belarus tractors

[Rob30]

Any one use and like belarus tractors? I have the opertunity top get a 520 at a ptetty good price. With a loader, cab, new tires, quick attach bucket and 4X4. It is 60 hp at the pto, which is what I have been told I need to operate a haybine. I currently have a DB 880 selectomatic. I find the DB a nice little tractor but it has problems to. Namely the hydraulics always takes on water, and the power assist steering is to light for the loader, and leaks, and harder to find parts for.
I was planning to by a n older haybine this spring, but the tractor has caught my attention.
I know it is not as good as a JD, Case, Massey, etc. But try to find a 4X4 one of those in good hape under $10 000.

[Up North]

The Belarus is an economical option to get into MFWD, but as they say, "You get what you pay for". The low purchase price upfront carries with it the burden of poor resale value down the road when you go to sell it.
Pros: Low initial investment, very good fuel economy. On some Belarus models, the battery/power shutoff switch is a good feature.
Cons: When used with a frontend loader, the MFWD clutch will slip during heavy service or on hillsides. Most Belarus owners find that the 3 pt hitch hardware, as well as control knobs for hydraulics, range shifters, cab doors, etc. are of poor quality and bend or break and require repairs or replacing.
Most Belarus tractors require additional ballasting(weights or tire fluid) to utilize their horsepower.

[moopups]

Belarus = Run Away, the Russian made tractor does not have the metallurgy problem corrected yet, gears strip easily, ect.

[Ross]

I've owned two Belaruses. A 420an and an 820 which is the same as your 520 only with the pump turned up. Good tractors for what they are, we kept the 820 for 14 years and it was cheap enough to own. Parts are very dear so it's just as well. Very easy on fuel, lots of power (I'm sure they are deliberately under rated) Excellent visability except on the hitch which is blocked. Some cons Russian tries can be dodgey, the fronts are difficult to find in N American made. Good year did but they are very expensive. Poor turn radius in the MFWD, you learn to compensate, and it saves your PTO from chattering. Non synchro tranny (like your 880) so it's a chore to shift smoothly. Servicing is awkward. The front end is remarkably well made for all it's gawky to look at. The dealer advised us to pack the axles ends where they turn down to the planetaries with grease rather than gear lube. Even install a nipple so you can easily top it up with a grease gun. We did and it worked well. Good hydraulics, they run a loader fine. My biggest complaint was the steering. If it's not hydrostatic, it will fail and be a pain in the rear to handle. Remember those parts are dear. Is there a dealer up your way? Rath was but no more, they might get you parts filters etc. Personally I'd get a 2wd Ford or Deere. 6600 or a 2130, both will serve you forever probably without much cost if they were cared for and continue to get the same. MFWD....... been there done that, it's not normally used, and if job one is hay, you shouldn't need it at all.

[DaleK]

Funny Ross. We're just in the process of trading our 2130. Don't have anything small enough for it to pull anymore.
My father in law has had Belarus as long as he's farmed, I think they're ok for odd jobs and tinkering but I wouldn't want to have to depend on one every day. That said, I do know a custom operator in Northern Ontario who only uses Belarus tractors. He keeps two 125 hp models, trades one every two years at the latest so he's aiming to always have one under a year old and one under 2 years old. He only uses one at a time and does absolutely no maintenance on them, even oil or grease. Just runs one until something quits on it then switches to the other one and calls his dealer. If it's a cheap fix he'll have the dealer do it but usually if something quits he just has them bring out another new one as soon as they can get it and trades the broken one as is. He figures they're cheap enough to be treated as the world's first disposable tractor, by the time he gets his trade in value he's figuring it costs him about $600/month in tractor costs for both tractors, putting about 2500 hours combined on them per year.

[Ross]

Wanna bet you regret trading it off at some point? I know farms are getting bigger, but you haven't an auger for it to spin or gravity boxes to jockey? No blade or post auger, not even pasture harrows?

[DaleK]

Our harrows are 20' and fold, haven't used gravity wagons for 20 years, the auger we use stalls it out if we run it as fast as we're used to and even our rake (when we rake hay which is rare anymore) is 22' wide and gives it trouble on hills. Got a convoluted deal where we're using it as a down payment on a new loader tractor and buying a used 124 hp to replace the 2130.

[John Hill]

I know my brother had a Belarus 6 cylinder for some years, if I recall correctly he once remarked that it was a very good machine for doing what tractors are supposed to do, that is pull things. I concluded that the bells and whistles were not among its strong points! I think his dated from about 1977 and was still going strong 20 years later.

[Ross]

I guess you guys have some bigger hills than I do. I pull 14 feet of rakes and 16 feet of harrows with 50 hp. I'm surprised it won't spin a grain auger though. Neighbor uses a Ford 5640 to run a 10x60 to fill the wet bin. It starts up at idle fully loaded so it's not over worked. Still what 66 can do 124 will do easily, except get into tight corners easily.

To get back to Belarus, a dealer we became friends with admited the Belarus tractors that destroyed their name were the 600 series. 605, 610,615. They were 4 cyl, synchro tranny contraptions of no relation to the 400's 500 800's or bigger units. Brittle metal, and worse trannies (maybe that's what Mitch has heard of) not even the same engine. The Belarus I liked most was the 420 air cooled 50 hp. I'd have one of those again even though they are complicated and awkward to shift. I only sold it when I was offered twice what I paid. That NEVER happens with a Belarus, (OK almost never) so I snapped it up. Maybe I shouldn't have, it would start 97% of the time with no plug in.

[agmantoo]

Rob30, in your post above you objected to leaks as one area you were concerned. With a Belerus you never have to worry about one rusting to the ground. They are well oiled, particularly on the exterior. They leak everywhere!

[Up North]

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Rob30, in your post above you objected to leaks as one area you were concerned. With a Belerus you never have to worry about one rusting to the ground. They are well oiled, particularly on the exterior. They leak everywhere!

LOL Agman. Note how the newer 8345 , 9345 Series have Orange hoods and sheet metal - but the chassis are painted black. A coincidence - I think NOT...LOL.

[Ross]

Yeah they leak (not the engines particularly) and you can reseal them so its minimal, but it is work. Lots of work.