Belarus tractors

[Mac624]

Not sure, where You have made this experience with Belarus tractors, but the tractors I knew about are stable and reliable, easy to maintain and to repair (if necessary).

All brands have their ups and downs and the so much beloved galopping goose is not the best You can buy for the money.

I would not be afraid to buy a Belarus, Zetor, Ursus or whatever is made in the countries of former eastern block.

 

[D7E]

I'm thinking back to the mid 90's when several big vegatable growers in our group tried running eastern bloc tractors in fleets of 5-8 tractors in a "Economy drive"....The zetors were maybe the best but it was a disaster....They were just not capable of the 2000 hrs a year that main brands were doing and when you had them it was impossible to re-sell them....
Auctions full of dealer lease returns and trade ins . the dealers were coming around the farms offering a month free trial and a free loader if you bought a new one and asking $5000 for 2-3 year old 80hp+ fwa belarus.....None of the dealers i knew then still exist now.

 

[FLHayman]

I have Ford, John Deere, Kioti, Montana, and also still have a 250 Belarus. Used to own a 500 series 2wd, also. Both Belarus tractors were bought new from a dealer in Atlanta, the distributor in Minnesota or something like that.

They have features you won't find in other tractors, like adjustable voltage regulators (2 positions, winter and summer), compression release for easier starting in cold (get cranking inertia with a weak battery, then put the compression back to start instantly), and down pressure on the 3ph (starting a fence post auger or plow in hard ground).

I was low income at the time, and they were the best buy for the dollar. Every time I have gone for a new tractor, I look, starting with JD, and realize the the 50 acre sized tractors seem to be significantly foreign made anyway. I would rather buy an American tractor, but this is the reality: we can't seem to produce tractors competitively here, until the size gets up to the real industrial machines. I travel a lot, and see large JD and Cat machines everywhere in the world, so we can make what other Countries want, just not the small ones.

I've even been to Belarus, and I recommend it to anyone who thinks Communism was a good idea. Yes, I've seen what we call Belarus everywhere, too. They use them for all work, industrial backhoes, ag., pulling trailers on the road, etc. I had a friend from Romania who defected in the late 70's who saw the 500 Belarus and said that they used to build them in Romania! Unproven, but, a previous poster pointed out that many companies built them, typical of the single single product design/many builders of USSR.

I have abused the 250 with a rhino 75 backhoe, and when it eventually started to bend the top of the 3pt hitch, I was pleased to find that I could simply unbolt the piece and weld some reinforcement. The electric switches aren't very good, but the metal is heavy enough to overcome any imperfect batches in the casting.

Parts are quickly obtainable, I do a search on the internet and I recall the place I got them from last actually had the name 'belarustractor' in the name. Just filters, and O rings for same.

I like the shuttle gear shift, too, and the 250 has always had a fairly large American made loader on it, with no problems lifting very heavy things. For the price I could get for this tractor, I would never sell it!

 

[mel8030]

thank you Yumz-610 for backing me up. Tom never came back with a reply.

Ukrzapchast Ltd - Ukraine - Company Info

 

[crbearden]

I have a Belarus 825 1996 model, and a 8345, 2002 model. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. I have several tractors and use them farming wheat, hay forage and mowing hay for horse customers. I have ran both Belarus tractors 3 years now with only needing to change oil and filters. During the last 3 days I had to pull my 8345 to start it because I had 30wt oil in it and one battery is not as good as it should be. This is the first time it refused to start. If I had maintained my batteries as I should have it woupld have started. However at 5deg with a -22 wind chill and sitting out, it is to be expected. The Ts110 New Holland I have more than $32000 invested in started, but would not pull through the snow It would pull the Belarus to start it where the snow was blown off. We had some 6 to 8 ft drifts and the 8345 could take me most anywhere with the FWA without worry. I am partially handicapped with spine problems and cannot walk any distance. The 8345 is a lifesaver. I really enjoy driving it, the cab is roomy it is made in Sweden. The loader is a Koyker. The only problem with the tractor is having to remove the loader to service the air cleaner. That is a problem with the loader, not the tractor. I bought the tractor with 3000 hours on it and have had no problems after putting 1000 hours on it. My NH TS110 however, has numerous little computer problems with only 1500 hours on it and has already had to have a new (NEW!!) injection pump at $3000.. I am told by the service managers this is normal with the new low sulfur diesel....

If you want to knock tractors I suggest you look into how the tractors were used and how the loaders were mounted etc. I would ove to be able to buy one of those green tractors, but I would have to buy one 25 yrs old and with 6000 hrs on it to be able to afford what I have in a Belarus. If you want to see a real tractor, look at the 300 hp 4wd Belarus tractors. I will admit their switches are a problem in their electrical and I do not know why they have so many wires under the dash on the 8345 versus the 825, but you can rewire one in 2 days without a lot of cash outlay if you are handy. The switches can be replaced with $5 toggles and some washers. I have also ran both of my Belarus tractors baling hay at PTO speed for more than 8 hours with only 15 gallons of fuel being used. Try that with a John Deere, Case IH or a Ford. I also owned a C-IH JX85 that I traded in on the NH TS110. That Turkish made JX was one of the worst made tractors I ever owned. Never again will I buy a Case-IH..

