Old Pond publishing days

Combine Harvesters Part 1 DVD advance information

Combine Harvesters: Part 1 Development 1941-84 by Chris Lockwood. DVD approx 90 minutes. ISBN 978-1-906853-34-1. Now in stock at Old Pond, priced £15.95. Part 1 of a 2-part set. Two together £29.95.

From the 1941 era Massey Harris 21 to the Massey Ferguson 29 of 1984 combine harvesters changed almost beyond recognition. Although the layout was primarily conventional, there were ever wider auger-fed headers, multiple threshing drum set-ups and larger straw walkers and sieves. Grain tanks had higher capacity, bagger models had disappeared and driver comfort had been transformed. There was of course a lot more horsepower from the engines which by now were exclusively diesel powered.
This programme shows these developments by looking in detail at 22 key models at work in the UK in 2009.

Models included in the programme:

Lanz binder & Tullos threshing drum
Massey Harris 21
Massey Harris 780 Special
Claas SF
Massey Ferguson 788
Claas Matador Standard
Massey Ferguson 400
Allis Chalmers Gleaner A Super
Ransomes 801
Massey Ferguson 525
Laverda M150
New Holland Clayson 1545
Claas Senator 85
Claas Dominator 85
John Deere 965
Claas Dominator 96
New Holland Clayson 8070
IH 1420 Axial-Flow
Deutz-Fahr M 2780 H
John Deere 1085
Bonhill Fortschritt E 514
Massey Ferguson 865
Massey Ferguson 29

Leyland Tractors new DVD advance information

Leyland Tractors: A Power on the Land 1969-1982 by Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam, Tractor Barn Productions. DVD approx 96 minutes. In stock at Old Pond at  £15.95 including VAT.

Film-makers Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam are Leyland tractor enthusiasts and at the end of this programme they take us round their own collection of this marque. However, in the bulk of this fast-moving DVD they lay out the complete story of the Leyland models including background on Nuffield and Marshall.

Nuffield first. The account starts in 1948 with the Nuffield Universal and follows developments through the M3, M4, DM4, 4DM, 342, 460 and the ten series. After a brief look at the Bray 10/60 4 the Nuffield series is taken to its conclusion with the 3/45 4/65 and 4/25.

The presenters then show how the blue British Leyland tractors built on the Nuffield line they replaced. One of the hallmarks of Leyland was slow evolution rather than rapid product change. This is shown through the range that developed in the early 1970s including the 344, 384, 154, 253, 245, 255, 270, 285 and the powerful 2100. Four-wheel drive came in with the 485 and the 4100.

Quiet cabs and power steering helped make the 272 probably Leyland's most successful tractor.
Then in 1978 came what the presenters believe to be the company's most significant advance: the introduction of the Synchro range with far easier gear change on the move. The 472 and 462 4WD versions now had smaller front wheels.

1979 saw the introduction of turbocharging to the 282 and 482 as well as Leyland's part in the development of the backhoe loader when JCB adopted its skid units. There is good footage of a 3DIII still at work. Reference is also made to other industrials: the Loadall 520 4 and Climax rough-terrain machines.

But all was not well with the company. There were production problems at Bathgate, including poor quality control. BL apparently spent its tractor profits shoring up the car division and there was almost no new tractor development. 1980 saw the introduction of the yellow-and-black Harvest Gold livery and Explorer cabs. The 804 became the flagship model but the end was in sight and the company joined Marshall under the ownership of Charles Nickerson.

At this point the film takes back to look at the history of Marshall, dealing briefly with traction engines, the Colonial, the 1530, 1830, 1220 and the Model M. Then on to the post-war Field Marshalls, Fowlers and Track Marshalls until catching up again with the 1982 merger.

At first production at Gainsborough was little more than re-badging in the Marshall name until in 1984 the turbocharged 904 XL is seen as the ultimate development of Leyland design. Production moved to Scunthorpe but only a hundred of these machines were built.

The programme includes detail of the final years of Marshall, the time of the weak agricultural machinery market in 1980s Britain, and then, in 1996, the end of Track Marshall. Finally, a quick look at the JWD tractors that flourished in the 1990s.

