Steam Tractor - Development (Great Britain)

Development (Great Britain)

Owing to differences in soil conditions, the development of steam-powered agricultural machines differed considerably on either side of the Atlantic.

In Great Britain, a number of traction engine builders attempted to produce a design of agricultural engine that could pull a plough directly, in place of a team of horses. However, the heavier and wetter soils found in Britain meant that these designs were not successful — being less economical to use than the team of horses they were intended to replace. These engines were also known as "steam tractors". Instead, farmers resorted to cable-hauled ploughing using ploughing engines.

A distinctive example of a British-designed (agricultural) steam tractor is the Garrett Suffolk Punch, a 1917 design intended to compete directly with internal combustion-powered alternatives.

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