Now in its fourth printing with 15 more pages, this is the handbook of the John Deere model “A,” 1934-1938. A book that should be on the “must read” list of any unstyled “A” owner. There is probably no other book on the market that goes into so much detail on a single model of tractor. Shows illustrations of nearly every change made in the parts that make up the unstyled “A.” 95 pages, 11x8-1/2 inches, soft cover.
Both books include history, specifications, serial numbers, original prices and much more A Specialized Look Into
The Handbook of the John Deere Model B 1934-1938
The same types of information as available in the book above, except now about the model “B,” written and compiled by a panel of experts who have spent decades collecting and restoring the unstyled version of Deere’s most popular tractor. This book shows nearly every change made in the parts that make up the unstyled “B.” 84 pages, 11”x8 ½”, soft cover, over 200 photos - most in color.
Tractors pictured in Green Magazine’s 2025 calendar are from
calendar is designed to resemble one from that
with those in 2025 so the calendar
• Only a limited number of calendars are produced so ORDER EARLY before they are gone!
• 12 high quality, professional photos on each calendar
• Photo size is 11” wide x 8-1/2” deep
• Calendar when fully displayed is 11” wide by 18” deep
• Price includes shipping
• Proudly printed in the USA
• Call, go online or send a check to place your order
Green Magazine’s calendar is a customer favorite— order now before they are gone
• Prices include shipping • U.S. funds ONLY, please!
• Multiple calendars must be sent to the SAME ADDRESS to receive the discounted price
This is one of the 12 photos that will appear in the 2025 Green Magazine calendar.
“GREEN MAGAZINE®” (ISSN 0883-5462) is published monthly and released 12 times a year on or about the first of each month for $39.95 per year (Canada: $59.95 per year; Foreign: $69.95 per year) by Hain Publishing, Inc., 2652 Davey Road, Bee, NE 68314-9132. Periodicals postage paid at Bee, NE and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to “GREEN
PO Box 95, NE 68314-0095.” GREEN MAGAZINE® reserves all rights regarding reprints of this publication.
phone number is (402) 643-6269.
Here it is December, or close to it, though I’m actually writing this in early November. Harvest has been over for a few weeks and we are finally getting some rain. The old 9600 made it through a couple of hundred acres of corn and a couple of hundred acres of soybeans with minimal downtime. The only things we needed to fix were a couple of idler pulleys on the engine fan. Wish we could be that lucky every year. We did upgrade trucks from a 1990 Kenworth with a nine-speed Eaton transmission and a rattling cab that, while air tight and mouse proof, otherwise seemed like it belonged on a 1960s’ era combine, to a newer Freightliner with an automatic. I guess some would say that I’m no longer a “real trucker” but I can live with that.
While we didn’t attend a show every weekend like some folks, we did put on a few miles. In March, we drove to West Bend, Wisconsin to visit the show site for next year’s Classic Green Reunion. As I recall, there were approximately 30 people in attendance, which was nice to see; I believe that at the first site meeting in Grand Island for CGR19, there were about six of us. In May, we drove 1,660 miles one way to Albany, Oregon to pick up a tractor. Looking at this now, we almost followed the Oregon Trail that the pioneers used. We made it there and back in
four days, quite a bit faster than the old timers, but then we didn’t have to contend with hostile natives, disease or famine. In June, it was off to the Eastern National show at its new location in Lancaster, Ohio. We made a short trip to Iowa in July to Jake Rens’ open house to see his collection, which includes what has to be the most complete collection of “BR,” “BO” and “BI” tractors in the world. In August, it was off to Iowa again for the Albert City show. If you were there, you know what a show it was. If you weren’t, you missed a doozy. And to put a bow on the year, it was the Western Minnesota show at Rollag. I’ve wanted to attend this show for years, and since they were featuring John Deere, decided that this was the year. Add the distance there and back to all those places from Bee, Nebraska and you get 7,952 miles. I think the pickup needs an oil change.
Here it is almost Christmas time again, so don’t forget to check out the ads in the magazine and on our website for gifts, whether they be subscriptions, books, videos or a new carburetor. Here’s hoping that you get everything you want, and most importantly, get to spend time with loved ones.
See you next month.
Missing an issue? We mail every issue by the first of the month. Please contact your post office if you suspect a problem with delivery. We will not replace missed issues three or more months past original mail date (four or more months for foreign subscribers) free of charge.
U.S. subscribers: If it is on or after the 20th of the month and you haven’t received your issue, call us for a replacement.
Canadian subscribers: Due to postage costs, we are forced to ask for a $2 postage fee (U.S. funds, please) for re-sending issues that do not arrive by the end of the published month OR we can add an issue onto your subscription for the missed issue.
First Class/Airmail delivery: Call for rates for First Class in the U.S. or Airmail to foreign countries.
Foreign subscribers: We will add an issue onto your subscription OR for a $7 airmail postage fee (U.S. funds), we will resend the missed issue two months after publication date.
Notice: If your address label shows an expiration date of “12/24” above your name, this is your last issue. Renew immediately for continuous service. If your address label reads “1/25,” you have one more issue on your subscription.
Renewal notice: We send postcards to let you know your subscription is about to expire (or has expired). We NEVER call to ask if you would like to renew your subscription. If you
receive such a call, it is most likely from another publication—NOT Green Magazine® for John Deere enthusiasts.
Address Changes: Please send or call with notification of an address change as soon as you know what your new address will be. Periodical mail cannot be forwarded. Green Magazine will not replace issues missed due to late notice of address change. Those missed issues will have to be bought at back issue price. See the back issue listing and prices elsewhere in this issue.
Looking for your photos and stories! Accepted material is subject to such revision as to meet the requirements of this publication. Payment will be made at our current rate within 90 days of publication. Submission of manuscript implies that the material is original and in no way an infringement upon the rights of others. Please send good, clear photographs. If you would like these returned, send us a stamped return envelope to help us get them back to you.
Free Issue Offer: It seems you, our subscribers, are our best form of advertising! More people find out about this publication by “word of mouth” than other forms of advertising. So if you're enjoying Green Magazine®, why not spread the word? Telling others about it can pay benefits. When you tell a friend about Green Magazine® and they subscribe, make sure they tell us who let them know about it. When they do, you will get an issue added to your subscription. These must be new subscribers, not renewals.
I just read Richard’s Column in the November 2024 issue. I have a 1560 drill (replacement for the 750). I’ve pulled this drill with a 4020, 4040, 4050, and 4055, and an AC 7045. I don’t use it in constant down pressure. I’ve never noticed it settling off while going across the field.
If you still want to run yours in constant down pressure, my neighbor pulled his 750 with a 4630 and made a little T shaped piece of wood that sat in the lever slot behind the lever holding it forward. It wasn’t the handiest to use, but it did keep from breaking the console and wearing grooves in the lever.
Matthew Crain
Over the years that the farm was in our family, there were 10 tractors, five of which were John Deeres. We had one model “B,” two “A’s,” one 2010 and a 60. Dad's first tractor was a new 1941 “B” that was used for plowing, fitting, planting and cultivating corn for our dairy cattle. It was also used for pulling the 12A combine, manure spreaders, hay wagons and for skidding logs,
whenever Dad had a building project in mind. The curious thing about that John Deere was its red Farmall seat. I don't remember the original seat, which may have given a stiffer ride.
My brother and I, plus my older sister spent hours on the “B” cultivating corn. But when the cultivators were removed, the levers remained so if someone was riding on a fender, it gave them something to hold on to. Whenever possible, we parked that tractor on a slope so we could coast it downhill to start the engine, eliminating hand starting.
We always sold firewood in winter, especially after the farmhouse furnace was converted to burn oil. Dad had a shop made buzz saw that mounted on the front of the “B” and was driven by a flat belt from the tractor’s pulley. It was heavy and made the “B” hard to steer, but it worked great.
In the late ’70s, my brother Jim (who likes to do things in a big way) suggested we buy a semi load of eightfoot white birch logs to cut, split and resell. Birch isn’t the best heat producer, but it does have snob appeal.
When the load arrived, there was no boom on the long trailer to unload the logs. The driver offered to buy Jim and me our dinner if we helped unload by hand. Needless to say, we were hungry when we got the trailer empty. Dad, Jim and I cut those logs up in a few days using the John Deere and buzz saw for the better part of them. When the wood was all stacked up, we had almost 50 face cords.
One time Dad took the “B” and trailer to our woods to get firewood. He picked out a tree to cut down, started his chain saw and began cutting—but something went wrong. Either he misjudged the height of the tree or where it would fall because the top of it landed on the tractor, crumpling a fender and flattening the air cleaner stack. But knowing Dad, he most likely came back with the firewood.
I wanted to have the “B” restored, so I didn't let it go during our farm auction. Then I couldn't find anyone around here to restore it, so I sold it to a neighbor. I hoped he could do it, but instead it became a parts donor.
John H. Peters, MI
Weight Bracket
5010, 5020, 6030: AR58358, Pr $460
Rear Engine Panels
4620 Right, AR43290, $155
4620 Left, AR51804, $255
2510 Right, AR38206, $300
2510 Left, AR38207, $220
2520 Right, AR38838, AR38202, $300
2520 Left, AR38839, AR38203, $220
5010, 5020 R, AR35023, $300 L, AR35024 OR AR36796 $300
• New aftermarket, rebuilt and used parts for JD A, B , D, G, H, M, R, 320, 330, 40, 420, 430, 50, 520, 530, 60, 620, 630, 70, 720, 730, 80, 820, 830, 3010 3020, 4010, 4020.
