Big Roy is a 4 axle, 8 wheel drive articulated tractor that was built by  Versatile Manufacturing Ltd  in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

About the company:

In 1947 'The Hydraulic Engineering Company' was founded in Toronto, Canada and began a production run of small size agricultural implements under the name of Versatile.
In 1954 the Hydraulic Engineering Company launched its first large machine, an innovative self propelled swather.  The Hydraulic Engineering Company was incorporated in 1963 as a public company, adopting the name Versatile Manufacturing Ltd.  Then in 1966 Versatile, operating out of Winnipeg, Canada, became involved in the manufacture of huge four wheel drive tractors that produced power in excess of 200hp.

 Versatile Manufacturing Ltd changed ownership in 1976 and changed names again in 1977, becoming the Versatile Farm Equipment Company, a division of The Versatile Corporation. In 1991 The Versatile Farm Equipment Company became part of Ford New Holland Americas, N. H. Geotech's United States division.

Big Roy was the biggest tractor that the Company ever made.

The true designation of Big Roy is the Buhler Versatile 1080, it is a prototype that was built the late 1970's.  It weighs about 26 tons and is equipped with a 600hp 19 liter Cummins diesel engine.

Below are the general specifications of Big Roy:
General Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 22.2 feet
Overall length: 30.5 feet
Overall height to top of cab: 11 feet		 Driveline:
Engine to transmission
Transmission to drop boxes
Drop boxes to Axles		 Frame:
Articulated frame 8 wheel drive
Oscillates to 10 degrees in both directions
Engine:
Cummins KTA 1150-600
RPM: 2100 delivering BHP: 600		 Tire Size:
30.5x32 single tire per hub		 Steering:
Articulated frame, 40 degrees in both directions
Vehicle Weight:
Shipping Weight: 54450 lbs
Operating Weight: 57580 lbs		 Brakes:
20" discs with self adjusting, driveline mounted callipers
mechanically actuated calliper parking brake 		Cab:
Independent module with rollover protection
Tinted safety glass
Height 69.5 inches
Turning Radius:
26.6 feet		 Electrical:
12/24 volt negative ground system		 Drive System:
Multi plate dry 15.5 inch clutch
Cooling System:
Capacity: 85 U.S. quarts
2 rubber mounted radiators 
assisted by 28" diameter fan		 Rear View dust proof CCTV camera with 120 degree wide angle lens
viewed via 9 inch  cab monitor		 Final Drive:
Rolling radius of drive wheel 31.5"
Total ratio of final drive: 27.41
Exhaust System:
rubber mounted muffler
built-in spark arrestor		 Fuel Tank:
front mounted 550 (U.S.) gallons		 Transmission:

6 speed gearbox
1st: 3.7 mph, 2nd: 5 mph, 3rd: 6.5 mph, 4th: 7.5 mph, 5th: 10.5 mph, 6th: 13 mph

Because of huge production costs, Big Roy never went past the prototype stage and henceforth only one vehicle was ever built.

It would have been great to have seen lots of these tractors across the land doing their work but sadly like a lot of these huge monster vehicles, the cost of running them eats too much into a companies profits of whatever work they are set to do.

Big Roy can still be seen, as it is on display at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin, Manitoba, Canada.  If you live in the area it might be worth a trip to see it.

And of course like a lot of these massive vehicles, many have been made into scale models by various companies like 'Die Cast Productions' and is available from the ToyFarmer website...click on the images below to visit their web site.

 

Also see more great Tractors here

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