Story: Farm mechanisation

Electric tractor

Electric tractor

An electric tractor works alongside a horse team in Canterbury in the 1930s. The electric tractor was developed in Ashburton to increase local demand for electricity. Although the machine looked cumbersome, with its pivoted turret through which the feeder cable was passed from a transformer on a nearby truck, it worked quite well. The eight machines built managed over 8,000 hours work between them. However, tractors driven by oil fuels proved cheaper to run.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga
Reference: AANR 6329 24 DA 31 848

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How to cite this page:

James Watson, 'Farm mechanisation - Machines powered by electricity', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/18408/electric-tractor (accessed 26 April 2024)

Story by James Watson, published 24 Nov 2008