A 500 Horsepower Homemade Giant - the Story Behind the Honey Bee 2WD Tractor

Looking to add a bigger tractor to their farm and save some money along the way, Greg and Glenn Honey of Bracken, Saskatchewan spent the winter of 1978-79 building a giant yellow and black workhorse that has come to symbolize farmer ingenuity and sheer power.

[@papabits5721]

I love the sound of a air starter

[@SL-di3is]

Wow, big respect to the builder, love the fact that the small guy can build something like this. Looks great too

[@cleenlivin]

The old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention” comes to mind. It’s amazing to think these guys had the know how and ability to home-build something like this that would require big companies employing teams of engineers, designers and machinist to do. I have great respect and admiration for these gentleman.

[@utulangi6078]

Beautiful machine. I love his attitude, 'we needed a bigger machine so we build one'. Lol

[@gr7485]

Good job Mr. Honey. Good old Saskatchewan farmer ingenuity.

[@rossbryan6102]

THAT IS ABOUT THE NICEST LOOKING HOME BUILT TRACTOR IVE SEEN!! WELL DONE, WELL FINISHED OUT!!

[@silentgamer666]

WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING????

[@rossbryan6102]

Shaun Van de velde NOT SHOUTING! WHEN I FIRST STARTED TEXTING THE PHONES HAD SMALL SCREENS AND KEY PADS! ALSO I HAVE NO LARGE SCREENS OR KEYBOARDS, SO I USE ALL CAPS FOR EASIER AND MORE ACCURATE WORDING! IN THE EARLY DAYS OF TEXTING NO ONE SAID A THING! SOMETIME LATER SOMEONE WANTED TO BE THE POLICE OF TEXTING AND PROCLAIMED THIS RULE! I AM MERELY USING MY PHONE AS I HAVE SINCE 1995!

[@victoryfirst2878]

You really make my day when two brothers make a tractor because they need one to use. Nice and peace

[@PorscheRacer14]

Lot's of ingenious farmers and fabricators in this area. I know my great uncle Pete Sakundiak was one and he showed me a bunch of people at the farm progress show that know there their stuff to solve any obstacle or problem on them with great innovation. Great tractor!

[@BeamerTheFox]

Theres an old sayin, ya can never have to big of a tractor. this is living testament, thank for sharing

[@robivlahov]

Except in vineyards...

[@oBseSsIoNPC]

What an inspiration, I am wanting to build my own tractor and maybe Combine etc. based on current machines, but without the washing machine mentality of "let's put in weak spots to make sure our techs stay busy and we can sell expensive parts". Less electronics and lots of fail safes to ensure continuing operation.

[@christopherlovelock9104]

May I suggest start with the basic - anything pre 1960. You'll find the Metal is thicker, Engines built to last, Hydraulics stronger, and the Gearbox & Axles will match anything built today. OK you might not have GPS control but anyone with a good eye should be able to navigate a straight line across a field.

[@georgeschmunk6537]

We need these awesome guys to keep feeding us.

[@who_cares848]

I should be sleeping but here i am watching fucking tractor videos again. Also that starter cranking in the beginning scared the shit out of me. I have headphones on lol

[@johangerber5477]

I was laughing so hard at your comment!!! Excellent!!!

[@NorthEastSaskFarmer]

I’d love to see it on modern Ag tires. Radial Ag tires have come a long way. Like a good year LSW, of IF tires

[@hankelrod7315]

My grandfather made a tractor from a 1920 something dodge truck which he used on his veg farm for about 30 years. He did everything with that thing. Eventually he bought a IH offset for cultivating but the dodge did everything else. Men were men in those days.

[@burnedatbirth]

amazing!!

[@elmersmith7698]

Hahahhaah!!! I like that farmer! "If you're driving it where you should be driving it, you won't have any trouble."

[@user-wickedflower]

Elmer Smith thats kind of a rule to live by ✌🏻

[@georgeisaak5321]

Worderful tractor ! It might be a bit old by today's standards and lack in technology but i am sure this behemoth is capable of doing hard field work without even sweating about it . It looks very reliable , heavy and powerful !

