Machinery

       Home       NEW Updates      About Us       Feedback      Historic Sites       Consultants          Contact Us       Terms/Conditions

 

THE LANZ BULLDOG TRACTOR

The Legend of the Lanz Bulldog

This is famous old tractor..I’m told this single cylinder was slow revving and very noisy. It actually shook the driver.
When harvesters were attached to the Lanz Bulldog, it shook all bolts loose…
It was made in Germany. Ron Freegard and Spot Lamont had one, so did next door neighbour Harry White at ‘Redhill’. (Pallinup Soldier Settlement).
Harry had collected a lot from clearing sales in the 1960’s and 70’s.
The Lanz originally ran on crude oil and were very economical. I have been told that the operator had to heat oil up with blow torch to vaporise it before starting them.
The Lanz Bulldog was manufactured in Germany. 1921 up to 1960, one of them being the Lanz Bulldog D 9506.
Lanz stopped producing them in early 1950s when multi cylinder high revving engines became available.
Experiences with this tractor have made it famous and endless stories about these tractors have been recounted…both good and bad!
If left running when standing on soft deep soil they bogged themselves.
I believe Ken Freegard at Albany had a couple he restored.
Nevertheless…they seem to have a huge fan club!!

 


LANZ BULLDOG TRACTOR           #1

Story by Spot Lamont

“During 1948 we had most of the property cleared and were in a sound financial position – we decided to buy another tractor. Having heard so many good things about the Lanz-Bulldog tractor we bought one.
The local agent strongly recommended we should drive it from Perth to the farm to run it in.
My long standing employee Noel Wellstead and I headed to Perth by car to take delivery. Its top speed was twelve miles an hour.
We took it in turns driving the tractor and we arrived back from Perth in less than two days.
I never liked the Lanz Tractor, it was a one-cylinder engine and it vibrated terribly, especially when stopped (turned off) or idling”.

 LANZ BULLDOG TRACTOR ADVERT 1951 'WESTERN MAIL'           #2
 

LANZ BULLDOG TRACTOR  RUINS          #3
 

Des Slatter: steam traction engines are the same, they only stop pulling the sled cause they run out of track. Truly amazing! …I knew someone that was still using one on their farm in the 1970s!
Bob Waterhouse: Our neighbours at Goomalling were Big Farmers in their Day, had 4 lanz Bulldogs. We lived 3 miles away ,in line of sight, but could hear them all start up in the mornings. We often thought they would Blow the Roof of the Machinery Shed. One thing you could not do , was leave them Idling on soft ground!!! they would Bog themselves down. So much for loosening all the bolts on the Harvestor
Glen Oliver: Albert Pratt was Gnowangerup's Lanz agent around the late 1920's to mid 1930's, then G W Parker late 1930's. The pic (1951) depicts a Lanz promo featuring Bill Gaze 'Yarragee' who had a P model Lanz (driven by Frank Lyons), and Des Gaze who had a N model. (See image Glen provided above).
Norman Mills: We had one on our farm in Ongerup. After buying brand new IH WD6 ( which was a disastrous purchase) my Dad traded it in for a second hand Lanz Bulldog. I spent many an hour behind the wheel in my youth and mastered the starting technique. Regular cleaning of the spark arrestor was needed in summer to prevent setting fire to the crop you were harvesting
Hugh Campbell: Lanz Bulldogs were sold in Australia from 1934 by Kelly and Lewis (the Pump manufacturers) until the WW2. In 1945 the KL Bulldog was manufactured in Springvale in Melbourne. 860 were built by the end of 1952.
Ron Watt: Used to take the steering wheel out put into the side to of the flywheel to turn them over.

Glen Oliver: The W.A distributor of Lanz in 1929 was H C Ittershagen. He imported 2 Klemm planes to deliver mechanic's and parts to remote owners of Lanz tractors and to promote Lanz at field days. The planes were made of plywood and fabric, with a 40hp Sampson radial engine. He entered a Klemm in the Sydney-Perth air race in 1929, flown by Harry 'Cannonball' Baker. On 12-13th April 1930 the Klemm was in Gnowangerup giving joy rides from Aylmore's paddock.
 

LANZ BULLDOG TRACTOR ADVERTISING PLANE           #4
 

There used to be a Lanz Bulldog at the Emu Point playground in Albany…does anyone have a photo? It was there from 1968 donated by the Payne family. It had a big wheel that could be spun around.
 

Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

 

References:                 Article:      Spot Lamont
                                                  Glen Oliver

                                  Image:     2, 4        Glen Oliver

 


Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2024