June 7, 2004

Track tractor meets the challenge of soil conservation

There’s no complaints from farm employee Mike Wetters when asked to do a long shift as driver of the Challenger MT845 on Tom and Peter Ward’s Mingenew property, located in the state’s northern wheatbelt. “It’s easy to drive and very comfortable,” he said.

There are a few important variables in crop establishment that can have a big impact on gross margins.

Such things as early sown crops in association with timely spraying and a balanced nutrient package can lead to higher yielding crops.

But one variable thatís often overlooked in the equation is tractor performance.

Without a reliable tractor, achieving sowing programs can become a frustrating exercise.

Itís the reason why WA farmers Peter and Tom Ward spent a lot of time evaluating tractor performance for their 6800ha (16,800ac) cropping program on mainly sandplain country in the stateís northern wheatbelt.

Put simply, they wanted traction at working speed.

Itís an equation that can deliver cost savings both in fuel and time.

The Wards were familiar with this equation, having owned a Caterpillar 85C.

ìThe 85C had 5,500 hours on the clock and it was really time for an update,î Peter said.

ìWe switched to tracks about 15 years ago when we noticed our wheeled tractors were leaving scuff marks in the deep ripped lines on land that was pretty delicate. The scuffing effect would churn up the soil creating a lot of fines that was susceptible to wind erosion.

ìAnd we also noticed high wheelslip of around 15 to18 per cent.

ìWeíre getting about 3 to 4pc with the track tractors and itís a different type of slippage because youíve only got one set of tracks and thereís no churning of the soil, just a pulling back of soil.

ìItís a fairly compelling reason to stick to tracks because theyíre not being as destructive to the soil.î

Their Challenger MT845, bought through Greg Pike of West Tracís Geraldton branch, is employed at seeding pulling a 15.2m (50ft) seeding bar that can dig to a depth around 25cm (10in) while sowing.

ìWe work as fast as we can as long as we keep furrow definition. The working range is between 6 and 8.5km/h because we donít want to disturb the soil too much.î

In such a speed range the Challenger shines when matched against an equivalent tyre tractor.

ìTyres can get good traction above 10km/h,î Peter said. ìBut when you slow down you canít put the traction we need through tyres.î

The MT845 also is used for clay spreading and pulls a 35 tonne-rated bin with an average load between 31-32 tonnes as soon as harvest is finished or as soon after Christmas.

This year the Wards put through 25,000t at 120t/ha for soil amelioration at a working speed of 4km/h.

ìItís a single axle spreader on earthmoving tyres so it can bounce around and if youíre pulling it with a tyre tractor the tractor would join in and bounce around,î Peter said.

ìWith the Challenger you get a much flatter ride even though the bin bounces.î

This is especially noticeable traveling from the clay pit to the paddock or vice versa.

ìWe have isolated clay sources so it takes a bit of time but we can get a road speed of 38-40km/h out of the Challenger so weíve cut travel time down quite a bit,î Peter said.

ìThe 16 speed powershift transmission is smooth right through the ranges and for the type of jobs the Challenger is doing, fuel usage is very good.

ìItís heavy enough for drawbar work and light enough for jobs like top-dressing and in wet years we can do all our spraying with the Cat.

ìThe big fuel tank also means we can spend more time in the paddock.î

Peter and Tom also went for the optional 223LPM hydraulic pump which is ideal for the big seeding rig and the clay spreader and the PTO for grain handling at harvest.

Both like the improved suspension on the MT with a floating front axle and oscillating carrier wheels.

The Challenger MT800 track tractors are the flagships of an extensive range of Challenger tractors both wheeled and track.

The largest in the series, the MT865, offers one of the highest horsepower ratings of any production tractor -- track or tyred.

Powered by a 964 cubic inch Cat C16 engine, the MT865 is rated at 373kW (500) gross engine horsepower, with the bulk of that getting to the ground.

The new models also become the first in its class to offer adjustable track width with the "Mobil-trac" undercarriage allowing distances between tracks to be infinitely adjusted between 229cm (90in) and 325cm (28in) for tramline or row-crop farming.

The models also boast the longest wheelbase in the industry for maximum balance, floatation and tractive efficiency.

The power train incorporates a 16/4 Caterpillar-designed transmission which offers nine gears within the 5.8-19.9km/h working range.

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