[@tickedoffsheikh8587]

I was born in the fall of 1978. Love how it came to reality. Respect from Guyana.

[@vstrom9586]

I visited Guyana in 2019, mostly Georgetown and Linden - a little too warm for a white guy from Canada but had a great time

[@tickedoffsheikh8587]

@@vstrom9586 thanks for visiting.... come again 🇬🇾

[@ManofCulture]

WOW it is well built, good job

[@danielheckmann4898]

Wow That's a fine tractor 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@the2120company]

great job

[@turbodiesel4709]

Friggen awesome! As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of all invention. Farmers have been doing this kind of thing since the beginning of time. Love the creativity.

[@kevet1968]

Yup well said. Any given farmstead 150 years ago would have had a machine shop, blacksmith shop and a foundry and they just handle their business.

[@devakaja9724]

Turbo Diesel

[@casadelshed9128]

Winter in Canada must be long and boring. An this is the result. This is fantastic.

[@teamidris]

A great line on it 4x2 construction; "If you use it where you should be using it, it works fine" :o)

[@rockdawg1467]

its neat nice build

[@eugenejulson8742]

Gorgeous.

[@Takeithome345]

Awesome!!!!!

[@russse2793]

Thank you for sharing. Canadian ingenuity at its best. Beautiful ole gal. Great video, and God Bless from Phoenix.

[@Bushguyrocks]

That would be Canadian ingenuity, eh?

[@russse2793]

LOL, You are absolutely correctly correct. I'll fix it now.

[@Bushguyrocks]

@@russse2793 You are supposed to say "correct, eh?"😀

[@russse2793]

It was an attempt at humor, eh?

[@nicolasarias4967]

Man this baby looks like a súper big Tonka toy

[@wildcoyote34]

I love these home built machines ,, and even more the care and attention that was paid to it during building I myself have a couple home made tractors but mine are a wee bit smaller ,, I built my tractors out of automotive components mostly ,the one i use the most was built out of 2 nissan trucks and a ford truck I used a nissan 3 liter V6 with a 4 speed automatic and mated a 5 speed manual behind it rockwell divorced transfer case direct bolted to a rockwell 2 speed truck axle from a grain truck ,I used mostly 6 inch C channel for the frame I built this machine in 2001 originally 2 wheel drive but after 10 years using it i upgraded it with 4 wheel drive ,,the rear tires are 14.9-28 ,and 11R22.5 in front ,,fronts are irrigation pivot tires ,,had to figure out the correct ratio to make them turn the correct speed and then find a 4x4 front axle to match ,,I settled on a front axle from a 1984 F250 I rebuilt it as a strait axle with a pivot just like a tractor axle in 2014 i also upgraded it again this time by a round about way i added a live PTO ,this required having a power shaft made for the front of the engine ,,,this shaft turns a 6 groove pulley with 6x 5/8 in belts that turn an irrigation power unit clutch with a 4 speed muncie behind it ,this unusual arrangement gives me a 4 speed PTO kind of an ugly machine but it works well for my small farm as a utility tractor ,, it is however all electronic because i kept the complete electrical system from the vehicle the engine was in it has all of the features you would expect from any tractor including heat and AC ,and it's a 20 speed power shift thanks to the auto trans

[@Varinki]

got any videos of it?

[@1978garfield]

You need to post pics and videos. It sounds great. I think more farmers will go the DIY route as they keep making new tractors more $$ and harder to work on.

[@brandongustafson7497]

Beautiful tractor!! That must be where this 🚜came from but a bit bigger lol

[@craigywaigy4703]

Wowww - great build, and she looks sweet too!! Great comment from Mr H at the end re:"You won't get stuck, if you drive it the way it's meant.....", kinda like the old joke - Q?-What's the difference between a 2WD and 4WD tractor? A!-A SHORT rope, or a LONG rope, when your stuck! Keep safe and well folks.