• Used parts include: weights, 3-pts., toplinks, dual hydraulics, float ride seats, clutch parts, hubs, transmission gears, sheet metal, tires and rims, 720-730 ES parts, all-fuel manifolds, brake parts, square and round tube WFEs, heads, blocks and PTO parts.
• New parts include: manifolds, battery boxes, carburetor kits, air stacks, mufflers, grill screens, radiator cores, lights and overhaul kits.
• Rebuilt parts include: Taper-Loc flywheels, electric start conversion kits, float ride seats, starters, carburetors, cleaned and lined gas tanks. Also have crack checked heads and blocks.
At the Albert City, Iowa Threshermen and Collectors Show that was held in August of 2024, a group of Generation II collectors calling themselves the Open Station Mafia had their very own tent, and a big banner sharing their name. The purpose of the area on the showgrounds was to appeal to the next generation of John Deere collectors/enthusiasts who did not grow up with or have as much interest in the older two-cylinder generation of tractors/equipment. This group has recognized the need to promote the newer generations of Deere equipment to attract more of the younger generation of collectors to shows and other Deere related events in the future.
How did this group get started?
Jason Huisenga, a family practice physician and collector from Storm Lake, which is about 20 miles from Albert City, Iowa, said that the group started during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. “I don’t know for sure
which one of us came up with the name, but it was probably David Ferrell who coined the term Open Station Mafia (OSM). A few of us were intrigued with open station Generation II tractors and began looking for them to collect. As most remember, there was not a lot going on in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“A few of these tractors were secured during this time and it was decided that since there were no John Deere related activities (Gathering of the Green, Classic Green Reunion, etc.) in 2020, we ought to get together in about August of 2020. A group of about 20 of us got together at the open station capital of the world, Beresford, South Dakota, in August of 2020, and celebrated with a 50 series factory open station Palooza. A great time was had by all.”
Open Station
Jarett Yelken from north central Kansas was at the Albert City show. An open station tractor, he explained,
is a tractor without a cab. He added that tractor manufacturers could only offer tractors without roll bars up until 1983 or 84 when roll over protection structure, or ROPS, became required by law. About the Mafia, he added, “This is a progressive bunch setting a trend.”
The open station Generation II tractors are a lower production breed, Jason explained: “There were not a lot built especially in the late 40 series and 50 series. I think the government frowned on them selling without the ROPS. A few snuck past on the assembly line. To make a sale, they let a few out. They were cheaper and the farmer could more easily justify buying a stripped down version of a Generation II tractor during the farm crisis of the 1980s.”
Jason explained that there is some confusion in terminology with similar tractors with a four-post operator station with a ROPS. Some also call them “open stations” because they are also open to the air, but they are not true factory issued open stations; they are correctly called four-post operator stations.
Open station tractors at Albert City
work. “It shows what they sacrificed to keep going. I kept it original to show their hardship to survive,” he said about this farmer’s innovative machine. George, who had worked in Australia, also had a Chamberlin 236 tractor as well.
Scott Yelken, Jarett’s dad, was also present in the OSM tent along with Ron Reimers from Denison, Iowa. Ron brought his 1973 model 4430 with a factory open station and Power Shift transmission as well as a 1979 John Deere 4240 with FOPS (falling object protection structure).” FOPS systems are fitted to tractors as well as on mining and construction machinery. They are used in areas where falling debris may occur. Ron said, “I have been collecting red and green. I’ve been at it for at least 15 to 20 years.”
Besides the tractors listed above, Ron also had a 1970 John Deere 3020 diesel at the show. George Braaksma from Sibley, Iowa said that he and his son, Ted, collect mostly John Deere. While his military US Navy 1989 8560 four-wheel drive didn’t quite fit the OSM models, it was a cool machine. “It was used for the Navy at an airport on an aircraft carrier. It was ordered in Kansas City, then Deere sold it to the military at a cost of $68,000.”
One of his tractors, although not inside the Mafia tent, did fit their no-cab standard. “I also have a propane Hi-Crop model 4020. A family in Louisiana was farming with it in sugar cane,” George said.
He said the tractor has several places where you can see how this family adjusted the tractor to make it
Jason had two JD 4250 factory open station tractors at the Albert City show. One had the newly introduced 15 speed Power Shift transmission and the other one has the tried-and-true Quad-Range transmission. “I also have a very late 4450 four-post operator station with the 15 speed Power Shift that was hooked to a John Deere 7721 pull type combine at the show.”
Talk of pull type combines reminded him of a cold Saturday night last December when a JD 7721 pull type combine was up for sale on Facebook marketplace. “We are constantly bickering and bantering either through text messaging or social media, and other mafia members said, “Jason, you need to buy that combine for the Albert City show next summer.”
“After being constantly pressured from other OSM members (and after a half bottle of Cabernet), we pooled our money and bought the thing! I said I don’t have a truck to haul it home, but mafia member Mike Hrubes has a truck. He has a trucking company, and he went and got it for me in far northwest Minnesota before Christmas.” Jason and his son, Drew, had it in the heated shop during most of the winter, washing, buffing, and making it mechanically sound. “During the show, all the members of the mafia got to drive it if they wanted to and was a big attraction in the fields during the show.”
Open Station Mafia get togethers
At their first get together, the 2020 Palooza in South Dakota, Jason Huisenga said, “There were probably about 20 of the 50 series open station tractors at that show. George Braaksma from Iowa, Gary Peterson from South Dakota, Mike Ahlers from Fulda, Minnesota, Bob Herring from the Tipton area of Iowa, Steve Plambeck from Kennesaw, Nebraska and Buddy Kavalier, from Brandon, Iowa were there.”
Jason added that in the past, Buddy, who works for John Deere in Waterloo, had even written an article in Green Magazine about John Deere 40 series open station tractors.
With COVID going on, Jason said, “We couldn’t do anything else, so we made our thing up and now it’s a yearly thing. This year we were in Nebraska at Steve Plambeck’s house. Steve was here at Albert City; he is from Kenesaw, Nebraska. After the first Palooza, we developed this close-knit collector community. We have continued to add new members into the mafia from as far away as North Carolina (David Ferrell). Now, we call or text each other multiple times a day. Our wives get along well, and they do their own thing; it has been a great relationship through the tractor collecting community.”
Two Paloozas have now taken place, and the next will be near Garner, Iowa at Mike Hrubes’s farm. Every year, the group acquires more mafia members, more mafia connections: “I have made so many good friends through this hobby, it is unbelievable,” Jason said. “We are from all different age groups and professions. I have a group of tight knit friends in the Northwest Iowa Classic Tractor Club, based out of Spencer, Iowa. This was the host club for the 2024 Albert City Threshermen and Collectors Show. We get together at least twice monthly with a common bond of tractor collecting, but really, we all agree with the theme of Classic Green ‘It’s about the people’ more than anything.”
Jason is a family physician; Mike Ahlers, a phar-
macist; Mike Hrubes, a trucking company owner/operator; Gary Peterson, retired farmer; Steve Plambeck, farmer; Bob Herring, farmer; George Braaksma, farmer; David Ferrell, heavy equipment construction company owner; and Buddy Kavalier, long time John Deere employee. It isn’t what they do, or where they are from, that binds this unique group of collectors, it is their shared interest in a particular type of John Deere tractor that brings them together. While COVID had a way of separating people from one another, in this instance, these collectors’ shared interest overcame the isolation of the pandemic, and these Open Station Mafia members formed a tight knit group that welcomes all to come and enjoy their hobby.
Photos by Cindy Ladage and Jason Huisenga.
1959 630, gas, WF, 3-point, fenders, SN 6309036
1959 730 gas, NF, 3-point, fenders, 3 piece front weights, SN 7306816
1959 830 diesel, pony start, dual hydraulic, SN 8303125
1958 730 diesel, WF, 3-point, fenders, 3 piece front weights, electric start
1960 430T, single front wheel, 3-point, SN 160380
1959 435 diesel, 3-point, SN 435801
1953 40-S, 3-point, SN 66194
1959 330-S, 3-point, SN 330664
430, WF, power steering, 3-point, no serial missing
We also carry: Starters, Regulators, Generators, Alternators, Relays, Coils, Lights, Alternator Brackets, Pulleys
We make alternator conversion harnesses
EverGreen Restoration
with white or black faces for most 2-cylinder models for the unstyled to the 30 series, Waterloo and Dubuque built models Made in the USA
• All gauges have real glass
• On hand, ready for shipping
• Painted, ready to install
• Gauges come with mounting clamp and hardware
• Faces made by Jorde Decals and have all details of the original gauges
• All gauges are calibrated EverGreen Restoration
Jerry Trcka W7619 Walnut Dr Spooner, WI 54801 Cell 715-520-7876 tractorgauges@yahoo.com www.evergreengauges.com
After John Deere corporate committed the Horicon Works to design and manufacture snowmobiles for the 1972 model year, Deere went “all in” supporting the effort with tools, accessories, brochures, operator, parts, and service manuals and finally a full line up of snowmobile specific clothing and apparel. Deere wanted to not only support sled sales, but understood the importance of keeping owners of their new snow machines warm and safe so they could enjoy their new machines.
