The Bizarre Soviet TET-1000 Transforming Tractor

[@pieterdiffenderfer5691]

Calum is simultaneously getting me my fix for mechanical draftsmanship, and bizarre tracked vehicles, all in one video. Brilliant

[@3067jon]

A quick google shows someone has made a working model of this from lego....remarkable.

[@CalumRaasay]

Yes! Was thinking of making one myself ...

[@mariuspequeno2175]

Isnt that the thing with every vehicle on this planet

[@tweezerjam]

Sure did! 😂

[@migueldenboer5186]

@@mariuspequeno2175 there still is alot not made yet

[@deadgentleman7732]

Showing yourself drawing this bizzare tractor really improved this video considering otherwise it would be only 4 repeating photos. Nice drawing BTW :D

[@royalarcher3920]

Loving these obscure vehicle videos. Maybe make a quick fire round video where you talk about the vehicles that you didn't feel warranted a full video?

[@CalumRaasay]

That's a good idea! To be honest this video got made today because I was like "Can I write, record, produce & film a video in under an hour" (answer is - sort of! 1 hour 15 in total!) but it really might have worked better as "top 10 weird vehicles" since I've got a fair list of them now!

[@davidhollenshead4892]

@@CalumRaasay The Soviets made a truck-based ambulance with tracks that could be lowered. Also, the Sherp is based on a Soviet mail truck... Consider the weather issues that Canada has combined with Soviet mud roads on a clay base, and you quickly see why they used all kinds of solutions...

[@alanlansdell7533]

Yep that's a pretty oblique solution. But definitely an interesting one.

[@xmlthegreat]

*Transformers, robots in disguise!* I love this thing. Would have been a nightmare to maintain but damn would have been fun haha

[@kentslocum]

It really is incredible to consider the fact that we've settled on the ideal design for every specialized type of vehicle, but there are very few vehicles that successfully combine these designs. Need to go fast on ice and snow? Use a snowmobile. Need to go fast on water? Get a jetski. A jetski can't do the job of a snowmobile, but while a snowmobile can do the job of a jetski in a pinch, it can only stay afloat at full throttle. A tractor can have multiple towing attachments for a farm, but it's not going to be very good on a construction site. A hydraulic excavator can have multiple attachments for a demolition or construction site, but its not going to be much use on a farm.

[@FatCatGotHot]

Normally we are used to the Soviet's simple, yet ngenious solutions for a challenging problem. Best known example: The USA are said to have developed a ballpen working in zero gravity for 1 million Dollars - the Soviets took a pencil. But this time the Soviets just went too far to get a tracked vehicle roadbound. Amazing design, but too complex. Caterpillar achieved the same by developing the rubber tracked ag tractor. Yes, those tracks you were sitting on, very similar!

[@kentslocum]

When I first read your comment, it occurred to me that anonher benefit of using a pencil instead of a pen is that it can be erased. But then I realized what a horrific disaster would occur when the bits of rubber eraser started floating around, not to mention the shavings generated by sharpening the pencil (unless they use a mechanical pencil, but the lead could still snap off).

[@paulosborne6517]

What an awesome Frankentractor. I'd love to see what you have to say about the TDT-55A Logging Tractor. The cool thing about those is that they were based upon German RSO tractors, which were themselves based upon Soviet STZ-5 gun tractors. TDT-55A are unstoppable - I've seen video of one running through a a swampy forest pool with only the intake / exhaust / cab windows above the sludge and it was mechanically quite happy - even if the driver was chest high in fetid muck inside.

[@CalumRaasay]

I’ve had a wee search online but I can’t seem to find many pictures! Sounds fascinating though, could you link it to me?

[@paulosborne6517]

@@CalumRaasay www.r-les.ru/spravochnaja-informacija/kharakteristiki-tdt_55a.html www.redironmodels.com/EN_TDT55.html Lots of videos on YT also, but you might have to search for ТДТ-55А - because of the cyrillic character in the non-translated designation.

[@qwertyTRiG]

I'm betting that Laurie's Mechanical Marvels would love to get his hands on this!

[@TheTeflonTranny]

I love that you also draw pictures of your subjects. My drawing skills are rubbish but I very much appreciate those who do have the talent.

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you! Makes it a fun little extra I always think.

