Click photo to enlarge
Retired farmer Malcolm Mouat, of Dunedin, takes his tandem
tractor for a test run yesterday before it is unveiled on
Saturday at the annual Edendale Crank-Up Day. Photo by
Stephen Jaquiery.
Malcolm Mouat, of Dunedin, has spent the past year on a
quest for more power.
The retired farmer has lovingly restored two tractors - 1940
and 1951 Fordsons - so he could reproduce a tandem tractor.
Mr Mouat said he wanted to reprise the engineering feat of
older brothers Ian and Stewart, who built a similar tractor
unit on the family farm in Western Southland in 1965.
The idea of combining the two tractors was to utilise each
tractor's 34kW, which would give the tandem the necessary
grunt to break in the rest of the manuka bush-covered farm,
he said.
"Four-wheel tractors were quite rare in New Zealand at that
time, so this is a real example of Kiwi ingenuity."
After locating two Fordson tractors - one parked under beech
trees on a Western Southland farm (with its engine in a
nearby shed) and the other in a Waikaia paddock - he was able
to replicate his brothers' feat.
Armed with a sketch from his brothers, Mr Mouat spent more
than a year and "worked eight-hour days" to finish the
tandem, and was assisted by toolmaker Jimmy Close.
The tractor will be freighted to Edendale today , and will be
unveiled this weekend at the annual Edendale Crank-Up Day.
The tractor will not be the only tandem on display, as
gold-medal winning rowing twins Georgina Earl and Caroline
Evers-Swindell are special guests.
- hamish.mcneilly@odt.co.nz
