Big Bud Tractor Restoration 1 - Time Lapse - Welker Farms Inc
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- Rims were painted after this video! Just making sure everyone knows :)
This video is a Time-Lapse the first Big Bud tractor on our family farm in Montana. 23,000+ pictures were taken during this restoration from two GoPro cameras over a period of 7 months. The Big Bud 350 began its life on the Welker farm in 1971 when my grandpa James and his brother Howard purchased it new from Big Bud Tractors in Havre, Mt. With all the advancement in farming through equipment and technology, the Bud slowly became obsolete. At 350hp the old girl just didn't have the power nor the hydraulics to pull a 57ft air drill.
Unwilling to let the Big Bud end up in the farm equipment graveyard, we decided to attempt a major upgrade via powerplant/hydraulics/electronics. Three years ago I found a rolled semi truck with a rebuilt N-14 435hp Cummins and a nice Eaton Fuller 13 speed transmission. We didn't have to change out the axles on the Bud as it already had 80,000 lb Clarks. The aged open center hydraulics were replaced with a load sensing closed center pump and an electric valve body with rocker switches in the cab. The cab was completely gutted and the original dash removed and replaced by a custom dash resembling the style in newer Big Bud tractors. Sound proofing insulation and a new air ride seat makes for a very comfortable ride. With all the upgrades and a Trimble 750 gps, this Bud should make for a great seeding rig. We still have some bugs to work out, but overall we are very pleased with the outcome and are thrilled to keep farming with the same tractor our grandpa used.
I want to give a special thanks to Cyberlink for their amazing support. Video editing with Power Director 13 Ultra has been amazing! Never once did Power Director freeze during the editing of this video. I am very impressed with how smooth and responsive this software is and not to mention the fast rendering. I recommend Power Director 13 to anyone looking for new video editing software.
Music: Dawn Megapolis by Kiselev
Licensed through pond5.com
Awesome that you’re keeping these things going after all these years they are legendary and need to be kept alive
When I worked for Big Bud in 1978, they were building at that time the 360, 525 and 747 :)
That is really neat! I'm sure you guys had a lot of pride in building those tractors, it shows in the quality and durability. Thanks for being a part of such a great tactor legacy!
Talisman1957 My word!!! That must have been something!! Why do ya think they went out of business!!
Farm crisis
they were big exspensive tractors and a lot of people back then did not have a lot of money @@garlandremingtoniii4679
Thank you for keeping a part of this countries heritage alive. We don't have a lot of large articulated tractors here. Would always like to see them out in the field instead of being scrapped.
Thank you:) There are some machines that no matter how much updating are obsolete but Big Buds were built large enough that they can be upgraded and still used:)
Great video! Awesome to see people who want to preserve a tractor that has been in the family for several generations. Looks like it took a lot of work but glad to see it continue to do what it was designed to do rather than go to a graveyard.
+Terrell Devie Thanks Terrell! Though it would be nice to own a new case quadtrac, the updates to this Big Bud cost us under $30,000. A new quadtrac is over $300,000.
the Big Bud was the first super tractor i had ever heard of and it was a childhood dream of mine to drive one:D
Glad to see this ol'girl get restored and updated:)
That is really cool Olli! I wasn't even alive until 1986 so I wasn't there to experience the newness of Big Bud tractors. They are fun to drive and are work horses, we hope to keep them going for years to come!
your workshop is so big and clean. you did a fantastic job on that bud
Thanks Penguin! It gets pretty dirty a times but we'll get it cleaned up and ready for the next project.
That was a cool video to watch... Thank you for sharing and God Bless...
The Pilot Penguin•
Lil ol baby bud
I only have a 12 by 11 workspace in my garage
Great work you have accomplished, nice to see that there are proper traditional family farms in America!! 5/5
Best regards from Austria
Ma3kte Thank you Ma3kte! Very much appreciate the kind words!
Ma3kte I totally agree!! Never have I seen as mammoth a restoration done so professionally. You CAN'T beat the power of a Cummins N14 engine!!
Ma3kte Always great to see Big Buds.
You guys really are great at the restoration work. Really impressed with how it looks. Great job guys.
Keeping those Big Buds alive! Great video guys thanks. That’s a big swath with two drills planting!
I remember when I was a kid that one of the Big Bud tractors came though the town I live in. It was amazing seeing them drive something like that through town. We lost our farm in the 80s when all the banks were foreclosing on farms everywhere. It was a lot of work but some of the best memories of my life. Thanks for restoring what I think is a piece of farming history.
+eric tuck You're welcome and I'm happy you appreciated the video!
Awesome job! Love seeing old iron out in the fields.
