The IMT 533 is a small agricultural tractor that Industrija mašina i traktora (IMT) of Novi Beograd built under its Massey Ferguson licence. With a 35 hp three-cylinder diesel it was the first of the two lightweight models, together with the 39 hp IMT 539, that became the standard small-farm tractor of the former Yugoslavia.
IMT 533 at a glance
| Maker | Industrija mašina i traktora (IMT), Novi Beograd, Serbia |
|---|---|
| Series | IMT 500 series, mass production from 1976 |
| Engine | three-cylinder four-stroke diesel, type 33/T-LP |
| Power | 35 hp |
| Licence | Massey Ferguson tractor, Perkins-licensed engine |
| Length | 2,972 mm |
| Width | 1,625 mm with normal wheel spacing |
| Height | 1,372 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,830 mm |
| Ground clearance | 320 mm at the centre, 533 mm under the axle |
| Weight | 1,440 kg with fuel, oil and water |
| Engine life | about 4,000 working hours before overhaul |
No Wikipedia article is devoted to the IMT 533; this page is based on the section on the 533 and 539 in the Croatian and Serbian articles on the company, with the German article for the model list.
History of the IMT 533
From a foundry to a Massey Ferguson licence
The factory behind the IMT 533 began in 1947 as the Central Foundry, which three years later merged with four neighbouring works into the Metal Works “Aleksandar Ranković”. In 1954 it was renamed Industrija traktora i mašina (ITM). After two years of comparative tests of foreign tractors in 1953 and 1954 at the Institute for Agricultural Mechanisation in Zemun Polje, the state bought a licence to build Massey Ferguson tractors, and production of the Ferguson 20, 30 and 35 began. The plant was rebuilt in 1959 for 4,000 tractors a year, the first domestically designed IMT 555 followed in 1964, and in 1965 the company took its present name, Industrija mašina i traktora.
The 500 series
A new factory opened in March 1976 with capacity for several tens of thousands of tractors a year, and with it came mass production of the 500 series wheeled tractors from 35 to 220 hp: the 533F, 540, 558, 560, 577, 578, 579, 588, 589, 5160 and 5200. In 1988 the works built 45,000 tractors and 35,000 machines and employed 9,800 people; by 2005 the workforce was 1,745. Between 1955 and 2015 IMT built a total of 780,000 tractors and exported 107,700 of them, with about 11,950 implements, to 84 countries.
The 533 itself
The 533 was the lighter of the two small models: a 35 hp tractor with the three-cylinder 33/T-LP diesel, designed for small and medium holdings. IMT described the 533 and 539 as easy to handle, extremely mobile and manoeuvrable, and they earned a reputation as the machines that spread mechanisation through the countryside in the second half of the 20th century. The tractors were assembled at IMT while the engines were built at IMR; cylinder assemblies came from PDM Mladenovac or “27. mart” in Novi Sad, valves from PP Užice, engine blocks from FOB, crankshafts from IMR, connecting rods from IMR or Kovačica ZCZ, fuel equipment from IPM Beograd, electrical equipment from Iskra Kranj and filters and couplings from KRON or FRAD.
Reliability and later versions
The engine is credited with a realistic life of about 4,000 working hours before a rebuild, and examples with 6,000 and more hours have been recorded. Lubrication demands were kept to a minimum and the gearbox is a mechanical unit with a pulley-type hydraulic pump. The model line continued: IMT presented the IMT 2000 series in 2009 and, at the 79th Novi Sad agricultural fair in 2012, the S series, whose IMT 539S had 42 hp, a ten-speed gearbox and hydraulic power steering. Production at the Belgrade factory stopped completely in August 2015, and the bankrupt works was bought by the Indian group TAFE in April 2018.
Design and features
- Three-cylinder diesel: the 33/T-LP engine of 35 hp, built under Perkins licence.
- Compact size: 2,972 mm long, 1,625 mm wide and 1,440 kg with fuel, oil and water.
- Long engine life: about 4,000 working hours between overhauls, with 6,000-hour examples recorded.
- Simple mechanics: mechanical gearbox with a pulley-type hydraulic pump and minimal lubrication needs.
- Manoeuvrability: a short 1,830 mm wheelbase and a 320 mm centre clearance for small fields and farmyards.
IMT 533 versions
- IMT 533: the standard 35 hp model described here.
- IMT 533F: the version named in the factory’s list of 500 series models.
- IMT 539: the sister model with a 39 hp IMR M33/T engine.
- IMT 539S: the 42 hp version of the same family presented with the S series in 2012.
The 533 was sold alongside the more powerful IMT 539 and the larger IMT 560; more models are in our IMT collection.
Video: Bye bye IMT 533
Video by tino7530 on YouTube.
Sources
- IMT, Croatian Wikipedia: 533 and 539 section, dimensions, engine, suppliers
- ИМТ, Serbian Wikipedia: factory history, 500 series, production figures
- Industrija mašina i traktora, German Wikipedia: model list and company history
