don't worry, nothing is going to be alrite

 

[755inNY]

<font color="blue"> Is there a point to this question I'm missing </font>

Paul,
Yes there is a point. It is another attempt by Libertine to define a "tractor" as he sees it so that he can prove that the 2 wheel version he promotes fits the definition and that the Sears GT5000, et al so called "lawn tractors" do not.

Libertine,
I think your definition is too focused on a universal power source used to power other tools or implements. It ignores the equally significant factor of just pulling something such as a plow, disc, rake, wagon etc. without powering anything else. I suspect that the "pulling" part is more the basis of the the word tractor than transmitting power to something else. After all, the tractor started as a mechanized replacement for the horse, ox, etc. pulling a plow or other heavy work not in transmitting power to something else.

I don't think we need some sort of precise definition of the word "tractor" to have meaningful discusions on this forum. We all have a common interest to get work done in an agricultural, rural, or home setting using the labor saving benefits of mechanization. This includes a broad set of tractors and other types of self propelled and non self propelled items.

A precise definition of the word "tractor" will only serve to restrict discussion and, in this case, is very self serving. In reading through hundreds, if not thousands, of posts, I have found only one were the definition of a tractor was important. All of the others seem to have allowed for a meaningful exchange of ideas, comments and information without a precise definition.

Jeff

 

[slowrev]

hmm, All this and I am still wondering about the legal definition of tractor as for requiring ROPS. My thought is all "real" tractors sold now require ROPS. Not knocking the broader definitions of a tractor, just wondering what the legal definition is.

A riding lawnmower obviously does not fall under this definition even if it's marketers call it a lawn tractor, otherwise ROPS would be required on them.

A 2 wheel walk behind again obviously does not require ROPS because you don't ride on them, maybe FOPS ( Fall Over Protection System).

Maybe someone linked to the legal definition and I missed it, sorry if that is the case.