TRACTORS AND TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS

 Mechanical device consisting of an engine and power transmission system. The

engine ranges from 3 hp to over 100 hp.

 Equipped with a transmission system that produces high torque on its wheels for
pulling various implements in the farm.

 Equipped with a rotary shaft (power take-off shaft, PTO) that produces rotary
power for the operation of rotary implements.

 Equipped with a hydraulic system for lifting and lowering (during transport) and
positioning (during operation) of various implements in the farm.

 Tractors are classified as two-wheel tractor and four-wheel tractor.

 The first four-wheel tractors were brought to the Philippines during the American
occupation for large-scale sugar cane production.

 The first two-wheel tractors were introduced in the Philippines from Japan in the
1960s for wetland rice cultivation.

Two-wheel Tractors

 Single-axle machine powered by an engine ranging from 3 hp to 15 hp.

 Used for land preparation, planting, cultivating, harvesting and transport.

 Various implements are attached to this tractor and the operator walks behind to
provide control.

 Two-wheel tractors are classified according to their function:

1. Traction type – provides pulling power through its drawbar (Fig. 1)

 Fitted with pneumatic tires for dry land operation.

 Fitted with steel cage wheels for wet land operation.

 Equipped with a single-bottom moldboard plow or two-bottom disc

plow and comb-tooth harrow for land preparation and a trailer for
transport.
 Figure 1. Traction type hand tractor

2. Rotary type – fitted with rotary blades to cut and pulverize the soil (Fig. 2).

 Rotary blades may be attached to a rear axle powered by the tractor

pto for dry land operation.

 Rotary blades may be attached to a front axle similar to a cage wheel

for wet land operation. It comes with a floating device for deep mud
conditions.

 Rotary blades may be attached to and powered by the wheel axle itself
for dry land or wet land operation.

Figure 2. Rotary type hand tractor

3. General-purpose type – fitted with a drawbar for traction work and a power-
take-off (PTO) for rotary work (Fig. 3).

 It comes with a moldboard or disc plow attached to the drawbar.

 It comes with a detachable rotary blade assembly powered by the

PTO.

 This tractor is of Japanese design and comes normally with steering

clutches and multiple speed transmission including reverse.
 Figure 3. General-purpose type hand tractor

Four-wheel Tractors

 Double-axle machine powered by an engine ranging from 15 hp to over 100 hp.

 Power is delivered as draft at the drawbar, rotary at the PTO and lifting at the
hydraulic system.

 Implements are mounted on the tractor using the hydraulic-controlled three-point

hitch system.
 It is a slow moving vehicle (up to 30 kph) with high torque on the driving wheels.

 It comes with multiple speed transmission including reverse to accommodate

various field speeds.

 The operator is provided with a seat from where the tractor is controlled.

 The tractor is provided with various controls for its operation: throttle lever, clutch
pedal, brake pedals, gear shift lever, steering wheel, hydraulic main control lever
(draft and position control), pto control lever, differential lock pedal and others.

 Classified as either compact or standard type according to the hp rating of the

engine (Figs. 4 and 5):

 Compact tractors – tractors with power rating below 32 hp

 Standard light tractors – 32 hp to 49 hp

 Standard light-medium tractors – 50 hp to 69 hp

 Standard medium tractors – 70 hp to 89 hp

 Standard heavy tractors – 90 hp and above.

 Transmission Systems

 Second major component of the tractor

 It provides draft power through the wheels, rotary power through the PTO and
lifting power through the hydraulic system.

 Common methods of power transmission:

1. Direct coupling (Fig. 6) – load is directly connected to the engine by some

kind of flange device.

 Transmission efficiency is 100%

 Speed of rotation of engine = speed of rotation of load
 Direction of rotation of engine is the same as the load

Figure 4. Compact four-wheel tractor

Figure 5. Standard four-wheel tractor

 Figure 6. Direct coupling

2. Belt and pulleys (Fig. 7) – two pulleys are used and connected to each other
by a belt.

 Transmission efficiency is <100% because of belt slippage

 Clutch action may be obtained by a third pulley or by moving the
drive pulley to loosen the belt
 Speed ratio between engine and load depends on diameter ratio of the
two pulleys:

N 1 D2
 Eqn. 1
N 2 D1

Figure 7. Belt and pulleys

3. Chain and sprockets (Fig. 8) – Two sprockets are used and connected by a
roller chain.

 Transmission efficiency is practically 100% because of the positive

nature of power transmission
 Direction of rotation of the two sprockets are the same
 Speed ratio between engine and load depends on the number of teeth
ratio of the two sprockets:

N1 T 2
 Eqn. 2
N 2 T1
 Figure 8. Chain and sprockets

4. Gears (Fig. 9) – Two gears side-by-side are used.

 Transmission efficiency is practically 100% because of the positive

nature of power transmission
 Direction of rotation of the two gears are opposite each other
 Center-to-center distance between the shafts of the gears is dictated by
the size of the gears.
 Eqn. 2 may be used to get the speed ratio.

