Gabe Williams recently completed a frame up rebuild of a Big Bud tractor, completing a multiple-year effort in the ultimate rebuild-it-yourself project. Gabe explained that the tractor had well over 10,000 hours of operating time in the field. He also said that, in total, some of the components had far more working time clocked. "I'd say that the axles underneath have 25,000 plus hours on them. We've changed the hour meter in it three times. So, who knows? I don't even know how many owners had it before me."
The work took Gabe two winters to complete. "Part of that was a new paint job, along with all the modifications and everything. It wasn't like we could just slap the engine in there. We had to measure and calculate out certain things, and because the axle sits so close to the engine, I had to find a really rare oil pan for the engine to have it fit. Otherwise, the drive line angles and everything were not going to line up. Volvo happened to have an application for a truck that was built back in the mid-90s. That oil pan fit our tractor perfectly."
Gabe explained the labor-of-love project in detail during our interview, but I got the sense that this proud farmer would happily have explained every step in the process in detail, like a proud parent describing a child's sports win or academic success. "We took a tractor that had way over 10,000+ hours on it and instead of going with a new tractor, we powered it with a newer engine. Then we updated the hydraulics. Along the way, we modified and fixed a bunch of stuff and then rebuilt the axles. We had updated the transmission a few years prior to that. They're heavy framed, built to last, and they just keep going." Gabe explained that the 14 liter Series 60 Detroit engine was culled from a semi, which provided the power they needed at a lower price tag, with the added benefit of easy-to-find parts.
The rebuild is part of an increasingly popular trend, where farmers are taking old equipment and refurbishing it, rather than buying newer machines. Gabe explained that throughout the rebuild, he engaged with a growing online community of farmers heavily invested in the same type of projects. "There's a ton of people who are doing the same thing with Steigers, Versatiles, even newer Case IHs. What's really cool is there's a lot of young guys, they can't afford the equipment, but they want something for their farm that can fit their needs, that's a little bit bigger. So they go buy an old Steiger. The old Steigers were a component tractor. The Big Bud was also a component tractor. They used off the shelf parts to build them. The Big Bud was probably the main poster child of a component tractor."
The philosophy behind the component tractors involved recognizing that the engine, transmission, and other working parts of the equipment could be adopted from other equipment uses, like construction equipment or semi-trailer trucks. The components, which had already
experienced years of on-the-job working hours and had the design flaws worked out thoroughly, would be more plentiful, cheaper, and offered options to the farmer looking to fit their equipment to their needs. Today, as equipment becomes increasingly integrated and specialized, ordering specialized parts from the manufacturer can take what seems like an eternity to a farmer rushing to get his wheat cut at the end of the season. "It's frustrating when you wake up that morning, you pour your cup of coffee, you go out to work, and you can't work because your computer just doesn't agree with what is going on or it just doesn't want to work that day. Then, you gotta wait for software. We've had to get special software straight from the manufacturer for one of our columbines years back. And it was so frustrating because it took a month and a half. Well, we'd be done cutting by then."
Those frustrations are driving many farmers to turn to the component tractor approach when looking to meet equipment needs. "There's a lot coming out of the younger generation, and even some of the older generation, I've talked to a lot of guys who have actually had newer tractors and got rid of them and went back to the older tractors that they started on. They're refurbishing them, and repowering them to fit their needs, because they just are getting so tired of little electrical things and sensors and stuff that keeps them from getting their crops in or their work done. It's very frustrating."
Gabe's Big Bud rebuild represents the fulfillment of a larger, long term goal. When I asked if he named his labor-of-love rebuilt machine, he explained: "No, I did not name it. I'm just sticking with 440. It's a 440." He explained that Big Bud, "used to brand them with their horsepower. But out of all the series fours, they made a bunch of 450s and 500s, but they only built two 440s. So it's a really rare one, and I'm keeping that 440 name on it. I remember in 1987, when I was a little kid, I actually watched it roll out of Big Bud the factory. They had it parked outside and as a little kid, I thought someday I'd love to own something like that. And the exact tractor that was there, I get to operate it every day. You know, it's kind of a blessing for me, but my son gets frustrated, because I'll still keep running this older stuff." Gabe explained that he is hoping to get another 10,000 to 15,000 hours out of the rebuilt 440.
The completed effort comes on the heels of recent announcements about the first new Big Bud tractor going into production in over 30 years.
