Fowler 170hp gyrotiller engine

fang · Post #1 by **fang** » Fri May 24, 2013 12:23 pm

After searching the net, and books I have, I have found plenty of info on the gyrotiller itself, but very little on the M.A.N diesel engine that powered it!!! Anybody know any more about them??? Model, capacity, bore, stroke, etc??? I believe they were originally made for submarine use

FOWLER MAN · Post #2 by **FOWLER MAN** » Fri May 24, 2013 5:21 pm

fang wrote:After searching the net, and books I have, I have found plenty of info on the gyrotiller itself, but very little on the M.A.N diesel engine that powered it!!! Anybody know any more about them??? Model, capacity, bore, stroke, etc??? I believe they were originally made for submarine use

Hello Andrew,
My information is that only eight units were produced with the MAN engine, all in 1932.
These were all exported.

The MAN engine was apparently 150 hp. (not 170), but I know nothing more about it.
Fowlers were fitting their own 170 HP. units by 1933.
Fred

essexpete · Post #3 by **essexpete** » Fri May 24, 2013 8:45 pm

My late Uncle remembered one being used on the neighbouring farm in Gt Wakering, Essex. Not an entirely successful machine, awkward to move and it seemed to destroy the soil structure. Apparently some of the old farm boys reckoned it took years for the ground to recover.

tctractors · Post #4 by **tctractors** » Fri May 24, 2013 9:21 pm

Around my area the Gyrotiller had a very good name and cleared very large sections of Wild Farm Land, one of the Contractors doing this work was Bomfords, I have often been told about 1 of these monsters fitted with a Merlin R/Royce (Spitfire?) Engine by some local old Farmers???

FOWLER MAN · Post #5 by **FOWLER MAN** » Sat May 25, 2013 10:13 pm

essexpete wrote:My late Uncle remembered one being used on the neighbouring farm in Gt Wakering, Essex. Not an entirely successful machine, awkward to move and it seemed to destroy the soil structure. Apparently some of the old farm boys reckoned it took years for the ground to recover.

Hi Pete,
They said the same about the Rotovator in the 1960s.

Fred

essexpete · Post #6 by **essexpete** » Sun May 26, 2013 12:05 am

FOWLER MAN wrote:
essexpete wrote:My late Uncle remembered one being used on the neighbouring farm in Gt Wakering, Essex. Not an entirely successful machine, awkward to move and it seemed to destroy the soil structure. Apparently some of the old farm boys reckoned it took years for the ground to recover.

Hi Pete,
They said the same about the Rotovator in the 1960s.
Fred

Yes but were they not right in some cases?

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