The SAME ‘Fox 35’ built in 1982, the only crawler on display in the SAME Museum, attracts the attention and curiosity of the many people who flock to see the historic tractor exhibition.

In this article we will take an in-depth look at crawlers in general in order to understand their characteristics, evolution, uses and advantages.

Abroad, either because there is more flat land or a different farming culture, there have never been such large numbers of these tractors.

There are several advantages to a crawler:

• it has a much lower centre of gravity than a wheeled tractor and is unlikely to tip over even on particularly steep, uneven and crumbly terrain;
• it steers on the spot, greatly increasing manoeuvrability (by blocking a track chain, it can be turned with a smaller turning circle than a wheeled vehicle);
• it has better grip than rubber tyres because all the weight is distributed over a larger surface area (the track chains); the weight distribution also results in less compaction of the underlying soil;
• track chains are more resistant than tyres since they cannot explode or be punctured.

The disadvantages of these types of machine are essentially the following: the need to mount rubber tracks on the track chains to drive on the road, a 15 km/h speed limit, and from an ergonomic point of view, a greater perception of vibrations by the driver than a wheeled vehicle.

SAME entered the world of crawlers in the early 1970s, thanks mainly to the acquisition of Lamborghini Trattori in 1973. The Emilian-based company had gained extensive experience in this specialised sector over the years from the 1950s onwards.

The ‘Minitauro 60 C’ was the first crawler tractor produced by SAME, followed by the ‘Taurus C’ and the ‘Condor C’, all machines derived from wheeled tractors. These crawlers came in the power settings that were most in demand on the market, 50 and 60 HP. The engines were all 3-cylinder aspirated ones.

In 1979, SAME decided to step up the technology and produced a machine, the ‘Leopard C’, which in terms of power and technological content became a new benchmark in the industry. With its 80 HP engine, it was a huge step forward in power. It was powered by a 4-cylinder naturally aspirated ‘1054 P’ series engine. The track chains came in different widths to adapt the vehicle to specific uses and the cab had wide footplates which were a precursor to platforms on crawlers.

SAME completed its range of crawlers, from 1982 onwards, with tractors for specialised applications: the “Fox” crawler (35, 45 and 55 HP).

Compact in shape, they could be used in the narrowest of spaces without reducing traction; thanks to their stability, these crawlers could be used to work safely even on the most difficult terrain. Operators could also choose between different track chain widths to ensure that the functional characteristics of the machine perfectly matched their working requirements. The Fox crawler tractors remained in production for a few years and then evolved into Rock tractors.

In 1984 the ‘Explorer C’ vehicles were first produced in 65 and 75 HP ratings and later 70, 80 and 90 HP. The ‘Explorer C’ marked the birth of the modern crawler: sturdy and untiring, but also comfortable and easy to handle, it became a benchmark for the entire world of crawlers.

Important innovation for the cab: a platform with silent block mounts and suspended pedals to reduce vibrations, gearstick levers placed to the right of the driver to increase comfort; these were all solutions derived from the wheeled ‘Explorer’ tractors but completely new to the world of crawlers.

In 2000, the ‘Explorer’ tractors were then replaced by the ‘Krypton’, new generation tractors with structures that were better suited to meeting the market’s new power requirements: for the first time ever, a 100 HP machine entered the crawler range.

The ‘Krypton’ tractors benefit from a whole series of technological and ergonomic features developed on open field tractors; with a newly designed cab and hood, they are still in production today.