Hela Holzgas-Schlepper
1 model in this series
Hela Holzgas-Schlepper (L 25): water-cooled two-cylinder tractor for wood, peat and coal operation, 3,981 cc, 18.2 kW and 2,200 kg from the years 1942 to 1944
During the Second World War, mineral oil in Germany was largely reserved for the military, so many manufacturers converted their tractors to run on solid domestic fuels. The L 25 was among the versions that could run on wood, peat or coal instead of crude oil or diesel.
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The L 25 is powered by a water-cooled two-cylinder engine of 3,981 cc, producing 25 hp, or 18.2 kW, at 1,550 rpm, and burns wood, peat or coal. At a weight of 2,200 kg, a length of 2,950 mm, a height of 1,640 mm, a width of 1,560 mm and a wheelbase of 2,140 mm, the machine reaches a top speed of 19.4 km/h.
An upstream generator gasified the solid fuel under oxygen-starved conditions into a combustible gas, fed to the engine in place of liquid fuel. The ability to run on three different solid fuels made the machine independent of whichever was regionally available, but required frequent refuelling and cleaning of the generator. Operators had to plan working hours around these servicing breaks.
When buying such a wood-gas tractor, the condition of the cylinder and piston matters, since gas from solid fuels left different deposits than oil operation, along with the radiator and water pump for leaks. The gearbox and brakes should be checked for function; spare parts for this rare wartime design can now only be obtained through a circle of collectors.
Sources: SpecCodex-Register: Kennwerte des Modells Hela L 25
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Tractor in 3D section
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