Founded | 1946 |
---|---|
Headquarters | Minsk, Belarus |
Industry | agriculture machinery tractor |
Parent | MTZ |
Website | http://www.tractors.com.by |
Belarus is brand of tractors manufactured by various former-Soviet Union tractor factories. Many have been built by MTZ, a tractor manufacturer founded in Minsk in the 'Republic of Belarus', which was a former USSR state and part of Belarussia, and which now form the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Others have been manufactured by Kirovets, VTZ and others.
It has been reported that Belarus supplies 8% of the world's tractors.
History[]
The company was founded in Minsk in 1946 under the old Soviet Union as part of the post war rebuilding drive. The factory is one of the biggest in the world and has supplied more than 3 million tractors by 1995. The Minsk factory builds 50 thousand tractors per year.[1]
When the Soviet Union started exporting tractors to other countries, the exporting company named itself after the territory with the main factory, so the tractors were branded with the name Belarus. The tractors ranged from crawlers (with undercarriages based on tanks) to four-wheel-drive tractors. A large range of attachments were available for the tractors, so bulldozers, backhoes and front-end loaders were based all on the same machine.
The tractors for the European market are certified to ISO 9001 QA Standards, with earlier versions tested at the Silso Institute in the UK. Tractors have been imported into the UK since the 1970s in small numbers. The 4-wd (front-assist) versions have been attractive as a simple rugged tractor for hill country farmers.
Model range[]
The Factory designations are generally MTZ xxx, but UK machines are generally designated Belarus and the MTZ dropped.
Early Models[]
- Belarus 862D - 90 hp 4-wd introduced in 1986, with auto 18f/2r transmission and hydrostatic steering
- Belarus 900 - 90 hp 2-wd
- Belarus 950 - 105 hp 2-wd
- Belarus 952 - 105 hp 4-wd
- Belarus 1025 - 115 hp 4-wd
- Belarus 1221 - 130 hp 4-wd
- Belarus 1507 - 165 hp 4-wd - manual 4x3f/4r
Crawler tractors[]
Modern Models[]
- Belarus 900.3 SE - 90 hp 2-wd
- Belarus 900.3 - 90 hp 2-wd
- Belarus 920.3 - 90 hp 4-wd
- Belarus 952.3 - 100 hp 4-wd
- Belarus 1025.3 - 115 hp 4-wd
- Belarus 1221.3 - 155 hp 4-wd
UK preservation[]
Do you know of any of these appearing at the classic tractor shows or on road runs ?
Do you have any more photos of one to post up ?
- G189 BDX+ - Belarus 1507 - 165 hp tractor
UK dealers[]
- Browns of Liversedge Ltd, based in Yorkshire.
- UMO Belarus Limited - Original UK Importer based in Letchworth
See also[]
References[]
- The World Encyclopaedia of Tractors & Farming by John Carroll, Published by Lorenz books, ISBN 0-7548-0357-0
External links[]
|