SAME DA 38 (DT)
Built: 1952–1957 · Series: DA
More machines from model year 1952
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SAME DA 12 to DA 67 (1950s and 1960s) – the air-cooled founding tractors from Treviglio: DA for Diesel Aria, the number as hp class, DT for four-wheel drive, B as upgrade, one- to four-cylinders of 1.1 to 4.6 litres
The DA range is SAME's foundation: Francesco Cassani, who in 1942 had founded the Società Accomandita Motori Endotermici in Treviglio with his brother Eugenio, built tractors from 1952 with air-cooled diesel engines of his own design – DA stands for Diesel Aria, air-cooled diesel – and the DA 25 of 1952 is regarded as one of the world's first series tractors with four-wheel drive, the layout SAME made its hallmark. The type logic: the number gives the hp class – DA 12 about 12 hp with single-cylinder, DA 25 25 hp with two-cylinder, DA 38 and DA 47 with three-, DA 55 and DA 67 with four-cylinders – DT four-wheel drive (doppia trazione), B an upgrade. All engines are air-cooled with blower, with displacements of 1.1 to 4.6 litres at low rated speeds of 1,700 to 2,000 rpm – a modular system with identical cylinders from which SAME assembled one-, two-, three- and four-cylinders.
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The register lists 17 versions with 9.2 to 49.3 kW from one- to four-cylinders of 1,140 to 4,560 cm³, unladen weights from 1,000 to 2,870 kg, lengths from 2,100 to 3,320 mm, widths from 1,090 to 1,820 mm and heights from 1,270 to 1,730 mm.
With the DA tractors SAME became Italy's largest maker after Fiat and the pioneer of the four-wheel-drive tractor in Europe; air cooling remained the brand's hallmark into the 2000s.
Used DAs are collectors' pieces: originality, compression and injection, cooling blower and cylinder fins, clutch, gearbox and four-wheel-drive clutch on DT models, sheet metal and tyres count; parts run through SDF vintage specialists in Italy.
Sources: SpecCodex register, model data: SAME DA, SAME (SDF, Hersteller)
Technical data
Engine
| Fuel | dieselcorrect |
|---|---|
| Power | 38 hp (27.9 kW)correct |
| Rated speed | 1,700 rpmcorrect |
| Cylinders | 3correct |
| Displacement | 3,420 cm³correct |
| Bore | 110 mmcorrect |
| Stroke | 120 mmcorrect |
| Compression ratio | 15.5correct |
| Cooling | air-cooledcorrect |
Dimensions and weights
| Length | 2,990 mmcorrect |
|---|---|
| Width | 1,730 mmcorrect |
| Height | 1,730 mmcorrect |
| Wheelbase | 1,900 mmcorrect |
| Ground clearance | 375 mmcorrect |
| Unladen weight | 2,180 kgcorrect |
Drivetrain and chassis
| Drive | rear-wheel drivecorrect |
|---|---|
| Gearbox | 5 V/1 Rcorrect |
| Forward gears | 5correct |
| Reverse gears | 1correct |
| Front tyres | 6.00-19 ASF (DT: 7.50-20 AS)correct |
| Rear tyres | 12-28 AScorrect |
| Top speed | 25 km/hcorrect |
Working data
| Fuel tank capacity | 36 lcorrect |
|---|
Origin and approval
| Construction | unit construction (no separate frame)correct |
|---|
Where this model stands
Power-to-weight ratio: 12.8 kW/t (28 kW / 2.2 t)
Power class: Compact (< 40 hp)
Stronger than 23% 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 SAME DA 38 (DT) have?
The SAME DA 38 (DT) delivers 38 hp.
How much does the SAME DA 38 (DT) weigh?
The unladen weight is 2,180 kg.
What engine does the SAME DA 38 (DT) have?
3 cylinders, 3,420 cm³ displacement, Diesel.
How fast does the SAME DA 38 (DT) go?
Top speed is 25 km/h.
What are the dimensions of the SAME DA 38 (DT)?
2,990 mm × 1,730 mm × 1,730 mm.
When was the SAME DA 38 (DT) built?
Production years: 1952–1957.
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.
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This page carries 25 individual figures for this model. They come from 1 recorded source; every figure can be traced there. What we cannot document is not here — we leave gaps open rather than estimate them.
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Other models in this series
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Tractor in 3D section
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