Rotary plough working behind D7 and D6
Image courtesy of Forest Research, Newton, Elgin.
There are several photographs of the rotary plough working behind Caterpillar tractors. The first two images are from 1976 possibly when the plough first appeared on the scene but the subsequent images in the PDF are from the T111 cultivation experiment in 1980.
It can be seen form the comments in the report that there were some mechanical problems with drive shafts etc but that in the soil conditions encountered it worked well providing a very mixed tilth whilst burying the surface vegetation layer very successfully.
The first tractor pulling the machine is the Caterpillar D7 Reg No MGN581L and later it is the Caterpillar D6 Reg No GFS132T which is equipped with what is called ‘Komatsu’ track plates. These apical track plates were a very significant improvement on the traditional track plates with grousers in softer peaty conditions as they provided more grip and critically did not break the ground surface up. In fact tractors could slew sideways and did remarkably little damage to the surface.
Does anyone know who invented these plates and first used them?
Can anyone name the driver?
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Groups: Forest Research, Forestry in Action, Tractors Ploughs and Drainage Machines