MB-Trac
MB-Trac is a series of tractors from the German motor vehicle manufacturer Daimler-Benz , which was produced from the 1970s to 1991. It was developed on the basis of Unimog units, but had a rigid rear axle . With the MB-Trac, the concept of the Unimog should be brought closer to agriculture , for which it was originally intended.
The MB-Trac was produced by Mercedes-Benz until 1991, since 1992 it has been further built by Werner Forsttechnik Trier with many technical developments and a new design under the name WF Trac and sold through UGVen . The trademark is still protected for Daimler AG .
history
With falling sales of the Unimog in agriculture, Mercedes-Benz lost market share in the tractor segment. In some exporting countries, the Unimog was also not recognized as a farm tractor and taxed as a truck . The aim was to counteract this negative trend with a new development based on Unimog units and bring an unreservedly recognized tractor onto the market. Work on the new Mercedes-Benz tractor began in May 1967. A60 was the name of the first prototype that already had the essential features of the MB-tracs: frame construction, sprung front axle, central seat and three attachment areas. Internal differences and a shareholders' meeting prevented productive development until it was finally stopped.
When it became known that KHD wanted to bring a competing tractor onto the market, the development of the MB-tracs was resumed. Tests with prototypes were carried out in Holland and at the Gaggenau production site . The MB-trac was presented in the colors pebble gray and fire red at the DLG exhibition in 1972. The response was positive, so that around 350 orders were received at the exhibition. The exact name was MB trac 65/70. For the sake of comparability, “65” stood for DIN HP and “70” for SAE HP (48 kW).
The MB-trac has four wheels of the same size, the cab is located in the middle between the two axles. The equipment includes a standard compressed air system , and front and rear hydraulics with front PTO were available for an extra charge.
The MB-trac was mainly used in agriculture . These tractors could also be found in forestry as well as in municipalities (for winter service , road maintenance ) and in construction companies (with plate compactors or for street cleaning ). There was also MB-trac for special purposes. Some were used in the military (e.g. as aircraft tugs or in site administrations ), in mining, as road- rail vehicles or in other special areas, often combined with considerable modifications.
41,365 MB Trac had been sold by 1991. Around 30,000 of these vehicles are still in use today . The first JCB Fastrac hit the market in 1991, filling the gap in the market.
Continuation of the concept
There were follow-up vehicles from other manufacturers, mainly for agricultural purposes. They were given a typical shape that was very similar to the " face " of the last, heavy series of the MB-trac. These were the " LTS trac 160 " from LTS (Landtechnik Schönebeck) and the " Doppstadt trac 160 " from Doppstadt. Since LTS did not achieve high sales figures with the LTS trac 160 (OM 366 A) and was therefore looking for investors, Doppstadt took over the preparatory work done by LTS and further developed the Trac concept. Based on the MB model, Doppstadt built small and large tracs from 59–151 kW (80–205 hp) and delivered them - until their tractor plant was closed in 2006 - with Daimler engines up to 147 kW (200 hp), all-wheel steering and powershift transmission .
However, the Doppstadt tracs and LTS tracs were never able to build on the success of the MB tracs; fewer than 500 units were produced. The conceptually similar Eurotrac tractor from Schlüter was already on the market at the same time as the MB-trac . Since Schlüter's sales figures also fell and they were informed of the imminent end of the MB trac, the company (later Landtechnik Schlüter [1993–1995] → Schlepperteile Egelseer [1995 – today]) saw an opportunity to close this gap in the market with the Eurotrac. With the dissolution of the Anton Schlüter company , this vehicle was also built by other manufacturers for some time and the last Schlüter Eurotrac of the type "2000LS" was sold in 2005. After the end of tractor construction at Mercedes-Benz , the Xylon from AGCO / Fendt was available for a few years and in 1999 Fendt presented the Evo study at Agritechnica .
Both of these, like the Fendt implement carrier system tractor , are no longer on the market. But like the MB-trac, they were still important on the used market for a long time. The concept of “Tracs” and system tractors is still being pursued by JCB with the “ Fastrac ” and Claas with the “ Xerion ” series . From 1993 Werner Forst- und Industrietechnik in Trier further developed the MB-Trac into a vehicle that can be used universally in forestry, the WF Trac .
More recently, various manufacturers have introduced new tractors, for example the "Trisix" from ACGO / Fendt or the "Agro XXL" from Deutz-Fahr . These are basically similar to the MB-trac, with the same size tires, a cabin roughly in the middle and, in some cases, also with mounting options in the area of the rear part of the vehicle. However, because of the time lag and the different performance class compared to the MB-trac, these vehicles are not direct successors. They are more to be seen as a further development of the standard tractor. In addition, the increased engine performance led to new considerations regarding the structural conditions. Among other things, even with twin or triple tires , the two axles were no longer sufficient to transmit the tractive force and withstand the weight, and access to public roads would have been difficult.
landing gear
The chassis of the MB-Tracs consists of a sturdy ladder frame which , in conjunction with a fixed rigid axle at the rear and a rigid axle at the front with coil springs, enables a high load on the front and rear hydraulics. The use of the components from the Unimog requires four wheels of the same size. At the front and rear, the chassis is provided with connections for the hydraulics and the receptacles for various tools. The driver's cab is built between the axles. There is space on the rear axle, e.g. B. for work equipment such as syringes, dump bodies or a loading area. The engine is very accessible and easy to dismantle.