I would also like to find some of those OKlahoma tractors in the fencerows. I could probably make a few bucks rebuilding them and selling them to small landowners around here. These new folks are not stuck on Green paint. John Deere will tell you that they can get parts when the others cannot. Try to get parts for one of their bat wing mowers that is only 12 years old. They discontinue parts availability or raise the price so high you cannot afford to buy it.

sign me a satisfied Belarus owner in OKlahoma

 

[Bison]

I have a Belarus 825 1996 model, and a 8345, 2002 model. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. I have several tractors and use them farming wheat, hay forage and mowing hay for horse customers. I have ran both Belarus tractors 3 years now with only needing to change oil and filters. During the last 3 days I had to pull my 8345 to start it because I had 30wt oil in it and one battery is not as good as it should be. This is the first time it refused to start. If I had maintained my batteries as I should have it woupld have started. However at 5deg with a -22 wind chill and sitting out, it is to be expected. The Ts110 New Holland I have more than $32000 invested in started, but would not pull through the snow It would pull the Belarus to start it where the snow was blown off. We had some 6 to 8 ft drifts and the 8345 could take me most anywhere with the FWA without worry. I am partially handicapped with spine problems and cannot walk any distance. The 8345 is a lifesaver. I really enjoy driving it, the cab is roomy it is made in Sweden. The loader is a Koyker. The only problem with the tractor is having to remove the loader to service the air cleaner. That is a problem with the loader, not the tractor. I bought the tractor with 3000 hours on it and have had no problems after putting 1000 hours on it. My NH TS110 however, has numerous little computer problems with only 1500 hours on it and has already had to have a new (NEW!!) injection pump at $3000.. I am told by the service managers this is normal with the new low sulfur diesel....

If you want to knock tractors I suggest you look into how the tractors were used and how the loaders were mounted etc. I would ove to be able to buy one of those green tractors, but I would have to buy one 25 yrs old and with 6000 hrs on it to be able to afford what I have in a Belarus. If you want to see a real tractor, look at the 300 hp 4wd Belarus tractors. I will admit their switches are a problem in their electrical and I do not know why they have so many wires under the dash on the 8345 versus the 825, but you can rewire one in 2 days without a lot of cash outlay if you are handy. The switches can be replaced with $5 toggles and some washers. I have also ran both of my Belarus tractors baling hay at PTO speed for more than 8 hours with only 15 gallons of fuel being used. Try that with a John Deere, Case IH or a Ford. I also owned a C-IH JX85 that I traded in on the NH TS110. That Turkish made JX was one of the worst made tractors I ever owned. Never again will I buy a Case-IH..

I would also like to find some of those OKlahoma tractors in the fencerows. I could probably make a few bucks rebuilding them and selling them to small landowners around here. These new folks are not stuck on Green paint. John Deere will tell you that they can get parts when the others cannot. Try to get parts for one of their bat wing mowers that is only 12 years old. They discontinue parts availability or raise the price so high you cannot afford to buy it.

sign me a satisfied Belarus owner in OKlahoma

Count me in too :thumbsup:

 

[bironacad]

My cousin has one for blowing snow and such, he is mechanically inclined and has done several repairs, the tractor was sitting in a field for a couple of years. He says his is made so that you can fix it with stuff on hand, washable filters and such. He has a few leaks here and there but for the money he paid he is very happy. His is an older model, 30-40 horse, very primitive mechanically so simple to repair, no cab, no loader as of now. I would guess you would have to look at your abilities and the proposed use of the equipment. He also was able to purchase, on line, a service manual, lights and some other parts for reasonable $. You don't get something for nothing but for an entry level experience till you figure out whats what a cheap used tractor may not be so bad. As for where it is made,
my Dodge Ram diesel was put together in Mexico, I can't purchase appliances made in Canada, the last tractor factory in Canada is Versatile who's primary customer is the Ukraine and most of the parts are made in Mexico so that the tractor is just assemble here, so lets not lose site of the ins and outs of a used tractor we have already given away are manufacturing, ya a little cynical.

 

[rayray57]

what causes the wheels to lock up

 

[rayray57]

what makes the wheels to lock up on a belarus 250as

 

[foreman Etexas]

I had a 804 and just sold it but it was a tank. Shifter hard to find a gear(gotta turn knob this way or that way,never knew what gear was in),hyd.leaked down,brakes were always a problem but it sure would pull and the 3point power down would bend a bit before it stopped,there frontends on the 2wheel drive models are the weakest thing about them,mine was worn out with only 600hrs on tractor,tires turned all over the place but hey was my first tractor,better than nothing

Gotta look past the orange,shes setting back there

 

[bironacad]

Belasoarass? That is what I first read the name as lol. Seems to work well for my cousin.

