Holder A 30
Built: 1972–1979 · Series: A
More machines from model year 1972
Not the right version? The data comes from vehicle registers holding many near-identical versions side by side. Photograph the data plate — we read make and type from it. Open the scanner e-mail address required
Holder A series – the articulated tractors from Metzingen for vineyard and orchard: A 8 to A 50, the number as hp class, Cultitrac as the smallest tractor, S as upgrade, B, F and D for petrol, bought-in engine and diesel
The A series made Holder of Metzingen the inventor of the articulated narrow-track tractor: at the end of the 1950s the company presented with the A 12 Cultitrac a tractor that steers with four equal wheels, four-wheel drive and a pivot in the middle – narrow enough for the vineyard row, agile enough for the orchard, and with the articulation principle that keeps all wheels in the same track. The type logic: A marks the range, the number the hp class – A 8 about 8 hp, A 12 12 hp, A 20 20 hp, A 45 about 45 hp, A 50 50 hp – Cultitrac the smallest models, S an upgrade, and on the A 8 the letters B, F and D distinguish the petrol engine, the bought-in engine and the diesel. The engines are a single-cylinder two-stroke in the smallest, one- to three-cylinder diesels in the other models of 0.4 to 2.4 litres at rated speeds of 1,800 to 3,000 rpm.
Read on 3 more paragraphs
The register lists 8 versions with 5.9 to 37 kW from engines of 372 to 2,356 cm³, unladen weights from 635 to 1,560 kg, lengths from 1,950 to 3,200 mm, widths from 700 to 1,190 mm and heights from 1,010 to 2,015 mm.
The Holder articulated tractor became the standard of German steep-slope viticulture on the Moselle, Rhine and Neckar and shaped a whole class that Fendt, Antonio Carraro and Holder itself serve today; the A series ran into the 1980s.
On used tractors, play in the articulation joint and steering cylinders, the condition of engine, clutch and gearbox, PTO and hydraulics for sprayer and mulcher and parts supply, which runs through Holder and vintage specialists, are what count.
Sources: SpecCodex register, model data: Holder A, Max Holder GmbH (manufacturer)
Technical data
Engine
| Fuel | dieselcorrect |
|---|---|
| Power | 28 hp (21 kW)correct |
| Rated speed | 1,800 rpmcorrect |
| Cylinders | 2correct |
| Displacement | 1,350 cm³correct |
| Cooling | water-cooledcorrect |
Dimensions and weights
| Length | 2,740 mmcorrect |
|---|---|
| Width | 785 mmcorrect |
| Height | 1,100 mmcorrect |
| Wheelbase | 1,195 mmcorrect |
| Ground clearance | 240 mmcorrect |
| Unladen weight | 995 kgcorrect |
Drivetrain and chassis
| Drive | four-wheel drivecorrect |
|---|---|
| Gearbox | 6/3-Getriebecorrect |
| Forward gears | 6correct |
| Reverse gears | 3correct |
| Front tyres | 7.00x16correct |
| Rear tyres | 7.00x16correct |
| Top speed | 18 km/hcorrect |
Working data
| Fuel tank capacity | 23 lcorrect |
|---|
Origin and approval
| Construction | unit construction (no separate frame)correct |
|---|
Other data
| PTO speed | 540 rpmcorrect |
|---|
Where this model stands
Power-to-weight ratio: 21.1 kW/t (21 kW / 1 t)
Power class: Compact (< 40 hp)
Stronger than 16% of the tractors in the register — out of 15,663 models with a stated power figure.
Calculated from the documented figures above — not a rating.
Frequently asked questions
How much power does the Holder A 30 have?
The Holder A 30 delivers 28 hp.
How much does the Holder A 30 weigh?
The unladen weight is 995 kg.
What engine does the Holder A 30 have?
2 cylinders, 1,350 cm³ displacement, Diesel.
How fast does the Holder A 30 go?
Top speed is 18 km/h.
What are the dimensions of the Holder A 30?
2,740 mm × 785 mm × 1,100 mm.
When was the Holder A 30 built?
Production years: 1972–1979.
What to check before buying
- Check the hour meter against the service records — a replaced instrument is the most common gap.
- Compare the data plate and chassis number with the papers.
- Check the weights in the papers against the figures here — attachments change them.
- Check front and rear tyre sizes: mismatched pairs strain the drivetrain.
- Shift the gearbox cold and warm — jumps only show up at temperature.
- Load the hydraulics and watch for sag.
- Ask about parts availability for this build year — the running costs hang on it.
A general list for this type of machine — no substitute for an inspection or an appraiser.
We do not sell machines. We ask the dealers who carry this model and come back with price and lead time.
Request a quote →
We ask the suppliers and come back with price and lead time.
Request spare parts →
This page carries 24 individual figures for this model. They come from 2 recorded sources; every figure can be traced there. What we cannot document is not here — we leave gaps open rather than estimate them.
Missing a figure you were looking for? Report it →
Know this machine better? Have a photo, a manual, or know that a figure is wrong? Add it to the register →
Other models in this series
Sources: Wikibooks Traktorenlexikon (CC BY-SA 4.0) (retrieved August 2026) · How we check the data
Tractor in 3D section
Turn the model, look inside and click an assembly — each one is explained.
