Thai Farm Trucks

[fezzy]

Hi guys im just trying to get an idea of how much a new thai farm truck or in thai E-TEN or E-DEN the ones with the tiller/tak tak motor mounted sideways in the front ,im in sukhothai

cheers guys

[afarang]

The price varies , enormously, depending in the level of sophistication and equipment installed. Mine is built to full roadworthy standard, in terms of electricals and brakes ,etc..Many ,regrettably aren't and are a health hazard!! Mine is now 3years and 8 months old. ! And cost a bit over B 100,000.At the time. It is equipped , also, with electric start.And a 14 horsepower Kubota engine. Most here have only a 10 horsepower engine and no electric start.I bought a secondhand pick-up chassis with a 5 speed gear box and had the body etc., built on it.By a man who builds them for a living. You need to find someone who is experienced in building them.BIG Farang cannot drive them - too fat to fit behind the steering wheel. I believe I am the only Farang in Thailand who both owns and operates one. I do drive it 70 kilometres to our nearest Makro, takes a little less than 1 and a half hours. It is not only a work horse, but is my daily transport. I cart heaps on it . It has extra springs, so I can put 3-4 tonnes on its back. It moves Cassava, Paddy, Cement, Sand, Gravel, Steel, Breeze blocks , All Fencing materials, Eucalyptus, Etc..It has a 3 metre body. Some have only a 2 metre body.3 metre easier to load, don't have to load so high . Good Luck, they are excellent vehicles. Most useful, Bill

[raylo]

The price varies , enormously, depending in the level of sophistication and equipment installed. Mine is built to full roadworthy standard, in terms of electricals and brakes ,etc..Many ,regrettably aren't and are a health hazard!! Mine is now 3years and 8 months old. ! And cost a bit over B 100,000.At the time. It is equipped , also, with electric start.And a 14 horsepower Kubota engine. Most here have only a 10 horsepower engine and no electric start.I bought a secondhand pick-up chassis with a 5 speed gear box and had the body etc., built on it.By a man who builds them for a living. You need to find someone who is experienced in building them.BIG Farang cannot drive them - too fat to fit behind the steering wheel. I believe I am the only Farang in Thailand who both owns and operates one. I do drive it 70 kilometres to our nearest Makro, takes a little less than 1 and a half hours. It is not only a work horse, but is my daily transport. I cart heaps on it . It has extra springs, so I can put 3-4 tonnes on its back. It moves Cassava, Paddy, Cement, Sand, Gravel, Steel, Breeze blocks , All Fencing materials, Eucalyptus, Etc..It has a 3 metre body. Some have only a 2 metre body.3 metre easier to load, don't have to load so high . Good Luck, they are excellent vehicles. Most useful, Bill

Impressed

[afarang]

Sorry , the more correct name is Etan.Or , that is the the Isarn pronunciation.Which is where they originated. I love my Etan, Bill

[Canada]

I was just looking at these in Isaan. They range from 170,000 base model to 290,000 for the top end. Low end rated at 4 ton, high end 7 ton. They have 12.5 -14 horse Kubotas, roadworthy, lights etc, plate and book. The higher end ones have a roof and are 6 wheel as opposed to 4. They also have what Thais call "slow" which is like a split axle but it is in the middle of the driveshaft. This has high and low, then your regular 5 gears plus reverse. The top of the line is a rather large truck, 6 wheels, and this extra gear box which is considerably larger than the model 20,000 baht cheaper and has 4 gears in this "slow" gear box. I have checked this one dealer 2 times over a year, prices are the same and they are reluctant to bargain. I also checked another dealer and the prices were comparable, so this leads me to believe that this is a Thai price. I speak excellent Thai and usually get the Thai price when shopping...

I have seen these things with huge loads that don't seem to bend the springs at all..... trying to justify buying one...the big one.... gotta have it..... dam_n near bought one the other day, but I came to my senses on the way to the bank...actually the bank was closed for some special day of some sort....lucky....

That's what I know about e-dens....

[oldestswinger]

There are guys everywhere who recondition Etans and sell them. You have to shop around for model and price. Our local guy made us an excellent trailer for the tractor.