The relatively new consumer products division launched a line of winter wear which marketing eventually named “The Beautiful Bodyguards.” Deere even published separate brochures for winter clothing, which originally included yellow open face helmets with green accent stripes, one and two piece snowsuits, gloves, mittens, and of course boots. Deere had offered clothing and work gear before, but nothing with as much focus and coverage as the snowmobile gear introduced with the machines in the fall of 1971 and which ran through the winter of 1985, a full season past the end of the snowmobile line in 1984. We are going to take a look at the introductory gear from the winter of 1971-72 through the colorful 1978 season for this article.
The oldest snowmobile literature we have been able to find was dated March of 1971, several weeks before the first production machines rolled down the assembly lines of Horicon, Wisconsin. This early 12 page, black and white flyer showcased the “quality features” and specifications of the upcoming 400 and 500 snowmobile models and the second to last page showed the first year winter clothing, calling them “snow fashions.” They were called out as “Designed exclusively for John Deere by Hart, Schaffer and Marx…,” a well known clothing manufacturer at the time. The flyer mentions the available styles, sizes, and features like “Dupont Dacron polyester” insulation and oversize zippers. Funny enough, they even mention the
Page 11 of this March 1971 8-1/2 by 11 inch flyer is the first mention of dedicated snowmobile gear that I can find. Seems that marketing hadn’t kicked in yet since the clothing was just called “Snow Fashions” for all of the ‘71-72 season. My copy is individual pages, three hole punched. But since I can’t find another copy, I have no idea if that’s the way they came.
Deere published “A Guide to Safe Snowmobiling” in the fall of ‘71 (above, top) with 12 pages of tips to help newcomers safely enjoy their new sled purchases. A later update was published in the fall of ‘74 for the 1975 season, then called “Snowmobile Safety Savvy” (above, bottom). There was also a film narrated by Eddie Albert and featured my favorite character, “Unsafe Ace.” Both featured a two-page spread on dressing properly and explained what wind chill was and showed charts to help make the point. Both were 9 by 6 inch formats.
Below: Deere finally published a full color, full size three-page clothing brochure later in the fall of ‘71 to spotlight the new “Snow Fashions” line up. This shows the front and rear cover opened up to a nice panoramic shot of models wearing the first-year gear and a nice scenic view. Thanks to Brian Lindner for hooking me up with this, as I don’t have this brochure in my collection…yet.
Right: The ‘73 snowmobile clothing brochure was the first mention of the “Beautiful Bodyguards” tagline I’ve found in print. This expanded eight-page flyer showed all the products added for 1973. Deere must have liked this picture, as they also included a thumbnail of it in the cover in the back of the ‘73 full line snowmobile brochure.
availability of “a John Deere snowmobile patch” but just a single patch with “John Deere” and a snowmobile logo above it. On the back side of the clothing page was the “400 and 500 snowmobile accessories” page, showing the cans of oil, snowflap, ski shock, electric start and tachometer kits Deere was planning to offer alongside the new machines at the dealerships.
Later in the fall of 1971, Deere released a full color three page fold out brochure titled “New John Deere Snowmobile Fashions and Accessories.” This pamphlet detailed all the items mentioned in the black and white dealer materials sent out earlier that spring, but still no mention of the “Beautiful Bodyguards” tag line that was about to adorn many winter clothing tags for the next dozen years. The brochure folded open to show all the available gear for the winter of ’72, including Deere’s first “wet look” suits that were apparently quite stylish by early ’70s’ standards. To encourage safe riding practices, proper maintenance and safety, Deere published “A Guide to Safe Snowmobiling” in the fall of ’71. Pages 8-9 of this 12-page pamphlet were dedicated to clothing, wind chill and had the headline of “Dress for the occasion and you won’t be left out in the cold.” It gave advice on not only staying warm, but avoiding frostbite and explained layering. Wind chill was explained by “…when you’re traveling at 30 or 40 miles per hour, the combination of wind and temperature results in actual coldness much lower than the thermometer indicates.” The rest of the text then explains proper selection of “regulation snowmobile uniforms” for warmth and fit.
Deere went on to expand the winter clothing line for the ’73 model year, a trend they continued for well into the 1980s. They added black suits with yellow highlight strips to match the new “Blitz Black” JDX snowmobiles. It appears that a black accent colored yellow helmet was also available in addition to the original yellow/green combination along with “Super-See-R” goggles. It was also in ’73 that Deere started offering sweaters, full face masks, stocking caps and casual wear jackets. And the cover title was printed in all lowercase— “the beautiful bodyguards” next to a printed leaping Deere logo. This was the earliest mention of the tag line I can find in my search. The Deere gear was a quality product, and it was reflected in the prices of the day. Deere was not the first snowmobile company to offer clothing to match their machines, but they took it seriously and did not make a half-hearted attempt to clothe its new customers.
A separate black and white “genuine parts and accessories ‘73” catalog listed prices for the winter gear, and showed 18 patches, up from one in 1972. This one calls the winter wear “snowmobile suits” where a “deluxe one piece suit” would set you back $77.95 and a “deluxe jacket” was
$64.25, or according to an online inflation calculator, that is $588 and $485 in today’s money—wow! They did offer lower priced “moderate” suits for $53.95 for the bargain shoppers, which is “only” $407 today. At least the helmets were only $29.95 or $226 today. The first stocking caps were listed for just $1.95 or about $15 today.
In the December 2022 issue of GM, we reviewed some of the snow-
Deere must have really liked this ‘76 Liquifire 340 image from the small format 3-1/4 by 6-1/4 inch brochure. It not only shows the sharp black and silver one year outfit, but this image also ended on an ice bucket and even a fullsize billboard with the “Liquifire Cools It” tagline on both.
Below: Last year at Hay Days swap meet, the silver collar trim of an old coat caught my eye. Turned out it was in fact a ‘76 Liquifire coat, but someone colored in the silver panels. Hopefully the jacket can be repaired to its original coolness. Luckily, the matching helmet actually came with a ‘76 Liquifire I once purchased near Elmira, New York years ago.
mobile related merchandise and items Deere sold to help promote the sled line. Deere offered some lightweight spring jackets with snowmobile logos and some cold weather wear that was not intended for snowmobiling as it lacked wind resistance needed for relatively high-speed snowmobiling, but were included in the snowmobile clothing brochures throughout the years. Deere was very good about raising awareness of wind chill and even gave away wind chill charts so new owners understood the importance of proper gear and wind protection. Anyone who has taken a machine for a ride in a non-wind proof work jacket can relate to the chill you
Fortunately, I have two of the metallic green ‘77-78 sets. The one pictured here was worn by an independent cross country racer, but fits me well for vintage rides and is in good shape. The second set is a woman’s medium, and while it fits my wife, she does not share my enthusiasm for how timeless the style is.
Right: This child’s suit was a nice gift from a friend at the Hall of Fame, as it was NOS and even fit my young son. I actually let him wear it, with the warning that it was from 1977 and to be careful with it. It seems to have survived a week’s use just fine.
get from riding in improper gear, and Deere wanted riders to avoid having that discomfort.
As the snowmobile line up expanded in mid-70s, so did the clothing offerings. Children’s suits first appeared in the 1974 catalogs from sizes x-small to large, all for $39.95 or $283 now. The adult suits kept the same basic one and two piece styles with a large yellow striping running around the shoulders. There was a “denim with shearling” (“fake wool”) woman’s style added, but I have yet
This scan across the center of the ‘78 brochure catches the green metallic suit, the nice striped ‘78 Liquifire set, one we call the Spitfire suit and the very stylish white set. While the all white sure looks nice, it must have been murder to keep clean, but I’ve never seen one in the wild either.
Below right: This ‘78 Liquifire woman’s coat was a gift from a friend who raced ‘78 Liquifires back in the day. This one also fits my wife, and she doesn’t seem to mind this style too much. I would love to find a men’s two piece set to go with it.
to see one in person. Also introduced for 1974 was the first full faced helmets, still in basic yellow with black or green accent strips. The full face helmets listed for $39.95, or 10 dollars more than the open face versions. While significantly expanded since its introduction, the clothing line generally seemed to have ridden out the first four seasons from 1972 into the 1975 “Big John” era as variations of the same basic styles.
With the introduction of the new “race inspired” snowmobiles for 1976 came some sharp new clothing and bright colors to match. Even the open and full face helmets got more colorful for ’76. Sharp looking black suits with bright silver stripes were designed for the Liquifire, along
This image from Beautiful Bodyguards pages at the end of the 1977 brochure shows the popular metallic green three-piece outfit sharp Cyclone set. Both sets are popular with collectors today but the metallic green set seems especially desirable.
Below: By ’78, Deere marketed the sweaters as “cool clothing“ to wear for cool people, as you tell by this obviously hip picture of hip people sipping from Deere Thermoserve mugs by the fireplace.
with silver full and open face helmets. The black/silver set was only offered in ’76 and is a pretty rare find these days, even for hard core collectors. The fan cooled Cyclone received similar treatment with a set of matching dark green gear with black and yellow strips and black helmets with yellow and black strips. There were also a brighter green one and two piece suits with yellow strips on the sides and sleeves available that went well with any of the machines offered for ’76, including the “Green Machine” model 300 and 400. Updated one-piece children’s suits were offered with a detachable hood for dual purpose use.
