BIG 4wd TRACTORS from 1983

In 1983 there were ten manufactures of high horse power 4wd tractors in North America with the top end models from each brand ranging from 200-475 engine horsepower. Big Tractor Power heads out in the field to share the sights and sounds of these 40 year old tractors hard at work.
Watch for these classic tractors from 1983:
1. Allis-Chalmers 4W-305
2. BIG BUD 440
3. CASE 4890
4. INTERNATIONAL 6788 2+2
5. JOHN DEERE 8850
6. MASSEY FERGUSON 4900
7. ROME 475C
8. STEIGER Panther KP-1360
9. VERSATILE 1150
10. WFE 4-270 Field Boss
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[@scottpykare801]

The Versatile 1150 on triples. Really tough looking tractor. Excellent video Jason.

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you Scott.

[@jamiecota1628]

Loved the Allis Chalmers

[@truthandfreedom885]

Steiger was always a workhorse, Never had one just wish we did.

[@freedomrings1420]

As a retired heavy equipment operator, I'll never understand how a triple tired tractors axles can hold up to the stress and pressure without snapping off. And I'll always be amazed at what man can build. Love them BIG 🚜 s.

[@tman8939]

i wondered the same thing.

[@Jan_372]

Probably massively overbuilt to survive it😅

[@jimsteele7108]

I learned that the hard way by making duals for a stand on mini skidsteer. Snapped an axel ☹️

[@dingdongdaddytimanderson]

Tripled are for greater flotation, not so much greater traction. The extra tires Tim progressively less air pressure, with the outer tire very low. Thus less axle stress. It's all about lower pound/square inch of weight on the ground. Axle breaks can still occur.

[@wiz12]

Ran an 850 with dual and a breaking plow that snapped front axles on a regular basis.... always in a wet section too

[@piperdoug428]

I love that so many are still sowing the hills and paying the bills after 40yrs, wonder if we'll can say the same for the modern stuff

[@bigtractorpower]

These tractors were built to last.

[@corgidog6756]

I liked the big Versatile and the Case the best of these. Thanks for the 4wd tractors.

[@SimonKL11]

Great to see big tractors going strong💪😁 the old iron is the best😉👍 Thanks for sharing👍👍

[@ronaldmolinasandoval1849]

🇧🇴 Fans n1 👀 waoo 💯 waoo me gusta me encanta ver este tipo de videos 📹 📹 👀 saludos cordiales desde Sudamérica Santa Cruz bolivia 🇧🇴 👍 excelente trabajo con el video 📹 👍 💜 👍 amigos 👍 👍 👍

[@jankotze1959]

Versatile was awesome, but everyone is special

[@jiggyquinn5635]

Thank you.

[@justinmitchell9385]

Steiger Panther would be my pick!

[@freedomrings1420]

They've always been one of my favorite lines of big tractors.

[@spliceoncharlie]

Love the big 4WD tractors. Thanks for the videos.

[@danl9334]

excellent, thanks for sharing!!!

[@Dan-qy1rg]

Loved watching all those old giants at work! Thanks

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching. It was fun tracking all these tractors down.

[@danielgore861]

I like the versatile the most. Awesome videos. You are very much appreciated

[@craigsibley8161]

Excellent video 👍👍👍 My favourite was the Case and the snoopy. Both sounded great...

[@bigtractorpower]

Two great tractors.

[@josephfinklea3650]

All of there tractor 🚜 powerful very impressive quality.

[@dennislamers986]

Always great to see these "big dogs" in action.

[@miguelangelvalderrama1808]

I liked that ROME 475C 😃😃😃😃😃 because i used to watch that tractor in my childhood, behind my house.

[@karriefalon7779]

Versatile all the way. so so miss sitting in that old 835 for hours. it was not biggest or best but no mater what I can say I am most partial to them big ol versatiles.

[@CountryTesla]

Loved the 80s, Go Big! Only triple I've seen in real was a new Panther at the state fair about that time. Really made an impression! ....nothing to do with my inner child I'm sure but, ...found another set of duals for my already dualed Panther ST325. The kids should enjoy it too. Great inspirational vid!

[@jimsteele7108]

That case sure is a nice looking tractor.

[@bigtractorpower]

The 4890 is a stand out.

