2 wheeled tractor?

[tabbypurr]

How does it stay upright?

NT

[Andrew Mawson]

[GB]

With segways, this sort of thing is almost commonplace, but it's not the method used by this tractor. This uses four small wheels concealed within the two tractor tyres.

[Andy Burns]

The first Segway!

[tabbypurr]

Obviously it predates segway technology

[Colin Stamp]

It's still staying up like one though. It's just that the feedback loop has a bloke in it. He's balancing it with the throttle.

Cheers,

Colin.

[Brian-Gaff]

Is it like a segway? Brian

[Brian-Gaff]

Bloody things are a menace, but a tractor variant sounds dangerous. I guess it could be worse. i could be driving it! I'm blind you see, for those who did not get the joke. Brian

[Tim+]

2 hours after the correct explanation given you're still sticking with that one?

Tim

[Colin Stamp]

I'm not sure why you imagine that time is important, but I have some more news for you. Now it's now 13 hours after hidden-wheels explanation was put forward and I'm *still* sticking with throttle-balancing as the more plausible of the two.

A 5-minute web-search hasn't turned up any convincing link between the Popular Mechanics cutting and the tractor in the video. If I was to want to make a 9-second video of a vehicle apparently balancing on a single axle, I know which method I'd try first. I reckon I'd have a reasonable chance of success too.

Of course, it could be either (or neither). The tone of your post suggests that you might have some information which I don't and which puts the matter beyond doubt. If you have then please share it with us. Until then, I'm happy with my original opinion.

Cheers,

Colin.

[Tim+]

Balancing such a low geared machine at such a low speed on the throttle would be exceedingly difficult IMO. It's just not a credible explanation.

It would clearly be useless functionally and has presumably just been built as a "teaser" like the "smokey stover" two wheeled fire engine. The tyres with internal rollers is just way more credible.

Tim

T

[tabbypurr]

Early 2 wheeled fire engines were designed to be attached to an existing 2 wheeled pump, creating a crude but functional 4 wheel vehicle. Fire depts used that sort of equipment in the early 1900s

NT

[Huge]

[29 lines snipped]

When we went to China some 30 years ago, we saw zillions of 2 wheeled tractors, all joined to a 2 wheeled trailer of some kind. They looked like the engine could be used for all kinds of things, pumps, generators, etc. I thought they were quite clever.

[Colin Stamp]

Knowing nothing about vintage tractors, I'm guessing it's a lightly modified "ordinary" two-wheeled tractor with the handlebars removed. A vintage version of this type of thing:-

Given how long they've been around, I'd be surprised if no-one ever decided to see if they could learn to make one balance without an implement attached. The question is, did anyone manage to get good enough to ride it for as long as that 9-second video?

Looks like we'll just have to agree to differ.

Cheers,

Colin.

[fred]

Interesting answer. The tyres do appear quite flat at the bottom. But even if it has 4 concealed wheels within the tyre the wheelbase would be very sh ort and might still require an element of balancing. Certainly with that bu lk at the front I would find it hard to believe it wouldn't tip forward on its 4 wheels without the driver as a counter balance.

[Syd Rumpo]

Assuming it's made or adapted specially for demo purposes, then it could be gyroscopically stabilised like these but forwards-backwards instead of left-right...

That would explain the servo 'hunting', but without seeing it on smooth ground it's hard to tell. If it were the case, then the driver would need no special skill.

Of course it could also be for small wheels as suggested in which case there would be some skill involved.

Cheers

[GB]

How much weight is at the front? It has a large bonnet, but it may be mostly empty inside. It sounds like a lawnmower engine that is driving it.

It could be that it simply tips forward when the driver gets off. It needs to be balanced with his weight on, so removing the driver could make it tip. I can't see why that would be a problem, though?

I expect the whole thing is far lighter than it looks.

[Dave Liquorice]

Here you are:

These and the push bike where the primary means of local transport in rural China when I spent 6 weeks travelling through in early '93. Longer distances was public bus. If you saw a car, very rare outside the major cities, it was a party member,

[Huge]

Spot on. They were *everywhere*.

We went in 1987, I think.

And usually an 'S' Class with blacked out windows.