[afarang]

To Canada, first they are Etans, not edens as in the garden of. But as in sun TAN. Engine sizes are 10, 12 and 14 H.P. , no 12.5 ,if made by Kubota.The most popular is 10 H.P.Max. load is 3 to 4 ton, if fitted with overload springs. Mostly(99.9) they are built on Old pick-up chassis. Though one engineer , here , in Ban Kluat is making his own new chassis. None are rated to carry 7 ton. Nor do they have non-standard gear boxes. All gear boxes are standard 4 or 5 speed pick-up boxes. I have never seen anything resembling what you are describing. Is it possible for you to put up Photos?. I would be most interested in seeing them. They are not Etans, as we understand them here. Further ,You CANNOT register them ,so guaranteed no PLATES, nor do you require a drivers licence, although I do possess a Thai drivers licence . Off-road, a 14 H.P. would not pull a 7 ton load, when operating on freshly turned soil, carting say Cassava. It would more likely get bogged. There is one here , that has been adapted to be a 6 wheeler, using a lazy axle, but all the rest are 4 wheelers.

[WatersEdge]

Hi afarang,

I'm impressed.

I've seen those little pop pop trucks around, but never really wanted one until reading your glowing description.

I like the Kubota 14hp RT-140 engine.

They run forever, and when it comes time to rebuild them,

it costs only B4,000 for a complete overhaul.

They come with a 12VDC power supply built in, for headlight and whatever accessory you may like.

The electric start is a nice feature, I've only looked.

With new Cylinder sleeve, piston, bearings it's good as new for another long run.

I've had occasion to rebuild more than I'd like, but those jobs were all due to operator neglect, abuse and flood,

no fault of the engine. Under reasonable conditions I'd not even know what a rebuild costs.

They weigh maybe 150kg, so two good men with a stout pole can lift the whole engine by the lifting eye provided,

moving it from one machine to the next. I use Kubota diesels on water pumps, tractors, roto tiller, hammer mill, corn sheller and concrete mixer.

Which brings me to the feasibility question for use on a road vehicle.

When you run to Makro 1.5 hours away 70 km, what is your fuel consumption?

Under full steady load wide open on a water pump they burn 2.5 liters per hour.

Pull them back to the load they were designed for and consumption drops to a little over 1.5 liters.

I get five hours on the 12 liter tank under full power, and around 8-9 hours on reasonable power demand.

Motoring up the road, what results do you find?

Considering that my Mitsubishi gets 11 km / liter, I'm curious by comparison.

70km would cost me 6.4 liters in the Mitsubishi.

I know this engine is a solution in search of a problem.

I've often wanted a heavier tractor than the Kubota NC-131 Two wheel unit,

simply because there isn't enough wheel ground contact or weight to use the engine power.

For this tractor the 14 hp engine is too much of a good thing, with a 9 hp being perfectly adequate.

I prefer continuity across the entire farm, so have only bought smaller engines if they were cheap as second hand,

or if the 14 hp was totally ridiculous...such as on the concrete mixer where I bought a new 7.5 hp.

The idea then is to build a 4 wheel tractor similar to your pickup truck,

Shorter but just as wide, with hydrostatic drive.

Hydrostatic provides 4 wheel drive, so that with the iron paddy wheels you'd have full use of all 14 hp.

You do lose efficiency with hydrostatic as compared to direct drive, but you gain fine tuned control.

Admittedly the price tag increases with hydrostatic drive, a pump and 2 motors are not cheap, then throw the control valves in.

Wow, we are almost to a skid steer, and that's where the idea really becomes attractive.

Imagine 4 wheels hard mounted to a solid frame, no steering mechanism, and very tight control of every movement.

For those who have operated a skid steer, the attraction will be immediate.

Skid Steer does tear up any surface it turns on, but that goes with the territory.

The other thing I've dreamed of is a trencher on a four wheel platform.

With hydrostatic drive, the machine could advance with complete control at a very slow speed required by the trencher,

with full direct drive power to the trencher unit.

Well, thanks for opening the topic, very fascinating.

[Pond Life]

What type of drive do these use between the engine & gearbox ?

Does the bell housing & clutch mount direct to the shaft & flywheel ?

Or is it a pulley & belt drive ?

Thanks

[afarang]

Fuel cost is a shade over one Baht a kilometre, Haven't had to touch my engine yet. All I have done is change the oil and fuel filter. They are Belt Drive from engine to transmission. Currently mine is 2 belts to transmission, 1belt for Alternator. Before next Cassava harvest, I will change to 3 belts from engine to transmission. Hopefully will get more pulling power , without belts slipping, under heavy load.

[fezzy]

Hey guys i found a place out our way at Sawankalot (pronounced Sa wan aloe) I know this place sounds suss but it's real . Missus and MiL dropped in today and got a price for one with all the fruit, big motor and 5 speed gearbox with roof and electric start with full electrics ( no air con or power windows but, lol ) out our way in Sukhothai most have rego plates but hey this is Thailand and things are a changing. The shop said due to the materials going up in price they require half before starting and then the balance on completion as the price has risen from about 120000 Bt in the past years.