The updated 340 and 440 Liquifire received a very popular looking three-piece outfit for ’77 that was sharp enough to be offered through ’78. The “metallic green” outfit was actually offered in three pieces, including yellow pinstriped black pants that zipped to a great looking “mean green” jacket and there was even a matching vest offered. This suit is still popular with collectors today because it still looks pretty neat and seems pretty durable.
The “Little John” green Spitfire made quite a splash in the market in fall of ’77 for the winter of ’78, and the bright yellow with green accent suits did, too. Deere also released new suits to match the updated ’78 Liquifire and Cyclones. The ’78 Liquifire gear had stripes to match the sled, and are well sought after by collectors these days.
So how good was the “high quality” clothing Deere offered? Well, for the most part, the quality was in fact very good or even excellent. Much of the gear has held up to the test of time very well. Many of us who ride our vintage Deere snowmobiles take a little extra pride in outfitting ourselves and even sometimes our family in vintage Deere “Beautiful Bodyguards” to dress for the part. Some things that do not seem to hold up well are helmet linings unfortunately. But some do stay together to be usable today, so it is not a blanket statement. Perhaps how they were stored over the past 40 to 50 years plays a part, but I am not sure why some helmets remain wearable while most have liners that have fallen apart. Some of the early green and black jackets and suits lose their windproof plastic coating, as it dries and flakes off. Again, not all the early jackets do it, but some do. But much of the early hats, boots, gloves, jackets, bibs, vests, sweaters, and suits that are still around today are still generally quite wearable and still reasonably warm—although your author does chicken out on sub-zero days and resort to modern gear occasionally.
To celebrate the “New Breed of Deere” machines starting in 1979, Deere released a sled matching the line up of colorful clothing and accessories that lasted until the winter of 1984-85. Those “Beautiful Bodyguards” will be a topic of a later article after we have dug more into the “New Breed” era machines. Until then, stay tuned and stay warm…
Joe Rainville is from Fort Worth, Texas. To contact him, send an email: joerainville@hotmail.com
Kit Cleans Up Older Deere Hydraulic Mess
Scott Grove cleaned up leaky hydraulic valves on his older Deere tractors with a simple insert. The long-standing problem is one the company has yet to fix. Grove says it forces him and other owners of Deere tractors to replace O-rings on a regular basis, only to have the mess return. Grove’s fix eliminated the mess and the need to replace parts. With the Grove Conversion kit:
• Convert to ISO with easy push-pull connection
Wapsi Innovations
• Couplers connect under residual pressure with breakaway feature
• Kits available for 10 through 70 series JD tractors manufactured from 1961 through 1996
• Inserts are made in the USA. This product is protected under US Patent 10,760,725 B2 and other patents pending.
Installation consists of stripping the OEM outlets down to the block, removing the barrels and O-rings, and replacing them with the inserts. Grove then adds the aftermarket ISO coupler that threads into the insert. Installation instructions can be found on the Wapsi website.
Kits for 10 series are priced at $315, kits for 20-40 series are priced at $329, and kits for 50-70 series are priced at $355. Also watch the website for more additions coming soon. Grove suggests checking with local Deere dealers & local repair shops or Wapsi Innovations directly.
DON’T BE
Deere released the 20 series New Generation tractors in 1966. Five tractors were in the lineup, with horsepower ratings ranging from 35 to 140. These tractors were the most modern machines on the market, with features and abilities that outshone those of other manufacturers. There were unique versions of many of these tractors that specialty crop growers could put to work on their operations. Deere could satisfy nearly any farmer…but they wanted to have something for every single one.
In 1967, the engineers‘ task was to create tractors that could fill the horsepower gaps between the 3020, 4020, and 5020. The 4020 tractor was already recognized as one of the greatest agricultural tractors ever built, so Deere created more tractors based on it. The turbocharged 123 horsepower 4520 was built to fit nicely between the 4020 and 5020 while maintaining the superior row crop farming qualities of the smaller tractor. The tractor between the 3020 and 4020 would be the model 4000.
Before coming to the final decision as to what the 4000 tractor would be, Deere considered a few options. The first was to add some power to a 3020. Increasing its power output would not have been difficult, but improving the tractor to handle it may have been. The transmission and drive
parts would have to be re-engineered for a more powerful engine. This would require creating new tooling for the parts, which was costly and took time, and Deere wanted this to be a cheap and quick solution. The easier it was to implement, the lower Deere could keep the price, and the more customers they could attract. The plan for the 4000 was for it to be a bit of a bargain tractor, after all.
The next idea was to put a 303 cubic inch six-cylinder engine from the Dubuque Works on a 4020 chassis. This engine would have been rated at about 80 horsepower, forming a tractor nicely positioned power-wise where Deere wanted it. Deere built a
tractor with this setup. According to all reports, it worked well. The only problem was that the engine was a bit pricy to produce and would have to be transported from Dubuque to Waterloo for installation. The price for the tractor would have ended up higher than what Deere wanted, so the idea was shelved.
The decision that Deere finally came up with and acted upon was to take a 4020 and replace a number of the parts with those from a 3020 and 4010. The resulting machine would have the full power of a 4020 but fewer features and a lower capacity. The farmer buying a 4000 would have a tractor that could do most of the work of a 4020 but
Hailee Bishop’s 4000. Her grandfather bought it new and it has never left the farm near Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania.
John Metcalf of Spencer, Iowa has owned his 4000 for 15 years. It is shown here at the Albert City show.
Below: Deere archival photos shows the 4000’s three-point borrowed from the 3020 line and sparse shielding around the seat.
would save a small pile of money when he purchased it. He might be missing a few features, but he may never have needed some of them, and others he could live without. To some farmers, that slight or occasional inconvenience was worth the money saved. Deere would have a second tractor with the company‘s most popular engine and chassis combination but with a lower price, able to compete directly with the sales-stealing IHC 806.
Using the 4020 engine for the 4000 kept work relatively simple at the factory, as there would be no retooling. It also made things easy for the marketing personnel because selling a tractor with the power of a 4020 at a lower price would be easy. Deere also decided to sell the 4000 only with a diesel engine, so the tractor‘s production would be even more straightforward. Attached to the 404 engine on the 4000 was a simplified version of the Syncro-Range transmission. The original transmission had reverse gear synchronizers that allowed the operator to shift from forward to reverse and back without coming to a complete stop. These were not installed on the Syncro-Range in the 4000. This made the transmission cheaper and kept the cost of servicing or rebuilding them down. The simplicity of this transmission made it popular, and Deere continued to use it in some applications into the 1980s.
The 4000 used slightly smaller 16.9x34 inch rear tires and 9.5x15 inch front tires. These cheaper tires dropped the tractor about a half-inch lower than the 4020.
Other small cost savings were found throughout the tractor. A Motorola alternator that produced just 35 amps replaced the pricier 55 amp unit. A light on the dash panel illuminated the gauges there. On the 4020, a more complicated fiber optic system was used. A simple double-needle engine and ground speed gauge was installed in place of the dial that could be turned to select your transmission gear to approximate ground speed. The fender fronts held only one headlight on each side instead of two.
The steel battery boxes were left off of the 4000 and replaced by a simple frame and tray. This was cheaper and less aesthetically pleasing but also removed the protection from debris that the boxes provided. On the other hand, the lack of boxes surrounding the batteries kept battery acid from accumulating there. These boxes have been corroded by acid on several 4020 tractors, so at least that was one thing that 4000 owners did not have to worry about.
The 4000‘s PTO was dual-speed, and there was no option for a midmounted PTO. The three-point hitch on the 4000 had a lower capacity than the one on the 4020. There was less sheet metal at the back of the tractor, and that which was there was simpler.
The 4000 was released in February, in the middle of the 1969 model year. Deere built 1,799 tractors in the six months it was in production that year. The reaction from the dealers and the farmers who bought the tractor was very positive. It had almost everything that made the 4020 the amazing tractor it was for less money. Dealers sold the 4000 on the idea that it could run your old equipment faster. This was ideal for farmers because they did not have to upgrade to new equipment and spend more money after buying the tractor. It was also perfect for the 4000. That
tractor, with its lighter parts, was not built for heavy lugging. Its horsepower was better used with lighter loads, and if you were upgrading from an older tractor, such as a 630, you could really run through the field with a 4000.
The main complaint buyers had with the 4000 was that they wished it had more options available. Deere intentionally kept the options list for the tractor small to streamline production and keep its cost down. Farmers wanted to buy this “bare bones” tractor and add a few things they needed, customizing it to their needs while still keeping it simple.
Deere added several options for the 1970 model year. First, a gasolinepowered version was added. Northern farmers who struggled with diesel machines in the cold months appre-
ciated the reliability of a gasser to start up on frigid mornings. A power differential lock and a long rear axle were also added as options. An electric horn, a coolant heater, a rubber non-skid platform mat, and a power weight-transfer hitch were also available. Interest in the tractor grew, and its share in Deere‘s tractor sales did as well. Deere sold about 10 percent as many 4000s as they did 4020s.
