Before the war (1931-1940)

Two harvesters having improved design were finished in the experimental shop of the department of harvesters in summer 1931, they were named «Stalinetz». Our harvesters were tested in the fields of the farm «Hutorok» in the Krasnodar region together with harvesters «Oliver», «Holt» and «Caterpiller», USA. The Soviet machines were working better and could cut not only grain but also sunflower, corn and millet unlike their foreign analogs. In January 1932 a new harvester assembly department of the Rostselmash plant was put into operation, and in May 1932, the first group of harvesters «Stalinetz-1»was sent to the fields. Since construction of the Rostselmash plant, the country has not only stopped importing harvesters but also has begun to export them.

In 1937 the world exhibited its achievements at the universal trade-industrial exhibition in Paris where Rostselmash sent its new harvester «Stalinetz-1». Its delivery to the site of the exhibition was the most difficult task, the harvester was transported on an open platform, much people wishing to see that unprecedented machine were waiting at each station. At that time each Soviet state farm had more units of equipment like that than France at large. Based on the results of the exhibition the harvester «Stalinetz-1» won the Grand Prix.

Harvesters produced by the Rostselmash plant won great popularity all over the country. When working with this equipment, leading operators broke world harvesting records. For instance, in the bChkalov region farmers managed to harvest 6012 hectares of land instead of 378 hectares, and were able to save 16 tons of fuel. This work was done by two coupled harvesters thereby 1637 people were engaged,  373 horses, 25 mechanical reapers, 25 threshers, 25 winnowers, 40 sorters were used. Manual harvesting in that case would require participation of 3323 people.

In 1938 in Moscow. an agricultural exhibition was opened, there Rostselmash got the first degree diploma. On June 14, 1940 the 50000th harvester «Stalinetz-1» was assembled on the main assembly line of the plant.

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