[@zensmylie5393]

This is awesome I love the weird vehicles the Soviets came up with. Brilliant video love the videos lately, especially those about vehicles like this and the snow cruiser etc. 👍🏼

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

What this reminds me of most is the original version of the Trackmobile road-transferable switching (shunting) locomotive. Like this machine, it used road wheels perpendicular to its other propulsion, in that case rail wheels, which allowed it to move from one track to another in confined spaces. Newer versions have the road and rail wheels in line with each other, which makes them simpler to operate and simpler mechanically, but does mean they take more space to move between tracks on their road wheels.

[@Skullet]

Another fantastic video about obscure vehicles, keep them coming.

[@MisterTalkingMachine]

Having binged rewatched some Calum vehicle documentaries it was kinda baffling coming into this one and having it end when in my mind I was thinking I had just made it past the introduction.

[@ZGryphon]

That's doubly weird when you consider that the Soviets were well aware of the Christie convertible suspension, originally developed in the 1920s for use on tanks, which enabled a normally-tracked vehicle to drive on its wheels for greater speed, longer range, and less road damage in out-of-combat highway marches. Admittedly, the conversion back to tracked operation wasn't automated, but it was also considerably less... bizarre. On the other hand, the fact that they had a Tractor Research Institute in the first place is the most Soviet thing ever.

[@CalumRaasay]

I was thinking that too! But yeah the Tractor Research Institute is such a great name.

[@ptyzix]

Also another soviet vehicle for you to look at is the EKIP. It's really interesting, but unfortunately as is with a lot of things the funding for it was severely limited after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Also there is a good old Concordski and sukhoi t-4 (supersonic strategic jet bomber but there is one small thing about it. You can't see out of it while it is supersonic. There is a periscope but it is not adequate for anything)

[@CalumRaasay]

Wow, how on earth after all these years I still find new, weird vehicles like the EKIP that I never heard of! Thanks for much for that link. Can't wait to read more about it!

[@asd36f]

The Vespa 150 TAP - A scooter carrying a 75mm anti-tank recoilless rifle, used by French paratroopers in the late 1950's.

[@CalumRaasay]

I'll take your entire stock

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

The Soviets came up with several ideas that could have been successful if only they had the chance to keep working on them. This one reminds me of the original Trackmobile, which had its rail wheels and couplers at 90 degrees to its road wheels (and the cab was fixed in the orientation for road driving). This is different from what Trackmobile makes in more modern times, but if you go to the About Us:History part of their web site, you can see a couple of photos of the original design. You can also see a couple of the original units (one unfortunately badly damaged from an accident, but the other looks potentially operable) if you go to the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum in northwestern Massachusetts.

[@CalumRaasay]

Facinating! I'll be honest I had no idea the 'trackmobile' existed, but I just spent an hour reading all about them!

[@mrpoool1015]

The bizarre vehicles and inventions of RG Letourneau were basically made for this channel

[@CalumRaasay]

Working on it as we speak ;)

[@mrpoool1015]

@@CalumRaasay I can't wait

[@mixererunio1757]

Check out PZL M-15 Belphegor. It's agricultural biplane jet. And my favourite plane ever.

[@CalumRaasay]

Amazing. Another vehicle I need to draw!

[@mixererunio1757]

@@CalumRaasay I'm glad and proud to hear that. That's my country's finest piece of engineering.

[@jwill2931]

Love the illustration, hope that you're considering selling prints of it.

[@strfy3492]

The book is "mover of men and mountains" if you wanted to know

[@CalumRaasay]

And a very interesting book!

[@Rileysworld727]

I wonder why didn't they just have the tracks parallel to the tires. That way the driver could stay in one position.

[@CalumRaasay]

Riley Harville right? I actually drew a version just like that but forgot to include it. I was thinking maybe they needed/wanted the extra width?

[@Rileysworld727]

@@CalumRaasay maybe they felt it was more stable with the extra width

[@jokuaga]

Who knows. Parallel tracks could affect tractors turning in road mode or just make it too wide for normal roads? Not to mention how hard it would be to change tires if the tracks are in the way. Cool piece of engineering nontheless!

[@TheJttv]

@@jokuaga oh. I was just gonna say the tracks worked like a PTO attachment which they would know how to design.

[@CalumRaasay]

@@TheJttv That PTO thing actually makes a lot of sense too, yeah.