[@ascension8811]

Love seeing the Big Bud, can't wait to see the new ones this year. The Steiger, White and Versatile were really cool to see. The Rome and Versatile sounded like they weren't running to good. Thanks

[@nellsonstout7001]

The Rome is running perfectly. It’s the v8 sound throwing you off

[@ascension8811]

@@nellsonstout7001 I haven't seen the Rome too much. Good to know. Thanks

[@MWL4466]

Man, that 8850 JD sounds like its idling.

[@bigtractorpower]

It’s surprising how quite the growl is on an 8850.

[@chadshafer8095]

Love this video of all the High Hp Tractors.

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching. Big AC leasing the way in 1983.

[@joemarchinski914]

👍👍👍 another very cool video vacation back to the farm..thank you for filming what you love, and sharing

[@johnthompson4162]

Great video Jason, Thanks for putting it together. John T.

[@philsfarmtoychannel4756]

I always love seeing these old classics! My favorite is probably the case 4890, I am a old school case guy at heart. The 88 series anteater makes me kinda sad to think that was almost the end of an incredible farming giant like IH. I cannot wait till next year, ertl is releasing a JD 8850 1/16 in their prestige select line. I got one preordered!

[@Blackwellll3066]

Sure alot of cool 4wd tractors

[@JamesClark-fy9lm]

I'd have to say that 4890 was my favorite. I always liked the old case tractors. We have a 1983 4490 on the farm with 916 original hours, it doesn't do much anymore but we keep it around.

[@bigtractorpower]

I am a big Case Traction King fan. The first tractor I ever got to ride in was a 2470. My neighbor had a 2470 and 4690 purchased new. A farm down the road had two 4490s. One on singles and one with duals. Nice that your 4490 has low hours.

[@billz410]

Always good to see MORE CLASSIC TRACTOR POWER!!! Our farm in central ND was home to a variety of Versatile's, including the 800, 850, and an 1150. The search for more horsepower led us to a couple of used Big Bud 525's. With long-standing loyalties to JD, the 8850 replaced all the Versatiles and BigBuds. While they were all impressive in different ways, in their own right, at the time of manufacture, the JD's were by far the most refined in build quality, and particularly in the steering and hydraulics. But we performed many repairs on the Versatiles and BigBuds (all Cummins) that we would have never tackled on the JD 8850s...meaning that the Versatiles, etc., were much easier to work on. I remember helping dad put new rod/main bearings in one of the big KTA Cummins...what a job! The neighbors with the Steiger Tigers, though...that was considered the Cadillac at the time.

[@bigtractorpower]

Great history. Thank you for sharing. You got to see some cool tractors.

[@neptunefarms1994]

I love the 4w 305 allis. You don't See many of them still in the field.

[@user-dv1xe1uh7m]

Nice looking tractors, but I have to say the white and case sound the best out of all of them.

[@bigtractorpower]

CAT and Scania engines 👍👍

[@murraykelm5691]

Field Boss looks like it would fit in a Mad Max movie.

[@bigtractorpower]

😁👍

[@diegograndov5078]

Buenisimo el video que lindos tractores se hacian en esa epoca, justo el año que naci 10 de febrero de 1983, saludos .

[@alensnowplowing4160]

Thanks,I guess Big Budd Tractors making a Come back??

[@bigtractorpower]

They are. I saw one being built recently. Stay tuned.

[@jackwillie2729]

And thier still running almost 40 years later

[@bigtractorpower]

They are solid tractors built to last.

[@robertquast9684]

We ran a 8850 for a few years. After the v8 grenaded had a kinze repower. Really made it pull. It amazes me that the buds and versatile sold with the price difference over the others

[@bigtractorpower]

The 8850 in this video is mine. I bought it in 2019. It was neat to find one with the V8. I was hoping someone would bring up the price differences. The Big Bud was built with heavier duty complements and thicker steel than any other tractor on the market and offered allot of power. It had a modern cab. The Rome had the most power but was a bare bones machine compared to the others. The Versatile offered lots of convince but was a bit lighter built than the Big Bud. The 8850 was really top end with its power, cab, controls and pto combination.

[@AkbarMoncongloe]

Wow amazing

[@tonybunch543]

The good ol days! 👌

[@Thewaywefarm]

Hard to beat the 8850 and Big Bud!

[@luisnunes7933]

Hello! Good oldies never fail...