+okeedokee16 Thanks okeedokee!
Great video guys!!! Glad to see people like you keep the old iron alive and well. Thanks for sharing this.
Way to go! You did the same plan i would have, refurbishment and upgrades, a repower and good for another 40 plus years. Brilliant and good on you all!
Thank God for people like you! Thanks for all that you do and all the hard work it takes to get it done!
Awesomely amazing video! I'm not a farmer, nor mechanically-minded, but I do have an appreciation of all the time, effort, and skill that it took for this project. Thanks for sharing!
+David Moser Thank you David! You don't have to be any of those to appreciate it:)
No doubt Grandpa is proud of his boys. Nice job.
Thank you Fletcher, if he were still around I'm sure he would be so proud. I really wish he could see us now:)
Thank you for sharing this . Brings back alot of great memories from where I grew up .
Its great to see old tractors get the care and respect they need
That is the most awesome "garage door" I've seen! Good video, enjoyed it much, thank you.
+Roger Holloway Thank you! We built that door from scratch, works pretty good!
Nick work Welkers! Well have to come see the big bud in person again!
Thanks Justin!! Yes you will!
Your 100 year tribute video had me in tears. Please, Please, PLEASE do a tractor/equipment tour video.
+dexterscott33 I'm happy it you loved it! I wanted it to express the emotion that generational businesses feel. So a tractor/equipment tour? Like a walk around with a camera and talking about what we use on this farm?
Yes please. That would be amazing. If you could do that, I am sure that alot of us would appreciate it! Our family had a dairy farm here in Wisconsin, but the big dairies came in and my relatives had to sell out. I love Big Bud tractors and John Deere as well. Replacing 404 in your 4520 was a novel idea. Thank you for replying
+dexterscott33 I'm sorry to hear about your family dairy farm. I'm not very familiar with dairy farms but they sure look beautiful compared to the farms out in the prairies. I drove through Wisconsin for the first time last year and it was fun seeing all the silos and large red barns. Out here we don't have as many large farms as we do hutterites and they always can offer top dollar for land. Big Buds are great tractors and we hope to keep them running for years to come! I could do a tour video in the spring sometime and show some of our rigs. We are not like the corn country and cannot afford to run new.
I appreciate your comment. It was hard. However, this still is the best state in the country :). But, I am super excited for that video. I really appreciate you taking the time to do it.
This is quite a big muscle of a project you guys worked on over there hehe. I must give credit to Giants Software for choosing ur tractors for their May9/10 DLC release ^^ these are truly musclular beasts.
Thanks for taking the time to write the long description, it answered a lot of the questions I had. AWESOME WORK, keep it shiny and working.
So nice to see you fix the big bud !!!!!!
+Victory First Its a lot of fun operating this old stuff and keeping it up to date :)
My family is getting ready to restore a john deere 5020, its nowhere to the scale of this thing, bravo!
+Stephen's Word, Farming and Mechanics That is awesome, I'm sure you'll make it like new again!
Even more impressive when you watch some of these videos with those new fangled track tractors! All the best to you!
That's true! Happy thanksgiving!
Awsome job on the tractor
Great work is perfect, it is good that there are people who care about these beautiful machines
Thank you, we want to keep them running for many years! This winter we're gonna take the KT-450 Bud and turn it into a 525 hp.
je ne m'en lasse pas de la regarder!!!!!
+detroit diesel Glad you enjoy it so much!
+Nick Welker
is a big bud mite in agriculture , has long life for him !!! Happy New Year to you !!!!
That is one AWESOME shop!! would love to see more videos from it ;)
Congratulations with a well performed project.
+quadarinxxx Thank you Quadarin! I hope to have more videos in the coming months :)
Great job guys should give you many more years of service 👍thankyou for sharing
Wow! What a heritage, it looks like new, excluding the tech!
+Samuel McKinley Thanks so much!
did you guys put a cummins in it
+riley howser yes sir, a 1992 Cummins N-15. It has been recently overhauled and runs very nicely.
realy one of my favoriete youtube videos. dont buy a new one just rebuild it completly
You got it! Just keep the old ones running strong!
I love these time lapse videos. You are the only channel I know where Big Buds are the farms main tractors. Please keep up the videos.
Thanks! You bet I'll keep them coming, the biggest and hopefully best video I've done to date will be up sometime in October if all goes well. I'll try to get on it sooner but I should have more time around then to edit.
Completely random but is there any way I could get in touch with you and possibly ask you a favor. I am going to build a display and really would like to model my shop after yours. Let me know if you feel like that's something you're interested in.