Deere added a few more options for 1971, but none were more exciting than the Power Shift transmission. A 4000 decked out with options was getting closer to a 4020 in many ways. More tire options and dual hydraulics were now included as factory installed options. Sales of the 4000 increased to about a quarter of that of the 4020.
Nearly every option available
4000 Production Numbers
to be installed on a 4020 was released for the 4000 in 1972. Factory cabs with heaters and/or air conditioners could now be added. A new version of the 4000, the 4000 Low-Profile tractor, was created. These tractors were lower to the ground and had underslung exhaust, allowing them to work under trees. A dealership in Fresno, California had been modifying 4000s in a similar fashion with success. Deere saw this and took the idea on as a factory option. They only built these tractors for one year and just 46 were built.
To build the 4000 Low-Profile, Deere took the front axle from a 3020 row crop utility tractor and added it to the machine. This shortened the 4000‘s tread and tightened its turning radius.
9.5L-15 front tires and 18.4-26 or 18.4-30 inch rear tires lowered the tractor four inches and increased its flotation. The steering column was also taken from the 3020 row crop utility, and the seat and seat suspension were borrowed from tractors made in Dubuque. These things combined to lower the height of the operator‘s station while keeping it comfortable to work from. Since the tractor had smaller tires, Deere could lower the fenders, keeping them out
of the operator‘s way. A few of the controls were modified to be more comfortable for the operator to use. A two-piece exhaust manifold was adopted to fit the underslung exhaust. Only 46 Low-Profile tractors were built. Of these, 21 had SyncroRange transmissions and 25 had a Power Shift. These are rare tractors and won‘t be seen very often.
Deere sold nearly 2,000 model
4000 tractors in 1972, which was down slightly from the previous year. The Generation II tractors were right around the corner, so this was the last year of production of the 4000. The machine did an excellent job for Deere. It expanded their lineup outward, filling in a place the “mainline” tractors could not. Nearly 8,000 total 4000 tractors were built. Some of these may have been sold to someone considering a 3020 or 4020, but others were surely purchased by someone who would otherwise have bought a tractor built by another company. If the affordable 4000 made someone a Deere buyer into the future, then it was a double win for the company.
Almost 8,000 model 4000 tractors were built. Besides the low number of Low-Profile tractors, there were also only nine gas Power Shift tractors built. Uniquely, Deere numbered the 4000s along with the 4020s on the Serial Number Register. The difference between the two was that a 4000 was given a “B” prefix and the 4020 a “T.” While it may just be a phantom, it is important to note that there were three tractors coded “B233R” on the Register. If this is correct, those tractors would have been 4000 Hi-Crop tractors. Nobody has found one of these and no photos or other evidence of one exists, but if they‘re out there, whoever finds them could swiftly become a rich man.
Iwas looking for an unstyled “G” in Clovis, New Mexico. A friend of mine, Wesley Meyer, said there was one sitting out on his father’s farm northwest of town. Dean Meyer had purchased it new in 1939 and had parked the “G” in 1952 when he purchased two MasseyFerguson 44 tractors.
When I found the “G,” serial number 7924, it was almost complete except for the front wheels and rims and it was missing the rear wheels. The front rims were rusted off up to the hubs. The rear wheels had been removed and the cast iron disks used as weights on Dean Meyer’s one ways.
I purchased new front rims, tubes and tires from our local John Deere dealer, Dent & Co., Clovis, New Mexico. The rear wheels were a case of good luck. A local individual had rebuilt his 1952 “G” engine and got in a rush to see it run. It ran a few minutes before it locked up. He failed to put oil in the crankcase. He scrapped the tractor and I purchased his set of rear wheels with new tires and tubes. Both brakes were frozen; I removed, rebuilt and reinstalled them.
After the wheels were placed on the tractor on September 18, 1993, it was transported to my garage. I assessed what the “G” needed. The engine was stuck. The flywheel was cracked and brazed; it was unserviceable. The seat and muffler were missing. I pulled the head and block and the left piston was stuck. After removing both pistons, I took the head and block to the NAPA machine shop here in Clovis. The right piston bore cleaned up by .045 overbore. The left piston bore, which had been stuck with its piston, had its bore sleeved and bored to .045 over. The head needed two intake valves and the head was milled. The two valves were replaced with used ones. All four valve guides were replaced and valves and seats were ground.
I found NOS John Deere complete pistons and ring set at a John Deere store, Zins Hardware & Implement LLC in Nicollet, Minnesota on November 10, 1993. The inventory sheet in the original John Deere box was dated June 30, 1958. I purchased the set for an unbelievable price today of $250.
I purchased gasket sets, single gaskets, lots of bolts, nuts, screws and numerous miscellaneous minor parts to replace the unserviceable ones. I drove to Greensburg, Indiana on December 23, 1993 to pick up a serviceable flywheel for $350 from John Deere collector, Sonny Cupp.
Then for the next 31 years, the “G” sat in my garage. I was “OBE”—an Air Force term which means “overcome by other events.” I also got too old to do the work myself, as I am 76.
In September 2023, I stopped at Meyer’s Repair in Umbarger, Texas. I had been by his place time and time again, going to and from Amarillo, Texas, but never
stopped. My mistake. I could have had my “G” back in running order 25 to 30 years earlier. I asked Vince Meyers if he could put my “G” back together. He told me to send him pictures of the “G” and the parts I had. In December, he called and said to bring the tractor over.
He received the tractor on December 10, 2023. He assembled the engine, sandblasted the tractor, as well as all parts taken off, and painted them as he reassembled the tractor. He applied decals on the tractor. He rebuilt the carburetor, added a Wico X magneto and replaced the radiator core as it wasn’t serviceable. On March 10, 2024, he told me to come over and start it. After sitting 72 years and with Vince’s outstanding work, it came back to life. He did some finishing touch ups and called me again on March 16, 2024 to come pick up the finished “G.”
Vince is 81 years old and runs a one man shop. He said he started working for John Deere in Amarillo, Texas when he was 19 years old in 1962 and opened his present shop in 1964. He is a master mechanic! I picked up the “G” on March 16, 2024 and trailered it home.
A beautiful looking and running tractor. Model “G” tractor, serial number 7924
Warehoused date: January 11, 1939
Ship date: January 12, 1939
Branch: Kansas City, Missouri
Destination: T648
Fuel type: Distillate
Submitted by,
Lt. Col. Steven E. Wright, USAF Ret. Clovis, NM
Complete clutch rebuild kits and clutch lining kits
cores,
PARTS TRACTORS
50 w/801 hitch • G • Uns A, 730G, 5020, Unstyled G, 430T, 2510 gas, 730 LP, 2010D, 530, Late 520, ’39 B, BN, 40U, ’53 AO, ’41 H, ‘46 A, late A’s, ‘46 B, late Bs, slant dash B, unstyled B, sty. D, G, unstyled L, M, MT, R, 40T, 40U, 40W, 70D std., 70G, 420U, 420W, 440 w/reverser and power steering, 440 gas, early & late 50s, early 60, 60 w/power block, 620, 620 LP, 630, 630 single front, 70G, 720G, 720 LP, 720D pony, 730D, 730G, 820, 1010, 2010, 2010D, 2010RU, 2020, 3010D, 3020, 4020D. Most of these tractors are parted out & on the shelf—ready for quick shipment!
Oversize pistons available again for many two cylinder tractors
Brake rebuild parts
In the small eastern Indiana town of Cambridge City, Gerald Williams (my dad) started a John Deere dealership, Tri-County Implement. The year was 1966. They started the building, state of the art at that time, a pole building, showroom and small office. My dad went to work for the contractor until the building was done. One very snowy day, the first two semi loads of machinery came. One had two new 4020s. Quite the sight for a gear head of six years old!
Another time in ’67 or ’68, there were two new 55 combines on the lot with the sticker price of $11,000. I thought, who in the world would ever have $11,000!
My dad told me in later years how hard it was to keep the cash flow going early on. The 3020s and 4020s were the best selling tractors. I remember an occasional 4520 and 5020. Two 4020s, a ’66 and ’68, ended up on and
are still used on my farm. I spent countless hours around the “store,” as we called it. I was the shadow to mechanic Bud, whenever possible. Selling equipment and parts was not as interesting as working on something and getting dirty.
My favorite thing was driving the equipment, which I did from an early age. I liked going with the help in the truck to deliver things and also go on service calls. At this time, some equipment was coming in on the railroad in town. I always enjoyed that because I would get to drive something back to the store.
In early June 1970, fire destroyed the building, contents and
a few outside items. The rest of the summer was spent cleaning and sorting through the mess. My dad, Bud and I would be black from the soot at the end of the day. Bud’s family had a lot on a small lake close by and, with a bar of soap, we would take a prebath in the lake before we went home. By fall, the new building was up and things were getting back to normal.
The next milestone was the unveiling of the 30 series tractors.
In the late ’70s, along with my other work, I started hauling the new equipment from the factories. I still have a 4650 I picked up in Waterloo in the ’80s. Dad built a new warehouse and added onto the
main building in the early ’80s. Then in 1986, Deere wanted him to move to Richmond, Indiana, the county seat. With the farm economy what it was, he chose not to move. Deere got another dealer to put a store in Richmond and closed my dad. I hauled the last load of new parts back to the Columbus, Ohio branch in December 1986.
