This is not it, but the first new Big Bud tractor for more than 30 years will be on display at next month’s ConExpo construction equipment trade show (March 14-18) in Las Vegas.
Developed jointly by North American companies Big Equipment Co and Rome Industries (manufactures cultivators and scraper boxes), power comes from a Cat C-18 engine and the tractor has an output of 640hp.
In a statement issued by Big Equipment, company boss Ron Harmon writes that one of the primary objectives is to make a tractor that has components that can be repaired by farmers, mechanics or dealers.
Some of the technical details are also included in the statement and like the engine, the 18-speed powershift in the Big Bud 640 also comes from Cat. So too do the axles. Normally found on the 50t heavy 988 wheeled loader, these are the largest axles ever fitted to a Big Bud. There will be various wheel options, and the 640 can be booted with Titan LSW1100/45R46 tyres.
One online report suggests that a rubber-tracked option could be available in the future. Also, the C-18 engine is rated up to 750hp so could the two partners be planning to make more powerful models in the future? We have to wait for confirmation of this, the rest of the spec, how many tractors they plan to build a year, number of models and prices.
Approx. 500 Big Buds were originally built from the mid-1970s until the early 1990s. Many of these are still being repaired by Big Equipment, which is also a Versatile dealer. Big Bud is best known for the 747, which Mr Harmon built in 1977. Now owned by the Williams brothers, this 1,100hp bemouth is currently parked outside Big Equipment’s office building.
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