ALL ABOUT TRACTORS

BY PAUL WALLEM 

You may recall my June article about Big Bud tractors. In 1981, our dealerships tried to market their 325-horsepower model. It was too large for our area. At that time 200 HP Steigers were leading the pack.

Now, 41 years later, this column will be devoted to the largest horsepower tractors currently doing well on the market. The largest now? 673 HP.

 A recent YouTube posting by Master Tracks Studio listed their current choice of the five largest farm tractors now manufactured and sold in the U.S. They are:

• Versatile 610 DT, 605 HP, 16 speed powershift, 462-gallon fuel tank, 63,000 lbs.

• New Holland T9 700, 620 HP, 17 speed power shift, 480-gallon fuel tank, 63,700 lbs.

• CaseIH Steiger AFS620, 620 HP Quadtrac, 16 speed power shift, 500-gallon fuel tank, 70,547 lbs.

• John Deere 6409RX, 640 HP, 18 speed power shift, 400-gallon fuel tank, 67,000 lbs.

• AGCO Fendt 1167 VarioMT, 673 HP, 350-gallon fuel tank, 42,000 lbs.

Two other tractors in this category that are no longer in production are:

• Versatile Big Roy 8-WD Model 1080 8-wheel drive, 600 HP, 16 speed powershift.

• Big Bud 16V 747, built in 1977, remains the largest farm tractor ever built at 1,100 HP.

Compare the weight of today’s biggest horsepower tractor with that of 100 years ago. The Fendt 1167 Vari MT weighs 42,000 pounds. In 1922, the world’s largest steam tractor weighed 70,000 pounds. 

Most of the largest tractors on the market today are either all or partially mounted on tracks. According to CH Wendel’s Encyclopedia of American Tractors, crawler tracks were available on many tractors prior to 1922. Between 1907 and 1922 there were 349 companies formed to produce farm tractors. Thirty-five of them experimented and/or sold machines with track drives. Some had tracks on drive axles only, and others were entirely on tracks.

Two of the 35 mentioned above are best remembered. C.L. Best Gas Tractor Co. placed their first track tractor on the market in 1914. Some of its features involved principles of design that are still used in the present market.

The other was Holt Manufacturing Co. They called their tractor the Caterpillar 18, which also arrived on the market in 1914. (It became very successful in Canada). During the period 1914-1923, Holt marketed eight different tractor models.

On April 25, 1925, Best and Holt were merged to become Caterpillar Tractor, Peoria, Ill.

Four-wheel drive is a development that is not new. All current large tractors are now FWD, and many smaller horsepower models have similar drive trains as standard equipment or available. Looking back over the past 100 years, the Wendel Tractor Encyclopedia shows that nine different manufacturers had developed this feature by 1922. A lot of interest in FWD was apparent before World War I. After the war ended, the feature did not gain popularity until much later. Major manufacturers started offering four-wheel drive and front-wheel assist by the late 1950s. Steiger built their first one in 1958. Deere announced their 8010 in 1959. Others followed shortly.

Through the years a procession of new features have appeared on farm tractors. The first row crop tractor was the Farmall  F-20 in 1924. During 1939, Ford produced the 9N with the first 3-point hitch. International Harvester introduced the first power takeoff, running at 540 RPM, in 1918. During the late 1950s the industry created the 540/1000 PTO.

Prior to 1930 lubrication was a major problem. Then pressure lubrication became common and significantly reduced breakdowns and bearing failure.

Prior to 1919, horsepower claims by manufacturers were wildly optimistic. The Nebraska Test Law that was passed that year brought about accurate performance testing. Since then, thousands of tractors have had their performance certified at Lincoln, Neb.

Steel wheels with lugs and crawler tracks were standard equipment on farm tractors until Allis Chalmers introduced rubber tires in 1932. That changed the industry, and other companies converted to rubber tires after that. The tractor tire industry has advanced technologically ever since. Better traction, less compaction, longer life, etc., have been ongoing goals.

Endless additional features have become part of farm tractors during the past 100 years. Here are just a few: multiple-speed transmissions, differential lock, articulated four-wheel drives, cabs with ever-increasing comfort features, constantly improved lighting, quick-couple hitches, and many more. The newest?  Autonomous (driverless) operation.

Here’s an easy prediction to make: new innovations will never stop. One big one is electric power replacing internal combustion engines. That’s already happening. Another that is being experimented with is hydrogen fuel replacing diesel fuel.

Paul Wallem was raised on a dairy farm. He spent 13 years with corporate IH on domestic and foreign assignments. He resigned to own and operate two IH dealerships. He is the author of THE BREAKUP of IH and SUCCESSES & INDUSTRY FIRSTS of IH. See more of his books on the website PaulWallem.com.