Self-made tractor
A self-made tractor (even tractor -yourself , self-made tractor or Benzinkuh ) is a tractor that was assembled from parts of other, mostly non-agricultural vehicles. Self-made tractors have mostly been built by private individuals for their own use. They were used very often in the GDR.
Components
It was customary and often necessary in the GDR to assemble something new from existing things. Usable parts were not thrown away. Parts that came from other, mostly non-agricultural vehicles and equipment were changed, trimmed and adjusted. Most of the time, the required parts first had to be procured through relationships and barter deals.
Frequently used parts were: engines and transmissions from the Trabant 601 , scooter or motorcycle engines ( Motorroller Berlin , EMW ), evaporator engines (1H65, Deutz ) and others from the Cunewald engine factory (also used in the Multicar , RS09 and vibrating plates ), as well as engines from the Robur truck or from the Picco dumper . Drive axles from Robur, Garant and Multicar were very often used, as were their wheels. The frames were mostly welded together from steel profiles.
motivation
The machines were needed in private, part-time agriculture, for transporting firewood or building houses. However, since there were no larger devices to buy for private use, the need arose to find other ways to remedy the situation. This was made easier by the often very good technical training and the opportunity to use company tools after work.
Political background
The building and use of self-made tractors was tolerated by the party and state side of the GDR. The agricultural secondary production in personal housekeeping helped, especially in rural areas, to close the supply gaps with additional vegetables and fruit. The purchase was even subsidized by the state. Tools and garden tools were increasingly offered. The home improvement activities followed from the incomplete private services. Overall, this strengthened “helping people to help themselves” and thus the well-being of the citizens.
Current meaning
Many self-made tractors are currently still in use. In most of the villages, many of the residents still have a self-made tractor with the appropriate space available. These are mainly used to transport wood or to work on your own field. However, they were partly replaced by branded tractors, which were easier to acquire after the fall of the Wall. Sometimes self-made tractors were often not scrapped even after their main purpose was no longer used. They are traded at significantly lower prices than branded tractors and thus represent an inexpensive way of purchasing a towing or transport vehicle.
Traffic approval
Self-made tractors can rarely obtain a full TÜV approval. This is made more difficult by missing frame numbers as well as by the mostly missing general operating permit (ABE) for modified or self-constructed components such as frames, brake systems and seats or due to missing roll bars .
In the GDR, vehicle documents were issued in some cases .
Most self-made tractors were and are driven on public roads with 6 km / h signs, although many can drive significantly faster. This is not legally correct and requires at least complete and functional vehicle lighting in accordance with the vehicle registration ordinance .
See also
literature
- Bernd Hiepe, Erasmus Schröter and Franz Josef Görtz: The other tractor book: self-made tractors. 1st edition, Landbuch Verlag Hannover, 2000. ISBN 3-7842-0590-9
- Horst Moritz, Bernd Hiepe and Erasmus Schröter (edited by Marina Moritz, Gisela Winter): Stubbornness with fuse ignition. Self-made tractors from the GDR. Writings of the Museum für Thüringer Volkskunde Erfurt 6, 1996. ISSN 0947-952X
- Christian Suhr, Ralf Weinreich: GDR tractor classics. 1st edition Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 2006. ISBN 3-613-02599-X