This programme covers an enormous amount of ground. Footage includes stills, film from rallies and ploughing matches as well as on-farm footage. The amount of time devoted to individual machines varies widely. However, this is the first DVD to cover the story of what is going to be remembered as the only significant tractor marque which was British-owned throughout its history.

Cola Cowboys reprinting

In 1981-2 journalist Franklyn Wood  joined a group of truckers taking goods from the UK to the Middle East. His vivid story told it as the trucker saw it - with all the frustrations, challenges and elation of the trip.

Cola Cowboys, Franklyn Wood, paperback, 328 pages including 8 pp photos. ISBN 978-1-906853-39-6. First published 1982, new edition in stock at Old Pond, £9.95.

This lively, opinionated account shows the journey to have been rough, tough, exhausting, dirty, uncomfortable and dangerous. Franklyn Wood reports that ‘in the course of the one trip we are following, seven Britons died in accidents.’

Among the physical hazards were icy mountain hairpins, unmade roads and desert sandstorms. Human hazards included Kamikaze coach drivers, robbers, mind-numbingly slow border controls, rogue police and the temptations of the drivers’ favourite watering holes.

The route led from Europe, through Turkey, Iraq (during its war with Iran) and on to the wealth and culture shock of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

The reprint has been re-set and lightly edited for a generously sized paperback edition. The original photographs are included along with the route maps.

Modern Tractors Part 2 DVD advance information

Tractor enthusiasts Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam have now turned their attention to the machines which are currently at the forefront of technical sophistication: the tractors of the last ten years.

They have made two DVDs. In Part One, released in December 2009, they tackled John Deere, Claas, Valtra, Same Deutz-Fahr and Case IH.

In Part Two they conclude with New Holland, McCormick and Landini, Fendt, Challenger and Massey Ferguson.

In each case they build up the picture by starting with the foundation models before going on to the latest variants. Stephen and Jonathan also take a look at the computer control systems used to pre-program the tractors’ main functions as well as the implements used behind and the new self-driving features made possible by satellite technology. Axle and cab suspension also comes under the spotlight as the story of the modern tractor continues to unfold.

Stephen and Jonathan have been filming and scripting videos for over eleven years. They now divide their time between running Tractor Barn Productions and operating tractors and machinery on local Suffolk farms.

Modern Tractors Part 2, presented by Stephen Richmond, narrated by Jonathan Whitlam, DVD approx 70 minutes. A Tractor Barn Production IN STOCK at Old Pond at £15.95. 

Ax Men Season 2 soon available on DVD

The Ax Men are back and they are bigger, badder
and tougher than ever.

Going deeper into the forest, high into the sky and even down into the sea, Season Two of Ax Men follows two of last season’s leading teams along with three new companies – including a team of diving loggers and another that uses helicopters to maximise output – as they race to fell the most timber during logging’s most dangerous season.  A season of fighting mechanical failures, relentless weather and difficult terrain ensues. Witness how these brave men battle the elements to conquer America’s final frontier. 
 
The entire second season now in stock Old Pond in this 3-disk box set. Over 9 hours of viewing for £19.95

Know Your Chickens - new book advance information

The ninth title in Old Pond's 'Know Your ...' series, like its predecessors, is a pocket-sized paperback which gives clear information alongside recognition photographs. It is aimed at novice enthusiasts of all ages.

Author Jack Byard deals with 44 breeds. He describes their distinguishing features and colour variations. In his concise text he talks about each breed's origins, history, characteristics and typical uses. He includes a glossary and details of comb types.

Jack Byard's selection shows a wide range of birds which will inspire the reader to develop a further interest in poultry and poultry-keeping.

Know Your Chickens, Jack Byard, 96 pages including 44 photographs, IN STOCK, £4.99, Old Pond Publishing.

