Ploughing tractors vintage classification

[chap]

Lots of discussion on this to try to allow more tractors to qualify to plough in competition after discussion with some local ploughmen here are the thoughts from these discussions what do you think a rolling 50year age. 14hp or700cc engine limit. this would allow martin markham. unihorse and winget tractors and a few more to plough and in the future some Japanese compacts it would not happen all at once and would be a gradual process allowing members to use an age related Tractor. as anyone ploughing will know its happening in the local matches anyway.

Proposed classification rules for Vintage Horticultural Ploughing Tractors

Age Tractor should have been in production at least 50 years from the 1st of January of the
present year.

Horse power , Maximum of 14hp

Engine cubic capacity, Maximum of 700cc

[chris]

Personally, I think the proposed band is too narrow, I would like to see a max horsepower of 18hp and age of rolling 40 years old.
Surely the idea is to bring more people to the hobby.
Keeping it too narrow will reduce it.

I can see the argument that when is the point that horticultural or compact tractors becomes equal to agricultural tractors.

[charlie]

I thought the date for vintage was set by the Society of Ploughmen and applies to all classes.
The introduction of more modern small tractors, if it happens, should be a new class leaving the current Vintage Horticultural class as it is, ie primarily 2 wheeled walk behind tractors etc. The list of eligible vintage tractors does not need amending. Perhaps the small tractors should compete in one of the existing tractor classes as do grey Ferguson tractors.

[trusty220]

As you say, Charlie, the vintage ruling is imposed by the Society of Ploughmen for their National Championships. On an every day basis nobody is stopping people competing with Wingets and Martin Markhams at the local ploughing matches and I have never heard of anyone being turned away because their tractor is too new- witness the amount of Kubotas and Isekis taking part. The class that people enter into at a local level is an Open class and the organisers generally want as many people in each class so that they can take their money.

The vintage ruling only comes in when people want to qualify for the Nationals. Maybe the people that want change ought to approach the Society of Ploughmen to introduce a new class (Classic Horticultural, perhaps?).

As a club our only involvement is to compile a list of competitors that comply with the S.o.P.’s criteria. Over to you, ploughmen- it’s up to you to attend the AGM of the Society and put forward a proposal for change. Any alterations have to come from them, not from us.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by trusty220.

[franktonpaget]

I also consider the proposed band is too narrow, at a stroke you would exclude a wide range of vintage horticultural tractors that although 8-10 HP have capacity over 700cc being multi cylinder
such as Newman, Kendal, David Brown 2D, Byron, President, OTA, Singer Monarch and Kent Pony.
From my own experience it does not work to plough with a single furrow in the same class as Ferguson tractors because you are very hard pressed to complete your plot in time .

Surely the definition should be that the tractor was designed and marketed as using a single furrow plough to be in the Horticultural Class but by all means split the class between ride on and pedestrian if you want.
Vintage ploughing should be enjoyable, the working events at Bingham many years ago which led to the formation of the VHGMC were great fun and what a wide selection of machines took part

[charlie]

Newman, Kendal, David Brown 2D, Byron, President, OTA, Singer Monarch and Kent Pony. All these tractors are currently eligible in the Vintage Horticultural class if they and the plough meet the cut off date of 31st Dec 1959.

[trusty220]

This discussion will go on for ages without reaching any final conclusions. In my experience it doesn’t matter where you draw the line somebody will object because they have just missed the cut-off.

I agree that the Bingham working days were fun and it’s a shame when these things develop into competitions because the fun aspect tends to get forgotten and the pursuit of prizes is all consuming.

[andyfrost]

“I agree that the Bingham working days were fun and it’s a shame when these things develop into competitions because the fun aspect tends to get forgotten and the pursuit of prizes is all consuming.”

Absolutely spot on , the very reason that I never have , or will get involved in ploughing events.

Andy.

[chap]

Well just as I thought not many ploughmen in the vhgmc all your comments are welcome these are my thoughts after another season ends, I feel something needs to be done as I observed the matches posted on social media and in the press in particular Sundays match at Sherwood forest a national qualifier always a good entry of people trying to qualify I know the weather was awful and may have kept some people away but 8 participants 5 compact tractors and three trusties and looking at other matches the trend is similar just needs some guidelines to keep the size of tractor down.
thank goodness Newman, Kendal, David Brown 2D, Byron, President, OTA, Singer Monarch and Kent Pony. are very large tractors but rarely seen ploughing in fact most are totally unsuitable for single furrow ploughing as the wheel base is to wide. so to conclude I know the SOP set the rules and that’s where this will have to be addressed,
we move on thank you everyone for your thoughts

[charlie]

It is well worth noting that not all VHGMC members use the club website, so response to this topic is not necessarily a good measure of interest. The only way to contact all VHGMC members is via the club magazine, but there is no guarantee they will read it.

[trusty220]

The VHGMC will also be looking for a new Ploughing Co-Ordinator at the 2022 AGM in March, so here is an ideal opportunity for the right person to come along and perhaps instigate a few changes.

As you say, there are plenty of ideas out there but is there somebody that can see them through to a conclusion? If nobody comes forward then things will stay as they are.

[ted20]

it is very true Geoff there is plenty that complain or suggest something but ask them to DO it is totally different. When Chris Youngman organised with the Fergie club a working weekend in Northumberland before covid the only ones to turn up were our gang of three but the number of moaners was outstanding

[trustymasseyman]

Sherwood had 15 enter but as you say the weather put 7 ploughmen off attending including myself. So pleased to hear £1200 was raised for the Lincs / Notts air ambulance.
We had over 15mm of rain Saturday, Sunday my alarm went off and temperature was -7.4c & forecast was snow …..
Sitting on the fence I can see both sides (as most know I own a rollo croftmaster trusty steed & a 1980s MF1010) I feel the class as is should stay as it is and investigation should start for another class, “classic compact class with MOUNTED plough”. I do not think it is right for classic compact to tow a vintage trailor plough.

Hoping to see ploughmen at the AGM

I really enjoyed the Bingham working weekend

[Author]

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