Starts With FIRE! - 1929 Lanz Bulldog 2 Stroke Diesel - John Deere Company - Classic Tractor Fever 

I got to know the owner of this tractor this past summer. Didn’t know he owned one of these tractors till we went to a show last weekend where he had it on display. He started it for us on Saturday, and seeing it here versus seeing it running in person is totally different. It started much easier than shown here. He used a different torch setup than you see here. I noticed they didn’t show him reversing the rotation of the engine or they cut it out of the video. Basically you have to pretty much shut the fuel to the engine off until it almost dies. As soon as the rotation almost stops, you have to turn the fuel back on. Takes split second timing and more than a bit of luck, but if you get it just right, the engine will fire and run in the opposite direction. Sometimes you have to try it a few times before you get it right. That big single cylinder engine makes the tractor rock back and forth on its tires like an old rocking horse at low rpms. Pretty impressive to watch!

Thanks for showing this. My family had one in Holland before the war. This is the first one I have seen running.

I reckon that’s a pretty good theft deterrent system

When Wifey saw that seat shaking (@ 3:35) she insisted on doing all of the field work there after.

It dates a wee bit before my time but remember having seen one as a young boy - can't remember on who's farm. From what I've been told, these old machine had quite a reputation on the havoc some have caused when they backfire and all of a sudden starts running in reverse. Delightful video, thanks.

Am I the only one that thinks it's so cool that the steering wheel is also the starter

Nice to see emp proof tractors running. Very cool.

Snatching that steering wheel off the crank was impressive

Have always loved going to shows and seeing these, very unique part of farming history

Thanks for sharing this! It brought back lots of memories of my Grandpa! My Grandpa served in Germany in WW2 and he talked about the Lanz bulldog. Said you had to start it with a blow torch. Said when it ran forward you had 3 forward gears and 1 reverse or if it started backwards you had 3 reverse and 1 forward.

This is so cool, and this chap clearly knows his stuff and has looked after it all these years... 🙏😁 Humbling

Crazy, we as people use to be so bad ass and just tuff. Everything was a challenge and for that it really did make them the best generation.

That tractor is bad ass. Thanks for sharing.

Good old Bulldog. A real workhorse. You can burn all kinds of fuel. I love these old hotbulps.

What a wonderful machine! Life in the slow lane.😊. Thank you for bringing this to us.

I worked at a scrap metal yard for a few years and it's the only thing in my experience that I can compare to even though the use was not the same but I operated the front loaders to push the pile around and would switch to forks to lift cars or whatever large objects off of customer trailers. It's been a few years so I don't remember the model, but it was a Volvo and it was a big-ol-sombitch!! The amount of comfort and ease of operation they build into equipment now is just insane! Heater and Heated seat, of course a/c, had a pretty nice stereo system in it CD player Bluetooth, tilt wheel and all kind of adjustability to fit different operators. Two fingers on two little joy sticks with a nice padded ....pad, lol for your arm to rest on for maximum comfort while you strain not one, but two fingers! LoL Oh ya the seat was on air also so it was nice and floaty like. But if you had more then one brain cell and you could see over the steering wheel, you would be able to run it no problem! But to see this supper cool old tractor and it dam near rip your limbs off once it fires, and that's if you can get it to fire up, and how it obviously took some effort to do so, it's just amazing how far things have developed. And I wasn't even operating the newest of machines either! The new stuff is even fancier!! Crazy!! Thanks for the video!!

What a proud moment for dad to have his son drive his beautiful machine.

What a beautiful tractor

Very neat!

By the time I got it started I'd be out of the notion of farming that day. Just hitch up the horses and go!

I love the idiot proofing they did with the steering wheel also being the crank. So many people probably lost crank handles on other equipment that this became a viable and clever option

This is just over the top fastinating history!

That thing's brilliant! Good on him for keeping it going and letting us see!!

Good God you get your arm in those steering wheel spokes. Goodbye arm! Great video

Very cool. Thank you for posting

That is a super cool tractor

Lovely machine. Well done for preserving history.

Dude had like an hour to adjust the throttle so it wouldn't die. Legit torque monster for sure.

Thank's for sharing that is so cool and it look like you have put some long hrs into that Bulldog .never see anything like your Bulldog, but I'm from Kansas to. LOL

I want such a T-shirt with such an inscription👍👍👍

With all that shaking and vibrating tightening the bolts daily was probably a must

Imagine stalling this engine! I love modern times 🤩

That was awesome!

~12l engine 45hp And the earlyest Models havent even a Reverse Gear, You Had to shut it nearly off and instantly give Power to let it rotate the engine in the Other direction. Later Models didnt have a hot bulb, they used little Cotton Rolls to start and were much easier to start.

That hit the 7 year old kid button, enchanting.

Thank you, I have never heard of this tractor before. That was when machines were man eaters!

That tractor is awesome. 👍

That’s a sweet arse 2 stroke rig

That is beautiful

Horses never let you down

Fabulous!

Crude oil tractor rules! Never stop heating!

Awesome!

Good times.

