The History of This Still-Thriving Sport

Here at Diesel World, we see all sorts of neat things. From vintage pickups with custom fab work to SEMA builds on 30x16s, we really do see it all. It’s a little known fact, however, that one of our best kept secrets is that we have a major soft spot for vintage agricultural equipment. While the cat may be out of the bag now, we thought it might be a good chance for us to talk about some vintage iron that shaped the future of American agriculture forever and, with a little grace from our readers, maybe even share a story about the return of a legend. This is Vintage Iron. Welcome to the column.

John Deere 4020

By the time the 1960s came around, agriculture in America was booming. American farmers were planting more soybeans than ever before, with over 4.3 million acres being planted over the decade. The tractor was a staple of the American farmers’ stable, and by 1963 the American corn crop had surpassed 4 billion bushels of total production (today the American corn crop tallies a tall load of over 15 billion total bushels produced).

To keep up with growing demand for agricultural equipment, manufacturers would need to innovate. Producing more power for the American farmer would be key in this new decade, and John Deere answered that call in 1964 with the introduction of perhaps the most coveted tractor of all time, the John Deere 4020.

The 4020 would replace the 4010 that was introduced in 1960 and would offer a number of design improvements over the previous generation of tractor. For starters, the 4020 would have three engine options: gas, diesel, and LP gas. Additionally, the 4020 would offer a sizable horsepower increase over the 4010 with its six cylinder engine making 91 horsepower at the PTO (84 drawbar horsepower) and would offer the Syncro Range transmission with eight forward speeds and two reverse.

Over the course of its production run from 1964 to 1972, the John Deere 4020 would prove to be one of the most popular John Deere tractors, with over 184,000 total units being produced. This high production number, coupled with the massive amount of options you could get this tractor with such as narrow or wide front, factory cab, duals, and more, made the 4020 a staple of American agriculture in the 60s and 70s. Even today across much of the midwest, 4020s can still be found on small and mid size dairy operations serving as one of the best all-around tractors for choring.

Big Bud 747

The year is 1968, and while companies like John Deere were producing small frame tractors for utility work around the farm like the 4020, a small company in Montana was creating a staple of American agriculture. Enter, stage left, the Big Bud.

Produced by the Northern Manufacturing Company, later named Big Bud Tractors fittingly enough, the Big Bud was a testament of American agriculture in the Central Plain states. While the Big Bud Tractor Company would produce several different models of Big Bud tractors, everyone knows them for the king of the castle, the Big Bud 747.

This behemoth of a tractor would come in a 24.1-liter Detroit 16V92T diesel engine that produced a monstrous 900 horsepower. At the time, this would be the biggest tractor to be produced and for a long time would hold the horsepower record in agricultural equipment. Feeding the gigantic Detroit Diesel engine would be a fuel tank with a total capacity of 1,000 gallons, which caused the tractor to weigh in at a staggering 90,000 lbs.

And it wasn’t just heavy. The Big Bud 747 came in at 28.5 feet long, 14 feet high, and over 21 feet wide. There was no doubt about it, the Big Bud 747 was here to party, and party it did.

Today, the original Big Bud 747 can still be found occasionally working land. Back in 2020, the Big Bud 747 was returned from its resting place in the Heartland Museum in Clarion, Iowa, to the Williams Brothers’ Farm in Big Sandy, Montana, where it would be hooked to an 80-foot-wide chisel plow and once again turn over soil and convert diesel fuel to acres tilled.

Big Bud is Back!

If you’re a fan of Big Bud tractors, then you know that since 1991, it’s been “All Quiet on the Western Front” from the Montana-based Big Equipment Company. But just like the “shot heard round the world,” the world of agriculture would be shaken awake just a few months ago in 2024.

If you were lucky enough to be present at the ConExpo in Las Vegas earlier this year, you were lucky enough to see a familiar sight: a giant white articulating tractor with red lettering, and the familiar “Big Bud” logo down the nose panel.

According to Ron Harmon, owner and president of Big Equipment Company, the Big Bud is back. His aim with the new tractor is the same as its always been: to provide a highly customizable tractor that can handle even the most heavy duty applications. Additionally, the new Big Bud focuses on being serviced and reparable by the customer, a hot topic in the agricultural world of the modern age.

At the core of the machine is a 1.5-inch-thick steel frame. Though probably unnecessary, when asked about the frame Harmon had this to say: “Bud Nelson, who I bought the company from in ’74 after he built about 20 tractors, told me something. He said, ‘Ron, the tractor has to weigh 100 pounds per horsepower. So, as long as you need the 100 pounds per horsepower, why buy all those stack weights and those wheel weights? Why not build it in with the tractor in the first place?’”

Powering this new take on an old legend is the tried and true C18 diesel made by Caterpillar. It’s paired to a TA22 Powershift transmission and 85,000-pound-rated axles. Perhaps one of the coolest things about the new Big Bud tractor, though, is that all of the major components of the driveline are mounted to a skid system, meaning you can pull any one of those parts out from the machine in less than half a day. From the parts and availability to the service design, the Big Bud is designed with one thing in mind—the end customer who will be responsible for its maintenance and upkeep.

Love it or hate it, one thing is for sure here: The American agriculturalist is alive and well. While the future for large equipment may be shaky, the Big Bud serves as a testament to the way of life in America’s Breadbasket and is sure to create some waves in the equipment industry as a whole.

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