In January 1987, Dad had an auction and sold out. The buildings are now a tire business and the dealership is a distant memory. It was a learning experience that will last a lifetime.
Submitted
by,
Cole Williams
The price on that pocket mirror
What Brought More? this month puts two Deere employee awards against each other. Was it a well used golf putter or a desk set? The putter was likely made in the 1980s or 1990s. According to the seller, his father received it as a gift after 20 years of working for Deere and Company. He loved the putter and apparently used it on many rounds of golf. The putter has some scratches and pits, but the Deere trademark is there on the back of the club, plain as day. It seems to be a robust putter made primarily of iron. Will it draw a crowd and some bids?
The desk set, the second item this month, looked barely used. This set was given as a sales award to a Deere employee in 1987, during the company’s 150th anniversary. The set looked to be barely used. It came with two dip pens, so it was made for some very fancy writing. The top is green with a gold-colored engraving showing a Waterloo Boy tractor and a more modern tractor, likely a 50 series machine. There was also a brass Deere trademark standing up on the back of the desk set.
A group of toys that were once a part of the “Grounds Maintenance Set” sold on eBay recently. The whole set originally would have been six pieces. They were not all seen on eBay this month, but most of the parts were. It begins with a model 140 lawn and garden tractor. This little toy must have been played with quite a bit. There was wear and paint loss in numerous places, but it did look to be complete and “mechanically sound.” It brought $103.50.
Next up was the loader for the model 140 toy. Its condition was about the same as the tractor. It sold for $122.50.
A mini scraper is next in the grounds maintenance set. The condi-
tion of the piece was again used but good. It brought $82.
The final piece of the set was a rotary broom/sweeper. This was the smallest piece of all, but with the plastic bristles inside, it was probably the most fragile. It sold for $96.
The two parts of the set that we did not see sell were a dump cart and a front blade.
Half of a tube of lubricant sold for $50.88 on eBay recently. Yep, this old tube from around 1960 was worth more than a case of grease is today. I suppose this old tube is hard to find, but who’s looking? Apparently, enough people on eBay to put 16 bids on it. Imagine what it would have brought if it was full.
An old brass letter opener advertising for a San Francisco company that sold, among other things, John Deere implements is not a common sight. This opener is neat, with a patina on the brass and a stiletto shape. It must be an antique, too, and I would not be surprised to learn that it’s over a century old. It sold for $344.
A pocket mirror of a similar age brought an even higher value. This mirror dates from about the 19-teens. One side is a simple mirror of about
four inches in diameter. The other side is a celluloid shrine to all of the companies Deere was affiliated with at the time, from Van Brunt to Velie. It’s interesting. It’s rare. It’s an antique. It brought $1,435.02.
If you had an implement such as a pull type combine, forage cutter, or hay baler with its own engine and did
not have much shed space, you would want some way to protect the engine from the elements. Deere understood your plight and sold canvas covers for these engines—one of these, in good condition except for some staining and fading, sold for $51. Given the lovely, bright “Quality Farm Equipment” Deere trademark on the side, I would have thought it might go for a bit more than that.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made dinner and exclaimed
(quite loudly), “Let’s eat!” but got no response from the kids. It’s frustrating. I know they can hear me. I know they’re hungry. Why aren’t they running to the table? Maybe loudly ringing a bell until they get there will make them move faster. I should’ve purchased this John Deere “patio bell.” I didn’t see it in time to bump up that $125.12 final bid. Oh, well.
We come back now to What Brought More? to give the answer to that question. The putter, which had seen a few rounds in its day, sold for $28.45. The desk set, which would likely not be easy to find a place for on most modern desks, pulled in $36.66. Neither of those old awards brought in a big price, but the desk set took the win.
See something interesting on eBay? Forward it to sawitonebay@ yahoo.com.
Right: A 7020 with a loader? Another of the unique tractors seen at this fall’s Rollag, Minnesota show.
This 1935 “GP” owned by Don and Sylvia Dufner might be the last one built. Among its features are a galvanized hood, different style fenders, and no serial number.
Right: Justin Anderson of Hitterdal, Minnesota built this “A” standard. The front axle is from a 70-730. The rear axles were replaced with those from a 60 to fit the 30 rear wheels.
this
Asher Martin poses on a 70 standard.
Left: Ryan Kelly of Carlisle, Pennsylvania stands with his 1939 “H.” He restored it in memory of the tractor’s previous owners, his grandparents, Harold and Dorothy Thumma.
Left: Herb Carmean from Leonore, Illinois sent us
photo of his original 620.
We just hung a barn quilt (Photo 1) on the side of our machine shed. We may have included a photo of this in a past article but it seems worth repeating. It had looked faded and tattered so Jo Anne redid the whole thing this past winter. The entire theme revolves around the center—a cross meant to depict our Lord and Savior. Our world revolves around Him. Jo Anne has done a number of these barn quilts; they often become an interesting conversation piece when people stop to visit. These barn quilts are very popular in our state; I wonder how far the interest goes. Do you have any in your state, and if so, what sort of theme do they portray? So, I was just thinkin’…has anyone ever done a barn quilt with a primary green with yellow background and then perhaps a John Deere in its center? Maybe these quilts
are already being sold by vendors at the tractor shows but I would not know. If they aren’t, don’t you agree they should be? I’ll bet they would sell. In order to do one correctly it takes a lot of planning and patience to get all the angles painted correctly.
Moving on, here is a little true story that also had me thinkin’. The other day I stopped at our local Fleet Farm gas station to load up on farm gas. It was a Friday morning and when I went inside to pay, the attendant said “I see that you are wearing a green cap. It’s green Friday so you get to choose a bag of Fleet Farm snacks.” What? She stated that on Friday here in Wisconsin, if you are wearing green, you get a free bag of snacks; it’s their way of promoting our NFL team (the Green Bay Packers; jersey colors green and gold). I wonder how long this will go on? Take for instance next June when the Classic Green Reunion takes place near us in West Bend, Wisconsin. There surely will be a lot of wearing of the green going on…likely comparable to March 17th, a day that is dear to us O’Neills.
As we prepare this article on October 20th, our 2024 pumpkin season is now over. It has been challenging but good. Challenging because the whole month of June we had frequent
and heavy rains that continued well into the month of July. But by late August/early September, we knew that everything was going to be all right. The following photos (2 and 3) were taken on Labor Day weekend. We were once again blessed with a bountiful harvest of pumpkins, many weighing 30 to 40 pounds as can be seen in Photo 2. And we were blessed in other ways as well. Photo 3 shows Darren, our nephew, in the picture with Jo Anne. He is one of our greatest blessings for
Photo 1
Photo 2 • Photo 3, below
this pumpkin season and beyond; we will talk a bit more about him a little later in this article. Our entire season was warm and dry and overrun with bees and hornets, so much so that because of the liability involved, this year we discontinued doing our barrel train rides and the corn maze for the youngsters. There was just too great of a likelihood for someone to get stung while out on the trail or while going through the maze. Instead of doing those activities, we set up a few areas in the yard for some family photo opportunities. Photos 4 and 5 give you an idea of what I am talking about. Those photo ops featured our 1937 John Deere “A” and also Henry, the 1937 Ford truck—both decked out in fall attire. Much to our delight, those photo opportunities turned out to be just as attractive as our free barrel train rides or corn maze. This was our 23rd year in the pumpkin business and every year we say to each other that this will be the last one. By the time spring rolls around, we agree to “try it just one more year.”
And the reason we are already thinking about continuing pumpkins and related projects for 2025 is due in large part to our nephew Darren (Photo 6). The end for Jo Anne and me doing this again alone is near because of the physical (and even sometimes mental) strain of planning, picking, and handling. But then there is that
blessing when prayers are answered; we often refer to that blessing as a godsend. Darren Kumbier got in touch with us and asked if he could help pick pumpkins; we accepted his offer. Darren has a farming background, but for a great deal of time now has a career as a mason/cement finisher. Darren is a strong man who surely knows what hard work is all about and he is not afraid of it. He obviously still knows tractors and how farming works and has helped us in so many ways throughout this season. And now he is even helping with fall corn harvest and plowing. With his help, we just might be able to do a few more years in the pumpkin business and small farming.
To “call it a wrap” for this article, I will have to say if you are waiting for the conclusion about the 620 cylinder
head valve work from the November issue, I apologize; it will just have to wait because “something more important to me came up.” Let’s call it the abandoned 720 diesel. Decades ago, a neighbor just down the road from me had a 720 diesel (pony start). He cash cropped his farm with it. Jack Radik brought it to me for repairs when needed, mostly minor problems with the pony motor. Some never seem to get the hang of keeping those little V-4 engines running. Jack was the tractor’s owner; he is no longer with us.
Fast forward many years; I received a tip about an estate auction and an old John Deere in the back of a shed that everyone had passed by. I of course had to investigate, and there it was under a bunch of trash with four flat tires and fluid oozing out of the rear rims. The 720 was still all there except now it had deteriorated rims and tires. It appeared to be just begging for someone to make it run again.
I had a short conversation with Jack’s son, Randy, who wanted nothing to do with it. That 720 now has a new owner…ME. Here is a picture (Photo 7) of Randy having his last look at the old 720 after we had dragged it out of the shed and into daylight for the first time in a long time.
