Tandem tractor has the grunt to tackle manuka

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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.

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 [2]