Big ‘A’ Rolls On

As classic pieces of Big IRON go, Big As have proven extremely durable. Over the years, CropLife IRON has received information from literally dozens of ag retailers and growers that are still relying on Big A units to do much of their field work. This month, we look at another such iron workhorse.

The Big A 2500 pictured here started its life in 1975. Not too many years later, Burrer Farm of Elyria, OH, purchased the unit — and has been using it ever since.

“We are the second owners of this machine and continue to operate it every year over thousands of acres,” says Tom Burrer. “This Big A 2500 continues to work well at its home in Northern Ohio.”

Some Upgrades

Of course, that’s not to say that some improvements have been made to this unit during the intervening years. While Burrer didn’t see anything wrong with the unit’s existing V-8 Cummins diesel engine and Allison automatic transmission, he did replace the Big A 2500’s standard 55-foot spray boom with a newer 80-foot one, to improve the unit’s overall coverage ability. He also installed an air-ride seat to improve operator comfort when in the cab.

It was the final improvement, however, that really made the Big A 2500 a favorite among his applicators, he says.

“In the 1980s, we added air conditioning,” says Burrer. “This helped make it much more driver-friendly.”