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Welker Farms in Montana rebuilt a 1977 Big Bud KT-450 into a custom 700-horsepower tractor called the Big Bud 700, then put it to work during wheat harvest. It is one of the largest tractors, but it is not the Big Bud 747, the separate machine identified as the largest in the cited coverage.
What happened to the 1977 Big Bud?
Welker Farms brought a 1977 KT-450 back from a bare frame and converted it into a working Big Bud 700. The Drive reported on October 2, 2026, that the rebuild was finished and working during the farm’s wheat harvest. The result is a customized farm tractor, not a restoration that simply returned the KT-450 to factory specification.
The rebuild reportedly took about seven months and 4,000 labor hours. Those figures describe the work as reported by The Drive; they are not independently measured totals.
What engine and equipment are in the Big Bud 700?
The Drive reports that the rebuilt tractor uses a 700-horsepower Cummins KTTA compound-turbo engine, an Allison 6000 Series transmission and Caterpillar axles. The replacement Cummins is described as the same size as the original 19-liter diesel.
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- Opening hood with detailed engine, clear cab windows, front and rear wheels
- High detail with articulating body
- Diecast body with rubber wheels, some plastic parts
- Approx Measurement: 5.25in L x 3.5in W x 2.75in H
Other reported details include custom Wold wheels and Titan 1400 LSW tires. The larger tires required changes to the original fenders. The Drive puts the tractor at roughly 52,000 pounds full of fuel and without ballast; that figure is not the weight of the separately ballasted Big Bud 747.
How much did the rebuild cost?
The Drive reports $114,700 in Welker Farms’ cash spending and $104,900 worth of sponsor products. It separately estimates that hiring labor at $150 an hour would add $600,000, bringing a hypothetical professional-shop total to about $820,000. That last figure is an estimate of what a shop-built project might cost, not the farm’s reported cash outlay.
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- Recommended for 14+ years and up, not recommended or intended for play
- Highly detailed limited-edition replica by First Gear and Licensed by Williams Brothers Big Bud
- Features Titan LSW 1100/45R46 tires from Titan International, Inc., Articulated steering, and Openable hood
- Diecast body with rubber wheels, some plastic parts
- Approximate dimensions: 4.75in L x 3.75in W x 2.75in H
How is the Big Bud 700 different from the Big Bud 747?
They are distinct tractors. The Welker Farms Big Bud 700 is a rebuilt 1977 KT-450 converted to a 700-horsepower machine. The Big Bud 747 is a separate, one-of-a-kind tractor built in 1977 and identified as the largest in the cited coverage.
| Detail | Welker Farms Big Bud 700 | Big Bud 747 |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | 1977 KT-450 rebuilt and converted into a custom Big Bud 700; The Drive, October 2026. | Separate one-of-a-kind tractor built in 1977; Titan International, 2020. |
| Power | 700 hp, according to The Drive’s October 2026 report. | 1,100 hp, according to Titan International’s 2020 account. |
| Weight | Roughly 52,000 lb full of fuel and without ballast, per The Drive. | More than 135,000 lb fully ballasted, per Titan International. |
| Dimensions | not stated (The Drive, October 2026). | 27 ft long, 25 ft wide and 14 ft tall (Titan International, 2020). |
| Engine | Cummins KTTA, per The Drive. | Not stated here: The Drive and Titan International give conflicting engine descriptions for the 747. |
Titan International’s 2020 account of the 747 describes it as a 1,100-horsepower tractor. The Drive names a Detroit Diesel 16V71 for the 747, while Titan gives a Detroit Diesel 16V92T. Because those reports conflict, the 747’s engine model should not be treated as settled on the basis of these accounts.
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- Recommended for 14+ years and up, not recommended for play
- Big Bud 16V-747 4WD tractor replica with Goodyear LSW 1400/30R46 tires from Titan International
- Opening hood, detailed cab interior, and articulating steering
- Diecast body with rubber wheels, some plastic parts
- Approximate dimensions: 11.5in L x 11.5in W x 6.75
Why rebuild a huge tractor instead of buying a new one?
The Drive describes Welker Farms’ priorities as serviceability and keeping a piece of agricultural history working on the farm. It also reports the view that the 700 should compact soil less than the much heavier 747 and be less costly to deal with if something breaks. Those are the report’s stated rationale, not results from a comparative field trial.
There is also a practical serviceability claim behind the Big Bud concept. In Farm Progress’ August 21, 2025 coverage, Titan LSW product manager Scott Sloan said the engine and transmission sit on a “gen pack” that “can be swapped in under four hours.” That is Sloan’s estimate, not a demonstrated repair time for Welker Farms’ rebuilt tractor.
Rank #4
- Recommended for 14+ years and up, not recommended for play
- Big Bud 16V-747 4WD tractor replica with Goodyear LSW 1400/30R46 tires from Titan International
- Opening hood, flip open cab with detailed interior, articulating steering, chrome stacks, with a patriotic color scheme
- Diecast body with rubber wheels, some plastic parts
- Approximate dimensions: 11.5in L x 11.5in W x 6.75
What changed with the tires?
Farm Progress reported in August 2025 that the Welker tractor’s Titan LSW tire upgrade used tires 83 inches in diameter, compared with earlier dual tires measuring 74 to 76 inches, according to Sloan. The Drive’s 2026 report identifies Titan 1400 LSW tires on the rebuilt Big Bud 700. The reports describe the machine at different dates, so their tire descriptions should be read in that dated context rather than as a single confirmed fitment specification.
Sloan also said of Big Bud’s broad appeal: “There are always red fans and green fans, but everybody’s a Big Bud fan. It’s like the Switzerland of the tractor world when it comes to that.” That is his characterization, not the result of an independent survey.
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Best Value
- Dive into the history of farming on the prairies and how the big 4WD articulated tractors came into being.
- Discover details on the origins of the Big Bud tractors from the early beginnings in 1969 to present day.
- The history of Big Bud tractors holds great interest and fascination: They're still some of the world's largest agricultural tractors at work today!
- Authored by Peter D. Simpson
- Softbound paperback book, 146 pages
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