[@teamidris]

Erm… that’s actually a good idea. Stability looks ace. I could see it being a good logging all rounder :o) *that’s where the kettencrad started*

[@CalumRaasay]

I think the issue with things like this is mechanical complexity leading to difficulty in repair and maintenance

[@AdamNeisler]

Always love to see the drawings at the end. :-)

[@Kiyoone]

love those strange looking vehicles and the history behind. very nice

[@HenryBlackie]

I feel like the Soviets already solved this issue with the removable track design of the BT-7 tank. I wonder why they didn't go for a similar design.

[@brsrc759]

That thing is wacky! You're quite the artist my friend

[@fbimaxtowfor8300]

3:46 you okay? Lol. Also, fantastic drawings.

[@manitobaman5588]

Thanks for all your great research and videmo making efforts.

[@brianmccutcheon3205]

Mr Le Teurnean was no fruit cake as you put it: He would draw his plans on the ground and then go build them. He never studied at any university: He had a brilliant mind. And if you read that book you had in your hands you would have known that, and legacy he left to his country: and the world:

[@CalumRaasay]

I’m just joking, relax! Super interesting guy, I’ve got a stack of books I’m currently burning through all about him.

[@jasongray6437]

Love you’re videos mate. I can’t find a reasonably priced copy of that book! Fancy lending me it? Haha Keep up the fantastic work though.

[@wach9191]

Hi. Great video. Vehicles with tracks don't usually have steering wheel, they are controlled by levers, I would imagine you could turn the seat 90 degrees and control tracks with levers. There are a lot of tractors with scoops or other equipment on back and you just turn seat 180 degrees to access controls.

[@CalumRaasay]

That’s a good point why didn’t I think of that?! 😂

[@tobiastho9639]

I guess in case of a tractor with long working hours steering with a weel is much more convenient. Since there are already hydraulics to unfold the tracks you could use hydraulic steering by changing valves with a steering weel.

[@MatheusSilva-ud6mt]

And today we have NEXAT, engineers of that time would be happy to meet you

[@kkooloo5781]

✌Thanks for the introduction to this vehicle👍from England 🇬🇧

[@CalumRaasay]

and a happy new year from Scotland!

[@AlexTsekot]

'Soviet Tractor Research Institute' of course the USSR would have that...

[@jaydenalvira3434]

I'm so happy I found this channel...so holesome

[@rayceeya8659]

Funny you mention "Letourneau". A lot of those machines are still in use. Diesel electric log loaders. They're absolutely huge, mammoth sized machines.

[@CalumRaasay]

Some of the most crazy machines came out of Letourneau. I think laterally the business suffered as they tended to make a lot of 'one offs' and experimental machinery but in the 90s they seemed to really pick back up again. Very cool vehicles.

[@Kyle_R]

@@CalumRaasay Read the book in your hands. You will learn lots. RG was an eccentric person. He thought outside the box and was hugely successful. The company still exists, as does his legacy of teaching. I was not impressed with your character assessment of fruitcake. TTFN

[@CalumRaasay]

@@Kyle_R oh lighten up 🙄

[@marcbrasse747]

I have read somewhere that sniffing too much Rhodondendron makes people halucinate about all sorts of strange vehicles.

[@CalumRaasay]

God that would explain a LOT

[@zanforian]

Who decided all these bizarre soviet era vehicles should even be built. One look at that drawing and most people would ask, “Really? That’s the best thing our engineers could come up with?”

[@CalumRaasay]

Well thank god they did. Because they give me no end of joy to look at.

[@zanforian]

I mean they are fantastic, and I’m glad they existed. I’d love to own one of these bizarre contraptions. Like a colinfurze project but they expected to make enough to be a production vehicle.

[@TheGreatSteve]

@@zanforian As unusual vehicles go, this idea seems quite sound.

[@zanforian]

@The Great Steve Definitely. At least it isn’t 50 ft tall for some reason. I don’t think being more reasonable than a boat with legs makes something a good idea however. At the very least this seems niche and mostly impractical.

[@ghostindamachine]

What an out of the box design !

[@mozgalex]

Hi Calum! Thank you for your amazing videos and hello from Russia! If you need some help with Russian sources or translation from the language, please let me know! By the way, I am wondering could you make a video about "Tsar Tank"?