I think this is one of the most German tractor you have on this channel, i do remember seeing a Porsche, but if there's one tractor your bound to see (or hear more likely), it's a Lanz. It feels like every village has at least one old timer, and these are that quiet often. On if the bigger farmers here has two in a barn, and i can sometimes hear some passing by, but how can't where they can be heard for some distance

Cool tractor

Sadly my question wasn't addressed by the video. What did they use back in 1922 to heat it up? I know there were torches, but I can't imagine using an oxy-acetylene torch or blow torch every time one of these babies needed starting. I was just curious.

who else replayed the removal of the steering wheel when it fired....not his first time. unique tractor for sure!

Very cool

Pretty cool

This seems to be the Buldog with the smaller engine with 4,7l (286cui) engine capacity. They also had 6,2l (378cui) and a 10,3l (628cui) single cylinder (!!) engines. The Bulldog I like the most is the "Type HL", a.k.a. "HL12" (produced 1921-1927). That looks so awesome puristic!

I want one so bad!

Was always interested in these, didn't know they made them this small though

Interesting tractor

Wouldn't want to try to get this going in the winter

Nice 👍

Seeing the kid on the tractor reminded me of that episode of American dad where steve smith didn't have a driver's license, but state law said he could operate a tractor, he was briefly popular amongst his peers and they used him for rides and shit. But one day a storm threatened to destroy the farmers crops , so when he went to get his tractor he was shocked to see steve had taken it already and was out transporting a large group of kids to a party, but when he seen the rain coming he left the kids behind and did the right thing and brought the tractor back to the farm A.S.A.P

That's how I start my Kia everyday

Way cool

Imagine all you want to do is plow your field, rains coming in, and you have to sit there messing with this to get it running as your plow horse laughs.

funny these are rare in the USA but there is no show without a Lanz tractor in Europe, love the ones which are build after the purchase by Deere. These were not the quality Lanz or Deere normally build but sure were pretty

Wow, that was a snappy start..one needs to be prepared.... However, brilliant...

Crazy. Fire outside an engine what could go wrong.

I believe that would be hard on your paint job 😜

That seat shake though. No wonder the ladies always want a ride

The author Tristan Jones writes about a lifeboat diesel, an opposed twin called a 'Viper' if I remember, that had firepots on each head to start it. Anyone seen one or further info....?

That looks extremely dangerous to start I like how he nonchalant pulls the steering wheel off before it reaches full rpm knowing it could easily kill him

I'd never shut it off after getting it running... That's intense!

Lanz bulldogs were not specifically diesel fueled. They would burn about anything, including diesel. They would even burn crude oil and waste oil.

5:08 Looks like the seat gives the driver some jollies while using it. Takes the boredom out of those long days in the field. Those Germans have thought of everything.

May have to switch to MAP(Propane/Hydrogen) gas instead of plain Propane

? ... Reason " To Preheat The Cylinders , To Ignite The Diesel " " Compression Motor " These Days We Have Glow Plugs / One Step Ignition.... With 3 volt / 6volt Glow Plugs . Gotta Preheat Those Cylinders . Diesel . Nice Video . Thank You .

As a Professional mechanic all my life. I think if you went to map gas it is alot hotter. But finding it, in a big tank like propane might be hard to find. Very Cool tractor

This almost reminds me of the compressed air start or shotgun shell start they used on old airplanes just for being unconventional

I believe the 2022 tundra is using the same technology

Could that be the original quick release steering wheel? Used on a lot of racing applications

Have a flywheel off one of these old dinosaurs, use it as a curved anvil!

Not sure if these had the largest single cylinder displacement of and motor but its plenty big at 10.3 l

Are they trying to melt the front tires off?

Lanz Bulldog: Starting me takes a minute.......go tend to the wife......say hello to the cows......feed the dogs.....

Looks like a great way to break a wrist.

👍

If I may ask, what is cylinder bore size?

Ah, the old Lanz widow maker. These things jump direction mid hill climb.

How’s the winter to start that thing lol

People these days get all pissed off if their engine doesn't start in 10 seconds. A hundred years ago it might take an hour to get the damn thing running and there's there's good chance it will rip one of your arms off when it finally does.

We had old Case diesel, had pony motor ran on gas to start it with

Would a person back then have compressed propane to heat it up? Or would one build a camp fire under one to start?

I should point out that a hot bulb engine isn't a diesel. It's similar but operates on a somewhat different principal.

Jeepers, I think I'd put a solid disc over them spokes to prevent you from sticking a thumb in there when your cranking. As hard as he was rocking it back and forth it would be a natural thing to want to do. You would break your whole arm if you weren't careful. Cool old tractor though

Well, it's different and no doubt rare but that's about all I can say for it. He did do a nice job on the restoration.

Before glow plugs no doubt? Where's the compression release for roling it over during warm up..,???

Damn. Yellowbone Barbie is hot as hell!

First glow plug

Thank Goodness I don't have to start my Chevy Spark like this !

for being a 1 cylinder tractor, it doesn't have as much put-put as i thought it would, and how does one find parts for these kinds of tractors?

If it runs in reverse won't it exhaust through the intake.

"they dont build em like they used to" I'm glad

Looked like a big surprise when it did fire off, what could go wrong there?

Nothing runs like a Deere! Everything else runs on more cylinders! :)