growers@sgcotton.com.au Roger Tomkins - Greenmount Press

straighten, which we did not have. The entire unit leaned to one
side, rendering it impossible for the bucket to sit level on the
ground.
But, utilising a considerable degree of ingenuity, with which
we Aussie farmers are credited, the problem was instantly solved.
So for the rest of its days, the loader/backhoe went about its
business with 40 pounds of air in its nearside tyres and 14
pounds of air in its offside tyres, and the bucket once again sat
flat on the ground.
The John Deere
With two consecutive bountiful cropping seasons under our
belt, I felt it was time for an indulgence. We added to our fleet
a John Deere 44-30. What bliss. A Soundguard air conditioned
cabin that had me wiping my feet before entering. There was
even a tape player enabling me to lose myself in the delights of a
Beethoven symphony or two.
The Suzuki
We intalled two way radios connecting the John Deere to the
homestead and Margery’s Suzuki jeep. Trouble was – Margery
spent hours discussing scone recipes and pudding mixes over the
radio with Mary, who shared our channel. My urgent requests
for a fuel delivery or the procurement of a set of filters, or some
other pressing matter, would routinely be blocked by the two
merrily chattering away, oblivious to the managerial necessities
of running a rural property. But I forgave them. Margery’s scones
and puddings were and are nothing less than gourmet, indeed
surpassing the CWA’s highest standards.
The John Deere was an excellent tractor and made the others
seem quite archaic. But it is a fact that at the end of a long shift,
I would scramble down from the cabin feeling half crippled.
The John Deere 44-30 replaced the Chamberlain Super 90
as the flagship tractor on the property. But despite having
around 30 per cent more horsepower than the Chamberlain,
and of course the luxury of the Soundguard cabin, its
drawbar pull was only marginally greater than that of the
Super 90 and surprisingly, at the completion of a 14 hour
shift, it proved more fatiguing. (Photo IMJ archives)
The diminutive Suzuki Jeep was an incredibly capable
vehicle. Powered by a tiny petrol fuelled three cylinder
two stroke engine, apart from climbing trees the little
vehicle could literally go anywhere. Its narrow lugged tyres,
coupled to its lightweight, rendered it the only vehicle on
the property that was unstoppable in the black soil in wet
weather. Rather absurdly, on several occasions it was used to
recover our bogged Range Rover. (Photo M Daw)
Certainly I was as clean as when starting off in the morning. On
the other hand, despite being filthy following a day in the dust,
I never suffered the same aches after dismounting from the
Chamberlain Super 90. I can only put this down to the fact that
the Chamberlain had a softly sprung front axle. But I recall both
tractors fondly.
It is therefore perhaps understandable that I do envy the
modern tractor driver surrounded by all his high tech doo dahs.
But at least with the good old Chamberlain Super 90, I never had
to concern myself with problems relating to air conditioning, dust
sealing, the accuracy of the Satnav or even the power steering
or powershift transmission!
iAn’s mystery trACtor QuiZ
Question: Can you identify this tractor?
Clue: It shares its name with a breed of Scottish cattle.
Degree of difficulty: Outrageously difficult, in fact near nigh
impossible, as none came to Australia and only one example
(this one) remains today.
Answer: See page 64.
52 — The Australian Cottongrower August–September 2012