The older Zetors

Some years ago I backed up silage with an old Crystal can't remember the number now. It was borrowed in at the last minute.

It had a car seat with headrest so you couldn't see behind, no foot throttle, brakes on only one wheel with no way of crossing the pedals, you couldn't raise or lower the lift and push out the buckrake at the same time. It had no air filter or even pipe on the manifold to speak of and had the front end loader off an even older MF 50b somehow welded on.

I can remember firing it up the pit, knee on the steering wheel, one hand on the throttle, one hand on the levers and every loose blade of grass in the place being sucked straight into the engine, absolute hardship. She did 3 days like that.
Must be nearly 15 years ago and shes still going strong I believe.
 
Zetor Tractors were ahead of their time, designed for conditions in former Czechoslovakia the came equipped with features as standard that other "mainstream" manufacturers didn't adopt for years, in some cases almost 20, such as: pick up hitch, cab, power steering, draft/position setting for lift arms, double acting spool valve, four wheel drive, passenger seat, two speed PTO (available in the smaller models also), an "air seat" suspension system (if you look under the seat of most of the old models you'll see a valve similar to that on normal tyres used to inflate it, this at a time when MF gave you a steel bucket on a leaf spring.

Then there were optional extras such as: front and rear ballast weights, front axle suspension, a second double acting spool valve!!

It's easy to look back (and down) at them from the comfort of an air suspended seat in a 68 Decibel cab mounted on cab suspension or front/rear axle suspension with a 50kph gearbox, truck type air brakes, auto engage four wheel drive, variable speed transmission etc. and have a chuckle but they were, and many of them still are, major work horses.

There may have been reliability issues but then again it was a different age, if the stater didn't work most tractors could be started on a hill or with a pull but you could start it.

Nowadays if your tractor doesn't start with the key your screwed, most can't be started with a pull and some can't be towed at all and you may need a laptop to get he fault cleared etc.

It was also a different age in regards to maintenance, everything leaked oil, every tractor had it's problems. Zetors were "basic" but that was there best quality, they were easy to work on, cheap for parts, the Oil filter was re-usable!!

Imagine if you could re-used your oil filter now how much money you'd save in servicing costs.

And where have all these old reliables, Zetor etc, gotten us??

Most drivers nowadays demand the newest and best, how many would/could, if asked in the morning go back to one of these?

No syncromesh, timing your gears changes (in the Zetors crystals, it was always easier to change up and down without the clutch), no radio, no A/C, questionable braking performance (makes every stop a different experience).

I still enjoy driving a Zetor 12011, makes you appreciate what modern tractor have and it certainly keep driving interesting, pulling a 16' Redrock trailer, operating the hydraulic trailer brakes manually!!

Ah happy days!!!
 
dlmower said:
Zetor Tractors were ahead of their time, designed for conditions in former Czechoslovakia the came equipped with features as standard that other "mainstream" manufacturers didn't adopt for years, in some cases almost 20, such as: pick up hitch, cab, power steering, draft/position setting for lift arms, double acting spool valve, four wheel drive, passenger seat, two speed PTO (available in the smaller models also), an "air seat" suspension system (if you look under the seat of most of the old models you'll see a valve similar to that on normal tyres used to inflate it, this at a time when MF gave you a steel bucket on a leaf spring.

Then there were optional extras such as: front and rear ballast weights, front axle suspension, a second double acting spool valve!!

It's easy to look back (and down) at them from the comfort of an air suspended seat in a 68 Decibel cab mounted on cab suspension or front/rear axle suspension with a 50kph gearbox, truck type air brakes, auto engage four wheel drive, variable speed transmission etc. and have a chuckle but they were, and many of them still are, major work horses.

There may have been reliability issues but then again it was a different age, if the stater didn't work most tractors could be started on a hill or with a pull but you could start it.

Nowadays if your tractor doesn't start with the key your screwed, most can't be started with a pull and some can't be towed at all and you may need a laptop to get he fault cleared etc.

It was also a different age in regards to maintenance, everything leaked oil, every tractor had it's problems. Zetors were "basic" but that was there best quality, they were easy to work on, cheap for parts, the Oil filter was re-usable!!

Imagine if you could re-used your oil filter now how much money you'd save in servicing costs.

And where have all these old reliables, Zetor etc, gotten us??

Most drivers nowadays demand the newest and best, how many would/could, if asked in the morning go back to one of these?

No syncromesh, timing your gears changes (in the Zetors crystals, it was always easier to change up and down without the clutch), no radio, no A/C, questionable braking performance (makes every stop a different experience).

I still enjoy driving a Zetor 12011, makes you appreciate what modern tractor have and it certainly keep driving interesting, pulling a 16' Redrock trailer, operating the hydraulic trailer brakes manually!!

Ah happy days!!!
Click to expand...

I would agree with most of this. A couple of contractors around here got great service from Crystals, one still uses a few of them.

When Crystals were new, the competiton was the likes of 188's, 996's and Ford 1000 series, none of which had a proper closed in cab or the pulling power and traction of the Zetor.
 
I think the older Zetors were hit and miss. The 2511, 3511,4511 Crystals, 12011, were all good old tractors, we had a 7211 and it nearly broke us, twas dreadful soft, piston rings, clutch seals, brake seals, getting stuck in gear was its party piece and the silly way you had to put your arm through the steering wheel to change from 2nd to 3rd. We were delighted to see the back of it. I would, however, love a 14045!

Posted from the Ham Bone using Crapatalk 2
 
Never drove one myself or have any such interest in them, but remember a former silage contractor telling me that back in the day they bought a 2wd Ursus for drawing silage. They thought know one would drive the thing. Ironically one driver loved the front suspension it had at the time that he couldn't get him off of it :D
 
I know this would be off topic, but what can anyone tell me about Universal tractors, old uncle of mine has one, can't say I ever saw another one in this area, reccon it would have roots in the same place as Zetor???

Always though if I was to have a tractor to do up I'd want that one, 4wd to make it useful, and different to the endless grey fergies in the lineups round here!

Mind you if someone offered me a decent JD 40 or 50 series then.....
 
Universal as in UTB? Romanian built Fiat. Grand little tractors. Neighbour has a 445. 3 cyl engine and would be equivalent to a 135 MF only better. Even has a creeper box. Another friend has a 640 DT. 4wd and piles of grip. Very low geared steering is it's only let down. Both with Duncan cabs too.
 
Mike said:
Our silage contractor bought two new 8011's back in the late 70's. As a very young boy :001_rolleyes:, I remember being very impressed by them. And they turned out to be great yokes, giving years and years of service. He still has them around the place I think!

A classic I do believe :001_cool:

33_Zetor_8011.jpg


Zetor_8011_b.JPG
Click to expand...

Who was the contractor mike ? Your Kerry area?
 
I do believe,if the spec is anything to go by on these new Ursus',that they are away ahead of Zetor!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top