[@trekzilladmc]

There needs to be a 1:64 scale model!

[@henningsrensen2421]

i have seen that one ,in a farm show near Saskatchewan back in 1980.

[@blackriflemensorganization6139]

Beautiful machine.

[@kevet1968]

....I have a black rifle, can I be a bro?

[@blackriflemensorganization6139]

Yes, indeed !

[@Buzzbox3rd]

Two smart boys, good on them :)

[@Dylan_7020]

farming in style

[@dontbetonit813]

I love the statement "if your driving where you should be driving you should be fine."

[@trainman071]

i need this as a lawn tractor in my front yard

[@PML720]

All i can day is woah! 😮😮😮

[@maximilianburchert4037]

Klasse Maschine. !!! Wo ist der Traktor zuhause ?

[@NorthEastSaskFarmer]

Wish there was video footage of both of them working in the field

[@gilerarunnertc1834]

braydenpresber I’ll have many videos and pictures of this I’ll upload a video one day

[@basstrammel1322]

That's quite the accomplishment to build that on a farm! Takes some guts to put that much money into a project you don't know gonna work. I've seen some real shady-looking builds (not close to this in size), but they mostly seem to be the basics thrown on a frame with a rollcage. Those where not used on the fields per say either, just for transport/inspection.

[@ray1965ify]

simple is better, in most cases. built for a certain job at a fraction of a purchased tractor. great job great minds.

[@LegoWormNoah101]

Purchasing a tractor might be cheaper in this case. Think about the expensive tools needed, and then the engine, and the tires, and the cab, and the air conditioner.

[@KStewart-th4sk]

@@LegoWormNoah101 No electronics to worry about. Talk to a farmer that has had problems with all the electronic wizardry on today's equipment---what it has cost him in money AND down time---see what they would choose. Plus $40,000 then is around $131,000 in today's dollars--see what that would buy you!

[@perrysmith6872]

She's UA honey of a bee alright !!! Patriot Perry ...

[@valariebointy2293]

Build more of them. There's a market for them. Run the internet. Easy to fix and use. If I needed one that size, I would either build it or buy it. My moded JD 4020, 800 Ford, and H Farmall fills my needs. Yup, they are all moded and do a good day's work.

[@thebigun.]

this is what bumble bee from transformers shoulda been.

[@trentboulanger8245]

would love to see this tractor pulling

[@scotts8589]

Haha! Look at 1:58 the ol bastard has a Mickey of vodka in his shirts pocket. Classic rural Saskatchewan. Probably met with the boys in the local coffee shop after the show and had 17 coffee re-fills while talking about "how things used to be".

[@Seveneleven44]

Here, here! Grand dad still meets with the goo ole boys like clockwork @ Tim's. 3am. If you're late you prob missed the whole days news. Bitching about us kids...

[@robh6638]

At the show in Varginia ? Asking for a friend

[@highlightsbottleflipnbanfl1847]

Honey bee makes one of the best draper heads available.

[@maximilianburchert4037]

Wo steht der Tractor ?

[@kowkunt8710]

What is the weight of these Tractors full. Did they have fluid in tires

[@RealAgricultureMedia]

Not sure -- we'll find out!

[@sharanseerha1624]

I am sikh from punjab good job

[@ami2evil]

Shittin' in the streets!

[@DJzSith]

*I never knew apiculture was such power intensive operation.*

[@vstrom9586]

most people don't have a clue about farming

[@bubbachunky2867]

I bet if they built these, people would buy these for different applications, build the honey bee!

[@danielrose1392]

Don't think so, technology has really improved. Today you can find much smaller 500hp tractors with all wheel drive and variable transmission on the market, which probably pull more.