The price we were quoted 162000 Bt so it would seem a

little bit cheaper than over in the east but it all depends on the different variables eg. size of motor etc.

Cheers for the Gr8 feedback fellas

Fezzy

[afarang]

Fezzy, it is impossible, that is it is NOT legally possible. There is no Registration Classification to register an Etan. If they have plates ,then they are ones that have fallen off other vehicles. That is a fact. If they are registered , with plates, then they are NOT Etans.Is your purchase , built on an old pick-up chassis?Look at my picture . Yours look like that? As they are considered to be of the same style, as a walking tractor. Also NO Thai driving licence is required to operate an Etan.Mine is considered to be very sophisticated, as Etans go. Compared to most.Which are sometimes very basic.

Edited May 9, 2011 by afarang

[fezzy]

Hey Afarang

I'm just saying what I see everyday is that some of the e-tens have some sort of plate on the rear or the vehicle as I cannot read Thai it might say " Honk If Your Horny " but I doubt it.

I didn't think they could be registered and yeh I know that there are in the same class as the iron Kwai or tak tak i mean It would be abit of a joke taking these vehicles over the pits for a MOT ,lol

As for the E-ten im going to buy it's similar to yours but has drop down sides and is taller in height

Cheers

[jubby]

I've had to pull several of these things out of my wall , and so has the neighbour. They just about get to the top of the Hill and then come hurtling down backwards , just as they reach terminal velocity they collide with something. Very scary and very frustrating. Not a big Hill either.

They have brakes apparently. or maybe you just drag your feet to stop it.

As for 1 baht per litre. Its also mandatory to drink Thai whiskey whilst driving one, so thats gonna add a bit to the cost.

Joking aside. think about how these things are going to stop. Did someone say servo assisted brakes or was that just a wet dream.

[afarang]

Yes Jubby , mine has very good brakes- Nissan front discs, rear drums,they came with the chassis as did the transmission and steering.So, everything is Nissan quality I agree some that are 'Home Built" could certainly be dodgy. If they are or were professionally built, they should be good. Mine certainly has very good stoppers.Fezzy- see photo ,mine has drop down sides. Higher? then it may be a 2 metre length tray. Mine is 3 metres . For easier loading , don't have to throw so high to be fully loaded. It is a bast#rd loading Cassava- those baskets get very heavy, too heavy for me anymore. Fuel economy, yes some, after selling Cassava or Euca require Lao Khao to get home. But fuel economy is generally less than 1/3 of a pick-up . I go to Makro ,Buriram for B 140 RETURN. -140 kilometres. The bus fare for 1 person is B70 one way!!!! ( From Ban Kluat to Amphur Muang Buriram)

[raylo]

Fezzy, it is impossible, that is it is NOT legally possible. There is no Registration Classification to register an Etan. If they have plates ,then they are ones that have fallen off other vehicles. That is a fact. If they are registered , with plates, then they are NOT Etans.Is your purchase , built on an old pick-up chassis?Look at my picture . Yours look like that? As they are considered to be of the same style, as a walking tractor. Also NO Thai driving licence is required to operate an Etan.Mine is considered to be very sophisticated, as Etans go. Compared to most.Which are sometimes very basic.

Hi

Not being a smart arse - but that means you are driving yours 70km each way unregistered? Just a clarification not judgmental unless you run into me and I have insurance problems.

Thx

Fred Astaire

[Canada]

To Canada, first they are Etans, not edens as in the garden of. But as in sun TAN. Engine sizes are 10, 12 and 14 H.P. , no 12.5 ,if made by Kubota.The most popular is 10 H.P.Max. load is 3 to 4 ton, if fitted with overload springs. Mostly(99.9) they are built on Old pick-up chassis. Though one engineer , here , in Ban Kluat is making his own new chassis. None are rated to carry 7 ton. Nor do they have non-standard gear boxes. All gear boxes are standard 4 or 5 speed pick-up boxes. I have never seen anything resembling what you are describing. Is it possible for you to put up Photos?. I would be most interested in seeing them. They are not Etans, as we understand them here. Further ,You CANNOT register them ,so guaranteed no PLATES, nor do you require a drivers licence, although I do possess a Thai drivers licence . Off-road, a 14 H.P. would not pull a 7 ton load, when operating on freshly turned soil, carting say Cassava. It would more likely get bogged. There is one here , that has been adapted to be a 6 wheeler, using a lazy axle, but all the rest are 4 wheelers.

