Manual For Belarus 520a Tractor
This will help you determine if typical topics such as splitting a tractor, disassembly, assembly, specifications, tolerances, clearances, torque settings, adjustments, hydraulics, power train, engine, electrical, axle or other repairs are included in your Belarus Service Manual. Belarus 500/520. 520 = MT3-52 Super Pics and Specs Pages 8 and 9 from above manual. Please note: Engine D-242 on later models of 520 tractors.
I don't think I'd call them particularly powerfull either. The main features of the 520A were it's fuel efficiency and low end torque. It did have good torque but it quickly ran out of steam at the top end. I always found it to be a very unsteady engine when it was pulling as well. But I will give it credit.
It was easy on fuel. For the lighter work we often used it for it would run for days on a tank. The downside. It had no electrical system to speak of. It leaked oil from every orifice in it's entirty, it had a very poor steering system with an even worse turning radius and it had no brakes to speak of.
That's before you get into the eccentricities of it's hydraulic system and the lack of draft control. Or the poor PTO setup.
Or the extensive number of external linkages and levers that are required to keep everythign working. They're just a primitive beast that was poorly built at that. Poor casting quality, poor steel quality and poor design. Yes, a person can get by with them and make them work but by the time you fix all of the things that need fixing on them and still have to deal with a red pig. You could just as well take your money and buy a decent Ford, Deere, IH, MF or just about anything else of that vintage and have a better tractor.
I bought an 825 new in the '90s. I would not say they are junk, just not refind like the others. I have never had trouble with finding parts. Problems I have had with it are: electrical system (lights, switches, starting) It has always generated, oil leaks in the fwd (I just keep them filled), the 3 pt is difficult to control. The engine is very economical, the cab is cool, the rear end runs cool and I can open up all the windows and the roof, so I have never 'cooked' inside this tractor.
Would I by another one?, no, I bought this one because it was less than half price of a new JD or CASE. I don't use it much anymore but I keep it as it has gotten small for my operation. There is not much resale value in them. This was my first MFWD tractor, now I'd never buy one with out it.
I was told Belarus is the largest tractor manufacturer in the world. Ive said this before, my neighbor, who is also my uncle, bought one back in the mid 80s if I recall correctly, Now he doesnt use it but maybe 15 - 30 hours a year for bush hogging, but as far as I know, its never broke down on him. I know he did have to replace the alternater 3 years ago, and he couldnt find one any where, but my local parts guy was able to order him one that fit near perfect, with exception to the wiring, which he snipped the old off and replaced it with a new pigtail. Ive run it a couple of times, and felt like I was going to flip or fall off it, Im just a tall guy, had nothing to do with the tractor.
I will be the first to say I know nothing about these machines, but after doing some reading about them and the history, I would say I think I would take a chance on the Balarus before I would buy a Kubota. I have had 3 Kabotas and To me they were junk and expensive junk at that, but there are a number of Kabota owners and operators that would no doubt disagree with me. So if I was considering buying this tractor I would talk to those that own and operate them. I mean you wouldn't talk to a Caterpillar owner or operator who had never operated anything else about a John Deere, or Ford.
Holden viva 2015 service and repair manuals. So I would find a variety of folk who have had some experience with the Belarus and get their opinions and see what kind of problems they may have encountered and what solutions they came up with. Just a thought before you make a decision one way or the other. What model Kubota did you have? I've seen some real junk grey market stuff brought in.
I've been nothing but impressed with my 50 hp Kubota since it replaced a 584 International (4wd, cab, 2250 loader). I did buy a larger Massey 5455 to run my disc mower but I still like doing most everything with the Kubota. Tough as nails. A friend had 2 Belarus, he sold one when he lost his farm in the pig crash of the 90's. Really strange tractor, he said you can disengage the hydraulic pump to make the engine easier to start in cold weather. He's had problems with the fwa and no dealer support. I think he said you can apply down pressure on the 3ph, lots of other little neat quirky stuff.
2 450s and a 225. It wasn't just one big thing, it was a whole bunch of little nickle and dime things. Like on the 225 there was constant fuel problems. One of the 450s you couldn't run over about 90 minutes or it would overheat.
Had the whole thing gone through and yes the radiator was clean but even the Kubota shop couldn't find the problem or explain it. And yes it did it in them to. The just said they would contact the factory rep and see what he had to say. Never got a response back.
The other 450 had a forward and revers peddles on the right side and most of the time you would push it to go forward and it would go revers real sharply and then jump forward and give you a good case of head ache on the ROPS and whiplash. The other thing is it would creep in the last direction you were going. You had to shut it down every time you got off or it might not be there when you got back.
So you see the lack of support and all the little things just left a bad taste. I got rid of them and have my little ford and my big farmall. They do what I need they are so old that warranty isn't an issue, so that's where I am. But that's why I say that there are good and bad in all brands and colors. I am sure that if given enough time I could find enough people that don't like Ford or John Deere or IH that they could make them seem like junk to.
Larry Tucker. Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see Prolly one of the only tractors still being built where it started out. Wife works with a bunch of russians and folks from the former communist states(countries now) that had to use that stuff. One guy told her that anything that would work for a few years in russia would last anyone else a lifetime.
Parts are still readily available here and the used tractors are still competing with comparable non communist brands in price. Butt ugly tractors though. There Seems quite a few people replying that don't know dick all about belarus tractors,its all hearsay and no personal experience. As far as i'm concerned these tractors are just as good or better than any other brand. They are though as nails when cared for properly. I got an 78 800 model,i bought it with 5000 hrs on it,its got over 15000 on it now.
Belarus Tractor Reviews
I rebuild the engine once not because it needed it but my brother rode the clutch constantly while loading/unloading bales and took the trust brg out on the crank.I fixed that myself so all it took was a set of rings and brg and a gasket set I also replaced the waterpump and starter once. For the rest it runs like the energizer bunny The biggest drawback is/was,there is very little or no dealer mechanical knowledge on these tractors and most people can't fix nothing themselves and are quik to blame the tractor.Belarus is no junk by any means but one needs to learn to fix them themselves Parts are only a phone call away. I buy another one in a heart beat. I bought a Belarus 822 two years ago. I put a loader on it and haul big round bales with it. I knew who the previous owner was and I knew what I was getting into before I bought the tractor.
I bought the tractor cheap and I do not regret buying it. The tractor is very simple to fix if something goes wrong, and it is to your benefit to fix it yourself. (I always say the only electronic thing on the tractor is the radio.)There are many places on the internet to get parts so that has not been a problem for me. I know many people bash the Belarus name, and they have no resale value, but try to find a cheaper MFD 80 hp tractor. A few distant neighbors had some issues; I didn't personally.
Dealer sold out the 3 remaining 'as is' on a consignment sale, one the rear end locked up driving home from the sale; another had pretty bad issues within 50 hours. The 3rd went farther away. I guess farming, one depends on the tools you buy, and these things came on strong & big & bold, all sorts of promises & garentees. Couple years later, no go, all fell apart, everyone went away with their promises & garentees. One can find parts, but parts are not on the shelf like a 'real' tractor, which had been the promise. Doesn't leave a good taste, even if it didn't affect you personally. Like I said, a lot of them were sold in the area, relatively, and I can't think of a 'happy' story I've ever heard on any of them.
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Just kinda fell apart, both the dealer network and the machines themselves.:) Musta been a few good units out there - just dumb luck, as I do read on the internet a happy owner once in a long while.