Tractor Tuesday - Deutz Intrac 2004 A-S

Off early to Memmingen to drop off a specimen at the docs. Took the opportunity to buy some DIY bits & pieces and on the way home a sack of sugarbeet pulp for the horses in Erkheim.

And of course, tanked the car. Not sure what the situation is nowadays in the UK but here generally petrol/diesel prices are at their lowest Monday afternoon through till Tuesday and then increase day by day to Saturday. Much worse when the weather forecast is good and even worse during school and bank holidays. The difference can be up to 15 Eurocents/ litre in a day. If very close to a motorway the price also jumps up at about 10:00 pm. I think the law is now that petrol stations can only alter their prices twice a day and must notify a central board.

Back home found Farmer Franz and Angie working on removing a piece of the horse stable foundation with a large electric chipping hammer. One of the vertical wooden posts is set in a huge lump of concrete which sticks out 30 odd centimetres into the muck heap and always get in the way when loading the muck spreader twice a year. Angie fearful of the stable collapsing, had to negotiate a compromise with Franz, fearful of damaging his front bucket, as to how much foundation was removed.

I then made the mistake of making myself a warm lunch (heated up leftovers) with a large glass of lemonade watered down with a third of a bottle of beer (i.e. a small coffee cup full). The combination was enough to knock me out for the rest of the afternoon.

It was early evening when I realised I didn't have a Tractor Tuesday blip and so dashed into the village to Farmer Blank (of Milk Filling Station fame) to photograph his unusual daily workhorse tractor, a Deutz 2004 which he bought new in 1982 and now has around 10,000 hours. He says it has been a very reliable machine, just the gearbox needing an overhaul a few years ago. He says the advantage of this type of tractor is the clear view forwards but due to the smaller front wheels, the spine has to put up with some heavy shaking. Visit very short as he was just leaving with his son & daughter for musical rehearsals with the village brass band. Thanks though for saving my Tractor Tuesday.

As with all farmers in this area, he has more than one tractor - the new Claas bliped a week or two back, a large normal 4WD Deutz and an older 2WD Deutz (i think) but there may well be a few more tucked away.

Some facts on the Intrac 2004:
4WD, 4 cylinders, air cooled, 3768cm³, 70hp Deutz motor
This model was built between 1978 and 1989 and with some 2000 machines was the most successful Intrac model.

These "System" tractors became more popular as the use of machinery attached to the front of tractors were developed. MB Trac, Fendt Xylon, Class Xerion were notable models trying to maximise four different areas of a tractor for various equipment -the front, rear, above the front and rear axles. However they never really became really popular but have their fans. One of the best-known models is the British built JCB Fastrac.