Breeds shown

1   Ancona
2   Andalusian
3   Appenzeller
4   Araucana
5   Australorp
6   Barnevelder
7   Belgian d’Uccle
8   Black Rock
9   Brahma
10 Cochin
11 Croad Langshan
12 Dorking (top right, silver grey)
13 Dutch Bantam
14 Faverolles
15 Golden Phoenix
16 Hamburgh
17 Indian Game
18 Ixworth
19 Japanese Bantam (middle right, black-tailed white)
20 Jersey Giant
21 Lakenvelder
22 Legbar (bottom right, cream) 
23 Leghorn
24 Lincolnshire
25 Maran
26 Marsh Daisy
27 Norfolk Grey
28 Old English Game
29 Old English Pheasant Fowl
30 Orpington
31 Pekin
32 Plymouth Rock
33 Poland
34 Red Jungle Fowl
35 Rhode Island Red
36 Scots Dumpy
37 Scots Grey
38 Sebright
38 Silkie
40 Sumatra
41 Sussex
42 Vorwerk
43 Welsummer
44 Wyandotte

Modern Tractors DVD - more information

We gave some advance information about this Tractor Barn programme in the blog of 28 August.

Jonathan Whitlam and Stephen Richmond have now come up with some further information. The first change is that what they intended as a single programme will now be two. Part 1 is IN STOCK at Old Pond. Part 2 will follow in the New Year.

This is what they say about Part 1:

Presented by Stephen Richmond and narrated by Jonathan Whitlam, Modern Tractors takes a close look at the modern tractors of the last ten years. This, the first part of two, brings together the most sophisticated machines from John Deere, Claas, Valtra, Same Deutz-Fahr and Case IH and Stephen also explains how the powershift transmission has developed over the years to give more automated functions before developing into the ultimate - the constantly variable gearbox of the 21st century.
 
Each manufacturer's models are looked at, starting from the origins of the models built today so that with John Deere we start with the 6000 and 7000 series of 1992 and see how they developed through the various models since then until we see the present day 6030, 7030, 8030 and 9030 ranges all hard at work. This is then brought right up to date with the latest 8RT series crawlers.
 
The Claas section sees the advent of the Renault Ares range which was later taken over by Claas as well as the development of the Xerion tractor and the Caterpillar Challenger sold in Claas colours. The new Claas Axion and Arion ranges brings the Claas story up to date.
 
Valtra starts with the Valmet and later Valtra Valmet tractors of the 1990s before moving to the new T and S Series built under the ownership of AGCO.
 
Same Deutz-Fahr brings together many different makes including Same, Lamborghini and Hurlimann but here we concentrate mainly on the Deutz-Fahr line which has since proved to be the trend-setting brand within this Italian group of companies.
 
Finally Case IH comes under the spotlight with a look at the development of the high horsepower Magnum range from its inception in 1988 through to the powerful Magnum range of today as well as the MXM and MXU models and the Maxxum and Puma models that replaced them to name but a few.
 
Part Two will continue the story with New Holland, JCB, McCormick and Landini, Fendt, Challenger and Massey Ferguson as well as Stephen taking a look at on-board computer control systems and axle and cab suspension systems.

New light on the exciting early days of Harry Ferguson

Harry Ferguson before the plough by Michael Clarke in collaboration with Jack Woods. Quality paperback with gatefold, 160 pages including 50 photographs and line drawings. Published by Ballyhay Books and distributed by Old Pond at £12.99. IN STOCK.

Colin Fraser’s standard work, Harry Ferguson: inventor and pioneer, sketches in the great man’s early adventures in less than twenty pages. This new book, dealing mostly with the period 1906-13, completes the story.

The young Ferguson, apprenticed at his brother’s motor repair workshop, developed an over-riding interest in all things mechanical. He built and raced motorbikes and cars, then turned to aviation, designing, building and flying his own aeroplane. He was the first person to fly a plane in Ireland.

Ferguson’s obsession with flight – the same single-minded determination he was later to devote to his tractors and farm machinery – makes for fascinating reading. He had to solve engineering problems and then take all the risks that early aviators faced. There were plenty of thrills and spills.

The authors are both aviation enthusiasts, Jack Woods having had several books about aviation in Northern Ireland published. They have researched the subject deeply, and among the many fine illustrations in the book are 27 from the Ferguson family museum.

Seventy Years of Farm Machinery: Seedtime - new book advance information

Brian Bell's Fifty Years of Farm Machinery has long been a standard book for enthusiasts. Although Brian can only show a random sample of the hundreds of implements and machines used on the land, in his new edition he has considerably expanded the work. To make the project more manageable, he has divided the subject into two parts, the first of which is to be published this December.