Hey... you have an interesting way.....

I was looking at a 12.5 Kubota.

There are different gearbox configurations. I was lying down looking up at them. There would be at least three different configurations, with at least three different types of gearboxes, not including the rear axle, and there are at least two sizes of rear axles which would depend on whether you order the 6 wheel truck or the 4 wheel truck.

They do in fact make them with dual wheels on the rear...I was looking at them.

Just because you have never seen one with a plate, does not mean they don't exist.

I could not tell you what a 14 hp could pull. I only quote what I was told.....

starting to think maybe I was dreaming or having some weird "Alice in Wonderland" experience.

I don't know what it is that you call an Etan.... but your picture resembles nothing like what I have seen, and furthermore, the ones I was shopping for last week were all very much like the ones that I have become accustomed to seeing.

I spell E-den with a "d" as that is how it is pronounced. Spelling it with a "t" would lead to a mis-pronunciation of the term..... which is why they all look at you weird when you say it.

You do seem to take your knowledge as all there is and I would suggest you go out and take some pictures of these things yourself.

Cheers.

[afarang]

Not just me . Every Etan is the same - No rego, no 3rd party, no insurance. Moral of the story - Stay WELL clear of them 555555555555.Yes , for nearly 4 years I have been trucking about in it . But we are not allowed on Highways. We can go on 2 digit , 3 digit, 4digit roads, O.K.I do have a drivers licence, but many do NOT. Rot Thai(walking tractors) and Etans are considered the same. That is, they are unregisterable. I only wish they were. Most certainly, mine would pass a roadworthy examination. I agree, many of the "home built" variety ,certainly would not.

[Canada]

Not just me . Every Etan is the same - No rego, no 3rd party, no insurance. Moral of the story - Stay WELL clear of them 555555555555.Yes , for nearly 4 years I have been trucking about in it . But we are not allowed on Highways. We can go on 2 digit , 3 digit, 4digit roads, O.K.I do have a drivers licence, but many do NOT. Rot Thai(walking tractors) and Etans are considered the same. That is, they are unregisterable. I only wish they were. Most certainly, mine would pass a roadworthy examination. I agree, many of the "home built" variety ,certainly would not.

If it suits you that they are not registerable, then so be it....

not sure where you are living, but in real rural Thailand, E-dens have plates these days. Not everyone of them .... but many do, and new ones certainly do, unless maybe they are home built. This is a fact. Perhaps you should look into registering yours and purchasing some third party liability for it.

Good luck.

Edited May 9, 2011 by Canada

[fezzy]

Hey Canada

Glad to know you've seen the infamous E-ten with plates ,i was starting to think someone was spiking my Lao Khao

[afarang]

Canada, I have owned and used as my daily transport, an ETAN for just on 4 years.. ETANS are built on an old ,used pick-up chassis. With overload springs max, load capacity is 4 tons, but generally only load a bit over 3,due to the off-road environment they are used to haul in .As they are built on a pick-up chassis, they use the same transmission, incl. gear box(4 or 5 speed).differential.tail shaft, steering and brakes(mine: front discs, rear drums) as the pick-up they are based on. What you are describing bears NO resemblance to an ETAN. So , maybe , this is why they have a different name.I must admit ,I have never seen what you are describing. I live in an area ,which was one of the first to make them ,Around Ban Kluat, in Southern Buriram ,near the Cambodian border. As I have written in other posts here, they are unregisterable. As they are classified the same as Rot TAI, (walking tractors). I drive past Ban Kluat Police Station , on a daily basis. I am never stopped. When I come to a road block ,I and any other ETANS are simply waved through ,never stopped. I might add, that because of my small stature, I can drive an ETAN. Most farang cannot. They are too big to fit behind the steering wheel !!!! 555555

[Canada]

Ok...

[raylo]

Not just me . Every Etan is the same - No rego, no 3rd party, no insurance. Moral of the story - Stay WELL clear of them 555555555555.Yes , for nearly 4 years I have been trucking about in it . But we are not allowed on Highways. We can go on 2 digit , 3 digit, 4digit roads, O.K.I do have a drivers licence, but many do NOT. Rot Thai(walking tractors) and Etans are considered the same. That is, they are unregisterable. I only wish they were. Most certainly, mine would pass a roadworthy examination. I agree, many of the "home built" variety ,certainly would not.

