Fortschritt

The RS 04/30, produced between 1953 and 1956, was the successor to the RS 03 Aktivist and RS 02 Brockenhexe in GDR tractor production. The tractor had been developed by the Schönebeck factory, but the manufacturer was VEB Schlepperwerk Nordhausen, the manufacturer of the RS 02. It was the first tractor developed in the GDR that was not based on pre-war German models.

The engine was a new 3.0-liter 2-cylinder pre-chamber diesel EM2-15. The power was 30 hp. Unlike its predecessors, the engine had an electric starter. There were 5+1 gears and the same in the crawl range, making a total of 10+2. The portal axle and 9.00-40 rear wheels provided ample ground clearance. In addition to the belt pulley and 540 rpm rear power take-off, the RS 04 had a front power take-off shaft that rotated at the engine speed. A hydraulic lift and towbar were standard. Most of the tractors produced had a cabin. Colour of the tractor was dark green. More than 7,500 RS 04 models were produced. The model had a problem with the engine's durability.

Photo: Bundesarchiv Bild 183-38423-0003 (Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Tractors

RS 04

In the Nordhausen tractor factory's range, the 40-horsepower RS ​​01 was joined by the smaller RS ​​02/22 Brockenhexe in 1949. It was based heavily on the Normag NG 10, which had been manufactured at the factory before the war, but the design was rounded off. There was no suitable engine in the GDR range, so the 22-horsepower diesel used by Normag was licensed from the West by Deutz. The engine was 2.2 liters and water-cooled. It was started by cranking.

The gearbox was also a Western licensed product, a 4+1-speed ZF. A power take-off and pulley were standard equipment, as was a 6-volt electrical system. A cabin was optional. The Brockenhexes were either brown or green in colour. 1,935 of the model were produced in three years.

RS 02 Brockenhexe

The first East German tractor to go into series production was the RS 01/40. It was based on the XL diesel tractor manufactured by the Famo tractor factory before the war. It was upgraded to the RS 01 by former Famo engineers in Schönebeck and production began at the Horsch factory in Zwickau in 1949. A year later, production moved to the former Normag tractor factory in Nordhausen, and it was named the RS 01/40 Pionier.

The tractor was frameless, meaning the 4F 145 BE engine was part of the supporting structure. This four-cylinder diesel had a displacement of 5.0 liters and produced 40 hp. The engine was started with gasoline and a crank. There were 5+1 gears. A power take-off dependent on the drive clutch was standard equipment and a belt pulley was an option. The front axle was sprung and drum brakes on the differential shaft could be used as a steering brake.

From 1953 onwards, the engine was started using compressed air. In 1957, the improved RS 01/40 Harz was introduced. The power was increased to 42 horsepower and a 24 V starter motor was added to the equipment. The gearbox was an improved model and a hydraulic lifting device was a novelty.

Of the early GDR tractors, the Pionier was the most functional, but heavy for its power. A total of almost 25,000 of them were produced.

RS 01

The Brandenburg Tractor Factory was founded in 1948 on the ruins of the former Brennabor factory. For decades, the factory had manufactured, among other things, bicycles and motorcycles, and during the war, weapons.

In 1949, serial production of the RS 03 Aktivist tractor began. The engine was a V2 diesel copied from O&K, with an output of 30 hp and crank start using glow plugs. There was no separate frame. The gearbox was a 4+1-speed Prometheus. Top speed was 17.8 km/h. A 540 rpm power take-off and a belt pulley were standard equipment. Due to the very short wheelbase and front axle design, bouncing was cited as a problem with the tractor.

The Aktivist was only in production for three years and 3,761 of them were manufactured. After that, the Brandenburg factory switched to the production of crawler tractors and, in the early 1960s, gearboxes. In the GDR tractor range, the RS 03 was succeeded by the RS 04 from the Nordhausen factory.

Photo: Kimmo Kotta

RS 03 Aktivist

After the Famulus, tractor production in the GDR was revamped. The goal was to offer tractors in five different size categories. The smallest class was filled by the work machine carrier GT 124. A 3-cylinder TT 220 was developed for the 45-horsepower power class, the ZT 300 for the 90-horsepower class, and the ZT 400 for the 160-horsepower class. The largest size category was left for a later time. The TT 220 and ZT 300 were developed to the point of serial production readiness, but ultimately only the ZT 300 was put into production, which began in the autumn of 1967. The manufacturer was Traktorenwerk Schönebeck and the engine was made by Motorenwerk Nordhausen. The 6.6-liter 4-cylinder engine was developed based on the IFA W50 truck engine. The direct injection technology was licensed from MAN.

Also adapted from the IFA truck was the driven front axle, which was installed in the four-wheel-drive model ZT 303 introduced in 1971. The transmission in the ZT tractors consisted of three basic gears, three ranges forward and two backward, as well as a crawler gear. In total, there were 18+12 gears. The steering was power-assisted and the brakes were hydraulic drum brakes. The cab was modern even by Western standards. However, the pedals came through the floor and the gear levers were in the center. The strengths of the ZT included ease of maintenance and good gear ratios. Weaknesses were low ground clearance and a large turning circle. The weight was also quite high.

In 1973, the factory merged into the Fortschritt combine, and later the Fortschritt brand also appeared on the sides of the tractors. Initially, the ZT was either red or blue in color; in the later years, there were also Fortschritt green versions. The cab was always white. Around the mid-1970s, the steering was changed to hydrostatic. In the spring of 1978, the engine power was increased to 100 horsepower. ZT tractors were sold in Western Europe, at least in France, Belgium, and Spain. Approximately 70,000 units of the model series were produced.