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you- I'll keep you in mind! I was going to make one of the Tsar Tank, but I think I looked up the tank on KZbin and found a really good video on the subject that made me think there probably wasn't much more to say on it.

[@gafrers]

Great quality video once again. Very interesting tractor

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you!

[@Make-Asylums-Great-Again]

You make great content.

[@magnetmannenbannanen]

most likely the cost vs reality set in and they went back to small light tractors.

[@mikkoolavijarvinen3653]

I've read, regarding tanks, that there's some quite small sweet-spot compromise between stability and maneuverable regarding the length-width ratio of the tracks. Indeed, most if not all, tanks and tracked machines seem to longer than their width. This thing, on the other hand, looks quite wide, and it may that it can't be much narrower (in the track sense) without making wheeled vehicle too short to be driveable, and it also might be that it would be too difficult to make a longer folding track mechanism. So, perhaps it was too tricky to drive?

[@ba121]

Thank you Calum

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you!

[@nraynaud]

Interesting, I have seen the same "problem" tackled at the Arizona/California/Mexico border for lettuce, but they simply put the tractor on a trailer.

[@cornishrider]

Well it does seem a good idea!

[@AaronCarr]

Calum, you're holding out on us. Make a film about that awesome looking mini excavator you've got

[@CalumRaasay]

haha! The most raggedy old digger around, but she does the job. I also have a nice old Ferguson TEF20 tractor... maybe a video in the two of them sometime!

[@darinkurtz1024]

RG Letourneau was a awesome inventor and entrepreneur lol neat tractor but don't really see a practical purpose for it

[@WanJae42]

Letourneau brought us Thunderbirds style mecha in real life.

[@CalumRaasay]

Amazing and hilariously eccentric guy. His life story makes for a fun read.

[@alexbarnes6877]

Do you have a grab for your mini digger? Definitely makes clear rhody's that bit easier. Brilliant video as usual, keep up the good work!

[@CalumRaasay]

I do! Really ha du for clearing. The attachment is just out of shot.

[@WebertHest]

What is the name of this inventor you mention in the second part? Luciano? LeCherno? Captions are no help.

[@CalumRaasay]

RG Letourneau, video of him coming at some point!

[@captainwin6333]

TET-1000. Can see that chasing down an Anrold Schwarzenegger.

[@CalumRaasay]

Now there's the Terminator sequel they SHOULD be making

[@BvousBrainSystems]

Foldable things are so much less robust, i can't see that contraption being very reliable. Probably the same conclusion they reached.

[@CalumRaasay]

My thoughts too, especially with rocks and mud getting into that. Hard enough with fixed tracks sometimes!

[@BvousBrainSystems]

@@CalumRaasay Not the philosophy of engineering that i expected from Russia

[@supertramp6011]

Quite a clever concept,this bizarre machine....trust the soviets! With a bit more development,this could have become more popular,imho.....

[@socialus5689]

probably the most well spend four minutes & 20 seconds of my life.

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you!

[@fooo2241]

Theres those rhododendrons again....

[@strawberryhellcat4738]

There MIGHT be more than one! Enable translate and watch this video. At 3:21 the narrator says (through the translate program)"...and in total there was built two copies and this single copy is still is in this institute where the condition was tested." (the Soviet Tractor Research Institute) He continues: "Of course not perfect but it exists and may someday restore it and transport it a museum so that subsequent generations and ours, too, could live contemplate this ingenious and inherently insane machine." If this is the case, I too would love to see it restored, especially if we could get access to the mechanical specs for this bizarre creation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHKUf2CVm56qpsU

[@CalumRaasay]

this calls for a trip out there to find it!

[@podulox]

That explains that.

[@IdleByte]

Farm Simulator could bring this back to life.

[@Mocsk]

Popular soviet-era joke in the USSR: An announcement from the Soviet Information Bureau. Yesterday at four o'clock in the morning, in the valley of the Amur river, the Chinese side, consisting of 4 infantry divisions, supported by tanks and artillery, crossed the Soviet-Chinese border and attacked a peaceful Soviet tractor. The tractor repulsed the perfidious attack with a heavy barrage of machine-gun missile fire, in the process shooting down 8 airplanes, destroying 30 tanks and up to 1000 enemy troops. After that it launched the main rocket engine and disappeared into near-Earth space. The tractor driver feels well, the flight is going nominal. The chairman of the collective farm Colonel-General D.F. Ustinov has stated that should the incident reoccur, the seed sowers, threshers and a combine harvester with vertical take-off and landing are going to be deployed in the field as well.

