Zetor

Infobox_Company
company_name = Zetor
company_
company_type = Public
company_slogan =
foundation = 1946
location = flagicon|Czech Republic Brno, Czech Republic
key_people =
num_employees = 1,700
industry = Heavy equipment
products = Agriculture, Consumer & Commercial Equipment, Engines
revenue = profit4.9 billion CZK (2006)
homepage = [http://www.zetor.com www.zetor.com]

Zetor is a Czech tractor manufacturer in Brno-Líšeň, the Czech Republic, now owned by Slovak Company HTC HOLDING Slovensko. Originally, the Zbrojovka Brno company, an auto manufacturer, Zetor completed prototype tractors in November 1945. ref|1

The name Zetor originates from the name of the first letter of the company name "Zbrojovka" (Zet) and last two letters of the word "tractor" (or).

The company started production in 1946. Since then, the company has produced over 1.1 million agricultural tractors that are now sold in about 80 countries, including the United States. ref|2

Early Zetor models used efficient four stroke diesel engines with mechanical fuel injection. They were considered very advanced, and proved quite durable. This, combined with their low cost, made them popular in many areas of the world. The company was an early adopter of four wheel drive and mechanical front wheel drive systems, and one of the earliest companies to build heated and air conditioned cabs on their tractors for operator comfort. In 1958, Zetor was an early adopter of unified production methods, where different models used common parts. This led to leaner manufacturing, and allowed the company to meet rising demand. Zetor also licensed its models for production in India and Iraq in the 1950s and 1960s. ref|3^,ref|4

Especially innovative is the Zetor hydraulics system, "Zetormatic", which uses a hydraulic cylinder to transfer most of the weight of towed implements, such as plows, to the rear axle of the tractor at the hitch. This gives greater control over plow depth, especially in hilly terrain, and greatly reduces fuel consumption. To deal with larger, wider implement sizes in the 1960s, the system was updated to "Zetormatic II", a system still in use today. ref|4

From 1993–1998, Zetor built some tractors for John Deere that were marketed as John Deere in some parts of the world. They have had involvement in the tractor companies Ursus in Poland, (selling some models as Zetor Crystal; ZTS of Slovakia; Agrale of Brazil; Agtor sold in Australia; Hindustan in India; HMT in India and Iskendiriya in Iran.

References

* [http://www.zetor.cz/default.asp?nDepartmentID=231&nLanguageID=2 Zetor Company Activities page retrieved June 1, 2005]
* [http://www.zetor.cz/default.asp?nLanguageID=2 Zetor English language website retrieved June 1, 2005]
* [http://www.tractordata.com/td/zetor.html TractorData.com Zetor page retrieved June 1, 2005]
* [http://www.zetorworld.com/ Zetorworld.com various pages (direct linking not permitted) retrieved June 1, 2005]

External links

* [http://www.zetor.com/ Zetor Group]
* [http://www.zetor.cz/ Zetor Tractors]
* [http://www.zetor-dealer.co.uk Zetor Dealer offering Zetor Spare Parts in the United Kingdom]
* [http://www.zetorpdc.cz/ Zetor Original spare parts home page]
* [http://www.tractordata.com/td/zetor.html List of Zetor Tractors]