Walk-behind tractors are actively used by farmers in Russia - small equipment replaces manual labor and simplifies plowing, planting and digging up vegetables. The unit is easy to store - it does not take up much space. Farmers have a question: “Are there Russian-made walk-behind tractors?” In short, yes. But the “Made in Russia” notice does not mean that the equipment is entirely assembled from our parts and mechanisms. We are figuring out what is actually produced in Russia, and what parts are brought to us from abroad. The prices indicated in the article are current as of July 2022.
Everything you wanted to know about OKA walk-behind tractors
OKA walk-behind tractors have been produced in Russia (Public Joint Stock Company "Kaluga Engine") since 1991. Over all the years of production, all the equipment of this enterprise has been constantly improved and brought to the “ideal”. Today, OKA walk-behind tractors are one of the most popular medium-sized devices in the former Soviet Union. Taken together with its technical parameters relative to cost, OKA equipment is an ideal solution for any gardener.
Our company offers a full range of equipment directly from the factory. We are direct importers to Belarus and offer the entire production range, as well as a full range of active or passive attachments.
Parameters of OKA walk-behind tractors
The OKA walk-behind tractor, like most others, consists of:
— Internal combustion engines (OKA is equipped with famous branded Chinese-made lifan engines, Japanese Subaru and Honda engines, as well as American-made Briggs & Stratton internal combustion engines, including the Vanguard professional series).
The entire line of motors has proven itself to be reliable and unpretentious units. Chinese Lifan engines are the most popular in terms of price and quality, have a large margin of strength and durability, and can be installed on OKA walk-behind tractors with a power of 6.5 and 9 hp. Subaru, Honda, Briggs & Stratton are professional engines that are most often chosen when working with equipment in difficult conditions, as well as on large areas.
— The gearbox has a chain mechanism, which is distinguished by its durability and ease of maintenance.
— The clutch consists of 2 forward gears (low and high), and 2 reverse.
— The controls are located by a cable mechanism on the steering handles, which can change the angle so that a user of any height and build can control the walk-behind tractor comfortably.
— Wheels
— Cultivator
A huge range of attachments is connected to walk-behind tractors, including both universal and directly produced: plow, hiller, cultivator cutters, potato digger, potato planter, rotary mower, grousers, cargo trolley, snow blower, brush, shovel - blade, rippers, weeders and much more.
Main parameters and technical characteristics of OKA walk-behind tractors: chain gearbox, small overall dimensions 1500x600x1050, ground clearance of 140 mm, traction force of 100 kgf, travel speed, in first gear 3.6 km. per hour, on the second 9 km. per hour, a longitudinal inclination angle of 20 degrees, a static stability angle of 24 degrees and the possibility of year-round use of equipment at temperatures from minus 20 degrees Celsius to 35 degrees Celsius.
Operation and reviews from walk-behind tractor owners
Taking into account the experience and a number of improvements, the OKA MB-1D3 is a noteworthy small-scale mechanization machine. The range of its applications was described above, but I would like to dwell separately on the direct operation of the mechanism.
The purchased walk-behind tractor must be inspected before assembly to ensure that all parts specified in the passport are present. Make sure that the warranty card is completed correctly. If everything is in order, using the detailed diagram, assemble the device.
Before the first start, you should make sure that you have transmission and engine oil. It is recommended to change the engine oil after the first 5 hours of operation. In the future, not so often, every 25-30 hours. The transmission oil is changed every 100 hours of operation. In total, before the overhaul, 80 oil changes in the engine, 1000 liters of gasoline. Transmission oil before overhauling the gearbox 35 times.
In one of the reviews about the walk-behind tractor, the owner said that he used an old walk-behind tractor of the MB-1 series, produced at the Kaluga plant in the eighties. The body kit remains with it. He took a modernized version of the MB-1D3 and noted the fact that the new model has a modified gearbox, namely (replacing needle bearings with bearings in accordance with GOST 8338-75 - bearing 306). I was pleasantly pleased with the improvements to the control system; now some operations can be performed without turning the walk-behind tractor itself, which was impossible on older models. Regarding the engine, a decrease in noise level was noted.
A review was left in an online store that sells spare parts. The buyer thanked for the sale of the gearbox and was pleased with the fact that gearboxes of a new design were now being sold.
Often, in addition to positive reviews, you can read or hear about the “disadvantages” of a V-belt drive - belts often break. As a rule, this is due to the fact that operational instructions are ignored.
One of the negative reviews was a review left regarding an adapter plate for an imported engine; a video was attached to the review in which the plate was torn in several places. The above can be supplemented by the fact that a video was published with an imported engine with strong vibration.
A video was published with a number of improvements regarding minor assembly defects, such as thin fenders, thick mudguards, and a delay when switching to reverse gear.
Often there are modifications associated with making the unit heavier for performing various operations. A video on altering the reverse linkage, or rather on moving it under the right hand, may be very useful.
One of the videos shows the use of a segment mower from a SALYUT walk-behind tractor. The mower is perfectly suitable for all modifications of the OKA walk-behind tractor.
