Belarus 400AN

[jimb111]

Does anyone know the reliability of a 95 Belarus 400AN or any other information that would help in making a decision to buy or not to buy. I believe the tractor has 400+ hours.
I am a little concerned as this is an air cooled 50HP engine and and woundering if anyone knows if they have any cooling problems.
Thanks for your advice and help.

 

[buckle97]

This is only my personal opinion, but it is based on my own experience. Save yourself the trouble and forget about it.
In '98 I bought a '91 model 400A with 444 hours on it (so the meter said). Looked a little rough but it was only $2,500. The tractor had more power than I knew what to do with. It was extremely heavy duty and worked fine once it was started.
I had electrical problems from day one. After a year I finally rewired it and that solved most everything electrical. I had chronic hydraulic leaks and anywhere there was a seal there was a broken seal.
Another problem with owning a Belarus is dealer support. I bought mine from an individual and he claimed he knew of no dealers in the area. I finally tracked one down 250 miles away. That was very inconvenient.
As to your cooling question, mine was also air cooled. The temp was pretty normal the first season but after that I could not keep the temp down. I was constantly blowing out the filters but the temp was never in the "range" I felt the tractor should be in.
Basically the Belarus tractors are great workers when they are running properly, but you may spend the majority of your time trying to fix a problem when it arises (and it will be often). If you are looking for reliability, you are looking at the wrong brand.
I kept that tractor until last June when I finally upgraded to a brand new Kubota. The 3830 is much smaller but I am able to get much more work done simply because of the reliability factor. I actually unloaded the Belarus for $1,000 and had a hard time finding someone to pay that much.

Lawrence

 

[jimb111]

Thanks very much for your time and advice Lawrence. Do you know the difference between the 400AN and the 400 you had.
Jb

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> to buy or not to buy </font>

My vote is NOT to buy. I have not heard good things about Belarus tractors.

 

[Evasive1]

Not positive but I think the 400an is the low profile version of the 400a.
Here is a link to the Belarus web Belarus homepage

When I was on my quest of a new tractor I looked at several Belarus tractors and every one of them had hydraulic leaks.

 

[frank_f15]

I would pass! i looked at one a few years ago, was not impressed. also did some checking and dealer support is very minimal.

 

[RichZ]

My neighbor has a Belarus, and it is by far the worst tractor I have ever seen. It breaks down more often than it runs, and parts can be hard to find, and are always expensive. Every seal on it leaks, and it leaves a toxic trail where ever it goes. I've heard much the same from other Belarus (usually former Belarus) owners. My advice is to stay away from it.

 

[buckle97]

<font color="blue"> (Do you know the difference between the 400AN and the 400 you had.) </font>

I am not sure. I have never seen an "AN" in person but that low profile idea sounds about right. My "A" was very tall (taller than it needed to be). Mine also did not have ROPS. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Lawrence

 

[sweettractors]

I agree that you should RUN in the opposite direction when you hear Belarus mentioned. Nothing, in the way of dealers or support parts that I know of--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment LLC *New and Used sickle bar mowers and cultipackers*

 

[rtimgray]

As a former Belarus 420AN owner, I can give you some firsthand insight into my experiences. The AN is merely the low-profile version of the tractor, sits lower to the ground (i.e. smaller tires).

The 420AN I had was a powerful machine, but it had it's share of problems, mostly electrical and hydraulic. I finally did have it pretty much rewired and fixed the worst of the leaks using aftermarket parts (many of the Belarus parts are not very good quality and are fairly expensive).

I'm not sure about dealer support - there is Petsch (sp) in Hopkinsville, KY that used to and I think still does deal with Belarus tractors; most of my parts came from Beshears in Alabama. I'm not sure if they are still in the Belarus business or not.

To purchase one would depend on your needs and desires. If you need an occasional powerhouse and don't mind working on leaks, electrical stuff, etc., and can get it at a bargain basement price, hey go for it. But if you want something that you can just go out, turn the key, and go, maybe steer clear.

If given the opportunity to pick one up for $1000 to $1500, I probably would, simply as a spare time tinker tractor. I would not buy one as my sole tractor (although I got by for about 6 years with one).

The air cooled engine was the best part of the tractor. In all the time that I had it it never, ever, leaked or burned one drop of engine oil, and I ran both dino and synthetic (not at the same time). It ran better on synthetic, in my experience. The guys that I talked to at the Belarus headquarters in Milwaukee (at the time) said that you can't really go by the gauge for the air cooled engines because it is the same one that they use for the water cooled engines, which run in the middle of the gauge normally. The air cooled engines peg the gauge. I got an aftermarket and it worked out alright. I can't remember the temp it ran, but I want to say it was about 250 F.

Again, just decide if you want a tractor to tinker or one to work with. The Belarus can be an excellent value if you have the time and patience. Good luck.