Zetor boosts comfort and operation ease with new HD Crystal tractor

When it comes to value for money, the Zetor Crystal HD 170 stands out as one of the most competitively priced tractors in its class. But is it good value for money? Simon Henley travels to ar ickshire to fi nd out.

Crystal HD workhorse ticks the box

Introduced to the UK at the 2019 LAMMA Show, the Zetor Crystal HD 170 was a replacement for the Crystal 160 model.

Zetor revived its famous Crystal line-up back in 2015 and the all-new version of the tractor range introduced

Deutz six-cylinder-power with the 30F/30R transmission borrowed from the four-cylinder Foterra HD line-up.

Although well received, early examples of the new Crystal were arguably under-developed. The cab, for example, featured an interior which lacked the ergonomic refi nement of the company s popular

Forterra range, with poorly positioned spool valve levers and randomly placed switch gear.

The good news is that this has been rectifi ed by the introduction of the

Crystal HD models, which now share a similar cab specifi cation to the orterra

HD. With the HD-spec cab interior the operator gets an increased level of electronic control, with switches and dials arranged in a neat and logically arranged right hand console.

Controls include electronic spool valve s itches, hich are both fl o rate and time adjustable. The rear linkage system has also benefi ted, ith the introduction of etor s HitchTronic electronic working depth adjustment system, in addition to electronic drop rate, lift height and draft/position mix control.

Driver visibility has also been improved by raising the mechanically suspended cab 100mm, and Zetor now offers eight LED work lights as an option. A new LCD colour dash monitor is also a feature of the new cab, which shows a wider range of systems information.

Family

The Hall family has owned more than 25 Zetor tractors over the years and Richard Hall can still remember the fi rst etor the family owned when he was still a child.

HD-spec cab interior introduced a new right hand console design, with fl ow-rate and operating time adjustable electronic spool valve controls. The Crystal HD 170 is equipped with front linkage and Carraro independent suspension.

FARM FACTS Z

● Farmer: Richard Hall ● Location: Admington, Warwickshire ● Farmed area: 202 hectares (500 acres) ● Farm type: Arable, sheep and pigs

He says: “I think the only other tractor we owned, aside from Zetors in those days, was a Ford 5000.

“My dad and my uncle liked Zetor tractors because they were cheap, reliable and they could fi them in the farm workshop. Zetor tractors have always been rugged and simple, with bullet-proof engines that would pull like a train and run on a sip of diesel.”

Richard and his father today farm about 202 hectares, from which he produces about 70ha of combinable crops which are sold for seed. e also runs a fl ock of e es and keeps half a dozen sows, the progeny from which are used to supply pork to local butchers and pubs. he all tractor fl eet currently includes a Zetor Forterra 80 equipped with a Zetor loader, and a Forterra HD 130. The Crystal HD 170 was purchased in April of this year to replace a Valtra T151, which had clocked just over 5,000 hours.

“We like to swap our tractors every few years so they do not lose too much residual value. The Valtra was a good tractor, but its value was such that we could not afford to replace it with a new one, so we decided to shop around,” says Mr Hall.

“Years ago, my father and uncle o ned a etor rystal . his as a good tractor in its day, so last year we decided we would try one of the new Crystal 160 tractors on demo.

“On the whole we were very impressed by the tractor s performance, both in the fi eld and on the road. It had plenty of power and we thought the Carraro independently suspended front axle was well-suited to the tractor s design. hat e ere not keen on was the cab. The low roof line obstructed forward vision, and the interior layout felt outdated.

Concerns

“When we expressed our concerns to our local dealer, we were told that Zetor was introducing a new Crystal HD model at the LAMMA show. The new tractor offered greater power and more importantly, it had an updated and improved cab design. It also offered LED lighting, which was a bonus as we felt the standard work lights were not particularly good.” ichard is the fi rst to agree that while Zetor tractors do potentially offer great value, they have not always provided the greatest level of refi nement. o ever, he is keen to reiterate that the new Crystal and Forterra HD models offer a far greater

The top-link peg is described as di cult to remove, as it makes contact with the rear linkage lift-cylinder. This is common to both Crystal HD and Forterra HD tractors.

Zetor positions the cab so the driver sits right over the rear axle, much like the older John Deere tractors

A A

standard of fi t and fi nish than the etor models of yesteryear. e says he cab is hat makes the ne etor rystal . t is offers easy access, it is comfortable, it offers better all round visibility, and the layout of the controls is far superior. he position of the gear lever is just perfect, and the electronic spool valves fall right to hand. also like the positioning of the cab on the tractor. etor positions the cab so the driver sits right over the rear a le, much like the older ohn eere tractors. his makes it easier to see the linkage and the pick up hitch ithout having to lean out of the back indo .

Powerful

o be honest, the is arguably a bit po erful for our farm, but like that it is on top of everything e do. t ill pull our fi ve furro plough running at , rpm, and it handles the mole plough comfortably at just , rpm. ike many, ichard is keen to improve the effi ciency of his farming operation. o e ploit the rystal s m of tor ue, he recently adapted a set of three metre ongsklide spring tines to mount on the rystal s front linkage. hese are used to ork the ground in front of the tractor, hile pulling a three leg fl at lift subsoiler behind it, enabling him to ork stubble ground ahead of the seed drill in a single pass.

Unfortunately, this year s et conditions have prevented ichard from fully e ploiting his ne ly conceived cultivation techni ue. o ever, hile he remains positive about its future potential, he has also built his o n uick detach eight

ZETOR CRYSTAL HD 170 Z

● Engine: i cylinder, . litre, eut ● Power: hp at , rpm ● Torque: 739Nm ● Transmission: etor co kph, semi po ershift ● Hydraulic output: litres minute ● Wheelbase: . metres ● Weight: , kg ● Price: , Additional shrouding has been added by the Zetor dealer to this hydraulic pipe, to prevent it fouling on the tractor’s bonnet and wearing through.

frame for the front linkage, to allo additional ballast to be uickly attached to the tractor hen he goes ploughing. n terms of living ith the tractor, to date ichard has only a fe minor criticisms. All etor tractors have their uirks, he confesses. ne of the design fl a s have noticed on the rystal is that the peg used to hold the top link on the tractor is diffi cult to remove, because it fouls the linkage lift ram. t is e actly the same on the orterra models. e have also had a fe minor concerns ith the routing of the tractor s iring loom and hydraulic pipes. here are a couple of places here our dealer has added additional shrouding to prevent pipes from rubbing on the body panels.

Concept

he concept of using out sourced components to build a tractor is not a ne one, but it is something hich has arguably orked ell for etor. omponents like the rystal s ell proven eut engine and its arraro independent suspension a le, give the tractor the performance edge it needs to keep up ith the competition, ithout adding the cost of in house development to the price of the tractor. he rystal is the most refi ned etor tractor e have ever o ned, says ichard.

fi nd it is comfortable to drive, it has plenty of po er in the fi eld and it travels ell on the road. e do not have a big acreage, so affordability is an important factor hen it comes to making a choice of hat tractor to buy. o far, the etor rystal ticks all the bo es.

Mr Halls says the standard Zetor work lights are quite poor.