Mrcarlosspicey Feel free to email me at welkerfarmsinc@gmail.com, I usually check it every other day or so.
I remember seeing Big Bud when I was in high school, It was a thing of beauty then and now, This was a worthwhile project,
Man what a beauty,
I am guessing now you are no till,
Have fun and good luck up there in big sky country
Thank you! We love her and hope to keep tuning her to perfection. We are no till but the weeds are becoming more resistant to chemicals so there could be a day where we till agin.
In a way it was passed down as my grandpa bought it new and its been on the family farm ever since:) Thanks!
Excellent video!! very well done,very enjoyable and entertaining...wonderful shop and it looks like a good group of fabricators! Congrats on keeping this beast mobile...
+rod928s4 Thank you Rod! The complements are very nice. We do what we can, not perfect but combined we make a good team!
That bud looks good as new greeting from England you guys work so hard towards your projects
Thank you! Our plan is to have all 3 looking as close to showroom as possible but still working tractors...easier said than done!
Well done. I still think both of them need chrome twin stacks PLUS some very cool old school flames on the cab. Oh ya and this season, remember the flags.
I've already asked for two chrome stacks for my birthday, couldn't ask for anything better! Thanks R.J.
Very very cool video!
+Something 2LookAt Thank you! Hopefully I'll have a new time lapse like this one up in a week or so.
great job guys !! looks like your livin' the dream. and lol at the dog on the fender at 4:58
Thanks! its been a blast so far! Yes those dogs lay everywhere haha, that one is named Coby:)
That's a great job! Those Buds' are soo much easier to work on than the new iron out there.
Thank you trucker! They sure are easier! The new ones are amazing machines but you have to have a tech come out to plug his $10,000 programmer into the tractor just to see what is wrong.
Yeah the newer stuff isn't ever going to get a DIY rebuild in a Farm shed by the owners, thats even assuming any newer stuff last 45 years....
Well done! What an incredible project/adventure to restore the tractor.
Thanks you Keith!
great and good job Bro... nice edition you guys so proud of you 42 year's old machine..
you maintain that .... one more thing u r not replace that you give one more life for big budd congratulations keep the job be happy....
+naren Cbr Thank you! We use her and will continue for many years to come. Might never retire the old girl!
Bravo!
France looks at this great video!
Beautiful idea to save the tractor BigBud...
BigBud = Mythic*Tractor of the United States!!!
Thanks chazeau! It is a Mythic tractor and our plan is to keep them going as long as possible!
Nick Welker
Yessssss .... as long as possible!
You must keep your Big Bud (or your Bigs Buds) !!! ... It's collector :o)
I don't know if there are videos.... On "The 747" ?
I examine ;o)
Awesome video, pretty cool that this video went viral in Norway in the agricultural enviroment
aa67able Very cool! I am glad people enjoy it and from as far away as Norway!
Gratulation to your BIG BUD Tractor
Thanks!
You can't beat this older equipment! I worked at a case dealership and all these new tractors are high priced and high maintenance and parts become obsolete where your tractor is worthless.
That's what we hear Burn Time. High efficiency, high horsepower engines with excellent power shift transmissions would be great to have but if the computer side of things constantly has problems as well as emissions....makes the old stuff seem cheap and reliable.
Welker Farms Inc I had talked to someone who took there injectors and increased the pop off pressure and got better fuel economy because it had better atomization I forget the amount he increased it though I'm thinking it was either 20 or 50 psi it comes down to complete burn of the fuel and getting a bigger bang out of combustion oh he also raised the compression ratio a couple psi.
Increasing the pop off pressure that much wouldn't do a whole lot, also you don't raise the compression by psi. You change the ratio from say 10:1 to 11:1 etc. and the cylinder pressure increases.
Eathen M15 yea I screwed up when I commented but his psi was also higher
I wish I knew how to do stuff like this. Looks crazy hard. Good job guys
Thanks!
Nice job, glad to see her restored.
Thanks Toms! She's a good tractor! Hard to keep her paint in pristine condition now that she is a working tractor again!
Paint is there to protect the metal and keep it from rusting. Just looks nice when the time is found to wash it now and again! She's a working girl and must earn her keep. Just like everyone else!
This actually looks like it makes financial sense compared to buying a new tractor. Looks like everything on your Big Bud is made from off the shelf parts. Meaning its user servable compared to new equipment... which we all know is a nightmare with dealer only electronics. Keep em running and nice job.
Great tractor, great video! Thanks for posting!
+Justanoldguy '46 Thanks Justan!
Good work on the video, even better work on the restoration ! As good as new again and even better than a new modern tractor. Keep it up. From a South African viewer
FC Koegelenberg Thanks FC! Awesome to see you are from South Africa!