[@CalumRaasay]

Always loved that joke, I was very close to including it in the video!

[@tommyshelby968]

sounds like a Terminator

[@chain3519]

Yes. More vehicle. More big

[@bobkentucky5611]

nice video! btw what kind of model is the tractor you're sitting on?

[@CalumRaasay]

Just a small one tonne digger/excavator, though I have a Ferguson TEF20!

[@davidr1037]

Nice.

[@lyndon4610]

Please make more interesting vehicle videos

[@CalumRaasay]

Working on it!

[@allistairc123]

Cool bud nice vid! You would like John Pope designs ! Google him for some incredible machine's!

[@erikvanvelzen]

Why do the pictures from the 1980's look like the 1880's?

[@AgrooTarm]

Mükemmel 💪💪👍👍👍

[@nicklausbrain]

Calum, for more bizarre Soviet tech. consider this: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zveno_project

[@CalumRaasay]

Holy hell that is cool. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@GiffysChannel]

So I heard that you were interested in early Antarctic explorer history. Have you come across any interesting books about Germany's expeditions leading up to the second world war?

[@CalumRaasay]

I've not read it or done much Research on the subject but there is a book, _German Exploration of the Polar World : A History, 1870-1940_ which looks very interesting!

[@GiffysChannel]

@@CalumRaasay Thank you for that, I just ordered it!

[@danreed7889]

Similar- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sd.Kfz._254

[@CalumRaasay]

Wow! Never seen this, how fascinating. Love it.

[@bwilliams463]

Has anybody submitted this model to the 'Farming Simulator' games?

[@otacon6274]

peaceful soviet tractor. you must see it.

[@otacon6274]

its not mi 24 or other aircraft.

[@besselheimencabulator8884]

has anyone said "TET Talk" yet? :V

[@topline2554]

tut up

[@asifmetal666]

People back then really doing something great n try to change the world for good. Our generation doing something different. Ur Innovation mostly is digital as it seems. We now do studies just to get a good job n earn money. That's not a life. It's a waste

[@PurpleRhymesWithOrange]

Have to give them that it was an amazing creative solution. Have to wonder how it would have done if not for the political upheaval when it first came into production.

[@CalumRaasay]

Yeah I'd love to see one in real life- I have heard some rumours that apparently they are still out there somewhere rotting away... a guy can dream!

[@austriagamed9834]

Looks a bit like a Steyr 8320 Geräteträger

[@nilNell]

If this was cancelled because of the fall of the Soviet Union, why are the pictures in black and white?

[@CalumRaasay]

I mean... I have a black and white camera in 2020...

[@98dizzard]

Soviet Russia was quite poor, probably find back then B&W film was cheaper to buy and process than colour.

[@CalumRaasay]

@@98dizzard I did find some coloured versions of this but I included the black and white because they were higher quality- I think it may have been recolourings however.

[@mikkoolavijarvinen3653]

B/W photography was common in the 80s, even in the "First World", the largest newspaper in Finland, Helsingin Sanomat, for example was all black and white when the Soviet Union dissolved. Books had B/W photos to cut costs and so on. And if the professional photographers knew their target would print B/W, color film would have been just extra hassle and cost.

[@randomgeminiastronaut46]

This is so random but the video is 4:20 minutes long

[@CalumRaasay]

;)

[@Ayestosea]

Your digger looks hella stollen. Time to check the serial number. Very odd to have the markings scraped off like they are....

[@CalumRaasay]

😂it’s just very much in need of another repaint

[@Cadwaladr]

The Soviets did a lot of things brilliantly, others not so much. But I guess they knew when to abandon a deadend idea, at least sometimes. There are always difficulties with implementing a design. Communism is a great idea, but the implementation is difficult. Hopefully we can work that out so that Americans and others can access universal healthcare, and people around the world can have employment that provides them with all of their needs, and in the best of all worlds, no one ever becomes a millionaire or especially a billionaire, because no one ever needs hat much money.

[@LoserDestiny]

Russian would do just anything and design the craziest vehicles, only so they don't need to actually build proper roads...

[@drdnout]

Yeah yeah, just build a road on a farm field above potato plants