Major Engine Upgrade for Zetor Proxima
Covering the 97-125hp bracket the Proxima is Zetor’s mid-range tractor, although at this level it might be considered more of a utility machine as the power of tractors moves relentlessly upward.
The company market the range as being suitable for small to medium-sized farms, forestry work and municipalities.
Simplicity leads to economy
Its chief advantage is a low running cost, thanks to low fuel consumption, high reliability and simplicity of construction.
The company has just given it a new four-cylinder engine from Deutz and shifted the power range up from 76 to 117hp across the four models.
The transplant also means that the new tractors are now fully Stage V compliant, whereas the previous machines only met Stage III B.
Compliance with the Stage V emissions standard is ensured by a particulate filter (DPF) together with exhaust gas recirculation and selective catalytic reduction (SCR).
This is said to result is a smoother and quieter operation, while a 21L urea tank should ensure that topping up is an infrequent affair.
Three levels of finish available
Zetor notes that there will continue to be three model lines available: Proxima CL, Proxima GP and the more powerful Proxima HS.
The company also tells us that the revamped tractors offer improved controls on the dashboard, a repositioned compressed air outlet and a transmission-oil clogging indicator.
This latter item is readily accessible under the tractor cabin and allows the operator to easily and quickly check the cleanliness of the oil.
Proxima legacy
The Proxima range of tractors was first introduced in 2004 as the company dug its way out of a financial crisis which had seen the workforce drop from over 10,000, to around 1,200.
The Slovak engineering group, HTC Holding, had purchased the troubled company in 2002 and implemented a restructuring of the factory and a new range of models, of which the Proxima was one.
This latest iteration of the range will be launched in Poland this month with the first units being delivered towards the end of the year.
