Going ploughing

[AdrianNPMajor]

Getting ready to go ploughing.
Pumping up the tyres. Engine oil changed and everything greased.
Plough also serviced.
Best, Adrian.

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[oehrick]

And you stood her outside for a wash as well Adrian

It looks a hefty plough from that angle, amazing the difference the change from forged beams to box section had!!

[AdrianNPMajor]

Rick, it always amazes me that the Major can lift and pull this plough, especially when it is pulling it through heavy land, as we have in this part of Suffolk.
But it does!
Ford and Ransomes arrived at a pretty impressive combination with the Major and the TSR102.
I don't have any experience of the TSR82. It looks very strong, but Ransomes must have had a reason for upgrading the frame.
When you look back at the heavy soil being turned, it's easy to see the forces going through the frame of the plough.
Best, Adrian.

[dewaltdisney]

Blimey Adrian that is a scary bit of kit. I enjoyed your video of you showing the test of the plough's reversing action but I do not think I would have the nerve to use it . Good luck with your ploughing and I would love to see another video of it in action.

Cheers

DWD

[AdrianNPMajor]

I made a video a couple of years ago.
Don't think I'll be doing this field this year, because it was sown with beans. Waiting to hear.
Best, Adrian.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxaQlWlNVTw

[dewaltdisney]

It certainly does the job and you were moving along at a fair lick. May I ask were you in second or third gear high range? Good video, thanks for sharing

DWD

[AdrianNPMajor]

Second gear, high range. If you hit a sticky patch, quickly engage first gear high range, then pull her back into second when you've cleared it.
It does look fast, but it doesn't feel that fast when you're sitting in the seat.
Tried other gears, but this one feels right.
I only know this one soil type.
Best, Adrian.

[AdrianNPMajor]

Made a start today.
The conditions are very dry. It's like ploughing concrete!
As none of you need telling, the Major is a tough bit of kit.
I know Frank's tractor is the wrong colour, but it is a fine machine.
Best, Adrian.

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[oehrick]

Looks a bit cloddy Adrian but at least its not coming up like dustbin lids 'twill shine your boards up nicely - what is that lump of old red tin ? don't tell me the price of scrap has got so bad the diddy's are flytipping old tractors now............

I suppose if you were not so keen to see how it worked you'd have let them clear the bales off first

I' ve spent the day under the car replacing some Nivomat suspension units which some previous owner had substituted ordinary shockers for (Nivos being 5-600 Quid a pair new! fortunately I found some pre enjoyed ones at nowherenearthat plus postage) Hopefully the tail dragging will be cured as a result, if not its bits of 4 x 2 above the springs time !

Anyhow I intend to take the afternoon off and go looking at old tractors at Marsham tomorrow, will try to remember to take my new camera and see how good it is on tractors, over a couple of hours last night it didn't catch many meteor trails but I guess it can't be blamed for where I pointed it

[Brian]

Do not think I am going to make it to Marsham, Rick, lifting onions. Take some pictures for us all.

[AdrianNPMajor]

Rick, re the bales, in this part of Silly Suffolk we have an ancient sport (goes back to mediaeval times, I believe) called round-bale rolling. I was jumping off the tractor periodically to indulge in this traditional pastime. I hear it may be making an appearance in Tokyo in 2020, in which case I might put my name forward.

Is it a ploughing day you're going to?
Best, Adrian.

[oehrick]

Lifting onions Brian whatever sort of excuse is that

Bale rolling is not the same fun here on the flat as it is in hill country Adrian - I remember when the rolls first became popular, driving around and seeing roadside walls or fenced breached where one or more had rolled downhill like a giant snowball, some were propped against the gradient with fence posts and the like to avoid this, how the farmer or contractor hadn't twigged what a local kid magnet these would be I dunno.......... Never mind an Olympic event, the Japanese have already miniaturised these, added fish & rice to the straw and then eat them with horseradish wine

Not a ploughing day as such but there will be some, along with some harvesting etc. Tractors, commercials, cars, engines etc at Bob Parke's place at Marsham (between that there Norridge and Aylsham) - hope to take a few pics if I can find me filter that only lets Empire Blue & Orange through.