Now the question was how to get it from Randy’s yard to mine. There was no way of dealing with this, trying to push it up on a trailer with flat
Photo 4
Photo 6
Photo 5
tires; it would be a difficult task. After paying for the tractor, I made a return trip with my 4010 and once again…to the rescue…Darren (Photo 8). I got in touch with him, asking for his help. He has one of those newfangled battery operated little portable air compressors. The two of us went to the Radik farm, equipped with the air compressor, some chain, and fingers crossed. Although the rear rims are completely rusted out, the tires still held a little air to get them up off the ground. I suggested no more than 10 pounds lest the rim walls let go. To my delight, we did mange to get some air in the rear tires and one of the fronts, not the other (Photo 9). We hit the road in tow
and kept our fingers crossed. A slow tow with one front tire “flopping” the whole way home, we had the tractor in my driveway in about 45 minutes (Photo 10).
Now I just had to know if the big motor was stuck, so when we pulled in the driveway, I told Darren to stop and I put the 720 in sixth gear, pulled the compression release and pushed the clutch in. The motor turned over and within a few feet, the oil pressure gauge showed pressure. Good enough for me for today! I am convinced that this 720 will get new rims and usable tires. More to come on this project but for now the forgotten, neglected, nobody-wanted-it-anymore 720D is in good hands. Oh, and in case you are wondering, Jo Anne approved… all I heard was, “whatever, what’s one
more gonna matter?” So, I guess that I hereby name this project “just one more” (Photo 11). Oh, and the best part? When the 720 was uncovered and pulled out of the shed, it has a FACTORY three-point hitch (Photo 12)! I am so glad that this tractor did not make the tractor salvage yard… that’s where it was headed.
Until we meet again, may God bless. Have a wonderful season celebrating Jesus, the reason for the season. Merry Christmas.
This column is written by Ron and Jo Anne O’Neill.
Editor’s Note: In the November Tractor Doctor article, we inadvertently left out a paragraph between pages 47 and 48. Here is the paragraph that refers to Photos 6, 7 and 8.
Now we have the proper size stem pilot, .4965 to be inserted into the valve guide and locked in place along with the tool to put it in place and also the dressed stone and mandrel ready to go to work (Photo 6). Now the pilot is inserted in the valve guide and locked into place (Photo 7), and we have a spring over the pilot’s stem. This will allow the stone to spin up to full RPMs before it hits the valve seat. Now the stone and its mandrel are placed over the pilot stem and the electric driver is slid into the top of the mandrel. Pull the trigger and lightly press the spinning stone down on the valve seat (Photo 8). With one very light pass and then a very light stone resharpen to remove the carbon from the valve seat, and then one more very short hit on the seat again, you should see a very distinct and clean 45 degree valve seat.
Photo 9, below
Photo 10
Photo 11 • Photo 12, below
Photo 7 • Photo 8, below
It’s hard to believe but Ertl has now been producing Precision miniatures for nearly 35 years, and they are into their fourth series of these highly detailed models. The original Precision Classics were followed by the Precision Key series, the Precision Elite, and now the Precision Heritage models. The first Precision Heritage set was released a couple of years ago with the model 620 tractor and 555 plow. Most recently, the model 3010 diesel tractor and RW disk set was offered. The numbers 45952 and LP84510 are printed on the carton, and I understand that one is the stock number and the other an SKU. Why the need for both is a mystery to me, but that is the information I have. This set will be the subject for this month’s article.
Photo 1 shows the top of the outer cardboard carton. The graphics include a primarily green background with yellow and white stripes. Pictures of the actual tractor and disk are on
the top of the carton and on each of the long side panels. One of the end panels has a partial picture of a real tractor and disk at work and the other has a “colorized” picture of the real disk. Inside the carton is a two-piece polystyrene container. The top and bottom halves are taped together around the entire periphery. I found it easiest to simply cut the tape along the seam between the two halves to separate them. Photo 2 shows the arrangement of the models. Each is secured to the container with two paper ties.
two. This process will save some grief down the road.
The front of the tractor is shown in Photo 4. The front weights include the side weight brackets and a single front weight. There are raised spots in the castings to represent the mounting bolts on the sides and at the front. The small fluted grille screen is cast at the top of the front of the tractor, with small “bolts” for mounting a cultivator provided immediately below. This tractor also features the Roll-O-Matic front end. The curved black and yellow decal that identifies
A left side view of the tractor is shown in Photo 3. Note that I left the clear plastic wrapping around the tires. At the risk of repeating myself from previous articles, I decided to do this in the event I want to store the tractor and disk in the container. The rubber material in the tires on toy tractors and implements has a tendency to react with the polystyrene, leaving a white mess on the tires. It is necessary to either leave the clear plastic on them or place plastic wrap or wax paper in the container to separate the
this option is visible in Photo 4 between the front wheels.
There are some very nice details on the top of hood. Near the front is the hood ornament accented in silver. The fuel cap is painted red and the radiator fill cap is painted black (Photo 5). A really neat detail is the actual printing on the cap
Photo 1 • Photo 2, below
Photo 3 • 4, right
Photo 5 • Photo 6, below
that states “Pressurized Open Slowly” (Photo 6). It’s hard to see this with the naked eye so a magnifying glass is helpful. The muffler includes a rain cap, but it does not open. A pre-cleaner is on the air intake stack that features a clear bowl and a “wing nut” on top for service.
The fluted side screens on this model are not spring loaded and removable as on some of the other Precision models. They are cast together with the radiator fan shroud. Referring back to Photo 5 for some of the engine details, the engine block is visible along with the intake and exhaust manifolds. The lower radiator hose is located just behind the fan and the starter is partially visible beneath the rear side shield.
On the right side of the engine (Photo 7) are the fuel system components and the generator. In addition, it is just possible to see the “fan belt,” which is accented in black. Also note the brake pedals and all of the lines and tubes that run along the frame and under the operator’s platform. A step and a handrail for access to the operator’s platform are also visible here. These items are provided on both sides of the tractor, along with cutouts
near the front of each fender, to provide additional hand holds.
Photo 8 is an overall view of the operator’s station. Here is where most of the small details on this tractor reside. The seat cushions are made from three separate pieces of what appears to be a cast plastic material. Interestingly enough, “stitching” was added within the casting. However, the shape of the seat cushion and the arm rest is different from anything that I have ever seen either on a real tractor or in catalogs. The seat cushion appears like the top was a round piece of vinyl that was stitched to the rest of it. I have always seen these cushions with the seams along the edges. What was done on this model may have been correct at some point, but it is different from anything I have ever seen. As part of the seat pedestal, the levers for moving the seat fore and aft, and for adjusting it for the operator’s height and weight, are included at the front.
A close-up view of the dash area is provided in Photo 9. All of the control levers move and each is green with a black knob or handle at the top. Included are the transmission shifter, throttle, rockshaft control, hydraulic outlet control, and PTO control. The upper portion of the dash is accented in flat black and has two red warning lights, the speed-hour meter, and gauges. The dash light is included immediately ahead of the steering column and there is a shifting decal on the right and depth indicator for the rockshaft on the left. Below the steering column is the door for the service reminder tags, and below that the light switch. The clutch and brake pedals move and the foot throttle pedal is mounted below the left brake pedal.
Photo 10 shows the rear of the tractor. Included are a complete three-point hitch, a single remote hydraulic outlet, PTO shaft and shield, and the drawbar. A few months ago, one reader sent me a
message indicating that the lower or draft links on his Precision model were “backwards.” He pointed out that the pads that would have been welded to the draft links to protect them when they hit the sway blocks were on the outside of the links and too far rearward. Photo 11 shows this on my tractor where the same situation exists. Note that the pads are in fact on the wrong side and the release pins to extend the draft links are ahead of the lift links. They should be behind the lift links. It appears that the folks assembling the tractors pinned the wrong end of the draft links to the tractor. I went back and looked at the old 3010 gas Precision tractor that I have (number 20 in the Precision Classics series) and found that it is assembled in the same way. I guess I never noticed that originally or simply forgot. It is not a detail that most people will notice, but it is incorrect.
The rear wheels each have a single weight on the outside surface along with the mounting hardware cast in place. Black metal caps that are intended to replicate the axle ends se-
Photo 7
Photo 9
Photo 8
Photo 10 • Photo 11, below
cure the rear wheels in place. The front wheels feature separately cast hubs to hold them on the tractor, along with all of the mounting hardware.
The overall finish on this tractor and the fit of the parts are very good aside from the issue with the three-point hitch. All of the graphics are printed in place and are done beautifully. Included are the green and yellow John Deere name plates on the sides of the hood with the silver outline, and the two-tone 3010 model designations and DIESEL identifiers on the rear side panels. There is a clutch pedal adjustment decal on the left side below the handrail and a CAUTION plate on the opposite side in the same location. A large black and white Be Careful plate on the lower portion of the dash, a John Deere leaping deer trademark on the back of the seat, and a tiny silver and black serial number plate below the remote hydraulic outlet round out the graphics.
