Going ploughing

[oehrick]

Don't they both somehow look 'just right' on the plough, must be something to do with memories from formative years.

Was Robin the Ransomes name or a nickname Brian - and will there be a pic of Ann demonstrating her new skills?

[RH]

Rick,
" Robin" was the actual name. We had one back home years ago. Nice little plough, just scaled down. Very neat it was.

Grand thread, this! I enjoy all the ploughing photos!

[oehrick]

Me too Richard, unfortunately the ground I look after is not in big enough chunks for me to plough properly and to be honest there has to be more variety than just a ploughing match for me to turn out and watch - conversely, the big tractor show here in a week or two is on the county showground where they do tear up some of the grass with dragging tractors but no cultivation -so while I may eyeball Brian and Ann, neither will be 'disturbing the dirt' there

The pictures are much appreciated Adrian and all

[Brian]

I am allowed to drive sometimes.





Yesterday we worked it down, me on Nuffy with cage wheels and the leveling harrow, Ann behind with Dotty and the spring tine cultivator, then another pass with the leveling harrow and today we planted onions.

[oehrick]

Thats some stiff looking ground Brian but you both look to be making good progress with Dotty and the reliant Robin those three little pots turn out some nice work. Is that exhaust a bit lower than original ?

What are you taking over to Costessey this year ? I may be along on the Sunday.

Rick, still following up the unique Dexta with 3 cylinder Perkins petrol engine advertised in the EDP 1/4/17 - got the chap down to £40K................

[Brian]

No, the exhaust was much lower on the petrol originally and a smaller bore. This one comes from a two piece Fergy 35 one, just the bottom half and is much nearer to the original. When I first got her it was the rear silencer and pipe from a Cortina.

Now the most important question:

WHERE IS THIS PETROL DEXTA WITH A THREE CYLINDER PERKINS PETROL ENGINE?

I would love to get some pictures. If it is original it could be one of the prototype versions and very rare, only possibly one or two built for evaluation. Well worth £40,000.

(It couldn't be anything to do with the date could it? Didn't he have a similar advert a bit lower down for Tower Bridge)?

The usual tractors, Henrietta and Dotty. Will not be taking ant Fordson Tractor Pages stuff as there is no room on the stand this year. Phil and Pete are away on their tractor drive so David from Blue Force will only have a small gazebo.

[henk]

Great ploughing Ann

[oehrick]

There are no flies on you Brian and the date was key somehow I managed to completely forget to post the advert on the right day and knowing I'd never remember it for next year just couldn't bear to waste it Never heard of a Perky petrol engine but you never know, they were pretty tight with Harry Ricardo so maybe, just maybe, there is a shed near Yarmouth with one slumbering, awaiting a Brian shaped cheque book.

I see both Holt WW1 gun tractors should be at Costessey, must see them.

TTFN

[Brian]

There really was a three cylinder petrol Perkins engine which should have been used in the petrol Dexta. MF used it in their petrol 135. Les sent me pictures of one in Canada a few years ago.

[oehrick]

And the egg hits me squarely in the face ................

I'd not come across that Brian but not surprised - I'm keeping an eye out for their (Perkins) history by David Boulton at the 'right' price https://www.bookdepository.com/Square-D ... 1843063490 - like many of the superb, former Landmark books, now being sold off by libraries.

[Brian]

Here you go Rick, not too clear I cannot remember where Les got it but it is from Canada.









The exhaust that was on Dotty when I got her home.



Mark's tractor has an original exhaust. I saw one at Blue Force 1000 but the price for a s/h one was way out of line.

And to keep this post on topic, here is a picture of the ploughs I borrowed to go behind Dotty at a plough day in Herefordshire.

[henk]

I think you need a bigger exaust

[oehrick]

You are right there Henk, no surprise Dotty blew the top pipe off with those 12 furrows behind her

Thanks for the Fergie-Perki Pickies Brian - I'm assuming straight petrol rather than p/p - they disguise their fuel fillers, how can you trust a fly by night outfit that does that and paints their tractors red

OK on the lack of stand space - shame the 'round trip' couldn't incororate the event as a staging post.

[Brian]

Exhaust is the perfect size Henk, don't forget, on a petrol Dexta the power goes out of the rear wheels and onto the land, not out of the exhaust pipe!