[@bigtractorpower]

😁👍👍👍

[@luisnunes7933]

@@bigtractorpower 👌

[@brandonreeves5979]

That Rome sounds good! Very cool video! 😎👍🏻🎥💯

[@bigtractorpower]

It is one cool tractor.

[@brandonreeves5979]

@@bigtractorpower completely agree.

[@rodneyrtennis1279]

Great video!

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@EDBZ28]

Great video…surprisingly, I think that old case and white had the best sound.

[@bigtractorpower]

The Scania motor has a tough sound in the 4890.

[@EDBZ28]

@@bigtractorpower yes it does. Never heard of that company for motor…interesting! Enjoyed your interview w/Tom, my neighbor. Thanks for sharing the man behind the deep voice. Haha

[@tugboat2739]

Howdy bigtractorpower

[@bigtractorpower]

Hi. Thank you for watching.

[@nathiolifant6842]

In terms of beauty contest; Big Bud 440 and that Steiger were in the league of their own. That last Field Boss is aggressive and fast!!! What engine in there Jason?

[@Traktor_Ngawi]

Good video 👍❤

[@Hinesfarm-Indiana]

Awesome video, thanks Jason

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@bradenconway9066]

That poor old versatile, love them but that hydraulic pump was going wild with trying to keep that flexicoil cart fan going, surging like crazy. Don’t think they had an atom jet on it

[@mbury8004]

A very nice video ! Regards from germany

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you. Always great to have viewers in Germany. 👍👍

[@user-ks8xh4df7x]

Хороший канал!

[@abitoutofsorts]

Panther 👍

[@ronstudnicka1421]

Liked the IH 6788. But, I'm partial to IH tractors. Would have been nice if the 2+2's would have survived the buyout. They were ahead of their time. The last one on the drawing board had a Magnum styled cab and a precursor to today's CVT transmission. So I've read anyway.

[@chadtosh6831]

A little less selection when it comes to big 4wd tractors today. Pretty cool they are restarting production of the Big Bud again though. I’m still a sucker for a versatile though!!! 👍

[@NorthEastSaskFarmer]

Case, Jd, versatile, challenger, fendt, claas, mtz, big bud. Don’t think anyone else makes a big tractor available in North America beyond this list. I’d love to see a @bigtractorpower video on the Mtz

[@chadtosh6831]

@@NorthEastSaskFarmer I would too. Still some old Belarus 4wd from the 80s kicking around up here. Guys use them for breaking ground. Really heavy iron on them. I’ve got a 5 year old mtz loader tractor myself. Had a couple previous to this one.

[@poorfatman5317]

I like the white the best

[@heatmoon]

The Allis sounds like maybe they did a Cummins 855 swap? Or maybe it's got a hole in the exhaust. Growing up on an 8550 the sound was a bit different and those big twin turbos could always kinda be heard

[@derrickzenner9300]

Farm shows were the best during these years before all of the mergers.

[@bigtractorpower]

Don much to chose from. It’s amazing that in 4 years from 1983 there were only 4 brands building 4wds.

[@jonathand519]

Great footage Jason, but I'm thinking that that Series 4 Big Bud 440 wasn't made till 1987 if I remember correctly. One had Tripples. The other duals. Williams may have Both of them or maybe not?

[@bigtractorpower]

That is correct. The Big Bud 440 was available for order in 1983 but only two were ever built. One in 1987 and one in 1989. Series IV was new in 1983.

[@jonathand519]

Gotcha. I know when the restructered after the Bankruptcy from the Twin Disc debacle I heard they were still building Series 3 Buds, but I never got a time frame of when that stopped and the Transition to Series 4 began except for build dates. Torgesson lent a hand as well. I'm glad they are finally giving it a go again. If things wouldn't have gone the way they did, we might have seen Big Bud 665s and 525/84s a plenty in the mining industry pulling Big scraper pana the last 40 years with Friggstad partnership. Thanks again Jason for your dedication hunting down all sorts of Agricultural Machinery.

[@nielsdybro9759]

Interesting to note that the largest of these 4WD’s from 1983 are all smaller than today’s largest row crop tractors in engine hp.

[@bigtractorpower]

It is interesting looking at the horse power and cost of these machines. While the biggest of tractors is on the low end of the horse power range today models like the Big Bud were built heavy.

[@henningsrensen2421]

John Deere ,and The Versatile was my favorit

[@jaybernieschoep3491]

my cousin has 46 series case last year his dad was trying to trade it in and he said tractor stays.