[AdrianNPMajor]

I'm not going to win any medals for rolling the straw bales, Rick. It's the hay bales that require some grunt.
Just googled Norridge. No reference. Must be some tiny hamlet.
Photos of your day-out required .... sorry, requested!


Best, Adrian.

[Brian]

Horseradish Wine????? Never heard of that Rick. This morning I made "Granny Dye's Atomic Horseradish Sauce" from a secret recipe that has been handed down my mothers family for over 100 years. Makes Colmans "turnip sauce" that you buy taste like TURNIPS. Ours clears all the nostrils, throat and tear ducts.

I ploughed some roots up the other day, enough to make six jars. I give it a little extra bite by adding some "Norfolk Nargh" chillies that Ann grows.

[oehrick]

Never heard of horseradish wine ? probably never heard of Henry & Sid Kipper either then Brian - they did for traditional folk singing what Dwile Flonking did for traditional country dancing I can only suggest you improve your education by trying out some of these on Ewetube and if you like what you hear PM me..
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... v70Ha0YHlR

Don't favour chillis but you can't beat a bit of horseradish on beef, gammon, sausage or smoked mackerel

I have taken some photos at Marsham today and will upload and link here when the electrons are a little less sluggish through the wires down the lane.

Hope you got your onions up without too many tears or indeed tares, no onion harvesters on display but no shortage of tractors, the Red Devils were in the majority this year but True Blue were holding their end up with Blue Force having a good selection in their line up.

The star of the show for me was George Soames (of Marsham and inventor of the steam powered fairground ride) steam wagon, the second recorded mechanical vehicle in Norfolk which is currently on loan to Bob Parke, It used to live in an open cart lodge on my way to school and I often used to break my bus journey to sneak in and drool over it, I can't tell you what a pleasure it was to have a little play with it in steam at last.

I may have confused you Adrian, I do beleive the folk of that there Norridge may spell it differently to us here in Norfolk, but they have several thinks you may have heard of, there's A Viva, (that was Norridge Onion Insewerance), theres the bladder kickers called Norridge City Nil, and Norridge Ear Port, on the A140 North, the A140 from Ips Switch dissapear into that there Norridge but where the hell it actually goes before it comes out a the Ear Port nobody seems to know these days.

Hope that clears up the uncertainty, just don't ask about this new Northern Distributor Road, they are taking in thousands of acres of decent land to build what seems to be like that there London's M25 but in the spirit of Norfolk's county motto 'Dew Different' its going to be like the M25 but without the Dartford Bridge or tunnels Yup the two ends on Brians side aren't going to join up, some piddling nonsense about newts and flowers and tree huggers in the gap between the ends - go figure!

[oehrick]

I've linked the photo album from the Marsham '16 thread here http://www.fordsontractorpages.nl/phpbb ... =11&t=6890

[AdrianNPMajor]

Lovely set of photos, Rick. Looks like a really good day out.
Some interesting Majors. I always think that no two are the same - they each have their own history.
Making progress with the ploughing.
Best, Adrian.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHAkTXRyhAw

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[oehrick]

I'm still seething that I mislaid the programme, (anyone else on the board go and still have theirs??) there were some unusual beasts, I especially liked the lister powered hedge cutter, not quite as ungainly as some of the monstrosities I've seen pictured.

The pullers were largely Fordon based, one with a big blown Cat engine, unfortunately by the time I'd worked my way over there they had had some mechanical catastrophe with the sledge so only the garden tractors were pulling, I'm amazed there were not crankshafts and pistons being ejected the revs some were developing and pulling a comparatively heavy mini sledge.

I missed the sea of Red Devils although did take a few of the Nuffields, but have not posted them.

Your old girl certainly looks, sounds & does the business, are you pleased with the plough ?