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ZT 300/303

At the end of 1983, the ZT 320 and the four-wheel-drive model ZT 323 were introduced. Compared to the preceding models, the engines' fuel efficiency had been improved, the brakes updated, the steering hydraulics equipped with their own pump, and the gearbox renewed. The most noticeable changes were, of course, the new design and the new cab. Standard equipment included an air-suspended seat, an adjustable steering wheel, and gear levers positioned on the right. The four-wheel-drive model also featured brakes on the front axle. Engine torque increase improved from 8% to 16%. The dual clutch was hydraulically assisted. In size, the tractor was still large, and the turning radius enormous. The tractor's color was now always Fortschritt green.

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Fortschritt ZT 320/323

In tractor production in the GDR, implement carriers played a central role. Production of the RS series reached 120,000 tractors, while the Famulus models remained at a few thousand in various versions. The first implement carrier to enter series production was the RS 08, which began production in 1953. It had a 0.69-liter two-stroke gasoline engine producing 15 horsepower. Through a directional reverser, there were 8 gears in both directions.

In 1957, the RS 09 was introduced, featuring a 1.02-liter V2 diesel engine manufactured under license from Austrian Warchalowski. Initially, it produced 18 horsepower, and later a 15-horsepower version was also offered. A new feature was the hydraulic lift. The predecessor’s green color was replaced by the same reddish-orange used also on Famulus tractors. In 1961, the engine was bored out to 1.15 liters, producing 16.5 horsepower. In 1962, an improved model, the RS 09/122, was introduced, which included, among other things, a reinforced gearbox and a restricted front axle tilt angle to prevent rollover. There were also many special versions of the RS 09, such as a model with a flatbed, a maize cultivation version, a vegetable cultivation version, and a mountain version. The country’s agricultural machinery production also produced dozens of different implements that utilized the RS’s capabilities.

In 1964, the country’s own expertise yielded a 25-horsepower V4 diesel that entered production. Instead of prototype designation RS 09/124, the model was marked GT 124. The basic structure remained the same, but the powertrain was reinforced to correspond to the increased power. Implement carriers were exported not only to Eastern Europe but also to African countries, among others.

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RS 09

More from this manufacturer

RS 04/30

Malli

Hinta (sis. alv)

Series specifier

Manufacturer name

Model specifier

Imported to Finland

Years

Engine model

Cyl/Turbo/Intercooler

Displacement

Bore x stroke

Rated power

Max power

Torque

Gears

Creeper speeds

Synchronized gears

Powershift gears

Reverser

Speeds in km/h

Max. speed 

Hydr. flow l/min

Hydraulic pressure

Lift controls

Lift capacity

PTO speeds

Brakes

Steering

Turning circle m 2WD

Turning circle m 4WD

Front tyres 2WD

Front tyres 4WD

Rear tyres 2WD

Rear tyres 4WD

Weight 2WD

Weight 4WD

Height with cab

Length (2WD/4WD)

Wheelbase (2WD/4WD)

Fuel tank

Cab noise level

Solid cab

Diff. lock

Autom. differential locks

Air suspension seat

Air conditioning

Trip computer

Creeper gear

Sylinterien lukumäärä

Iskutilavuus

Iskusuhde

Suurin vääntömomentti, Nm

Suurin vääntömomentti, r/min

Vääntömomentin nousu

Polttonesteen kulutus suurimman tehon pisteessä

Kytkimen tyyppi

Ajovoimanotto

Nopeus eteenpäin moottorin nimellisnopeudella, pienin

Nopeus eteenpäin moottorin nimellisnopeudella, suurin

Jarrut

Hydrauliikan suurin paine

Hydrauliikan suurin tuotto

Nostolaitehydrauliikan hallinta

Ulkopuolinen hydrauliikka, venttiililohkoja

1-toimisia

2-toimisia

Nostovoima (kN=100 kg)

Hydrauliikan tyyppi

Kääntöympyrän halkaisija ilman ohjausjarrua

Eturenkaat

Takarenkaat

Kokonaismassa säiliöt täynnä vakiovarustein

Etuakselipaino

Taka-akselipaino

Suurin korkeus (ohjaamon ylimpään kohtaan)

Kokonaispituus

Akseliväli

Maavara, pienin

Polttoainesäiliön tilavuus

Korkein melutaso

Etuakselin tasauspyörästön lukko

Etunostolaite

Etulokasuojat

Ilmastointilaite

Perävaunun jarruventtiili

Ilmaistuin

Ohjauksen tyyppi

Etusivu

Ajoneuvot ja ympäristö

Huolto ja tekniikka

Lukijan idea

Maarakennus

Maatalous

Osastot

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Model	RS 04/30
Imported to Finland	No
Years	1953-56
Engine model	EM2-15
Cyl/Turbo/Intercooler	2
Displacement	3012 cm³
Bore x stroke	115x145 mm
Rated power	30/1500 hp DIN/rpm
Torque	-
Gears	10+2
Speeds in km/h	1,1-19,0
Lift controls	mek.
PTO speeds	540
Brakes	shoe brakes
Steering	mech.
Turning circle m 2WD	7,0 with brake
Front tyres 2WD	6.00-20
Rear tyres 2WD	9.00-40
Weight 2WD	1775 kg
Height with cab	240 cm
Length (2WD/4WD)	350 cm
Wheelbase (2WD/4WD)	200 cm