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DAVID L

Posted 7/30/2015 21:30 (#4708611)
Subject: The last Chamberlain tractors produced in Australia

Echuca, Victoria, Australia

I recently posted some photos of sugar cane harvesting and a pair of Chamberlain tractors being used to haul the cut cane. The Chamberlain company was the an Australian company and the largest local manufacturer of tractors. IH tractors were also locally made and all other brands were imported into Austral either fully assembled or in knock-down-form.

Chamberlain tractors were first sold in Australia in 1949 and over the next 37 years, 53,000 tractors were produced using the Chamberlain brand.

The first tractors were the model 40K which was a tractor fitted with a Chamberlain twin-cylinder horizontally-opposed engine that ran on kerosene and produced 40hp at the flywheel.

Chamberlains were first produced as a result of the Australian Government’s desire to encourage local manufacturing after WW2.

The Govts aim was to increase the capacity of local manufacturing, provide jobs for returned service personnel and supplying tractors for the many new farms that were being created under various Soldier Settlement Schemes that were being developed.

In 1970 the Chamberlain Company went into a merger was Deere Company and the John Deere influence was soon apparent with Chamberlain tractors using John Deere engines.

The last Chamberlains produced were the 90 Series tractors that were manufactured between 1985 and 1986. They were based on the previous 80 Series tractors and continued many design features that had proven to be so successful in the earlier tractors. A major difference with the 90 Series was a change from an all yellow colour scheme in the 80 Series tractors, to a combination of John Deere green and yellow.

The 90 Series tractors had four models - 4090, 4290, 4490 and 4690 ranging in engine horsepower from 101hp up to 164hp.

The 4090 and 4290 had a John Deere six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 5.88 litres.

The engine in the 4090 was naturally aspirated and generated 101hp. In the 4290 the engine was turbo-charged and produced 118hp.

The 4490 and 4690 models are equipped with a larger six-cylinder engine of 7.64 litre capacity, turbo-charged and tuned to produce 137hp in the 4290 and 164hp in the 4690 tractor.

The cab interior has a distinct John Deere feel as the dash and tilting steering column and wheel are identical to John Deere tractors of the same era. All gauges, colour coded control levers, switches and pedals all look to be of John Deere origin.

The 90 Series were the first Chamberlain tractors that could be fitted with an optional Caster/Action mechanically driven front-wheel-assist kit

In 1986 John Deere decided to cease production of 90 Series tractors.