Some Crystal videos on YT

[Renze]

If you look at the trailer in the last video, thats about the size (20 m3 or 15 ton) they hang behind a 164hp tractor in the UK, but not quite the drawbar load we are used to, on this side of Europe. Drawbar loads of 4 ton are not uncommon and a newly introduced tractor should meet this unwritten market demand... (i tell you this axle isnt going to last when its carrying that 5 furrow Kverneland plough with packomat for a couple of years... Here, an old Ford 8630 was pulled back from semi-retirement to do that job, it didnt need the power to pull, but it needed the axle to carry it, which a Fendt 514 didnt have...)

It seems only a few are out there yet, running field trials and demos in Poland, Czechia and Hungary.
Zetor UK rumors that the version 2 is underway, so most likely they are gathering customer feedback from selected customers, which is good as long as they dont focus on the criticism of people that compare apples to oranges: The Crystal is a straightforward drafthorse, with enough features to make a long hard day of work a little easier, but no bells and whistles, and gets both its fuel efficiency and reliability from a low friction, straightforward gearbox. Comments from customers that arent interested in such concept, should not weigh in on the scale of deliberation because they wont buy a Crystal class of tractor (JD M series class ) anyways, but are looking for a higher end tractor (JD R series), which Zetor cannot offer yet... Stuffing a JD M series class of tractor with R series features (like the Forterra HD) isnt a bright idea because it marginalises its market potential for being either too expensive for the M series buyer, or under-equipped for the R series buyer...

Anyways, a big lump of rear axle, and an updated cab interior with all functions integrated in the rear side console (hand throttle, EHR, external remotes) in an ergonomic fashion, and putting the cab slightly higher above the hood, will be the finishing touch for this bold looking tractor, in a market segment in which the Zetor brand has the most potential

 

[walm]

I agree with everything you said,most 'normal' farmers want a no frills comfortable reliable tractor for long hard days,even rectifying those ergonomic issues Zetor still has a major problem and that's price,in Ireland at the ploughing championships the dealers were quoting 94000 for basic crystal tractor,2 weeks ago a friend bought a 6month old JD6150M with big pump extra work lights front links and p.t.o with less than 500hrs on clock for 83500.....in 5-10yrs time which tractor will have held its value better

 

[Renze]

You have to keep one thing in mind: In Western Europe its usual to trade in your old tractor, so there is about 25% air in tractor prices so dealers can give you a ridiculous trade in value for your old junk... You know, when comparing brand A and brand B, you compare two different things. When comparing the resale value you get for the same tractor at dealer A and dealer B, you compare resale value of exactly the same tractor. People love to be fooled by high trade in prices.

When you go to the dealer with a bag of money and no trade in, you should be able to get a 25% discount, which you didnt get on the 6150M with 500hrs which is undoubteldy a net price...

The net price in Poland is around 65.000 Euro, which indeed is the UK price minus 25%


Though most Zetor dealers are too dumb to see the point that they should give this discount on new tractors in order to secure work for their service and repair deparment for the lifetime of the tractor, and instead try to make the max profit of the sale of a handfull of tractors for a too high price.

You shouldnt take the profit up front by selling a handfull, but over the lifetime of the tractor by selling more of them for a lower price. It is also a more stable business model as new tractors will only be sold when farms make profits, and in economic downtimes a few new tractors will be sold and repair and service needs to be done even in economic downtimes. The same counts for Zetor itself, as they will have more parts revenue in economic downtimes when they manage to pour out more production in the good times.

 

[walm]

We all know how 'list prices' r inflated to deceive u into thinking ur getting a great deal for ur old tractor,but here in Ireland that's why zetor was so popular in the 70's,80's and early 90's their price,let me give an example,when the original crystal was introduced it cost the same as a MF135,no comparison the crystal was light years ahead of the mf,the difference back then dealers were willing to sell at cost just to get volume and brand out there,now the main importer is the one inflating the price and keeping it there because they don't care about the tractor side of the business,they have other franchises making them similar profit margins and think Zetor should do the same,a case of cart before the horse,there other brands have solid reputations for reliability etc built up over yrs allowing them to demand that premium but Zetor r like they're starting out all over again trying to get customers back and get others to give them a chance

 

[bignikki]

Man, I want one!
Do you think they do right hand drive ones for us in the UK?

 

[aaron11441]

Hi i have pictures of zetor crystal 160 in ireland how can i share pictures on this?

 

[Renze]

when the original crystal was introduced it cost the same as a MF135

I think you mean a 175... It takes the steel of three 135's to build one 8011, no way they were equally priced

The Czechs were willing to sell, because any export could give them highly sought foreign currency, with which the Soviet Union could buy rare commodities in the free world, like rare metals, or critical electrical components. Zetor itself for example, if i remember it correctly, milled the Crystal gears on Oerlikon (Swiss) machine tools, and the self locking truetrac differential in the UR1 front axle was provided by Eaton corporation (detroit locker)

So, in many aspects of society they were depending on specialty imports from the West so export of products in order to obtain foreign currency (trade balance) was desirable, which may have contributed to the low prices of Crystals in the West: It was politically induced. (in fact their whole economic price system, wages, energy, commodities, was more or less politically induced, which lead to the decimation of the Czech industry because the adaption took too big of a leap for many producers that had no experience with foreign trade with free market economies. Tatra, Zetor, Skoda survived but Liaz which didnt export to the West, failed)

 

[walm]

No to the best of my knowledge that is true,in 1971 a MF 175 had a list price of over 3200,a135 2000,and a Zetor crystal 8011 a list price of 2250,I remember as a kid finding a scrap of paper with all these prices on it,written by my father years previously after the national ploughing match,or spring show,needless to say I learned to drive on a crystal.I remember thinking at the time what a fantastic tractor the crystal was in comparison to our neighbours MF 145 which looked like a child's toy in comparison to our crystal,the Massey almost seemed to struggle on the yard scraper where our crystal ploughed with a 14" 4sod kevernland plough,powered a tarrup double chop,etc all at its ease