Big buds driving off into the sunset
Nothing better than Buds driving off into the sunset:)
This is awesome and quickly becoming one of my favorite channels! You guys provide some great content! I went to school for this and have my associates degree but I chose the wrench on generator instead.
You guys do great work. Thanks for sharing.
Appreciate it Dyno:)
great job editng..and helluva shop with the overhead cranes and lift..saved alot of bad backs...guys deserve more subs..and why anybody gave you a nay vote lives on a couch in their mommas cellar...long live Farming..
+iamrichrocker Haha thanks iamrich! That crane has been used for a lot of different projects. Its funny because all the iron and hoist we found on craigslist for super cheap. I think a lot of people do not have the patience to watch an 8 minute video and so after the first two minutes they lose attention. But for guys like yourself it is fun all the way through!
you guys did a great job, and your work is magnificent.
+Noah Lechner Very much appreciated Noah!
I’m sure it’s in the comments but there are too many to read. How did you update the hydraulics enough to run the drill and cart? A big main hydraulic pump to run cart and a separate pump for steering? Just kinda curious is all. Nice job on the tractors and it’s nice to see some videos come out of wheat country
THATS SOO COOL. :) big bud 4ever.
+MRJOHNDEERE3720. :) You bet!
+Nick Welker :)
man you guys work so fast....
+David Andersen I know right! Whole tractor in like 6 minutes! :p thanks
You guys are awesome!
I loved it to see a old Big Bud to see new life one cool fact I found out most of the 525/50s built are still in service and I seen a 360/30 for sale for 29,000 but it's in bad shape but repairable
Yes we do too! I think you're right, most 525/50's are still running. Their twin disc transmission would be the only thing that might stop them if parts grow scarce but otherwise they are well built. We've found we like the second generation buds the best but have yet to try a 4th. That's too bad about that 360 being in bad shape, probably reflected in the price as well. Maybe that price will drop a little more and make it worth being a fixer upper!
Wow that’s so satisfying
And ya had to put in that hot rod steering wheel......love it!!
Only in big sky country
God bless
Did ya make any money on that KTA?
been told they are worth a bit.
I hate the way you took it apart but I also love the way you repurposed it!! you guys have got a lot better since this video I mean in the shop!
love seeing those beasts!
+Gordon Liddy They are great!
A grade well done
+black Thanks black!
Beyond impressive
the cat is always watching ur steps :D
Butters is always watching! And somehow everywhere at the same time...I'd bet money he has 10 clones running around.
Great restoration well done all. Throw some paint on the wheels though!
Thank you! Got them all painted up now:) You'll see some nice video of this girl doing some farming in my next video:)
Top shelf as usual bro
Damn fine workshop
It was a "He"in its time (H-N 350) BIG BUD...
It then turned into a "SHE" (N-14 435) BIG BUTT, and the old girl is stronger and will last for years longer.
I felt a tier in that transformation.That little boy bud lost his balls and a girl stepped in with HUGE BALLS to take over.
What a great story!
great job !!!!!
Thanks Frank!
That is the weirdest tractor I've ever seen!
Very cool though.
+The horrible story of a man that was forced to connect his youtube account to google+ They are not the norm that is for sure!
what a beautiful big machine , I really love old iron and restoring it . or just seeing old iron brought back to life ,, I work on a farm in south west iowa and i have always wanted to drive one of these ,Big BUD tractors ,,I haven't found one yet though ,, I do currently own 2 slightly smaller Steiger tractors ,, a 1977 Cougar iii ST270 ,, and a Panther III ST325 ,,the latter of which has been restored and had a serious power upgrade from it's original CAT 3406 ,,it now has a complete new engine , like what you did it came from a wrecked semi truck
I chose a CAT C-15 ,it's a similar size engine and bolted directly to the trans i already have ,,i've got 550HP at my wheels which necessitated bigger tires ,, i changed from 23.1x34 to 30.1 x 34 ,, big fat combine tires they help in soft places and i do a lot of deep plowing ,,mostly contract work for other farms , plowing , chiseling , and running a scraper ,not really farming myself
the only other articulated tractor i own is a 1974 model 7520 JD that i actually bought from a neighbor who was retiring
Excellent 👌👌👌
Thank you! Sequel is coming in a week or so.
It's like a "find Butters video!
That is oddly satisfying
Garage goals man haha
Just gotta start building! :)
great tractor!!!
Thanks!
do I understand correctly? There's no serial tractor? You collect it on the basis of some older tractor or special equipment?
