Gallery: Recently restored rare tractor started up in Jõgeva County
In the small Väike-Kamari Village near Põltsamaa, one of the oldest tractors in Estonia, a 1925 12-horsepower Lanz Bulldog, was once again started up after receiving restoration works in Poland recently.
Entrepreneur and engineering enthusiast Eero Kotli first got acquainted with Lanz tractors during childhood visits to his grandfather. "Lanz Bulldogs will be 100 years old this year. And it is an extremely rare device," Kotli told ETV's daily affairs show "Aktuaalne kaamera" on Tuesday.
"While 6,000 of these tractors were manufactured, very few of this kind of wide wheelbase, so-called swamp variants, are preserved in the world. You can count them on the fingers of your two hands. And there are two in Estonia," Kotli said.
Another Lanz Bulldog is in Varbola, Rapla County, and is three years older than the one in Väike-Kamari.
The Lanz Bulldog is a so-called hothead tractor that takes some skill to start up. "Not only is the fuel not ignited under very high pressure, the head is heated up and then the fuel will ignite while spraying on the head, turning the engine on. And this tractor's peculiarity was that it was of extremely high quality but also very simple construction," Kotli described.
The tractor was started up in Väike-Kämari on Tuesday with Kotli being the main initiator of restoration works on the tractor, which actually belongs to the Järvamaa vocational training center.
"Well, it is not like we will drive it every day, that is obvious. But if there is any reason, we will bring it out and will also take it to plowing contests. So if anyone happens to have a suitable plough for this tractor, we would happily borrow it," Rein Oselin, director of the training center, said.
"Anyone who knows anything about how this tractor made it to Väike-Kamari, it would be nice if you let the training center know. The story is what gives this tractor life, in addition to the iron itself," Eero Kotli said.
The tractor was started up with assistance from supporters in Poland. There was no workshop in Estonia to patch up the nearly 100-year old tractor, which meant it had to be sent to Poland for restoration.
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Editor: Kristjan Kallaste