Turkish mechanic lends hand to farmers with unique vehicle

Ali Buldan, 70, a mechanic who lives in the Turkish city of Afyonkarahisar, happily maintains his profession even after all these years on the job.

The seasoned mechanic started his career with horse carriage maintenance, but slowly made his way to producing a vehicle, known as "patpat" because of the sound its single-cylinder engine makes.

Providing great convenience for farmers because of its cheap production and maintenance costs, it takes only a week to 10 days to build a "patpat."

"Since a tractor has at least four cylinders, it burns more diesel. This vehicle burns a quarter of the fuel that a tractor does due to its single-cylinder engine. Most farmers who don't earn much prefer this vehicle," the veteran mechanic said.

"Even farmers with tractors demand the 'patpat,' Bulan said, "Because it is faster and more economical."

"The 'patpat' can go up to 90 kilometers per hour with a carry capacity of 2 tons. It does the job well. It can carry stones, bricks and even livestock. There are farmers who carry bale and beets in the summer," the mechanic added.

Buldan explained that the vehicle was not road legal at first because it was initially produced without headlights, but with the addition of some road safety equipment it was accepted as a farm vehicle by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.

Buldan said that a dumper "patpat" made of new materials costs between TL 15,000 ($4,200) and TL 16,000 ($4,500), while a vehicle made of old and recycled materials costs only about TL 8,000 ($2,250).