Why does farming equipment require such low horsepower compared to your average car?
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Don’t forget wind resistance, that’s a bitch.
Im sure i saw something a few years ago about a superlightweight aerodynamic frame allowing people to get up to highway speeds
Don’t forget wind resistance, that’s a bitch.
Im sure i saw something a few years ago about a superlightweight aerodynamic frame allowing people to get up to highway speeds
An important thing to also keep in mind is a vehicle engine is only called to produce maximum power for short intervals. While farm and industrial equipment may be asked to output rated power continuously for hours. This means for any given displacement you’d expect the farm and industrial engine to produce less power to increase service life and reliability.
An important thing to also keep in mind is a vehicle engine is only called to produce maximum power for short intervals. While farm and industrial equipment may be asked to output rated power continuously for hours. This means for any given displacement you’d expect the farm and industrial engine to produce less power to increase service life and reliability.
Horsepower is derrived from a mathematical function where torque is multiplied by RPM and divided by some constant. It’s why a Harley Davidson can make a ton of torque down low, but have much lower HP numbers than you would expect – they just don’t rev very high. A tractor is going to be similar. You want a boat load of low down torque off idle so you can plough through dirt and mud, but you don’t need it to go very fast, so there’s no point in making it rev as high as a car. If those engines could spin as fast as car engines, they’d make substantially more power, but they don’t spin very fast, so the HP number is low
Horsepower is derrived from a mathematical function where torque is multiplied by RPM and divided by some constant. It’s why a Harley Davidson can make a ton of torque down low, but have much lower HP numbers than you would expect – they just don’t rev very high. A tractor is going to be similar. You want a boat load of low down torque off idle so you can plough through dirt and mud, but you don’t need it to go very fast, so there’s no point in making it rev as high as a car. If those engines could spin as fast as car engines, they’d make substantially more power, but they don’t spin very fast, so the HP number is low
Plowing through the dirt at 5MPH takes considerably less effort than plowing through the atmosphere at 70MPH.
Plowing through the dirt at 5MPH takes considerably less effort than plowing through the atmosphere at 70MPH.
Because cars are **ridiculously** overpowered. As anyone who’s owned an old VW can tell you, 40-50 horsepower is enough to get you anywhere you need to go at highway speeds. Old VWs are not particularly lightweight, either.
Horsepower beyond about 50 exists for entertainment purposes.
Because cars are **ridiculously** overpowered. As anyone who’s owned an old VW can tell you, 40-50 horsepower is enough to get you anywhere you need to go at highway speeds. Old VWs are not particularly lightweight, either.
Horsepower beyond about 50 exists for entertainment purposes.
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