Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1916-05-25
HORSE SENSE IN TRACTOR
BUYING
Something Of Interest to Every Fsrms'
In this Community


In this Community
That the light tractor may replace
the horse In the heavy grind OF farm
work, just as the automobile has TO
neved him from pounding over the
roads TO town TO keep the family In
groceries, Is q proposition to which
most farmers In this vicinity will
agree. But when IL comes to replac-
ing their horses with q tractor, many
obstacles appear, as was shown at .
recent tractor blowing demonstration
where all sorts OF tractors were going
through their PAGES.
A salesman had shown an inter-
ested farmer all the good points his
tractor possessed. He had plowed for
him, shown him how easy 1t was to
control the tractor, and somewhat
against the farmers will, had got him
into the seat and let him start 1t,
steer 1t, and stop 1t. He then began
TO tell him how much better 1t was
than horses for farm work. "That's
Just IT," broke In the farmer, "if IL
was a horse I'd know what you are
talking about, but this thing might
be wind broken and spawned in both
hind legs and probably wouldn't find
1t out until 1t was paid for and had
taken II home and used IL a while.
No, I'm not in the market today, I've
got to look around before / buy"
In this plain statement is shown the
frame OF mind Of the majority Of pro-
spectlve light tractor buyers. They
all know how to judge horses, because
they have raised them, broken them
to work, and studied them. Buying
q new horse is simply measuring him
up TO standard specifications.
But how is farmer to know he 10
gettlngsomewhere near value received
when he buys q tractor with no stand
ard specifications" on which to relyP
Or, putting 1t as 1t really Is, how is he
to know what are standard speciica-
tions" when all tractor manufacturers
claim theirs as standard? How is he,
In other words, to detect spawned and
weak lunged conditions in tractor
From the results OF experiments
and tests upon all types Of tractors, .
general summary can be made show
Ing the points OF merit necessary for
q good, serviceable light tractor TO
have. For the average farm, the
amount of power should range In the
neighborhood OF eight horse on the
drawbar and sixteen on the belt. On
the average 160-acre farm, according
to census reports, there are six work
horses and a colt. The tractor with
an eight-horse drawbar pull gives
little more power than the average
farmer has in horse-flesh and is, there
fore, q practical size. A tractor for
use In all sizes Of fields should b
low and short coupled. This makes
short turns possible and gives avail.
able power where orchards are to
be cultivated. Select one with two
drive wheels. A single Dive wheel
cuts the tractors chances at the load
in half. Would you buy an automo-
bile with single rear wheel2 Two
drive wheels with Q dinerential are
absolutely necessary to meet all trac-
ton conditions. Be sure, also, that
the wheels, both front and rear, are
high enough to give clearance In soft
or uneven ground. This height, also,
gives q better leverage on the load.
The power plant Of the tractor
should be a motor Of the simplest
possible construction with low speed
and the fewest possible number Of
cylinders to deliver the required power.
The high-speed motor wears faster,
uses more fuel, and relies too much
upon its speed for power. ConSe-
Quently q low-speed tractor reduces
possible repair costs and gives a maxi.
mum Of service with q minimum OF
trouble.
ia light tractor Is to mean economy
on the farm, IL must use kerosene as
fuel. The increased consumption Of
gasoline is greatly raising the price,
and experts predict Q shortage In the
supply for the near future. On the
other hand, kerosene Is not Of 20
general use and consequently Is far
cheaper. In selecting kerosene trac-
tor great care is needed, for many OF
the so-called kerosene-burning trac-
tors are not able to live up to their
claims under actual tests. Be sure to
select q tractor that can burn kero-
sene as evenly, smoothly, and with as
much power as gasoline. Test the
contents of the fuel tanks yourself
Finally, when you 60 to market Tor
q tractor, select the product OF q rep
utable company who have had years
Of experience in making successful
kerosene tractors. They will not be
experimenting tyour expense in time
and money, for their product will be
standard. They alone, in the tractor
field, can realize that their best inter-
ests are to serve your interests and
give you your moneys worth In trac'
tor power.