GO BIG , OR GO HOME s it’s often said, “Go big, or go home.” And that’s exactly what Northern Manufacturing Company did when it began producing its Big Bud tractors. Based out of Havre, Montana, Northern Manufacturing Company built about 550 tractors during its years in business. Each tractor constructed was a purpose-built machine believed to not only offer more than what any big-name manufacturer could at the time, but also work thousands of acres of land at a faster pace. Northern Manufacturing Company got its start when the Wagner Company, which built the first articulated tractor that bent in the middle, sold its production to John Deere. A BIG BUD HN250 COMING TO IOWA PREMIER By Kellen Olshefski 2 • MONTHLY
Transcript
GO BIG, OR GO HOME
s it ’s often said, “Go big , or go home.” And that’s exactly what Northern Manufacturing Company did
when it began producing its Big Bud tractors. Based out of Havre, Montana, Northern Manufacturing Company built about 550 tractors during its years in business. Each tractor constructed was a purpose-built machine believed to not
only offer more than what any big-name manufacturer could at the time, but also work thousands of acres of land at a faster pace.
Northern Manufacturing Company got its start when the Wagner Company, which built the first articulated tractor that bent in the middle, sold its production to John Deere.
A
BIG BUD HN250 COMING TO IOWA PREMIER By Kellen Olshefski
2 • MONTHLY
OFFERED NOVEMBER 9-11 AT DAVENPORT 2017
BIGBUD
HN250
As a result of the sale, Wilbur Hensler and Bud Nelson lost their Wagner dealership. However, their determination wasn’t lost, and they soon decided to begin building their own articulated tractors. The first Big Bud tractors, dubbed the 250-series, were built starting in 1969 and were designed by Nelson, who would later join Hensler as part-owner of Northern Manufacturing Company before it was purchased by Ron Harmon in 1975. Nelson designed his custom-made, heavy-duty working machines to be easily worked on and upgraded, notably designing the engine, transmission and drivetrain so that it could be pulled out on a track for easy maintenance. Harmon further improved Nelson’s design in 1977 with the custom construction of the biggest, baddest Big Bud of them all: the Big Bud 16-V 747, to this day believed to be “The World’s Largest Farm Tractor.”
At 27-feet long, 20-feet wide, 14-feet tall and rolling on specially made 8-foot-tall tires, this massive tractor weighs in at about 130,000 pounds with a full fuel tank, and while its V-16 originally pumped out about 760 HP, upgrades have pushed it upwards of 1,000 HP today. Despite its massive size and weight, Big Bud tractors were built to be workhorses. Even after 20 years, it could still pull a 35,000-pound, 80-foot cultivator at an 8-MPH pace, working more than an acre of land per minute. The tractor was used in regular farm operation until about 2009, when it then began touring at museums and farms around the country. In 2014, the tractor was offered up on an indefinite loan to the Heartland Museum in Clarion, Iowa, where it rests today, still wearing its original tires, which were custom-built by United Tire Company of Canada. The tractor’s
incredible story, capabilities and ability to stand the test of time serve as a testament to the craftsmanship achieved by the Northern Manufacturing Company.
Harmon’s design upgrades to the 747 expanded upon Nelson’s innovation and continued in all of the tractors going forward, about 75 percent of the 550 made. Designed with bolt holes for mounting any known component from engines to transmissions, the tractor allows for each component to be removed individually to be worked on, replaced or upgraded with ease. Furthermore, parts used on Big Bud tractors were over-the-counter parts available worldwide. However, despite the company’s user-friendly designs, it would run into problems in the 1980s when a transmission manufacturer was unable to deliver parts and the shells of pre-sold tractors sat around for months on the company’s property. Today, Harmon runs Big Equipment Company, which focuses on ser v icing and upgrading the tractors , whi le a lso rebuying them to rebuild and sell them to new owners.
The Big Bud HN250—part of Big Bud’s first model line of tractors—offered here was designed by Nelson with the same purpose-built and maintenance-friendly vision in mind that has helped make it easier to keep the vast majority of Big Bud tractors in working condition all these years later. It’s a beautiful example that showcases the quality of craftsmanship put into each and every one of the tractors produced under the Big Bud name. It was the 250 series that started it all, and this Big Bud HN250 from the Henry Blume collection, coming to the 2017 Gone Farmin’ Iowa Premier is sure to make its new owner happy in a big way.
