Bushfires in Australia

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

A Ferguson TEA20 tractor is likely to be the most common tractor to be found on Australian rural smallholding properties. They are also designed with an aluminium gearbox, of thick enough cross-section that it forms a structural part of the tractor's chassis, or "spine".

The heat of the fire was enough to completely melt the gearbox casing (and there is no magnesium in the alloy!), and break the back of this old Fergy.

Tony,
The TE20 gearbox casing was made of Elektron, which was a magnesium alloy, much stronger the cast aluminium.