Serial tractor? I'm not sure I'm following you. We have owned this tractor since it was new on the factory floor. Big Bud went out of business years ago but we still run their tractors as they are great machines!
Great video mate, I love big buds, great to see it will see out another 40 years of farming, keep up the great work on your videos, woul like to see a few more on your big buds
Thanks David! I'll do my best to get more videos up, I have ideas! just have to make them reality!
AWESOME. A true labor of love
Excellent Video.
Thank you Paul!
Good job! Greetings from Poland!
Thanks Jastrzabek17! So cool you are from Poland! Glad you saw my video!
Hola Nik que gran trabajo quedo como nuevo , buen grupo de trabajadores y muy habiles. Hasta los perros trabajaron jajaja Por lo que vi tienes un taller mecanico bien completo hasta con torno!!
+juan asanelli Hi Nik much work was like new, good group of highly skilled workers . Even the dogs worked lol From what I saw have a very complete machine shop up to around !!
Thanks Juan! Appreciate it!
So glad someone's still around to take care of old iron like this, really great work. Have you guys ever considered contacting the Williams brothers (owners of the 16V-747 Big Bud, who are also in Montana) about setting something up to get them all together? That would be really cool. As a side note, your dog gives me a panic attack just about every time I see him.
Thanks Dieselhead! I've never actually contacted the Williams brothers concerning a Big Bud reunion. We live about an hour from where they farm in Big Sandy. To be honest I've actually never seen the 747 in real life! It's always on the road and when it gets back to Montana I seem to miss it. A Big Bud reunion would be great though! As for that dog, he gets scolded every time he gets near moving equipment but it never sinks in. To this day we've never ran over a farm dog and I pray we never do!
Nice Restoration
Thanks!
Glad to see 18 wheeler components used. I was lucky to begin driving trucks at the tail end of the Mechanical/Injection era.. Begining of Electronic Fuel injection Era. I therefore saw and used the best, final iteration of 14 Liter mechanical fuel injection.. which I am a proponent of this day. In the early 90's I could buy an entire In Frame overhaul kit for a Cummins Big Cam IV or Cat 3406 B for the price of 6 Electronic Fuel injectors for an N-14 electronic or Cat 3406E. .. $3500. By using proper fuel pump timing advance techniques on the Mechanical injected engines I've seen consistent 7mpg results with plus 35 to 50hp on OTR trucks for the Big Cam 3/4 and 3406B... Something many Electronic Injected engines.. supposedly better/more fuel effecient.. could not achieve. I preach Mechanical Injected/Dialed in Fuel Pump Timing to all who will listen... and save those who listen often 10's of thousands of dollars. It's not uncommon for an Electronic Injected Engine to go through 3 or 4 sets of Electronic Injectors in 1 Million Miles.. at old $3500/per set prices $10,500 to $14,000.
I would have re-powered with Caterpillar power, but that’s me, great video
That's awesome!
Wow, Wahnsinn was ihr da gemacht habt. Auch die Videoaufnahmen sind super. Toll. Dafür gibts ein dickes Like :)
GammelFood Du weist schon das das ein Amerikanischer Kanal ist!
What an amazing restoration.
I remember the first time i watched this and i was very excited to see this old girl in her full glory.
I wish i could hop in and get a feel for what it's like to operate such a special machine.
The old Buds are very rare nowadays so keep them running for as long as the world's spinning.
I'm currently testing the Series 1 mod for Farming Simulator 22 and it's awesome to say the least.
It has three versions of the little Bud (HN series 1, KT series 1 and your N14-435).
However there's one thing that bothers me.
The N14 version has the incorrect transmission (it has the original 12-speed but if i remember yours has a 13-speed Fuller).
But nevertheless i still love it and i'm gonna be using it on the Welker farms map along with the other Buds (and i'll have the mighty 747 aswell since it's a legend).
Don't let the haters get to ya and i'll see ya next time.
I was excited when I got my Tractor. Yours make mine look like hot wheels though. I should have done more research and picked a different brand. Hard to find support for the Long Tractors. Tomorrow begins my tear down of the 3 point lift body. Hopefully, I'll be lifting the 3 point again soon. If not it's off to some fancy shop for repairs lol.
Hey a tractor is a tractor! And like all machines they need maintenance and repairs. Best of luck with yours! Thanks for watching!
Love big bud
Thanks!
7:03 Crazy dog :D
Nice job
Great job!
Thanks Kuehnlein Farms!
We need big bud's like that in farming simulator
wow. thats beautiful
I watched this while I was playing on the welker farms map on fs19
First thing I would do on a farm that big is build a garage for every piece of equipment
Amen to that!