Seventy Years of Farm Machinery Part One: Seedtime by Brian Bell. Hardback, approx 176 pages inc. 276 illustrations. ISBN 978-1-906853-18-1. IN STOCK at Old Pond at £19.95.

 CONTENTS
1 The development of the farm tractor from the Fordson Model F to the JCB Fastrac.
2 Trailed and mounted conventional and reversible ploughs, chisel ploughs, push-pull ploughs and square ploughs.
3 Cultivators, disc harrows, chain harrows, power harrows, rotary cultivators, subsoilers, combination cultivators, steerage hoes and weeders. 
4 Grain drills, cultivator drills and direct drills.
5 Root drills and precision seeders.
6 Potato planters and vegetable planters.
7 Field heap manure spreaders, trailer spreaders, side-spreaders and slurry spreaders.
8 Manure loaders, front-end loaders and rear loaders.
9 Full-width fertiliser distributors, spinner broadcasters and pneumatic spreaders.
10 Farm crop sprayers, air-blast sprayers, controlled droplet sprayers, band sprayers and weed wipers.
Index

As Brian Bell writes in his Foreword:
'A late 1940s farming report suggested that the past decade could well have seen the coming of a second agricultural revolution. This prediction proved to be accurate with much of the credit going to Henry Ford, Harry Ferguson, David Brown and other pioneers. Another report recorded the fact that there were thirteen horses for every tractor working on British farms in 1939 - but within ten years horses outnumbered tractors by a ratio of only two to one.
    'This book traces the development of tractors, tillage equipment, drills, fertiliser distributors, manure spreaders and crop sprayers from the days when Fordson Model N tractors were used to pull trailed ploughs, cup-feed drills and field-heap manure spreaders. The progression from those early farm machines to the latest computerised tractor management systems with satellite navigation operated from the comfort of an air-conditioned cab has happened in little more than a single lifetime. Farming folk, many of whom have only recently achieved the status of senior citizen, will remember sitting on a tractor seat with a corn sack over their knees to keep out the cold, walking behind a cup-feed drill or chopping out sugar beet and turnips with a hand hoe.'

Tractor Restoration: paintwork. New DVD advance information

Alan Davies shows how he sets about preparing and spraying a tractor. Hopefully, if you follow his guidance you will be able to reach concourse standard.

Tractor Restoration: paintwork by Alan Davies. Double-DVD set, approx 2 hours 22 minutes. IN STOCK at Old Pond Publishing at £19.95.

The blogs of 26 February 2008 and 24 March 2009 have shown some of the progress on this programme. The work has taken nearly three years.

 Alan Davies shows how he sets about preparing and spraying a tractor. Hopefully, if you follow his guidance you will be able to reach concourse standard.

Alan starts with assessing the problems posed by an individual job and then, after dis-assembly, goes meticulously through preparation. He shows how he repairs light damage to tinwork; how he fills, sands and stops. He uses simple aids so that bonnets and other items can be handled and worked on easily.

Throughout the demonstrations Alan tells you why he is doing jobs in a particular way, drawing on his long experience as a professional restorer.

In Part 2 Alan moves on to the techniques of spraying, starting with the some principles: the spray booth, choice of paints, types of spray gun and how to mix paint. We watch while he cleans and de-greases the tinwork, sprays primer and then flats it down.

Alan goes on to mask an assembled bonnet before applying the colour coats. He gives fault-finding tips and demonstrates how he polishes out minor blemishes. Even when he applies decals Alan has some useful advice for the amateur restorer.

In the last part of the  programme Alan shows how he brings wheels to perfection and deals with the chassis. 

Contents list

Disk 1
Introduction
Panels
  -modifying new panels (brazing-in the correct shaped hole)
  -beating out damage
  -filling
  -stopping

Disk 2. Spraying the panels.
 Wheels and castings.
Spray guns
Paint
Spray booth
Cleaning and degreasing
Spray gun techniques
Mixing primer
Spraying primer - panels
Assembling panels
Colour coat inside/primer outside
Flatting primer
Masking
Mixing colour coat (3M System)
Spraying colour - panels
Spraying small items
Polishing out minor scratches
Decals

Wheels
  -filling
  -stopping
  -flatting primer
  -spraying colour

Chassis
  -cleaning
  -flatting primer
  -spraying colour