Weight advantage trumps horsepower.
The upward angle of the pulling line puts the newer tractor at a bit of a disadvantage, but it would have probably lost even with a horizontal line.
18 horsepower and about 1500 ft/lbs of torque. Also, the steam tractor was taller than the John Deere.
So which is greener, the John Deere tractor or the steam tractor? At only 18 hp, I suspect the more powerful steam tractor is greener.
Wow — they just don’t make horses like they used to.
Together the team makes a great trencher.
Progress?
The steam engine may have put out a rather unimpressive 18 horse power but the torque from that steam engine is impressive
That isn’t a JD engine, by color maybe a CAT.
Hitch is angled enough to lift the back wheels up reducing traction significantly for the JD.
The JDs 4 wheel drive wasn’t engaged.
Still entertaining.
A stock John Deere 8130 is only 240 HP and weighs 25,000 pounds
This one has been modified for tractor pulling
A Chessie working HARD!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2BoMFZcnDI
Everyone knows the first part f the saying, “Nothing runs like a Deere”. Few know the second part, Nothing smells like a John.” Thanks to the late Ed Johnson at the Ohio State Fair many years ago.
Low end torque is worth something, especially for stump pulling.
It isn’t power that did it, it was weight. Note also that the John Deere was a four wheel drive equipped vehicle, but it was only running in two wheel drive (the front wheels weren’t spinning. The drivers intended the steam tractor to win.
Compression!
There is a weight advantage but it is compression that won the day. The huge piston in the steam tractor immediately gives almost full torque to the flywheel because of the larger compression force pushing on it, with no exhaust values. The JD horsepower was mostly lost in spinning wheels and exhaust. It was out torqued by the larger compression advantage of the steam tractor. A level draw bar hookup would not have changed the outcome nor would have weight added to the JD to match the syeam tractors weight.
The steam tractor’s hitch gives it a tremendous mechanical advantage because it is lifting the JD’s rear end upward. Therefore, the JD’s has very little ground pressure on it’s rear wheels.
Nothin’ doesn’t run like having mass on your side. :’)
I wonder how a modern diesel locomotive would fair against a good old steam locomotive?
Torque, cubes and bulk win every time as long as you don’t want to go too fast.