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I have given some thought to a two-wheeled electric tractor for dealing with mud -- horse paddocks turn into basically a 1-foot deep slurry after heavy rain and
by HeyLaughingBoy 2y ago
I have given some thought to a two-wheeled electric tractor for dealing with mud -- horse paddocks turn into basically a 1-foot deep slurry after heavy rain and it can be easier to deal with something small that sinks through the mud, down to solid ground than something using large floatation tires. Additional problem with large tires is that they tend to throw mud around, making everyone nearby even more dirty.
I haven't actually built anything (been paying attention to Taylor's work, though), but I came to the same conclusion that bike wheels & tires would probably be a good choice. It also doesn't hurt that we have many discarded kids' bikes all over the place.
- littlestymaar 2y agoYour description fit what I've seen for rice farming, whose machines usually use bike-like tires.
- vintagedave 2y agoI’m curious there. I’ve seen rice paddies plowed in Vietnam and the tractors used wide paddle-like wheels. I saw two varieties: one with what looked like more normal wheels but much wider, and one which was of metal with fins, very much akin to a paddle steamer, though still with some kind of flat surface that must have distributed weight. Would they be more effective with thin wheels? Both humans and cattle seem to sink in a few inches and stop; I don’t know what’s under the layer of mud and what makes up a rice paddy.
- littlestymaar 2y agoWhat I saw was in Taiwan, but I guess it must depends on the depth of the mud and the nature of what's below.