engine
The small series (65/70, 700, 800, [turbo] 900) had the Mercedes-Benz OM 314 four-cylinder diesel engine until 1987 , which was supplemented by an exhaust gas turbocharger in the MB trac turbo 900 (OM 314 A) and thus made 63 kW (85 PS). The medium (1000, 1100) and large (1100, 1300, 1500) series had the six-cylinder direct injection engine OM 352 (A) that had proven itself from the Unimog and other commercial vehicles . This has a displacement of around 5.7 liters and achieved 110 kW (150 PS) in the MB trac 1500 with the help of an exhaust gas turbocharger and piston crown cooling. In 1987 all series were revised. The small series (700, 800, 900 turbo) got the new engine OM 364 (A) installed; this had more cubic capacity and reached 90 hp in connection with a turbocharger in the MB trac 900 turbo (type designation was changed). In the medium (1000, 1100) and large (1300 turbo, 1400 turbo, 1600 turbo, 1800 intercooler) series, the OM 366 (A) was used from then on; it had 200 cc more displacement, achieved a higher output and had a better one Responsiveness than its predecessor. In the MB trac (1800), the output of the OM 366 with the additional abbreviation LA (L = charge air cooling, A = exhaust gas turbocharger) has been increased to a maximum of 132 kW (180 hp), with this engine in the Unimog with up to 177 kW (240 hp) and in other construction and commercial vehicles with up to 221 kW (300 hp) was delivered ex works.
Models
The following types were built:
| model | construction time | kW (PS) | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| MB Trac 65/70 | 1973-1975 | 48 (65) | WDB 440.161 |
| MB Trac 700 | 1976-1982 | 48 (65) | WDB 440.162 |
| MB Trac 700 | 1982-1987 | 48 (65) | WDB 440.167 |
| MB Trac 700 | 1987-1991 | 50 (68) | WDB 440.171 |
| MB Trac 800 | 1975-1982 | 53/55 (72/75) | WDB 440.163 |
| MB Trac 800 | 1982-1987 | 55 (75) | WDB 440.168 |
| MB Trac turbo 900 | 1982-1987 | 63 (85) | WDB 440.169 |
| MB Trac 800 | 1987-1991 | 57 (78) | WDB 440.172 |
| MB Trac 900 | 1981/1982 | 63 (85) | WDB 440.164 |
| MB Trac 900 turbo | 1987-1991 | 66 (90) | WDB 440.173 |
| MB Trac 1000 | 1982-1987 | 70 (95) | WDB 441.161 |
| MB Trac 1000 | 1987-1991 | 74 (100) | WDB 441.162 |
| MB Trac 1100 | 1976-1980 | 81 (110) | WDB 442.161 |
| MB Trac 1100 | 1982-1987 | 81 (110) | WDB 443.160 |
| MB Trac 1100 | 1987-1991 | 81 (110) | WDB 441.163 |
| MB Trac 1300 | 1976-1987 | 92 (125) | WDB 443.161 |
| MB Trac 1300 turbo | 1987-1991 | 92 (125) | WDB 443.163 |
| MB Trac 1500 | 1981-1987 | 110 (150) | WDB 443.162 |
| MB Trac 1400 turbo | 1987-1991 | 100 (136) | WDB 443.164 |
| MB Trac 1600 turbo | 1987-1991 | 115 (156) | WDB 443.166 |
| MB Trac 1800 intercooler | 1990-1991 | 132 (180) | WDB 443.166 |
| MB Trac 1500 prototype | 1992 | 147 (200) |
The type MBtrac 700 was also available as a municipal version, recognizable by the suffix K, with an increased output of 53/55/67 kW (72/75/78 PS), as well as an industrial version with the suffix I and as a grassland version with a lower cabin ( Mauser) and grassland tires with the suffix G. The types 800, 900, turbo 900, 900 turbo, 1000 and 1100 were also available as municipal versions.
The flagship of the MB-trac models from 1990 onwards was the MB-trac 1800 intercooler , a further development / modification of the MB trac 1600 Turbo. It still had the Mercedes-Benz OM366 engine charged with an exhaust gas turbocharger , but a transmission oil cooler and a charge air cooler were also installed in order to achieve the desired output of 132 kW. A total of 190 pieces of the flagship were manufactured. The distinguishing feature is the bulge on the front of the bonnet, under which the intercooler is located. The last officially built Trac, an 1800 intercooler, is on display in the Unimog Museum Gaggenau . In addition to a special paint in a dark anthracite, some parts are chrome-plated. This earned him the nickname "Black Beauty". De-oiled and preserved, the Trac is reminiscent of almost 25 years of Mercedes-Benz tractor construction. Still, the unofficially last MB-Trac was a 1600 turbo.
literature
- Oliver Aust: MB-trac in action . Podszun, Brilon 2006, ISBN 3-86133-423-2 .
- Michel Kaiser: Mb-Trac with forest superstructures by Werner, Ritter and Nagel . Podszun, Brilon 2012, ISBN 978-3-86133-640-2 .
- Ralf Maile: Mercedes Benz MB trac . Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3-440-10766-9 .
- Ralf Maile: MB-Trac tractor from Mercedes Benz . Klaus Rabe Verlag, Waiblingen 2011, ISBN 978-3-926071-44-6 .
- Werner Schmeing, Hans Jürgen Wischhof: Tractors from Daimer Benz AG 2 . Revised edition, DLG Verlag, Wischhof-Verlag 2015, ISBN 978-3-7690-0832-6 .
- Ulf Kaack: Mercedes MB-Trac type history and technology . Gera-Mond Verlag, Bassum 2013, ISBN 978-3-86245-717-5 .
Web links
- The MB-trac portal
- The origins of the MB-trac concept
- mbtrac-forst Private page of an author with a focus on forestry
- Collection of technical data MB-trac
Individual evidence
- ↑ Trademark register
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from December 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
