Gebrüder Holder Einachser
1 model in this series
Holder EHG: air-cooled single-cylinder single-axle tractor with wood-gas power, 510 cc, 6 hp and 390 kg weight, built 1942/43 to 1946
Gebrüder Holder was a German maker of small single-axle tractors based in Baden-Württemberg. The EHG was built in the last years of the war and the immediate post-war period, when petrol and diesel for agriculture were scarce and many vehicles were converted to, or built from the outset for, wood-gas power.
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The EHG is powered by an air-cooled single-cylinder engine of 510 cc, fed from a wood-gas generator, producing 6 hp. At a weight of 390 kg, a length of 2,300 mm, a height of 1,250 mm and a width of 750 mm, it is a light single-axle tractor with a top speed of 8 km/h.
A wood-gas generator gasifies solid fuels such as wood or charcoal into a combustible gas that powers the engine in place of petrol; this method was a common stopgap during the war years and immediate post-war period when liquid fuel was unavailable. Such a light single-axle tractor was built for simple drawbar work, driving mounted implements and transport on the owner's own yard.
When buying such a rare wood-gas single-axle tractor secondhand, the first question is whether the wood-gas generator still exists and works, as it was often removed later or replaced with a petrol or diesel drive. Also worth checking are the condition of the engine, the clutch and the drive wheels, and the frame and sheet-metal parts for rust; spare parts for such a museum piece can today practically only be sourced through collector circles.
Sources: SpecCodex-Register: Kennwerte des Modells Holder EHG
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