An Engine for Every Engineer

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Gaar-Scott plowing engines proved themselves quite readily in the fields and in contests. In the September 1909 issue of The Canadian Thresherman and Farmer, the results of the Brandon Motor Contests showed that a 25 HP Gaar-Scott engine out-plowed a larger 32 HP Case and 30 HP Avery. The 25 HP Gaar-Scott pulled a 14-bottom, 14-inch breaking plow at a depth of 4 inches in 20-1/2 minutes for a total of 1.98 acres plowed. The Case 32 pulled a 12-bottom, 14-inch breaking plow at a depth of 4 inches in 18 minutes for a total of 1.454 acres plowed. The Avery pulled a 12-bottom, 14-inch breaking plow at a depth of 4 inches in 29 minutes for a total of 1.454 acres plowed. The smaller Gaar-Scott engine definitely showed its worth, even though it failed to rack up enough points to win the contest. Another intriguing aspect of the contest, and one that the Gaar-Scott excelled at, was the turning-radius test. The Gaar-Scott had a 21-foot turning radius; the Avery, a 29-foot turning radius; and the Case 32, a 35-foot turning radius.

Class SR featured the later model rear-mounted, single-cylinder engines. Class TR was the designation for the big rear-mounted 30 HP compound. This engine was not shown in Gaar-Scott's later catalogs, but parts were offered in the parts book. The rear-mounted singles were the last style of engines introduced by Gaar-Scott. These later rear-mounted engines were built with plowing-gear features only.

Double-cylinder Engines

Around 1904 to1905, Gaar-Scott began producing double-cylinder engines (Table 4) with either Universal boilers or coal- and wood-burning boilers. Class DZ was the firm's designation for its coal- and wood-burning double engines; DY, its designation for its Universal double engines. Class DR was the designation for the rear-mounted axle engines offered by Gaar-Scott. These engines were the last style introduced by the company.

As steam plowing became even more popular, the company desired to build an engine bigger than its 30 HP or 32 HP side-geared models. In 1906, Gaar introduced the Big Forty, a new engine designed for the heaviest traction work. This massive machine boasted 6-1/2-inch-by-10-inch-by-11-inch tandem-compound cylinders, a rear-mounted axle design, steel wheels and gearing, and a positive locking pin clutch. This last device was quite handy for an engine designed for traction work and did not require the adjustment that friction clutches demanded from time to time. Even though the pin-type clutch was standard, various pictures exist that show a 40 HP engine with a friction clutch. Oddly enough, the friction clutch is not listed in either parts book I own. I would be curious to hear if any readers have any information on the 40 HP with a friction clutch.

The rear-mounted axle was much stronger than the short stub axles featured on the firm's side-geared engines, and, within a few years, Gaar-Scott was offering all of the company's plowing engines with rear axles. Another fascinating departure for Gaar-Scott with the Big Forty was placing the crankshaft at the rear of the boiler with the cylinder facing forward. (Though the older Class H engines used a forward-mounted cylinder, the crankshaft was placed in approximately the middle of the boiler as on Class G engines.) For some reason, this engine was down-rated in Canada to 33 HP.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print