LTZ 155 is a unique tractor of its time, adapted to harsh operating conditions. The machine is capable of performing a wide range of agricultural tasks, and is in demand in many other industries. It was an indispensable tractor, one of the most popular in the post-Soviet space. In addition to agriculture, the machine was used in forestry, road and installation work, construction, etc. The equipment was manufactured in full accordance with the standards and norms of that time. The vehicle is supported by a wide range of attachments and is endowed with good off-road capabilities. This article presents the key advantages of this tractor, its capabilities and characteristics.
Article navigation
- 1 Description and purpose
- 2 Characteristics of LTZ 155
- 3 Device features
- 4 Photo LTZ 155
- 5 Video LTZ 155
- 6 Price of tractor LTZ 155
- 7 Owner reviews
History of the LTZ-155 tractor
The history of the creation of the Lipetsk Tractor Plant began in the pre-war years, with the construction of the Stankostroy machine-building enterprise, the construction of which took place in 1932–1936. Not far from the production site, a whole residential area with developed infrastructure arose. In the early 40s, Stankostroy was already a large city-forming enterprise.
In 1943, at the height of the Great Patriotic War, the country experienced an acute shortage of tracked traction both at the front and in agriculture. Then it was decided to establish the Lipetsk Tractor Plant on the production premises of the Stankostroy enterprise.
In parallel with the construction and restoration work, the LTZ team was working on the first tracked tractor “Kirovets-35”, which was ready for work on June 1, 1944. This was the first car of the LTZ brand, after which more than one and a half million of its fellows, of various models and modifications, rolled off the assembly line.
During its existence, the plant mastered the production of row-crop tracked tractors KD and KDP-35, T-38M. The production of universal, wheeled LTZ-55, the famous T-40, LTZ-60 has been mastered.
The crowning achievement of the Lipetsk Tractor Plant was the LTZ-155, the chief designer of which was Alexander Durmanov. It was developed and ready for production in 1988, but went into production only in 1995. This tractor of the 2nd traction class, integrated circuit, was in many ways ahead of its time, proved its unique versatility and excellent performance characteristics.
But unfortunately, like many outstanding developments in our country, it remained underestimated. Although the car was made of hardware and went into production, the scale of production was small and died out during the devastation of the 90s. The final point in the sad history of this unique tractor was set in 2004, when the plant was declared bankrupt and the entire LTZ model range was discontinued.
Popular manufacturers
Depending on the manufacturer and model of the equipment, its technical characteristics also change. Skidders are produced by many companies involved in the production of special equipment. If we talk about the Russian market, then there are options for both domestic and foreign assembly.
Among Russian-made tractors, products from Lespozhmash (Barnaul Plant), Kirov Plant, Onega Tractor Plant, and so on are in demand. Imported equipment of this type include tractors of brands such as John Deere, Welte, Caterpillar, LKT, and so on.
To make the operation of skidding equipment clearer, let’s look at several models of such machines.
Technical characteristics of the LTZ-155 tractor
Dimensions and weight of the tractor:
- Dimensions length/width/height – 4670/2355/3070 mm;
- Base – 2700 mm;
- Track on the main wheels – 1400; 1515; 1800; 2060 mm;
- Track on narrow dual wheels – 1400+ (2x675); 1800+(2x450);
- Agrotechnical clearance, on tires 16.9R30/9.5-42 – 590/650 mm;
- Turning radius – 4.5 m;
- Weight – 5.6 tons.
Tractor engine LTZ-155
The LTZ-155 is equipped with a power unit from the Yaroslavl Motor Plant D442–47. This is a four-cylinder, in-line diesel engine with water cooling and gas turbine supercharging.
A distinctive feature of this diesel engine is the presence of two power levels, which can be switched between during operation. This feature allows you to turn on a more economical mode when performing work where high power is not required.
A cylinder head cast from cast iron and a full-support crankshaft with hardened journals significantly increase the service life and prolong the life of the diesel engine.
Operating parameters of diesel engine D442–47:
- Power at levels I/II kW/hp. – 110 (150)/88(120);
- Rated speed – 1850 rpm;
- Cylinder diameter/piston stroke – 130/140 mm;
- Cylinder volume – 7.43 l;
- Fuel consumption at power levels I/II – 220/215 g/kWh;
- Fuel tank – 230 l.
Gearbox of the LTZ-155 tractor
The tractor is equipped with a manual gearbox. Gearbox gears are in constant mesh. The box operates in six ranges, four of which are for forward operation, two backward. Each range has four gears, and you can change gears within the range under load.
In total, the unit provides 16 forward speeds and 8 reverse speeds. The speed ranges from 2.09 to 35.01 when moving forward, and from 2.58 to 11.95 in reverse. It is possible to use a creeper; its use significantly expands the functionality of the machine.
