Efficiencys key for Trantor
Efficiencys key for Trantor
By Mike Williams
TRANTOR, the original high-speed tractor developed in the 1970s, has been completely redesigned with more emphasis on field work performance and with a 45mph top speed rather than its predecessors 60mph plus.
The new model inherits an improved version of the original Trantors four-wheel braking plus front and rear suspension to meet the "fast tractor" speed limit exemption on the road. It is also based on the same lightweight design approach, but the big improvements are in the pto and three-point linkage to increase efficiency in the field.
The gearbox is developed from the original Trantor transmission with five forward speeds which are doubled to 10 through a high/low ratio box, but a transfer box has been added to move the main drive shaft sideways and allow space for a more efficient direct drive from the bellhousing to the pto. The transmission is designed for 135hp maximum, and engine options from 90hp to 125hp are planned for the production model.
Rear linkage has two lift rams instead of the single ram employed on previous models, boosting the lift capacity from 2000kg to 2500kg. The load space behind the cab carries 500kg. Other improvements include a sharper steering angle to reduce the turning circle to 9.7m diameter, and the suspension, with leaf springs at the rear, coil springs at the front and telescopic shock absorbers front and rear, is modified to improve ride quality.
Power for the prototype Trantor is provided by an Indian-built, naturally aspirated Tata engine developing 90hp from four cylinders. This is a rugged, low-cost unit with relatively simple servicing requirements, and would be suitable for India and other Far Eastern markets, but the engine bay will also take power units from Perkins, Iveco and other leading manufacturers to suit European and North American demands.
HST Developments, the Lancashire company behind the Trantor revival, is owned by Graham Edwards, a partner in the original Trantor project. HSTs engineering director, Steve Castellani, carried out the design work for the new model, but the prototypes were assembled in India, which is currently the worlds fastest-growing tractor market and will also supply some of the components for the production version.
The design work is complete – apart from a new-look cab to replace the design inherited from the old models – but production arrangements for the new Trantor have not been finalised.
The aim, says Mr Edwards, is to set up assembly plants to supply major regional markets. These would operate in collaboration with existing tractor or farm equipment companies, and he expects one of the assembly operations will be in the UK to supply the European market.
"Earlier Trantors were designed mainly for transport. The new version is still a high-speed vehicle which will easily outperform a conventional tractor on the road, but the most important developments are the improvements to the pto and the hydraulics to give a better performance in the field.
"Compared with a conventional tractor, the new Trantor is much lighter at about 3.7t, which is an advantage for everything except heavy draft work, and it will also be less expensive to manufacture. The target list price for the 90hp version is about £25,000 complete with four-wheel drive, which is about half the price of an existing fast tractor." *
New-look Trantor. This prototype is powered by an Indian-built Tata engine rated at 90hp. Inset: Graham Edwards intends to set up assembly plants to supply regional markets.
TRANTOR HISTORY
1971 – Graham Edwards and Stuart Taylor develop ideas for a high-speed tractor after a research project showed that transport and travel occupied much of the working time of many farm tractors.
1972 – Edwards and Taylor contribute £100 to form an engineering company based in a rented garage.
1974 – Lonrho Exports, a trading company with interests in Africa, makes a £200,000 contribution to Trantor development costs.
1976 – Leyland-powered Trantor launched at the Royal Show.
1986 – The first four-wheel-drive Series 2 Trantor produced.
1989 – Graham Edwards becomes the sole shareholder in Trantor and changes the company name to HST Developments.
1994 – Design work starts on a new range of Trantors.
2000 – Prototype version of the new range on test in the UK.