[AdrianNPMajor]

So that's what it was! That has to be the most inventive use of the various component parts - I'm referring to the Major with a Lister engine bolted to it!
I know we're doing pretty well in Rio, but if there were ever a shed olympics, that is, a competition for the most inventive activity carried out in a shed (keep it clean! ), then we'd surely win it hands-down.
Very pleased with the plough and the tractor. Winning combination, really. All the operator has to do is sit on the seat and watch the scenery, talking of which, a buzzard, relatively new to these parts, soared above at one point just as a sparrowhawk did its characteristic flap-flap-glide at a lower altitude.
Might just have to dust off the passport and cross the border into Norfolk next year to visit Marsham. Pop into Blickling Hall too, which has to be one of the most stunning NT properties.
Best, Adrian.

[oehrick]

Shed Olympics, now that is one sport I might take an interest / part in with some chance of success they had the hedge clipper running but without the blades con rod in place. The odd spud / cage wheels caused some interest.

It is funny how even the unrestored tractors end up 'customised' and certainly those with cabs end up with a patina of patching & bodging that would need an innovative restorer to mimic. I called in to check on my Major yesterday to find that it has been customised, newly repaired & painted wing & tank, seat plus much of the bonnet and toolbox have been comprehensively re decorated by birdlife probably swallows but by volume more like albatri (or albatrosses, never can remember the rule) where are the raptors when you need them.

Both Blickling and Felbrigg are great places, but then so is Sheringham Park (complete with steam Racksaw) and not NT but Gunton Park sawmill is a unique water driven mill with vertical reciprocating saw which rips trees lengthwise one Sunday a month (if there is enough water available - supply to pond not much bigger than a drainage ditch) run by the Norfok Industrial Archaeological Soc guys. By comparison and nearly in Suffolk is the museum I've been involved with for decades at Forncett St Mary just off the A140 where a collection of very large Stationary Steam Engines are operated 1st Sunday in the Month May to October - ever used a 10" spanner ? a/f that is, not Whitworth

Post Brexit you don't need to show your passport at Scole, just go in the 'local' lane

Interestingly my neighbour said they had been watching a Buzzard yesterday, then when I nipped into Hoveton to pick SWMBO from shopping, blow me there it was, large as life, sitting on top of a round bale within a few yards of the road watching the cars go by - they look even bigger close up but sods law, no camera with me

How long before you complete your ploughing ?

[AdrianNPMajor]

Many thanks for the suggestions, Rick. I don't really know Norfolk, and I am going to have to put that right.
Should finish the field in the next few days, depending on weather, which looks good, and other commitments.
Best, Adrian.

[AXEMAN78]

Nice to see your super in the furrow Adrian. Bet you need all that weight up front when you've the plough in the air!

Paul

[AdrianNPMajor]

Hello Paul
Yes, the Major is in its element when pulling the plough.
The weights are critical, as you probably know, though I didn't when I first started. I had the factory-fitted wheel weights, but they were not heavy enough to keep the nose down when ploughing. When the depth control hydraulics tried to lift the plough when a stiff spot was encountered, the plough stayed where it was and the nose came up instead. I made a weight carrier and fitted the 000 series weights, and it changed the equation. Now when the hydraulics kick in, the nose stays put and the plough is raised momentarily before returning to the set depth. The end result is that you get a smooth run instead of riding a bucking bronco!
I thought I would have to remove the weights when not ploughing but the steering is unnaffected, so I leave them on all year round.
Still waiting for photos of your tractor ...... .
Hope you're enjoying it.
Best, Adrian.

[mathias1]

Hey Adrian,

What a beautiful picture of a nice job.
Any idea if less weights would do the job, like only 3 on the nose? Just to know how much I'm in need of

[AdrianNPMajor]

My friend has an NP Super and does a lot of ploughing. I copied his design for the weight carrier. He uses four 000 series weights so I followed his example also.
As mentioned, the weights work perfectly when ploughing, but do not affect the steering when the plough is not mounted.
I haven't tried using fewer weights so can't advise.
Do you have the factory-fitted front wheel weights? The balance I am describing includes these weights.
Best, Adrian.