Chassis and transmission of the LTZ-155 tractor
The clutch on the tractor is single disc, dry, and constantly closed. All elements are made of high quality materials, which significantly extends their service life.
LTZ-155 is an all-wheel drive vehicle with wide wheels of the same diameter. It can be equipped with twin, narrow wheels for inter-row processing; in this case, the row is passed between the pair.
Rear axle with balanced swing relative to the body by 11 degrees. This allows you to copy the terrain separately with the rear and front implements. The weight of the tractor is distributed as follows: 60% on the front axle, 40% on the rear axle. This weight distribution, when working with a traction load, loads all four wheels evenly.
Cabin of tractor LTZ-155
The tractor is equipped with a frame single-seat cabin, which is attached to the body with four emission insulators. The cabin is located in the center of the base, and behind it on a specially equipped area, working equipment can be located.
The inside is lined with soundproofing materials and sealed. Equipped with forced ventilation and heating systems, which allows you to operate the tractor all year round. As an option, it is possible to install an air conditioner.
The main driver's seat is adjustable in the vertical and horizontal planes, and is also adjustable in weight. In addition to the driver's seat, there is also a folding passenger seat.
The control panel is equipped with an automatic control system for the operation of tractor systems and units. The controls are located as conveniently as possible for the operator, and can be converted to operate in reverse mode.
Control of the LTZ-155 tractor
The main distinguishing feature of our hero is the unique tractor control scheme. Here the LTZ designers, led by Alexander Durmanov, outdid themselves by creating a tractor on which all four wheels were steerable. This allowed the vehicle to perform maneuvers previously inaccessible to vehicles of this class.
For LTZ-155, four rotation options were provided:
- Turn only with the wheels of the front axle;
- The wheels turn only on the rear axle;
- The rear and front wheels are turned in the same direction (this maneuver is nicknamed the “crab”);
- The front and rear wheels are turned in opposite directions (in this case, the rear wheels copied the track of the front ones).
The steering of the front axle wheels is hydrostatic, the rear wheels are hydromechanical with servo action, the signal to the servo device is supplied from the front axle.
The tractor control post is made quickly reversible. This allowed the tractor to successfully perform tasks both in forward and reverse.
Only after the release of the LTZ-155 series did tractors with a similar control scheme begin to be developed in Europe. And in 2004, when the production of LTZ-155 had already been stopped, Uralvagonzavod launched into series a tractor with identical control RT-M-160.
Device
LTZ-155 has a unique feature that sets it apart from other representatives of this class. The design of the tractor allows you to make turns using both front and rear wheels. When performing various tasks in difficult conditions, this gives the technology noticeable advantages. The tractor received steering and driving wheels of the same size and a semi-frame frame.
The model is equipped with a reliable transmission, the mechanical connections and parts of which are made of high-quality materials. This helps minimize maintenance costs. The high technical properties of LTZ-155 components eliminate the need for regular replacement of worn parts. This increases the service life of tractor components.
The equipment is equipped with a suspension device with an increased strength margin. As a result, this model is not afraid of constant increased loads. The leading device for the LTZ-155 is the rear axle support.
The tractor wheels are turned by means of the steering wheel. Synchronous wheel drive is implemented through an interaxle gear differential with electrically controlled locking and a self-locking differential on the front axle.
The equipment is equipped with a single-seat cabin with heating and ventilation systems, which allows it to be used in any seasonal and weather conditions. The LTZ-155 cabin is equipped with a sunroof and side opening windows that provide natural ventilation.
The key features of the tractor are:
- good visibility and quickly reversible rotary post;
- increased cross-country ability and a large supply of carrying capacity;
- a significant number of pneumatic, electrical and hydraulic outlets;
- placing equipment and agricultural machines directly on the tractor, front and rear;
- possibility of simultaneous drive of working bodies.
Price new and used
LTZ-155 is currently out of production, so only used versions of the tractor are available on the market. Their cost varies from 135,000 (on-the-go version) to 800,000 (variants of the last years of production or after a major overhaul) rubles.
Analogs
The LTZ-155 has practically no analogues. The MTZ-82 tractor has similar technical characteristics.
Hydraulics and linkage system of the LTZ-155 tractor
The tractor is equipped with a separate-aggregate hydraulic system, which provides positional, power, height and mixed regulation of the arrangement of agricultural equipment on the rear linkage. The hitch is also equipped with a hydraulic booster for the coupling mass of the equipment.
To ensure the operation of remote hydraulic cylinders and other hydrostatic units, there are 4 pairs of independent hydraulic outputs. The front and rear linkage hydraulics, as well as the hydraulics of attached and trailed equipment, are controlled by the operator from the cab.
The tractor's hitch is both rear and front, three-point. Both hitches are completely similar in places and method of attaching equipment, they differ only in load capacity. For front linkage 2500 kg, for rear linkage 5000 kg.
