One BIG Tractor

[Thomas]

Would a tractor like that really serve a purpose on a farm out west??
Sure would make a great show piece.

 

[Golfgar4]

I wonder how that would do tilling up my 20' X 20' garden??/w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

 

[vutch]

Thomas-
Obviously, these weren't the most practical machines. I think the reason for building many of those kind of "experimental" tractors was just to show that they could do it. Big Bud is the only company I know of that would have even considered selling anything like them. Big four wheel drives had a lot of character back then, and unusal designs came around once in a while, since the biggest ones were often custom built by smaller companies like Big Bud, Versatile, Steiger. Many of these companies were absorbed in the consolidation rush following the 80's farming bust (Versatile to Ford, Steiger to CaseIH, etc.) and thus big tractors lost some identity and creativity to fit the "corporate" culture. Incidentally, Versatile tractors are once again being produced by a company called Buhler-Versatile (see attached pic). Apparently that name was sold off as part of the Case-NH merger, since the Case Steiger platform will be used for the big articulateds in both brands.
Chris

 

[cedarranch]

Just fine - As long as you have about 20 acres to turn that rig around! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

CNH had to sell of the Vesatile plant as part of the agreement with the government so that they were not too big.

 

[MReeter]

Chris,I don't remember the name of the company,maybe you've heard of them,but they custom-bilt very large 4-wheel drive Ag Tractors.

These units were powered by two 450 H.P. Cummings engines,one for each axle.A friend of mine took a video of this tractor at a Farm Show in Ill. years ago.

The tractor was pulling an eight and a nine bottom mold-board plow hooked in tandem,and these were 18-20 inch plows.

The tractor put on quite a show,friend said the operator was running about 7-8 m.p.h. and then would drop the throttle all the way down to an idle,the tractor would just lope along like there was nothing behind it.

If you have any knowledge of these tractors,could you pass it along?

Thank,Mike

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I think you refering to the Kinze 640 or Big Blue as it was know. They built this tractor to demonstrate the 13 bottom flex frame plow they designed with DMI. Did it look something like this one? This one was powered with twin Detroit Diesel engines and Kinze does work with Cummings as they repower the large JD's with Cummings engines

 

[MReeter]

Robert,I've not seen that video for many years,but I think the tractor I remember was Red in color.Was built on the same principal as "Big Blue". Good picture.

 

[vutch]

Steiger also produced a prototype twin engine tractor similar to what you described. Like the triple engine, it never made it past the prototype phase. It had two 3406 Cat engines for a total of about 650 hp. However I believe this tractor was lime green, as were most Steigers.
Chris