Heinrich Lanz HRG 9
1 model in this series
Heinrich Lanz HRG 9 (D 2539-Gas): water-cooled single-cylinder tractor for wood-gas and petrol operation, 29.3 kW and 4,980 kg from the years 1941 to 1943
During the Second World War, Heinrich Lanz of Mannheim converted part of its Bulldog range to substitute fuels, since mineral oil was reserved primarily for the military. The HRG 9 series was among the larger versions able to run on either wood gas or petrol.
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The D 2539-Gas is powered by a water-cooled single-cylinder engine that runs on wood gas or, alternatively, on petrol, producing 40 hp, or 29.3 kW, at 750 rpm. At a weight of 4,980 kg, a length of 3,910 mm, a height of 2,500 mm, a width of 2,160 mm and a wheelbase of 2,515 mm, the machine reaches a top speed of 32.8 km/h.
The dual-fuel design allowed a switch to petrol if the gas supply failed, an important safety consideration in wartime when fuel supplies were uncertain. Wood-gas operation required an upstream generator that gasified wood under oxygen-starved conditions into a combustible gas, which was then fed to the engine like a gaseous fuel. Farmers using such dual-fuel tractors typically kept a reserve tank of petrol for exactly this contingency.
When buying such a wartime tractor, the condition of the cylinder and piston matters, since gas operation left different deposits than pure oil operation, along with the radiator and water pump for leaks. The gearbox, clutch and brakes should be checked for wear; spare parts for this rare wartime variant are now practically only available from collectors' stocks.
Sources: SpecCodex-Register: Kennwerte des Modells Heinrich Lanz D 2539-Gas
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