Daelan3 t1_ja5mc9j wrote
Reply to comment by platypuswill in ELI5: Why does farming equipment require such low horsepower compared to your average car? by thetravelingsong
The formula hp = torque x rpm applies both at the engine crank and at the wheels. This means the faster the wheels are turning (the faster you're going) the less torque they will have at a given power level.
If the engine is putting 100hp to the wheels, at low speeds that's enough torque to spin them. At highway speeds, the wheel torque is so low that you can barely accelerate. It doesn't matter whether the engine is achieving 100hp with low torque and high rpm or vice versa.
A tractor has a high torque low hp engine because such engines have good fuel economy and reliability, and the large size and heavy weight are not a problem for a tractor. It's not that a tractor needs more torque. A 100hp car engine can get double the torque as a 50hp tractor engine through gearing.
You can put an F1 engine in a fully loaded semi truck, lower the final drive ratio, and it will move it no problem. It just won't good fuel economy or reliability.
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