"Big Bertha"

ZZebes · May 21, 2006

Please post the specifics of the item, FYI this Poll was inspired by Worktruck's masterful use of his 15lb Big Bertha Sledge Hammer to remove his Brake Rotor. Kuddos to you.

carneyman · May 21, 2006

My Big Bertha is our 8770 John Deere tractor. That thing can pull anything. Had to pull a fully loaded semi sideways one time to get it away from a high line pole.

Worktruck · May 21, 2006

There ought to be another choice in this poll. What about all of the above!

rjirvine · May 21, 2006

My friend's Big Bertha is a 44" 3/4 drive breaker bar...I'll do just about anything!

Elwood 2000 · May 21, 2006

Well, just Bertha.

IH 4568 with a 903 Cummins. I have never seen anything yet that will slow her down.

May 21, 2006

How'd it get a 903? I thought the 855 was the popular choice for the IH 4 wheelers.

Elwood 2000 · May 22, 2006

Actually the 4568's and the 4586's come from the factory with the VT800 engine. Very few are good engines, but most are time bombs, ticking away. Many, MANY moons ago, the VT800 took a dump. The engine was replaced with a 903 Cummins V-8. A few years later, a 4586 was added to the fleet and the same thing happened. While the 903 is a very powerful engine and performs well, she is a bit thirsty. With this re-power, the 855 Cummins I6 was installed. The frame was lengthened 14 inches and a new front hinge one piece hood was made. Plenty of power and very fuel efficient!

We have two other 4 wheelers, a 4568 and a 4586, both with bad engines that we rebuilt. They are not used as much and for the cost savings of a re-build in our own shop vs. a conversion, both will last a very long time with as few hours as are put on them each year.

Two of the tractors have been repainted and look real nice, but two have original paint and 30 year old paint is starting to look bad.

All in all a good fleet. All of them have nice cab kits, air ride seats, great juke boxes and ice cold A/C. For the 70-80 days per year spent in them, we feel it is a bit silly to spend $250k on a tractor that will spend most of it's life in the shed!

May 22, 2006

So you guys are running 4 IH wheelers? Don't see many around here, although my Uncles' rented a 4586 2 yrs ago. It still had the V800 engine. I've heard pistons are around $1000/hole for that engine.

Neighbor guy had a 4366 that he bought cheap in the late 80's with rearend trouble, fixed it, painted it, ran it a couple years and sold it. Not sure where it went.

I do some work occasionally for some friends, they have a Deere 8870 & 9400 and Case IH STX 275, 7240 & 7130 Magnums. The 275 was bought new last spring.

How many acres do you run?

Elwood 2000 · May 22, 2006

We farm 2200 acres. Two are main tractors while the other two are "Spares" I guess you would call them?? They get used, but not a lot of hours on them. They are very cheap to buy and easy to work on. My cousin has them down to a science, front to back, top to bottom. There is not a peice on them that he has not touched at some point. In short, they are cheap horsepower and if they are maintained, they work flawlessly! We keep a newer tractor for the planter/auger cart and newer planters and combine, but some older equipment just makes economic sense.

You would not beleive the people I have seen mowing road sides with newer tractors, especially 4 wheel assists and I even saw a JD Trac tractor mowing!!

I feel like saying, "Can't you people even afford an 806??" Taking a $100 tractor to mow road sides is insane if you ask me. I think some of these people are "payment poor" and are forced to use such an expensive tractor to mow with.

Just my thoughts!

REDeckard · May 22, 2006

You would not beleive the people I have seen mowing road sides with newer tractors, especially 4 wheel assists and I even saw a JD Trac tractor mowing!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you must live near me!! We have a neighbor who mows roads with an 8420T on a batwing, it does wonders for the roads in the middle of summer.

My vote is Tractor - Our Case IH 9170 w/ 855 BCII Cummins.