The idea of a small exhaust was to reduce the noise as the tractor was aimed at working around hospitals and schools on ground care work where they judged a diesel to be too noisy, at least that is one of the stories for a petrol tractor.

No, the Perkins was a straight petrol, TVO had gone out by then although I get people telling me that Dotty is really a petrol/paraffin.

Yes, it is a pity that Phil and Pete will not be at the show but they will be making their way into Wales hopefully.

[oehrick]

Exhaust is the perfect size Henk, don't forget, on a petrol Dexta the power goes out of the rear wheels and onto the land, not out of the exhaust pipe!

Now that is a quote which needs remembering ! Same must hold true for Majors, being the same colour.

No, the Perkins was a straight petrol, TVO had gone out by then although I get people telling me that Dotty is really a petrol/paraffin.

Ah well, idiots who don't listen or read can do that effortlessley - then they try to argue you down to their level and beat you with experience

Yes, it is a pity that Phil and Pete will not be at the show but they will be making their way into Wales hopefully.

Not undervaluing their commitment in any way but they are at least doing the run in comfort - would be much more impressive on an original F, steels, mag, dirty TVO cans, no cab and an old sack on the seat like the epic Ransomes lawnmower trek South
An unusual awareness raiser for the centenary and raising funds for good works to boot can't be bad !

[Brian]

Finally got my "new" TS102 up in the yard to work on, need to sort out the turnover mechanism and change a couple of skimmers. That was my first mistake. Got the turnover mechanism sorted with ease and a spare spring from a Dexta hydraulic lift I just happened to have laying around. When I went to put it all back together I found the cross shaft was seized solid so after a couple of hours with my big heat gun, candle wax and grease, it now moves again, not quite free but a bit of work will help loosen it up some more, at least I can get grease through the bushes.

Then I discovered the next problem, the link that pulls the plough over when you trip it has no threads. I wound it out to free it all off but when I put the cleaned up parts together they just push together rather than screw together. May be a job for the welder until I can get another link. I have one on an old TS82 if it is the same one.

I need to get it working this weekend as I want it to plough the potato land. I could use the single furrow but that will take a bit of time and I nicked the skimmers off the three furrow to get the Robin ploughing. Got some replacement skimmers but have not put them on yet.

Some people should not be let anywhere near a good plough.

[AdrianNPMajor]

Hello Brian
It would be great to see some photos of you using the TSR102.
One thing I've learned over the last three or four seasons of operating my plough is how important it is to free everything off so that adjustments can be made. This may seem an obvious thing to do, but judging by some ploughs I have seen, there is a tendancy just to hitch up to the plough standing in the nettles and head off to the field.
What will you plant next after the onions?
Best, Adrian.

[Brian]

Next job is potatoes Adrian, we are off to Australia in early September so want them all up and in storage by then.

Don't know what sort of job this one will do until I have tried it out. The last owner tried to use it on a Tafe tractor and bodged things up to try and get it to work.

[AdrianNPMajor]

Soaked the pins, but couldn't get them out.
Getting the brackets back from the workshop tomorrow, pins removed! My friend has the tools, machinery, heat, and amazing skill.
This corner of the field was tough. The plough rode up many times. Really interested to see if the Ransomes pin/top link reconfiguration is going to work.
Time will tell.
Best, Adrian.

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[AdrianNPMajor]

Pins and top link repositioned.
Best, Adrian.

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[RH]

Looking Very good Adrian!

BTW, I'd forgotten how badly things can rust over there! Your check -chains look like they came off the bottom of the sea.
Things we dig up here after 40 years don't look as pitted as that normally.
Mind, I have been here 32 years now, so plenty of time to forget.

[AdrianNPMajor]

You're quite right, Richard.
The poor old girl stood for many years parked up against a hedge and was overgrown with ivy. The ivy trapped the rain and everything was rusted. The tinwork was completely shot, hence the wrong bonnet, radiator cowl and mudguards (the mudguards came off a blue/orange Super).
Even after 32 years I'm sure you still have a clear memory of good old British rain!
Glad you got your tractor back together. I've never been up close and personal with a double clutch.
Best, Adrian.

[AdrianNPMajor]

Just got to adjust the two collars on the cross shaft that centralise the latching mechanism.
Best, Adrian.

[mathias1]

A few pictures of some time ago. FSM NP with Ransomes TSR107

[AdrianNPMajor]

Wow! That looks perfect.
Best, Adrian.