SOrry to labor the point - I am just trying to understand the E-tan situation.

So you can drive one around on your above-mentioned roads legally but without rego or insurance? Or are they just ignored?

Plenty around where I live but figured they were just doing it illegally. I know a lot of them are and a serious number of

the dangerous ones. Also see a few on the main roads. Have seen some with plates but never gave it a thought.

No way I could ever fit behind the wheel so no interest in buying or building but I love the concept.

[afarang]

Dear Canada, Let me be very clear : ETANs and Rot Thais(walking tractors) cannot be registered. Some do have rear plates, because they have picked up plates that have fallen off other vehicles. And attached. them . I do not know what you mean by real ,rural Thailand .Suffice to say , my village is 85 kilometres South of Amphur Muang Buriram and about 5 kilometres from the Cambodian border. Quite near Prasat Ta Muan and Prasat Ta Kwai. Very near the border of Buriram and Surin Provinces. Does that qualify as Real Rural Thailand.? We do have both upland and Paddy farming areas.The upland used to grow a wide range of crops, but today rubber dominates, with some sugar, cassava and euca. Though most of the plantation euca has been pulled out. I don't know where you are situated, but if you ever want to see many ETANS, you are most welcome to visit and be shown around. Bill

[Pond Life]

Fuel cost is a shade over one Baht a kilometre, Haven't had to touch my engine yet. All I have done is change the oil and fuel filter. They are Belt Drive from engine to transmission. Currently mine is 2 belts to transmission, 1belt for Alternator. Before next Cassava harvest, I will change to 3 belts from engine to transmission. Hopefully will get more pulling power , without belts slipping, under heavy load.

Could you possibly post some pictures of the front end of the gearbox.

Im interested to see how the belt drive & clutch are mated.

I've been toying with the idea of building something like this myself.

Thanks

[afarang]

Pond life- Where do you live? No ETANS there? I will try to upload photos. Suggest you come to visit and see many and how they are built .They are all the same. Some are different in terms of engine size- 10, 12, or 14 H.P. Some have short bodies -2 metres, which means loading higher, not so easy as Cassava baskets are very heavy, mine is 3 metres ,much easier loading , as you do not have to throw the baskets so high.When carting , I normally run 50 P.S.I. tyres. 40 P.S.I. for everyday use. Also the 3 metre is better for unloading , as you can use a front end loader to push most of your load off, rather than having to manually unload . Please , anyone , please feel free to ask any questions. Bill.

[Canada]

Dear Canada, Let me be very clear : ETANs and Rot Thais(walking tractors) cannot be registered. Some do have rear plates, because they have picked up plates that have fallen off other vehicles. And attached. them . I do not know what you mean by real ,rural Thailand .Suffice to say , my village is 85 kilometres South of Amphur Muang Buriram and about 5 kilometres from the Cambodian border. Quite near Prasat Ta Muan and Prasat Ta Kwai. Very near the border of Buriram and Surin Provinces. Does that qualify as Real Rural Thailand.? We do have both upland and Paddy farming areas.The upland used to grow a wide range of crops, but today rubber dominates, with some sugar, cassava and euca. Though most of the plantation euca has been pulled out. I don't know where you are situated, but if you ever want to see many ETANS, you are most welcome to visit and be shown around. Bill

I agree....rot thay as in "rot thay na" which means "field ploughing vehicle" (not Thai, which refers to nationality), and actually they are called e-dek, cannot be registered. As for where license plates come from.....only God knows the real truth behind this one.....

Your area makes some pretty good "lao kao"....doesn't it??????

[afarang]

The truth is, that here ,those that have a plate ,and it is always only one, are plates that have done an escape from some other vehicle, and have become attached to an ETAN. Sorry about the mistake ,Her e ,they are called Rot Tai . sometimes known as a walking tractor. I think the sound you hear is different ,given that where you are , they are speaking different languages to us. The common languages spoken here are ,2 Khmer, Suay and Isarn,In the villages ,they do not speak Thai. So, neither Rot Tai nor Etans can be registered.

[customcurb]

This is my E10, or better said, it's the wife's and families bought by me. During our recent visit I was driving it around a bit which certainly got plenty of double takes and stares from the locals. I never really noticed the plate nor know or care if it's legit. The thing cost me $3000 US a year ago to have made, which I question given that it's needed assorted minor repairs and seems rickety. As to carry capacity, I can't see ever putting more than 1 ton in the bed of most any small pickup truck without squatting badly, so I wouldn't ever want to try more in the E10.

[customcurb]

E10