The Steyr 180 was the first tractor the Steyr works built after the Second World War. Development had begun during the war, and the first machine left the factory on 29 September 1947. Its 26 PS earned it the name 26er Steyr in Austria, and with the later 180a and 182 versions it stayed in production until 1963.
Steyr 180 at a glance
| Maker | Steyr-Daimler-Puch A.G., Steyr |
|---|---|
| First tractor built | 29 September 1947 |
| Production | 1947–1963 in several versions |
| Engine | WD 213 two-cylinder diesel, water-cooled |
| Engine size | 110 × 140 mm, 2,661 cc, prechamber injection |
| Power | 26 PS (19 kW) at 1300 rpm |
| Gearbox | five-speed plus reverse |
| Differential lock | standard from the start |
| Turning circle | 3.5 metres |
| Trailer load | 10 tonnes on the level, 5 tonnes at 10 per cent |
| Steyr 180 built | 25,302 by 1953 |
| Steyr 180a built | 14,420, 1953–1959 |
| Steyr 182 built | 3,477 from 1956 |
based on one source: the German Wikipedia article on the Steyr 180.
History of the Steyr 180
Development and debut
Work on a Steyr tractor started during the Second World War and continued after it, now with a newly designed diesel of the WD range. The 180 was not the smallest Steyr tractor type, for that was the Steyr 80, but it was produced first because the two-cylinder WD 213 engine was the first of the family to be finished. The tractor was built in block construction: the front axle bracket, the engine and the gearbox were bolted together and carried the whole vehicle instead of a frame. It had a differential lock as standard, unusual at the time, and a turning circle of only 3.5 metres thanks to a large steering angle and a steering brake; this earned it the name Kurzhauber. The track could be widened by swapping the wheels round.
Equipment and behaviour
At first the tractor could only be started with a crank, and an electrical package with a starter and lights was an extra until 1950, as were a pulley and a power take-off; a hydraulic lift became available in 1950. The maximum trailer load was 10 tonnes on the level and 5 tonnes on a 10 per cent gradient. Because the front axle carried too little weight, the Steyr 180 tended to tip up. It was intended above all for medium-sized farms, and 25,302 had been sold by 1953. The WD 213 engine, a water-cooled two-cylinder with prechamber injection, was also sold as a stationary engine and generator, and was fitted with its gearbox into the diesel locomotives of the Liliputbahn in the Vienna Prater and the Donauparkbahn, where the machines are still at work.
The 180a, 182 and N models
In 1953 came the revised Typ 180a, marked by a bonnet styled like those of the 80 and 280, an exhaust now led upwards and an engine of 30 PS at 1600 rpm. Larger wheels and a longer wheelbase raised stability and pulling power, the trailer load grew to 17 and 8 tonnes, and a creeper gear, at first an extra, became standard in 1955, as did the electric starter, power take-off, pulley, mower drive and later the hydraulic lift. 14,420 were sold by 1959. The 182 of 1956 was a red export version with a slight bulge on the bonnet and 36 PS at 1700 rpm from higher engine speed, plus a six-speed gearbox; 3,477 were sold worldwide. The improved 182a of 1959 had a new four-speed gearbox with two reverse gears and an agricultural group, but only 303 were sold before the 188 of the anniversary series appeared. The N 180a, N 182 and N 182a were low-built mountain tractors, the N standing for niedrig, and with them the production of the 180 family ended in 1963.
Design and features
- Block construction: engine, gearbox and front axle bracket form the structure, without a frame.
- Steering brake: a 3.5-metre turning circle made the Kurzhauber manoeuvrable.
- Differential lock as standard: unusual for a tractor of 1947.
- WD 213 engine: a two-cylinder diesel that also drove railway locomotives and generators.
Steyr 180 versions
- Typ 180 (1947–1953): 26 PS, crank start, options for starter and lift.
- Typ 180a (1953–1959): 30 PS, new bonnet, larger wheels, more equipment, 14,420 built.
- Typ 182 (1956): red export version with 36 PS and a six-speed gearbox, 3,477 built.
- Typ 182a (1959): new four-speed gearbox with two reverse gears, 303 built.
- N 180a, N 182, N 182a: low mountain tractors, built until 1963.
The smallest tractor of the period was the Steyr 80, and the type that followed was the Steyr 188. More machines are in the Steyr collection.
Sources
- Steyr 180, German Wikipedia: development, engine, equipment, production figures, later types