[@zacharbert6604]

Where was the 1150 with the air seeder filmed? Was that on Williams Brothers farm in Montana?

[@bigtractorpower]

It was filmed on the Williams home farm.

[@NilsExploringAmerica]

Is that just me or does the 1150 at 9:00 min have an hydraulic flow issue to the main fan on the cart? sounds like its going up,down,up,down.

[@bigtractorpower]

I am not sure. It was not seeding. They just ran it to let me film a few passes.

[@joegotz1971]

Was that Santa Claus in the JD 8850?

[@user-nn7sx8rh5e]

👍👍👍hi with Ukraine

[@frankgyomoryjr6167]

Ok, photographer question. I noticed the John Deere 8850 at 4:30 the tires were kind of a stroboscopic blur but if you paused the video the tire were clearly shown. Is that a effect of shutter speed or frame rate or what? Not bad, I'm just curious. I kinda like the Case.

[@dwightl5863]

It is a the Stroboscopic Effect. Really noticeable on stage coaches in westerns. Frames per second in motion pictures.

[@411alcohol]

You going to the world ag expo this year in Tulare that’s where I live

[@bigtractorpower]

I am not. I will be at the National Farm Machinery Show.

[@411alcohol]

Oh ok. I hope one day you’ll be able to come out west. The governor of California doesn’t seem to like the farming community in California. It’s a shame all red tape the farmers have to go through. I appreciate you and your channel and I’m not even in the ag business. I work at a prison 😂. Thank you for always being so kind. I’d like to meet you one day. God bless you.

[@onelonleyfarmer]

McConnell?

[@Zero01k]

Few years early for McConnell

[@douglassellers7528]

I liked that Massey.

[@bigtractorpower]

The 4900 is a good tractor.

[@bobnistler]

🚜🚜

[@paulofrancisco565]

👍👍👏👏💪💪🚜🚜🇧🇷

[@gggbon]

I don't think there are 10 manufacturers for these big tractors anymore!

[@bigtractorpower]

Unfortunately not. The current line up of big tractors can be seen in this video at kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHe8fKR7hJWpqtU

[@gggbon]

@@bigtractorpower And a lot of them old ones where in Western New York more than anywhere else in the world! Great interview on TWWF channel!

[@TienNguyen-vq9ls]

Việt Nam 🤗😘😄

[@koreymartinson7238]

I really like the 1150 versátiles.

[@bigtractorpower]

They are cool tractors.

[@libbydaddy8610]

That Big Bud would cost around $440K in 2023 dollars. John Deere 8850 & MF 4400, about $310K. Rome 475C, $327K. Versatile 1150, $405K.

[@bigtractorpower]

Each of these were the top end tractor for their brand. Today’s top end models in the 620 to 670 hp offering are in the $900,000 range on price.

[@timtaylor2202]

Rome Tractor should have been pulling a Rome Plow/Plough

[@bigtractorpower]

It would be a cool combo. It’s hard to find period correct implements.

[@marvincook4543]

I Owned two John Deere 4440: ;s That I bought New in 1978 & 1979 ! "Folks let me tell you this I paid >>> Folks they were "Awesome Tractors !

[@404nitro]

AC 305.

[@bigtractorpower]

One cool tractor.

[@bordstif84]

I always get a puffed up chest seeing the old Versatile's being the best of them all. Manitoba born and raised. not a multigenrational farmer that just had the operation handed to me like them shiny John Deere renter's down the road. haha. trust me...they want my land..all of it.

[@truthandfreedom885]

Not given a thing here also. Started buying bits of land before it went crazy psycho high , now farm it myself. Old equipment but have lots of fun. The Greed in farming is stunning.

[@davidlessig231]

Knifes on the chisel plow not even in ground

[@williamgreenway9893]

And the John Deere!🤭

[@nikos8984]

Check Email, Cooperation(camera)

[@yordobelps]

With all due respect the Rome tractors have comically small tires for their tractor designs

[@bigtractorpower]

A Rome will roll through just about anything. They were built for rice country. Bare bones power.

[@leighwade6232]

We Had we were Hay silage Contractors 1105 MF 6245 MF 1085 MF 2 3505 MF 6270 MF JCB 148 MF 6290 MF iseki 2 250 MF 4255 MF John Deere 355 MF 4270 MF case 135 MF 699 MF Ford