Both attachments are equipped with a mechanical stop for fixing the attachments in the transport position, an automatic coupler and a remote control.
Operation of the LTZ-155 tractor
The LTZ-155 tractors work effectively with the vast majority of agricultural equipment created for both MTZ-82 class machines and more powerful ones, such as the T-150K. Without any problems, it copes with a 4-furrow plow, pulls the hitch of a pair of KPS-4 cultivators, three S3–3.6 seeders when planting grain, an LDG-10 huller and other equipment.
The tractor showed the best performance, in comparison with analogues, when cultivating various row crops using wide-cut machines.
Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of these machines.
The undeniable advantages are:
- Simultaneous placement of equipment on the front and rear hinges, as well as on a special platform behind the cab. Four PTO drives for simultaneous activation of the working parts of the installed equipment;
- The control post is made quickly reversible;
- Shifting gears within the range without interrupting power;
- Best maneuverability in its class.
It would seem that such a unique machine could have some disadvantages, but there was a fly in the ointment. And the reason for this was largely the human factor.
The main years of tractor production were in the 90s. These were years of general decline and confusion, and this could not but affect the quality of the build. Moreover, by that time the plant was slowly dying.
As a result: most equipment arrived at farms with a lot of defects, manufacturing defects, and quickly broke down.
The shortage of spare parts can also be considered a big drawback. The machine has long been out of production, and the plant has not been operating for more than ten years.
I would like to note that when Uralvagonzavod gave the tractor a second life, in the form of the RT-M-160, serious work was carried out on the errors and many design flaws were corrected.
Owner reviews
- Mikhail, Kaliningrad. A very productive and at the same time cheap tractor. It was very technologically advanced for its time, but now it is simply relevant even against the backdrop of some modern models. Simple design, compact dimensions, front and rear linkages, good cross-country ability and wide glass area - for these and many other advantages we really appreciate the LTZ-155 tractor. The machine has been used on our farm for more than 15 years. You can repair it in the field, if you have the necessary tools. The equipment is undemanding in terms of fuel quality, and at the same time very economical. In terms of reliability, this model, like other cars of its time, is not distinguished by its endurance. But it is very easy to maintain, and all spare parts can be found on the secondary market. There is heating in the cabin, but the air conditioning has long since broken down - as a result, you have to use the vents to escape the heat, but this is also not bad, considering the age of the model.
- Boris, Stavropol region. LTZ-155 is the best tractor we have on our farm. It effectively copes with hilling and harrowing the soil, and is adapted to cultivating the soil in various ways. It is used for sowing grain and vegetable crops, harvesting crops, cleaning areas, etc. In general, we must admit that Lipetsk engineers did their best by creating a tractor that was ahead of its time. Despite the large number of breakdowns, there are only positive emotions from the car. The front and rear linkages greatly increase the load capacity, which allows you to cope with any concrete loads. Fuel consumption is at an acceptable level. The cabin is well insulated from noise and vibrations - at least in winter there are no drafts.
Buying a used LTZ-155 tractor: features of choice
Considering the fact that the tractor is not widely used, there are not so many offers on the market. And what exists, for the most part, has a lot of experience. How to choose a used LTZ-155 and not go wrong?
When inspecting, pay special attention to the gearbox; there should be no extraneous noise during operation. Quite often the hydraulics are snotty, and this is already a reason for bargaining.
The engines in general on these tractors are not satisfactory, YaMZ after all. But it’s worth driving it, giving it a load and paying attention to the exhaust. Under heavy load, any diesel engine will smoke, but if the load is not critical, and the engine still smokes or periodically spits black, it means that most likely the fuel equipment requires adjustment or repair; this is a cost, which means another reason for bargaining.
You can purchase an LTZ-155 from the early 2000s for an amount from 120 to 500 thousand rubles. Anything below this price is spare parts.
CJSC "Agrotekhmash"
Agrotekhmash is a young manufacturing company that produces tractors at its production site in Tambov. Its history began in the 90s, when Agrotechmash was a dealer of famous European brands. In 2005, a conveyor was laid in St. Petersburg, and the development of the first models and production of the first tractors under the Kirovets brand began. In 2008, the plant moved to Tambov to the territory of the former Tambovmash and created its own Terrion brand. Currently, the plant produces four models ranging from 180 to 360 hp, and the most powerful is the Terrion 7380 ATM.
Terrion is considered the best Russian tractor. However, this also has a downside - the level of localization is extremely low, and all the main components are imported. Accordingly, the price of tractors is high, and repairs are not cheap at all and can take a long time in the event of a serious breakdown. On average, approximately 400 tractors are produced per year. Of course, this is quite a bit, but the dynamics are strictly positive, which is good news.
