Takra
.jpg)
The Takra was a Finnish tractor that was produced in 880 units from 1949 to 1954. The tractor is technically mature, but too expensive compared to the properties of its competition.
background
The factory for the production of the Takra tractor was set up in Tampere , Nekala district. The company started out as a bus operator, but began producing automotive spare parts during the Second World War . After the war, belt conveyors were manufactured as war reparations for the Soviet Union . In 1948 the number of employees had grown to 300 and the turnover was 188 million Finnish marks .
planning
After the war there was a great shortage of tractors in Finland and the decision was made to build tractors. At the beginning of 1947 the technical director of the company, Aulis A. Lumme, was commissioned to submit plans for a tractor. The first prototype was completed in the spring of 1948 and a year later it was exhibited at the 40th anniversary of the Kangasala Farmers Society. The event was also reported by Helsingin Sanomat , the main newspaper in Finland.
production
The first trial series of six units was produced in June 1949 and one was sent to the State Agricultural Machinery Research Institute (Vakola) for testing, after which various improvements were made to the Takra tractor.
The company Suomen Maanviljelijäin Kauppa Oy (SMK), which also sold McCormick tractors, was granted as a commercial agency. In June 1950 the Takra tractor was presented at the Tampere fair at the SMK stand. The fair was attended by 115,000 visitors. Then the takra was exhibited at the Savo fair in Varkaus .
Series production began in 1951 with an estimated volume of 100 units, but due to a strike in the metal industry, only 30 tractors were built by the following February. Management tried to convince customers that production capacity would be increased as soon as the war reparations were paid to the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, the price of the Takra tractors had climbed higher than originally estimated, which made them much more expensive compared to foreign competitors.
The production volume in 1951 was reported to be 100 tractors and the production of the following year to 200. The only bottleneck in the years was the raw material situation, so that production could not be carried out in full. In addition to tractors, the company also developed and produced Takra-compatible agricultural implements and machines. At the same time there was a great shortage of tractors in Finland. The estimated demand was around 10,000–15,000 tractors, which could not be manufactured in the country itself, which is why the Finnish government came under pressure to lift the import restrictions. At the end of 1951 the import was suspended for several months, so that a large number of tractors from different manufacturers could be imported.
Construction of a new factory for the production of the Takra tractor began in the spring of 1953 and in the winter of 1954 the company moved and production began. While the production speed in the old plant was still one tractor per day, in the new plant it could be increased to eight tractors per week. In order to be able to produce an annual number of around 500-600 tractors, it was built on the help of subcontractors, with which one tried to get the production costs under control. However, the artificial overvaluation of the Finnish mark and price dumping of foreign tractors created considerable problems for the manufacturers of the Takra tractor. For example, a Fordson Major cost around 500,000 marks in Sweden, while the price in Finland was only 390,000 marks.
The new takra factory did not last long. The company's owner, Väinö Paunu, decided to stop production, after which it was sold to the city of Tampere.
Officially, the takra production was 880 units. According to the authorities, the number was about 100 units less. The last takras were sold from the SMK warehouse in 1955.
Technical data and properties
The tractor is driven by a Waukesha - Petroleum motor driven with a power of 26 HP, and the transmission has four passages. The tractor's equipment includes a three-point power lift. The curb weight is 1,740 kg.
The starting point of the Takra tractor was the same as that of the Fordson Major. During the vacola tests, a spade roller harrow with 25 rollers could easily be pulled in third gear. Equipped with wheel chains, a double share plow with 14-inch mouldboards could be pulled on medium-hard ground.
Overall, the takra was received positively in terms of operation and maintenance. Farms with a farm size of 40 hectares were assumed to be ideal farm sizes for the Takra tractor, which resulted in a very good market potential. He was also considered suitable for forest work.
Takra's stumbling block was its price. In December 1951 a Takra cost 665,000 Finnish marks: Equipped with an electric starter, hydraulic three-point power lift, belt pulley for stationary operation, PTO shaft and headlights. Opposite this was a Fordson Major with only 351,500 marks. On the other hand, the Takra was also available without the accessories mentioned, which lowered the price.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Olli J. Ojanen: Kotimaiset traktorit - Kullervolla käyntiin, Valmetilla kärkeen ( Finnish ). Alfamer Oy, Helsinki 2002, ISBN 952-5089-65-7 , pp. 20-26; 29; 33–34 (accessed April 20, 2013).
- ↑ Voimakoneet - Traktori ( Finnish ) Helsingin yliopisto - Kansatiede. 2004. Retrieved May 2, 2013.