 

[Hollow]

They seem to have their good models and bad. I know a man who bought one about 16 years ago that has never had any problems out of it other that a few leaking seals that the model he has is notorious for. I don't know how many hours he has on it now but he pulls a 15' batwing with it a lot.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Most of the 2wd tractors can be switched to a high crop in a few hours. I have a friend with a 250 that didnt know that. THe rear final drive housings have check plugs on the top and side. Unbolted they can rotate down. Then the front spindles have holes to let them adjust down.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

The 250 and the 400 series were the only two that could do it. The AN version was actually a lower profile version of the 400, which the way it was set up sort of permanently in a low profile position, due to the tire configuration. The 4wd version was permanently fixed, and in the AN version, it had a "reclining" look to it. The regular 400 had only two positions, while the 250 had 3. The 310 version of the 250 had to be built in high profile position, since the front driving axles were so massive and the tires were so tall, to get the correct drive ratio.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I had a 804 and just sold it but it was a tank. Shifter hard to find a gear(gotta turn knob this way or that way,never knew what gear was in),hyd.leaked down,brakes were always a problem but it sure would pull and the 3point power down would bend a bit before it stopped,there frontends on the 2wheel drive models are the weakest thing about them,mine was worn out with only 600hrs on tractor,tires turned all over the place but hey was my first tractor,better than nothing

Gotta look past the orange,shes setting back thereView attachment 252540

The front ends that I have had experience with never gave much issue, other than a sagging spring in the king pin housing sometimes. IF you didn't re-tighten the nuts on the ball joints, they would get loose. They were sort of soft, so sometimes they needed to be replaced. Also, an important note, the ball joints are adjustable, and you can take up play and slack by turning the adjustment down to tighten them. Never had a center pivot pin issue that I can remember. The Dan Foss power steering system was an excellent design, and rarely had issues with the MTZ tractors, though it could feel a little "indirect" in steering at times.

The tractors were no better than the local dealer, and the service given. The incredible thing is I know where some of the earliest models ever brought in the country in the late 60's and early 70's are still plugging along. One of the issues, is that I saw, was because the tractors were cheap as dirt, they got treated like dirt. People used and abused them, and never changed the oil or followed the service schedule. How many of them ever saw a transmission oil change? Never it seems. Yet people complained. Yes, the electricals were not so great, but if sheltered, they'd be much better. As shown in the picture, they were generally left out in the elements, where rats, birds, and other critters would use them for nests. The Hydraulic leak issue was largely a result of a couple of issues. 1) The units used straight 30 weight motor oil. Most guys would toss in a can of extreme pressure, and expect it not to leak. 2). The banjo fittings required a good tightening after a couple hundred hours ( or just a couple of hours in some cases). Once correctly tightened and if necessary, the copper washers were replaced, leaks were usually kept at bay, unless the Hydraulic cylinder blew an oring. They key to the Belarus system though was that it was 100% external. If you saw the kind of leakage you can get in an internal system, you'd realize exactly why they were made to be out of sight!

The gear in the transmission, with the selector knob was loved by some, hated by others. The old style center located shifter never gave much issues. The side shift, confused a lot of people particularly with the spitter in the floor. When selecting high and low range, a lot of people could not remember that these gears were self polishing, and the tractor needed to be rolling slightly when ranges were changed, or getting the tractor into any gear could be difficult.

 

[Syed Shamim Hasan]

I have balarus in my use for quite sometimes. I am satisfied by its performance. If some one can me how to use it as a back-hoe or excavator. I also want to know what type of gadgets other than usual can be atached to it for farm use.

 

[Kodiak45]

I have had a 250 for a few years that I paid 1200 for just to leave an implement attached to and in case my long went down for whatever reason. Its definitely not fun to drive and the non power steering sucks, but it starts everytime and does what I need. It all depends on what you pay for it. I have gotten my moneys worth out of mine for sure. I like the cab also in case I want to go mess around in the rain or whatever. The 3pt downpressure is a great feature and the lift cylinder can be rebuilt for $20 in about an hour. When it does need work, it's very easy to work on. no complaints here

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Have you tried to shorten the steering arm? A factory approved modification way back when was to remove a 2 inch section out of the steering arm, just above the joint, and reweld it. This would greatly reduce the steering effort, but increase the turns on the wheel to about 1.75 turns from center to lock instead of the normal 1. Some of the newer steering boxes weren't so great and the lower or upper bearing would go bad. It is replaceable, but a difficult job for a novice. A new steering box isn't bad. But if you remove the piece out of the steering arm that comes from the steering box, don't remove too much or your worm gear may run out of travel before it's completely turned.

 

[Arkan]

Great tractors ,aside New Holland which we not have for long time,we have over 15 years 2 Belarus tractors ,82.1 and 1221.First tractor is 80hp,we bought it new for 15k euro,second one be bought used with 2k hours for i think 25-27k ,not sure it was 10 y ago.Both of those tractors are pulling like crazy for their hp.Many farmers are using them in my area,many!!.Parts are available almost anywhere,from used to new ones.It's cheap tractor with cheaper parts,it does tend to have minor problems ,oil leaks,electrical issues and simillar ,but nothing major.For it's price ,they usually can reach in average 6-8 000 hours before u need to do engine overhaul ,transmission last longer.But example,full engine overhaul for 82.1 belarus is +- 1000 euro with decent quality parts.