Over the last few weeks, I’ve been keeping my screen time to a minimum and spending more and more time out on the farm. This all got out of hand recently when I decided to purchase my first tractor, a 1984 Zetor Crystal 12045.
The farm has a more than capable fleet already, most notable a couple of near-new Zetors which are supported by several classic David Browns, whose best years are behind them. Along with a couple of loaders that look more at home on a building site, there wasn’t a desperate need to acquire a Zetor Crystal 12045.
Zetor Crystal 12045
Such a fine example of a relatively rare model was difficult to pass up, and a six cylinder brute with a great deal of pull will always be welcome in the field. After no doubt spending the first four years of her life in a contractor’s arsenal, the other 32 were spent on a 70 acre sheep farm in Derbyshire. Quite how 70 acres and a flock necessitated 120 horses of Zetor Power I can’t say, but I’m in no position to decide where and when this Crystal is essential.
After making the deal and shipping her to a haulage yard in southeast Cornwall, we picked her up on our low-loading trailer with our Zetor Forterra 140 HSX. This made for some interesting comparisons between young and old. I can say with 100% certainty that I would prefer to haul with the Forterra and have the Crystal on the trailer rather than the other way around.
For starters, the Crystal has no syncromesh in the gearbox, making gear changes on the move the domain of an expert driver – which I am not. And this is before we get into the aspects that made this Crystal a “project”.
Starter for ten
For starters, we needed to get the Crystal to fire up on the key. Something in the electrics meant the Crystal would only run if towed off for a rolling start. After a fresh pair of batteries, cleaned terminals and a new fuse, the push-button start was back in action. Certainly a pleasure to have six-cylinder purr at the push of a button.
Broken Brakes
Zetor’s dry disc brakes always did leave a little to be desired, but the Crystal took it to a new extreme. A pedal that did nothing and a handbrake that came with free baler twine to keep it held up made the Crystal difficult to stop.
New slave and master cylinders and a fill up of fluid revealed a leak in a worn brake line. The extent of the wear confirmed our suspicions that this Crystal had been brake-free for a long time.
The handbrake also need a new steel cable within the mechanism. The lever also needed freeing up which restored the ratchet, relieving the baler twine of its duties.
Ready to work
As we waited for parts here and there, we also made progress with other fixes:
- Replaced a leaky water hose
- Resealed power steering reservoir
- Cleaned air filter and replaced transmission oil filter
- Straightened a bent linkage arm
- Cut and re-welded linkage eyes to reduce play
- Freed draw bar and cured play in the pick up hitch
- Freed up back window and repaired corroded springs
- Fitted temporary oil pressure light
- Laid temporary flooring in the cab
- Cleaned away oil earth mixture from underneath the cab
- Plated exhaust pipe to reducing breathing
- Front axle and rear reductions oil changed
- Replaced perished fan belt
Electrics and a few spots of rust are next on the agenda in the winter. But with several jobs addressed, the Crystal is ready to work.
Zetor Crystal hits the hay
With mower mounted, the Zetor Crystal 12045 knocked down just under 14 acres of grass on 9 July 2020, which came for hay.
