It was built by Ron Harmon and employees of the Northern Manufacturing Company for a cost of about $300,000. It was made for the Rossi Brothers; cotton farmers of Bakersfield, California, where it was used for 11 years for the purpose of deep ripping. Afterwards, it was purchased by Willowbrook Farms Indialantic, Florida and used for the same purpose. Finally, in 1997, it was purchased by the Williams Brothers of Big Sandy, Montana, which is within 60 miles (97 km) of where it was built. It was used on the Williams Brothers' farm in Chouteau County to pull an 80-foot (24 m) cultivator, with which it cultivates one acre/minute at speeds up to 8 m.p.h. Today, the Big Bud 747 is displayed at the Heartland Acres Agribition Center in Independence, Iowa.