[@jhomrich89]

with the amount of plastic used in new ones and the amount of electronics they certainly won't be as reliable as something as simple in construction as this

[@rd468magnum]

I must have missed what he said about the planetary,or third member/differential..i bet it pulls really good,like guy said its just a matter of counter balancing and wheel slippage...then its all about horsepower

[@NorthEastSaskFarmer]

Titan made a set of time and tires for the big bud 747, they should make a set for this

[@markp.7109]

how did they only manage to spend $40,000? Seems like the tires alone would cost more than that.

[@machinerydoctor]

Possibly on the original build

[@everythingtractors9332]

Kirovets K-710: Am I A Joke 2 U?

[@nathanping5729]

It looks like a front end of a big bud from the pivet to the front!?!? What would the world did without a farmer???

[@user-rr7io5nd6y]

красивый! жаль только не ездит!

[@KellyBell1]

Honey Bee Tractor?? You mean a Bumble Bee Tractor!😅

[@ChiefAUS]

Would like to have seen it in the field working.

[@Futurebeefcake]

Its more of a toy not really a tool. Just pretty much for show

[@ChiefAUS]

Did you watch the video? It was used on the farm for years.

[@VenezuelaNow]

A toy WTH did you even watch the video they used it on the farm as their main tractor from 1976 to 1995, yep that's for show...

[@kevet1968]

+50 Ducks In A Hot Tub How many people comment before watching the video or even reading it's title?...

[@ChiefAUS]

Too many comment before watching the video. Some at least watch part of it before commenting. SMH what a bunch of losers.

[@vikingmonkey4561]

king bee

[@johntilsley9271]

Looks a. Treat

[@vikingmonkey4561]

i would, love to drive. this tractor right into starbucks drive thru!

[@tivet4]

gaint tractor in the world is upton ht14/350 see Worlds biggest 2WD tractor pull. Upton HT 14-350 - KZbin

[@machinerydoctor]

Australia 🇦🇺

[@carlarodgers5011]

I would use a 12v91tt Detroit. but it's a great build

[@eiserntorsphantomoftheoper2154]

Send us a video after your build. Nothing sounds like a Detroit under heavy load.......LOVE EM

[@waitemc]

Naa 24v91

[@KStewart-th4sk]

Let us know when you find a 12V91TT Detroit to put in your build. 12V92TT will be easier to find.

[@nellsonstout7001]

K Stewart you win this comment section 🤣

[@blainevolesky9653]

Where's this tractor from?

[@KStewart-th4sk]

Seriously? It is right in the caption PLUS it is the first thing the guy says in the video---WHO BUILT IT AND WHERE!!!

[@BorsosGabor2023]

Felcsúton két ilyen is van,csak rózsaszínűek!

[@2KCamaroZ28SS]

Yep yep

[@wasimjaan3300]

Was that real startup sound?

[@wickett7078]

Yes sir, it is an air starter

[@kenbirkin7753]

Bacon built in grand prairie

[@ADRIAAN1007]

I can already see it bottoming out on some mud.

[@wssides]

In those days you didn't think of farming in mud!

[@Earthau]

Tractor Pull!

[@dougnordaune8473]

Earthau

[@covepac]

A500 HORSEPOWER HOMEMADE GIANT THE STORY BEHIND HOMEY BEE 2WD TRACTOR CASTEL

[@petroldevo9934]

Let's build a gigantic tractor ! Here, hold my beer....

[@PeterIJmker]

Now you can buy a Fendt 1050

[@harrimanfox8961]

Still not 2wd. (Or nearly as big)

[@SuperWRobert]

"Abelhinha do mel"

[@sarbjitjhalli6039]

I.am.very.verylike.and.verybig.

[@Draxindustries1]

What is it with all the chequed shirts in this video?

[@ziiofswe]

You mean farmers uniforms.

[@gr7485]

Were you expecting to see a bunch of guys with man purses slung over their shoulders?

[@kevet1968]

+George Reed Yes and skinny jeans.

