Simple, affordable, Canadian built tractors

Back to basics and built to last is how Canadian company Bearco Machinery describes its first in-house built tractors.Anyone in the market for a new tractor knows they come with a hefty price tag. Maintenance can also be quite complicated, and the increasing use of electronics makes them difficult to repair. Bearco is looking to change this with simple designs that eliminate unnecessary electronics, computers and sensors. There are also no touchscreens, emissions computers and dealer-locked software. The Ursa Ag branded models made by Bearco are claimed as easily serviceable and affordable.Built in a workshop in Bowden, in the Canadian province of Alberta, the three models are the AG 150, AG 180 and AG 260. The 150 and 180hp models use a 5.9-litre remanufactured 12-valve Cummins engines (8.3-litre in the 260hp flagship).The Cummins motor powered a wide range of vehicles, including combines, in the 1990s. Parts are still readily available and Bearco reckons that a competent mechanic can repair the engine in a farm workshop.Ursa Ag was founded by Bearco owner Doug Wilson. In interviews with Canadian and US media, he indicates the remanufactured engines helps to keep the price low. The 150hp model costs CAD$129,900 (approx. €81,000). The Ursa Ag 180 costs CAD$149,900 (€94,000) and the flagship 260hp model is priced at CAD$199,900 (€125,000). These prices are said to be roughly half what comparable new tractors cost from major brands.The three tractors are currently sold through directly or through a limited dealer network, but there is also interest from North America.