Build it Big, Build it Strong, Make it Fast.

Back in the winter of 1957-58, two Minnesota farmers, Douglas and Maurice Steiger, built a big, strong tractor that would enable them to get more work done on their farm. It had four, same-size driving wheels and a swivel in the middle for articulated steering.

The Steiger brothers' big tractor was the talk of the Red River Valley area, rich fanning land that runs through Minnesota and North Dakota. Neighboring farmers saw the tractor's speed and power and asked Douglas and Maurice to built more. Spurred by the increasing demand, the Steiger brothers built more of the big green tractors, turning their efforts into a business. In 1969, the business incorporated and moved to Fargo, ND.

A machine built to fill a need -- this was the beginning of the Steiger Tractor that has become known for power, efficiency and performance.

In 1986, Tenneco, Inc. bought the Steiger Tractor Company, and the Steiger tractor became part of the Case IH line. Case changed the tractor's color from lime green to red but kept the Steiger name because of its value, according to Dave Duff, Case product manager for Steiger Tractors.

"Since its beginning, the Steiger name has represented the highest quality, most productive four-wheel drive tractors in agriculture," he told Implement & Tractor. "It is a name well respected throughout the world."

The Steiger has made inroads into the world market, particularly in areas where power and productivity are needed for large fields. The Case IH Steiger is the number one 4WD seller in Australia and South America.

Steiger designs have led the four-wheel drive tractor industry, according to Duff. Innovations attributed to the Steiger include 12-speed powershift transmissions, electronic controls, PFC hydraulics, deluxe cabs, higher horsepower and steerable front axles with articulated steering. One important innovation came in 1996 when Case introduced the Quadtrac tractor into the Steiger line.

"The Quadtrac's unique four-track design reduces the ridging associated with other track configurations and provides superior flotation with minimal slippage," Duff said, "It's like riding in a Cadillac because the four-track system follows the contours." He said it is the best tractor for customers who want high productivity and less compaction in soft soils.

Despite the downturn in the high horsepower tractor sector, Quadtrac sales have done well in Europe since it was introduced in 1996. "Europeans like the Quadtrac, which, at less than ten feet wide, fits their road width," he explained as one reason for the tractor's increasing popularity in European countries.

The Quadtrac's cross-over use in the commercial scraper market has benefitted sales in North America, according to Duff. One highly visible project, rerouting of the Kissimmee River in Florida, uses 15 Quadtrac units, each pulling two 17-foot Reynolds scrapers that move 5,000 yards of dirt per day.

Today's Case IH 9300 Series tractor line still carries the Steiger name. The line's nine models, including two Row Crop Special models and two Quadtrac models, have a horsepower range of 240 to 425 hp (170-317 kW).