[@lindsaycole8409]

As a comparison, the largest articulated 4wd serial production tractors around 1978 were maxing out at ~ 350 hp. Only really one-offs like this that were more powerful than that. I'd question how much of that 500hp was actually usable with 2 driving wheels. You can go from duals to triple (heh I guess quads to) tyres, but then transport and actually control become difficult. There is a reason the 4wd tractor became the standard for high horsepower tractors, 4 driving wheels mean a narrower track for the same tyre contact area and other advantages. Also getting hold of implements in 1978 that would actually test 500hp would also mean homebuilt specials. Seems to me they got hold of a 500hp engine, and built a tractor around it, but the engine was overkill to the tractors actual capabilities and intended use.

[@machinerydoctor]

How much did it weigh ?

[@joshalger6059]

I believe it said 40 thousand odd pounds the things weighs alone.

[@machinerydoctor]

@@joshalger6059 Upton's HT14-350 Is 23 tonne , so 50,600 imperial lbs ( 2240lb/ imperial ton ) The fuel tank was fabricated, the floor was 1" plate sourly for ballast .

[@nicolasarias4967]

DAmm fucking monster

[@brent440]

Cummins are my favorite but i would rather have his other tractor with the six banger cat. Or better yet this one with an 855 or 1150, both were proven to outstrip the v motors with torque and economy both. A versatile with an Inline six is desireable, hence the 855 or 1150. The versatile tractors with , 555 v8 and 903 V8 were all famous for falling flat on their faces when power demands were up. Most truck shop owners I once supplied called them junk. They quit building them for a reason. or two. That's why nearly all the big trucks and tractors that are at all successful have seven mains, which is what you have in an inline six, not five, like a v8, pardon me on the v 12 it has seven but they are smaller and the rod journals have to share rods. inline sixes have heavier cranks and rods too. V8's are good for racing and pulling smaller loads.. Having slammed v motor diesels enough for now, I do admire the simple design, the nice look with the awesome looking cab and the New Holland looking paint. And having the wherewithal otherwise, to make a v12 last. Put an N14 or EGR delete ISX in that thing and you'll have gold. Except the big six can be tough on driveline...because they have real torque. Heck, put a screamin 5.9 in it!

[@kevet1968]

I thought he said it was a 6 cylinder Cummins in the other tractor

[@benjiswede6351]

Brent Hass I do believe the 555 was known for the catastrophic failures...

[@f-j-Services]

5.9? They need a DT466 to get easy power, 600 horse just fine, and to clear the smoke put the new s2e turbo if one can be found.

[@gary96397]

Brent Hass .better to have a real engine...Scania v8

[@nellsonstout7001]

Brent Hass it’s a 13 speed roadranger. It should be able to handle it. As for your suggestions, anything less than an 1150 would be a waste

[@bebtozoltan55]

four wheels drive

[@craigrmeyer]

How in the heck can they make that for CA$40,000? I’m amazed.

[@wssides]

Consider the year!

[@robertpayne2717]

In 1978 $40,000 would be equal to an estimated $150,000 to $200,000 in today's dollars

[@user-om6xo2ny6f]

Мощя

[@andyoutlaww7494]

0:11

[@jeremydorn5168]

Max

[@jeremydorn5168]

Ruby

[@covepac]

a500 horsepower homemade giant the story BEHINDhoney bee 2 wd tractor castel

[@6redline3]

Front grille molding off a telex.....

[@6redline3]

Terex

[@jeremydorn5168]

Alligator

[@Hetzish]

Does it actually move?

[@probsty13]

yes it does. has 6000 hours on it in the field. i got to see this and talk to him at farm progress. very very cool

[@nellsonstout7001]

Hetzish why do people ask these questions? Of course it moves

[@Thytimmythy1st]

Did he just say Virgina

[@jeremydorn5168]

Rocketcar

[@adoreslaurel]

And not a captive of John Deere.

[@1juanitosully]

How many hors power is that little bugger?

[@jjr897]

Some did not pay attention to the video

[@VenezuelaNow]

Screw the video it's clearly stated in the Title

[@ceniciento367jvl7]

I have to desing a Loader Backhoe on same size tractor future world largest tractor loader backhoe