Trade-mark. The standard definition of a trade-mark is as follows: Trade-mark is a distinguishing mark, device, or symbol affixed by a manufacturer, merchant, or trader to his goods, in order to identify them as his goods and to distinguish them from the goods manufactured, sold, or dealt in by others. Most countries give special statutory protection to such trade-marks when they are registered according to law. This registration gives the owner of the trade-mark exclusive right to its use.
The importance of the trade-mark in the selection of farm machinery lies in what it stands for. A manufacturer spends many years and much money in building a reputation and establishing his trade-mark. After the reputation and trade-mark are thoroughly established and well known among the trading world, he will continue to try to maintain the same standards. It is not possible to judge a machine by its appearance or to determine whether good materials are used in its construction simply by looking at it. Therefore, if it bears the trade-mark of a firm that has a good reputation, it is fairly certain that the manufacturer of such an implement will stand behind that particular piece of machinery. If any defect occurs within a reasonable length of time, the firm will make it good. In other words, then, we may say that the trade-mark of a machine is a guarantee of what lies beneath the paint. Look well to the builder of your machine when you are judging and preparing to invest.
Trade Name. The trade name is the name by which an article is called, or the name given by a manufacturer to an article to distinguish it as one produced by that company. It is entirely different from the trademark. A trade name can be registered in the U.S. Patent Office and thus have statutory protection in a manner similar to a trade-mark. A trade name will be found only on one particular type of equipment, such as Farmall for a line of row-crop tractors. A well-known trade name is valuable from a sales standpoint. The use of trade names in the farm-equipment industry is being abandoned in favor of model designations.
Models. Models in farm equipment may indicate a type of machine, a size, an improvement or new design of an old machine, a special-purpose machine, or a combination of one or more of these features. Model designations may be by a series of numbers, or letters, or a combination of both numbers and letters. For example, a combine model may be given as SP-12, which indicates that this particular machine is self-propelled and cuts a 12-foot swath. In another case, a tractor-mounted planter is listed as a 34–400 two-row planter. The 400 indicates the size of the tractor. In the number 34, the 3 indicates a two row planter or cultivator, while the 4 indicates a four-row planter or cultivator. Each manufacturer has his own special system of designating models. Farmequipment models are not dated on an annual basis as are automobiles; consequently, when a machine is needed, there is no necessity to wait for next year’s model.
Repairs. Before considering the purchase of any machine, it is well to look into the source of repairs. Can repairs be made near at hand, or will it be necessary to send several hundred miles away? No farm implement has yet reached the stage of perfection where it will not break, wear out, or meet with accidents; therefore, it will need repairs. Many times the saving of a crop depends upon the speed with which repairs can be completed. If breakdowns occur in the midst of plowing, planting, or harvesting, they may cause so much delay that the crops will be lost. The larger implement companies maintain repair supplies at many points so that they may render quick service to every part of the country. The machine should be examined to see whether the various parts are accessible for making repairs when needed. Provision should be made in all implements for taking up the wear of bearings and gears. Look well to the source of supplies before buying a machine.
In making up the order for repair parts that are needed, be sure to secure the following information:
1. The name and address of the manufacturer
2. Trade name, model number, year made or purchased
3. Number of the part wanted
4. If the number of the part cannot be determined, then get the numbers of the parts with which it works.
Keep the pamphlets that are furnished with the machine, especially the one containing the repair parts lists. When repair parts are needed, the part numbers and their description will be found in the list of parts. From the standpoint of repairs, it is economical to standardize on a single line of equipment.
Design. Design is the arrangement of the parts to show the difference of make-up in machines of the same type. Manufacturers may put out the same line of implements but they will not be exactly alike. It is this difference of the arrangement of the component parts that makes up the design of the machine. In studying the general construction of the machine, keep in mind the number of castings, gears, points of wear, bearings, ease of lubrication and adjustment. Wherever possible, gears should run in a sealed oil bath. Provision of safety devices should be carefully considered. Be sure there are shields over power-take-off drive shafts. In general, does the machine have a finished appearance and style without sacrificing strength and performance?
Ease of Operation. Many implements that look well are found to require an unnecessary amount of power and labor to make them operate successfully. Of course, it is not always feasible to have the machine demonstrated to see if it will operate easily; nevertheless, such things should be considered in the selection of the machine. The ease of operation may simply depend upon the correct adjustment. It is not an uncommon thing for a farmer to purchase an implement, take it home, and, after attempting to use it, condemn the machine because of its hard operation. He may go so far as to take it back to the dealer and ask for his money back. If the dealer is a good one, he will usually take the machine out, have the farmer go along, make the necessary adjustments, and see that the machine is running perfectly before he turns it over to the farmer.
Power and hydraulic lifts have taken the place of the manually operated levers. When the machine has once been properly adjusted, little effort is required of the operator, other than the steering and turning of the machine.
Ease of Adjustment. In selecting farm equipment, careful study should be made of the methods for adjusting the various parts. Devices designed to simplify adjusting the equipment are time and labor savers. The owner’s or operator’s manual should be studied thoroughly to understand the method of adjusting the equipment as planned by the designer and the test engineer. Many operators of farm equipment are not inclined to take sufficient time to make slightly needed adjustments. The author suggested some adjustments to a farmer who was operating a harvesting machine. His reply was, “I know it will do better work if I make the changes, but I’m in a hurry to get my crop out.” His crop losses were, no doubt, many times greater than the value of the thirty minutes’ time it would have taken to make the adjustments. Too many operators take the “I’m in a hurry” attitude about adjustments.
Adaptability to Work and Conditions. There are many implements on the market which are not adaptable to every condition. A machine may work in one locality and be an absolute failure in another, because it is adapted to certain soil conditions or types of crops grown. To take ar example: Tools built for the Southeastern and Gulf coast states are not suitable for use in the Southwestern states, New Mexico, or Arizona because of the difference in climate, which influences the methods o: preparing the seedbed, planting, and cultivating.
Quick Change of Units. The time and labor required to dismount one unit and mount another are important considerations in selecting farm equipment. Some lines of equipment are built in unit packages and are designed so that changes can be made in a few minutes from a plow tc planter, from planter to cultivator, or from one unit to another for all the units supplied. There are other lines that require one or more days tc change from planter to cultivator and the same time to change back tc planter.
Most integral-tractor-mounted equipment is designed for a certain make of tractor and cannot be used on any other make.
Maneuverability. As a general rule, tractor-mounted