The reviews are extremely positive, but as always point to consumables - spark plugs, belts, rare cracks in the cutters. Users mainly talk about cultivating areas of up to 20 acres (no more), making hay, and cleaning livestock buildings.
Several reviews from professionals who note some laxity of decorative components, such as wings, but the wear-resistant reliability of the cutters during extreme processing of virgin lands and lands clogged with construction waste.
There were several recommendations to take KADVI UGRA, which is a successor to the OKA series technologies. But in response, negative feedback was received regarding the expensive body kit and, oddly enough, regarding the rigid clutch.
As for the model with a cable control system specifically, it is noted that in some regions of Russia there may be a hitch when replacing cables. Plus, the gas cable requires constant lubrication.
One of the reviews gives a recipe for eliminating the “engine stalling” problem. The description of the situation is as follows. After overheating, in hot weather the brick was transported over long distances, the engine systematically overheated as a result of which the oil scraper rings became coked. As a result, the fuel filter became flooded with oil and the engine stalled after starting. According to the user, they got rid of it by pouring kerosene through the candle hole and leaving it for 12 hours.
JSC "Plant named after. V. A. Degtyareva"
The plant was founded in 1916. Over its hundred-year history, the company changed its name several times, but always manufactured equipment for the defense industry. Now it not only fulfills government orders, but also produces civilian products: motor vehicles, soil-cultivating equipment and equipment for the food industry.
Favorite HONDA GX 160
The Favorit brand produces cultivators, walk-behind tractors and other mini-equipment, which are equipped with engines from foreign manufacturers. The machines are equipped with engines manufactured in China, the power of which does not exceed 7 hp. With. The machines are used to work on personal plots, where the land is plowed periodically. The soil is cultivated using multi-section cutters, which are buried to a depth of 25 cm.
Advantages:
- maneuverability;
- clear controls.
Flaws:
- light weight.
Average price - 40,000 ₽
The SCOUT brand has been known on the Russian market since 2008, when SCOUT launched the production of heavy diesel walk-behind tractors, which no one knew anything about in Russia. Essentially, these are single-axle small tractors. Today the line of equipment has expanded to 80-horsepower tractors. The SCOUT brand is the largest manufacturer of heavy diesel units in Russia.
SCOUT 15DE
The Scout line of walk-behind tractors includes 3 models. Structurally they are almost identical, the difference is in the engines: from 8 liters. With. up to 15 l. With. The most powerful model SCOUT 15DE is equipped with a single-cylinder engine that runs on diesel fuel. Motors are made in China. The engines are equipped with a liquid cooling system, which increases their operating time. The fuel tank capacity is 6 liters. The gearbox consists of 6 forward and two reverse gears. Machine weight - 310 kg.
Attachments, unlike gasoline models, are connected to a single-point mechanism at the rear of the machine, which transmits movement from the engine to the equipment using a power take-off gear shaft. A power take-off pulley is provided to connect front equipment, such as a mower. The machine performs the same tasks as a low-power mini-tractor: plowing the soil, planting vegetables, haymaking, snow removal and much more.
Advantages:
- diesel engine;
- huge selection of attachments.
Flaws:
- strong vibration
Cost - from 94,000 ₽
Production Association "Tulamashzavod"
Tulamashzavod is an enterprise with a rich history. In 1879, the Baytsurovsky plant was located on this territory, where products from copper and cast iron were manufactured. In its current form, the plant was organized in 1939, where the production of machine guns was established. Since 1992, the plant began producing motor cultivators, and in 1998, production of agricultural equipment under the Tarpan brand began.
Tarpan 07-01
The TARPAN-07-01 walk-behind tractor is a small unit that is used in garden plots and cottages. It is equipped with a Briggs&Stratton power unit with a power of 5.5 liters. With. The machine not only cultivates the land, but also performs simple tasks, such as removing leaves or snow. The tillage width is 88 cm, and the machine weight is 75 kg.
Advantages:
- good engine;
- large processing width with a milling cutter.
Flaws:
- for small areas.
Average price - 42,000 ₽
Production Features
Many companies sell walk-behind tractors in Russia, but there is no full-cycle production. Companies are developing a frame structure on which a foreign-made power unit is installed. The remaining mechanisms are either being finalized in Russia or are also foreign analogues. Today there is no walk-behind tractor on the market with an engine from a Russian manufacturer installed - all engines are Korean, Japanese, Chinese or American.
Only in the Soviet Union there was a walk-behind tractor - MTZ-05, which was entirely produced in the USSR. It was equipped with Soviet-made engines: UD-15 or UD-25. But in 1992, a new model of the unit was developed - MTZ-09N, on which the engines were replaced with foreign ones. Nowadays motor blocks of Belarusian production are equipped with motors of the brands Honda, Lifan or Kipor. The use of foreign engines significantly reduces the final price of the car, and in terms of technical characteristics, foreign engines are not inferior to domestic ones.
