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Agricultural machinery

Mather and Platt's agricultural machinery business was based at the Radcliffe factory near Manchester. The main types of machinery that were manufactured there were the SB8000 self-propelled pea viner and a towed version. These machines would be used 24 hours a day during the 2-3 week pea harvesting season. A Bird's Eye TV advert of the time showed a Mather and Platt Pea Viner in operation and emphasised the short 4-hour window between pod and packet to ensure freshness. The towed version had its own diesel engine of about 350HP which provided power for the entire viner - no PTO was required from the tractor. The viner had a self-levelling mechanism that raised or lowered the wheels to accommodate uneven ground.

Did you know?

Did You Know?
In 1982 Shelbourne Reynolds Engineering purchased the vegetable harvesting division of Mather and Platt. SRE developed the SR8000 turbo version with increased capacity, and went on to develop the all new SR9000. Manufacture of this machine ceased in 1987 when the market for peas underwent a major contraction and rationalisation.