Fast Farming: New Tractor Land Speed Record

[BobPalma]

But what will it do pulling a six-bottom plow?

https://www.automobilemag.com/news/tractor-world-speed-record-shattered-by-british-team-video/?wc_mid=4035:17043&wc_rid=4035:1076571&_wcsid=5F38EB4024F1A17419B31E6DC7785DA4C8226FDB92C6AF9E

Can you imagine going 100 MPH high in that cab? BP

[BobWaitz]

That one? 100 wouldn't be so bad. It's not exactly the "production" class! I was picturing something a little more "old school" where you sat out in the open and had 3 feet of ground clearance. That would be horrifying over 30 mph!

[jclary]

Obviously, very limited in capabilities...certainly no "High Crop" cultivation

[Milaca]

It will certainly win a race against the 1938 Minneapolis-Moline UDLX, which had a top speed of 40 mph.

[sweetolbob]

It will certainly win a race against the 1938 Minneapolis-Moline UDLX, which had a top speed of 40 mph.

Thanks for the post, I was so intrigued that I googled the tractor and found an interesting read from Hemmings. https://www.hemmings.com/blog/articl...comfortractor/

Instead of an Aquacar we have a Tillercar. Bob

[BobPalma]

It will certainly win a race against the 1938 Minneapolis-Moline UDLX, which had a top speed of 40 mph.

Those are so cool, aren't they, Brent? They were called Comfortractors, were they not?

A colossal marketing flop but, boy, are they worth a ton today. Gotta' love 'em. BP

[8E45E]

I posted another one here a year ago: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub....highlight=UDLX

Craig

[t walgamuth]

It will certainly win a race against the 1938 Minneapolis-Moline UDLX, which had a top speed of 40 mph.

That is a handsome tractor!

- - - Updated - - -

But what will it do pulling a six-bottom plow?

https://www.automobilemag.com/news/tractor-world-speed-record-shattered-by-british-team-video/?wc_mid=4035:17043&wc_rid=4035:1076571&_wcsid=5F38EB4024F1A17419B31E6DC7785DA4C8226FDB92C6AF9E

Can you imagine going 100 MPH high in that cab? BP

Cool, Bob! Farmers are always looking for ways to get the crops planted when the rain stops for a few hours!

[Jeff_H]

The wheels measure 28 inches and were wrapped in specially designed road-rated tires.

I would hope so!! Normal tractor tires are NOT designed use on pavement or any significant speed. Some of the tractors we had on the farm growing up where hard to keep moving in a straight line if driven on the highway to get to some fields. Not round or maybe the rims were not true so tended to wander all over, even at about 18mph top gear.

RE: the UDLX. Seems that most or all Molines of that era had a fast "road gear". There is a '48 ZTU on the farm that grandpa bought new. 4th gear is fast and rather scary, not sure what it tops out at with full throttle. Only possible use is for transport between fields. There is a pipe plug on the transmission I recall Dad telling me was for some lockout so if a farmer had the steel wheels with the steel lugs instead of rubber tires (that were just becoming the norm in the latter 30s when this tractor was introduced) they could not access that fast 4th gear.

I had the chance to look at the interior of a couple of UDLX's one time and those cab amenities were pretty primitive. I guess they kept the wind and rain out but the heat and the dust, not so much.

[8E45E]

I would hope so!! Normal tractor tires are NOT designed use on pavement or any significant speed. RE: the UDLX. Seems that most or all Molines of that era had a fast "road gear". There is a '48 ZTU on the farm that grandpa bought new. 4th gear is fast and rather scary, not sure what it tops out at with full throttle.

Evan can chime in and enlighten us more on the top speed of his Rockol tractor with Mopar running gear which was made in Indiana by Custom Tractor Company. More here: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub....e-a-year-makes

and here: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub....Rockol-Tractor ; http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...8061&styleid=1

Craig

[fargoguy]

Well I can confirm that the Rockol will easily do over 30mph- where it tops out I’m not brave enough to test- but I have personally experienced 32mph on it with throttle left to go- but even that speed is scary.

[Bob Bryant]

My meeting Ab Jenkins was mentioned, previously. His belt buckle said "World's Fastest Farmer" and that was around 1953. https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/...opic53875.html

A local farmer worked very hard on a lot of acreage. He had a cord tied to the throttle assembly and would fly through our little town wide open driving his Farmall Super M. Sadly, his son tried to emulate his dad and lost control and died when he flipped the tractor.