Figure 9. Gears
 Two-wheel tractor transmission system (Fig. 10):

Belt
Engine
Gear box

Driven pulley Sprocket

Chain
Axle

Drive wheel

Figure 10. Transmission system of two-wheel tractor

 Four-wheel tractor transmission system (Fig. 11):

Right wheel

Belt pulley
Final
drive
Transmission
gear box
Differential

Engine Clutch Hydraulic

pump Power take-off
shaft

Figure 11. Transmission system of four-wheel tractor

 Sample problem 1:

Determine the forward speed VW of the two-wheel tractor (kph) if the

specifications of the transmission devices are as given below:

TRACTION
1ST REDUCTION 2ND REDUCTION 3RD REDUCTION
WHEELS
N1 = 3,000 rpm N3 = N5 = N7 =
N2 = N4 = 250 rpm N6 = 75 rpm D7 = 50 cm
D1 = 10 cm T3 = T5 = 33 teeth Speed =
D2 = 30 cm T4 = 100 teeth T6 =

Solution:

N1 D2 N D (3,000rpm)(10cm)
  N2  1 1   1,000rpm
N 2 D1 D2 30cm

N 3  N 2  1,000rpm

N 3 T4 NT (250rpm)(100teeth)
  T3  4 4   25teeth
N 4 T3 N3 1000rpm

N 5  N 4  250rpm
N 5 T6 NT (250rpm)(33teeth)
  T6  5 5   110teeth
N 6 T5 N6 75rpm

N 7  N 6  75rpm

1km 60 min
VW  D7 N 7   (0.5m)(75rpm)( )( )  7.07kph
1,000m 1hr
 Sample problem 2:

If it is desired to reduce the forward speed of the two-wheel tractor to 3 kph, what
should be the diameter of D2 if D1 and N1 remain the same?

TRACTION
1ST REDUCTION 2ND REDUCTION 3RD REDUCTION
WHEELS
N1 = 3,000 rpm N3 = N5 = N7 =
N2 N4 = N6 = D7 = 50 cm
D1 = 10 cm T3 =25 teeth T5 = 33 teeth Speed = 3 kph
D2 = T4 = 100 teeth T6 = 110 teeth

Solution:

3kph 1,000m 1hr

VW  D7 N 7  N 7  ( )( )( )  31.85rpm
x0.5m 1km 60 min

N 7  N 6  31.85rpm

N 5 T6 NT (110teeth)(31.85rpm)
  N5  6 6   106.17rpm
N 6 T5 T5 33teeth

N 5  N 4  106.17rpm

N 3 T4 NT (100teeth)(106.17rpm)
  N3  4 4   424.68rpm
N 4 T3 T3 25teeth

N 3  N 2  424.68rpm

N 1 D2 N D (3,000rpm)(10cm)
  D2  1 1   70.64cm
N 2 D1 N2 424.68rpm

One of the factors affecting tractor performance is the tractors weight distribution and the location of the
center of gravity. The center of gravity of an object is that point within the object where its entire weight
is concentrated. The center of gravity concerns only the weight distribution in the tractor, nothing else.
The location of the center of gravity of the tractor establishes the weight distribution between the
front and rear wheels (and from side to side and vertically, through these weight distributions will not be
considered here.
In general, the location of the center of gravity for most wheel tractors (2 wheel drive) is forward
of the rear axle a distance equal to about 1/3 of the tractor wheelbase. Wheelbase is the horizontal
distance between the centreline of the rear axle and the centreline of the front axle.
The center of gravity of a tractor can easily be determined by measuring the wheelbase and the
weight supported by the front and the rear wheels of the tractor (called the static weight distribution) and
applying the formula:

Where: L – location of center of gravity in front of the rear axle centerline, in.
WB – tractor wheelbase, in.
 WF – weight supported by front wheels, lb
WR – weight supported by rear wheels, lb
For example, the location of the center of gravity of a tractor with 72 inch wheelbase and front and
rear weights of 1500 and 3200 lbs. respectively, would be:

 Reading Assignment:

1. PAES 109:2000 Agricultural Machinery – Walking-type Agricultural

Tractor – Specifications. Part 1: Pull type
2. PAES 118:2001 Agricultural Machinery – Four-wheel Tractor -
Specifications