THE BUCKEYE LOWDOWN REAPER AND BINDER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 867, 12 October 1888, Page 11

THE BUCKEYE LOWDOWN REAPER AND BINDER.

(WAIKATO TIMES.) Mr John Owen, of Messrs Morrin and Co., on Tuesday last, had on exhibition at Ohaupo, one of the Buckeye Lowdown reapers and binders, a machine, which at present, is commanding considerable attention in the farming districts of the colony on aooount of the nearness with which it oomes to a perfected harvester. In the first plaoe, the maohine only weighs 9001bs, thus being in dead weight about 3001bs lighter than the general run of harvesters, and consequently there is a good deal of horse labour saved from this esnss. A man driving the machine is able to do the whole of it without moving from his seat, the whole of the levers being within easy reach of his hand. As the weight of the gearing, etc. is mostly all on the platform side of the driving wheel, the risk of capsizing on even steep sidlmgs, is reduced to a minimum. We may here stats that this class of maohine has been success fully worked in the Southern provinces on ground that is very steep, doing the work as well as any back delivery machine, thus effecting a great saving in manual labour. Tho measurement of the Lowdown is 10ft 6in, and therefore it is capable of being moved through any ordinary gateway easily, thus doing away with the necessity of the transport carriage required with the elevator machines. The tightness with which ths sheaves are tied gives this machine an advan fage over most others. When knotting, the sheaf is held close up to the knotter plate, and when relaxed has, instead of six inches, about only three to expand to fill up the band. The plunger bolt, which, in the knotter of previous machines, required so much regulation, ha 3 been done away, and in the present knotter, should any part get out of gear, it can be re-adjusted at once. By the permission of Mr W. Hunter, seer., a praotical test of the working of the machine was given on some green oats, and the manner in which the catting and binding were done on the green crop quite convinced those present that the machine was just the one required for this district. Messrs E. W. Mills and Co., Ltd. have only a limited number of these machines on hand, and farmers will require to make early application. The Auckland agents sold out their entire stock, and several orders have been booked for these machines in the South. Pamphlets are obtainable from Messrs E. W. Mills and Co., and the machine will bo exhibited at the Carterton and Masterton Shows on the Ist and 23rd November. It will be necessary to bespeak machines before the show, as stocks to arrive jare already nearly absorbed.