So let’s move to the disk. An overall view of it, shown in the transport position, is provided in Photo 12. This model is also made primarily from die-cast metal parts. The main frame and center tube are a single piece to
which each of the four disk gangs have been attached with small screws on the bottom. The axle assembly is a separate piece that is secured to the sides of the frame with “bearing caps” that are also attached with screws. This allows the axle assembly to swing between the transport and working positions. A swinging arm that is attached to the main frame tube can be moved from a horizontal position up to a clevis immediately behind the hydraulic
cylinder, and then pinned to it with a tiny pin that is attached to the disk with a silver chain (Photo 13). The hydraulic cylinder extends and retracts as the wheels are raised and lowered.
The hitch, hitch pin, hydraulic hoses, and hose holder are shown in Photo 14. All of these parts, and the drawbar and remote hydraulic outlets on the back of the tractor, are designed to work together. It takes a little bit of patience, but the hitch pin can be used to attach the disk to the tractor, and the ends of the hydraulic hoses actually fit into the openings in the remote hydraulic outlet. Photo 15 shows this in greater detail.
Photo 16 shows the wheel and tire detail on the right side of the disk. Note the green center hub that secures the wheel to the axle. Also note the small, black plastic valve stem for the tire. Some of the disk scrapers are also visible. Believe it or not, each scraper is an individual part that is pressed into a small hole on the disk gang. I think this feature really adds a high degree of realism to the model. In addition, the disks are also individual parts, all of which rotate. A final detail is a movable clevis on the rear of the disk for attaching a drag or other implement.
and are made of mostly die-cast metal construction. For many collectors, they are the “top of the line” models. The prices over the years have been what I would call reasonable, with a few exceptions. However, very recently, they have ballooned to a point that I feel is simply too much. The 620 tractor and plow set originally sold for around $200 retail. The 3010 and disk set is approximately $350! Sure, there are two pieces here but a 3010 gas tractor was made as number 20 in the original Precision Classics line and many parts from that model were used here. The disk is new tooling, but a 75 percent increase seems very unreasonable to me. All things considered, this is a really nice set. The detail is great and the tractor and disk together look very realistic. The price may be too much for some collectors, but then again, Christmas comes at the end of this month and perhaps one of your family members or Santa Claus will place one under the tree for you. Enjoy.
Contact Bill Proft at N1366 Woodland Dr., Greenville, WI 54942 or email billproft@sbcglobal. net
The fit and finish on the disk are also very good. I am amazed at how so many tiny details were built into this model. The graphics are printed in place here as well and they include the John Deere name on each side of the main frame tube, and a John Deere trademark and RW model designation on the top of the tube between the sets of disk gangs. Photo 17 shows the tractor and disk ready to head out to the field for some work.
I have always been a big fan of the Precision models. They have a huge amount of detail, some moving parts,
Photo 12 • 13, right
Photo 16 • 17, below
Photo 14 • 15, below
Random and miscellaneous
For this month, I think I will share just some random items with you. A few I wanted to get out in print but most I found interesting for one reason or another. Let us get started.
A bin with various sprockets and gears. This bin, for me, typifies what I have enjoyed working with the past over 35 years. Fitting various planters, combines, drills and other items—they have sat here for decades waiting for someone to need them. I just like looking at bins like these full of new old stock parts (Photo 1).
Photo 2 is nothing special, many collectors will have a box like this. It is full of assorted used gauges. I bet I walked past this box hundreds of times over the years. Likely not too much inherent value other than I bet
I stopped every few years or so and took a look at them as I would have forgotten what they were, so that was worth something. Momentary entertainment value at least.
At first glance, these items might be kind of a head scratcher for some of you. Others will know instantly. Can you guess what they are? (Hint: think two wheels and handlebars.) They are new old stock and in fairly decent shape for being kicked around for decades (bicycle front fork—Photo 3).
Now these are not John Deere actually but are related to Deere in that there are Baldwin filters that will fit John Deere equipment. I have always been a sucker for interesting vintage graphics and when these came up, I had to have them. The problem is that there are probably 50 of them so that
Photo 4 • Photo 5, below
Photo 2 • Photo 3, below
Photo 1
means more bins filled up. Also know that I have never sold or used any of them. Just look at these great graphics and the age they show (Photo 4). Love them.
I ran across this picture (Photo 5) and it brought back a lot of memories. Back when I was selling two cylinder parts, I sold many of these. It is part R21736 and it a woven material that was used as cushioning for the gas tanks on the tractors, going under the tanks and on top of the support. I think during my time R21736 was in the $8 or so price range. Guess what? It is still available today; however, current list price is over $35, which is out of reason. A wider cushion material (or thinner possibly, I cannot remember) is part R21737. It, too, is still offered by Deere at the current price of $69.
We all know prices on almost everything have increased to crazy levels. You can throw around terms like covid, supply change issues, shortage in manpower but my personal opinion is that the majority of these new high prices are due mainly to one thing and that is greed. Corporations are today almost exclusively focused on one thing and that is profit.
Deere is no different. Their current bout of firings and factory relocations to Mexico are really about profits. Not about “positioning the company to be responsive in today’s competitive marketplace” or the many other excuses they use. All companies say the same thing but at the end of the day, they make more money and that is what they are all about. I am beyond tired of corporations thinking we are all so stupid that we would accept their explanations—we know better.
Some of you may remember when I used to write the Preposterous Parts Pricing segment where I would take a part, list a price it had in the past and then list the high price it sells for today and then point it out and discuss it. Honestly, I started posting these prices to point out the examples of crazy price hikes that I came across from time to time but eventually it
turned out that nearly everything was priced very high, so I stopped doing it. Sorry for the rant; that is the old man in me coming through.
Photo 6 is something I took a picture of to show that everyone can be surprised at times. These are a set of old jumper cables that I used to jump a 2755 when we needed to move snow. I used them off and on for years and then one day I looked at them closely and saw the “John Deere” printed on the cables. I had no idea. This is a set of John Deere jumper cables, and I imagine they are from the 1980s. They have one or two new ends of them, but they are still doing a job. Not bad for 40 years, I would say.
These are new old stock Delco Remy parts, and the orange color has always really stood out in the bins. I love this type of box where a string has to be pulled to separate the two halves so the box can be opened. On the other hand, this is another item I can no longer bring myself to open. I have opened one or two over the
years and yes, it is a great feeling to pull on that string and open the box, but I will not be doing it again. Let the new owner do it. That is just me. Just today I agonized over opening a 1992 John Deere Day invitation so I could see what it looked like. I ended up opening it, but it involved a knife and a slow process of slicing the envelope open. I was not happy to do it but was glad to see the invitation (Photo 7).
Photo 8 is one we have all seen probably at one time or another. A cracked lens on this tachometer has allowed water to enter and damage the gauge. I assume it is not working as it only shows 559 hours, which is extremely low. A real problem with replacement tachometers and other gauges is that almost all of them are made in China or India or elsewhere and, as you can imagine, the quality is unacceptable. The price for a new tachometer similar to this one is just under $300. Normally the lifespan of these and other gauges is not very high, so the price is not good at all. I liked this picture for the rust inside the gauge. I can imagine it sitting outside and the water entering and doing the damage.
I have walked by this box (Photo 9) many times also and the vintage green and yellow always catch my attention. I love boxes from this time; the green and yellow really stands out and you instantly know it is a vintage part. For those who care, R21635 is a plug and R36505 is a resistor.
This 5115M came in when I was working at the other dealership some years ago. It just looked so darn funny
Photo 8
Photo 6 • Photo 7, below
with that tire combination on it that I had to take this picture (Photo 10). I cannot remember but I am thinking it was destined for a golf course. Just looks very odd. The other one that came in that made me look twice was a model 5100GN special narrow tractor. Let me tell you that thing was sucked in tight; it was very narrow. Take a look online to see what I am talking about. The 5100GN is not built by Deere although they will never tell you that and it has a Fiat engine. Deere sources and markets it for vineyard operations. Who knows, in 40 years, these two models may be collectible. Or not. All I know is that I will not be around to care about it one way or the other. Deere’s offering for a low rider, I guess.
Everyone knows about hand cleaner, right? Deere has always had a good hand cleaner; we used it in our shop. Earlier, it came in metal containers while later it was plastic. I thought to myself, it would be nice to pick up an old can of hand cleaner.
Well, I was in a for a surprise. First off, the majority of them must have been thrown away as they rarely (and I mean rarely) ever come up for purchase. I picked up this early metal can, not in the best of shape, and if I remember right, I think I had to give $40 for it. Now that is crazy, too. I really wanted the tall metal can of hand cleaner as I have a new old stock dispenser and that would make a great display. I have never found one. I think I will be okay, but it does bother me still. And I am still looking (Photo 11).
I have always liked this picture, too (Photo 12). It is a steel wheel for a tractor that is nearly overgrown. First, I do have to say this is not a Deere wheel, I think it is an Oliver but there were also Deere wheels that looked about the same. The grass has all but reclaimed this one, it looks like. It is funny, you go away and leave something for 25 or 30 years and things happen to them. Like this.
I suspect many of you have one of these. It is a Stewart-Warner handheld tachometer. If you work on two cylinder tractors, you either have or should have one of these. It is handheld
and made to hold against the flywheel of a tractor when it is running to see what RPM it is at. It has several rubber tips that can be switched out to be able to read other machines, too. These tachometers have been around for years, and I think I got this one in the 1980s. I have spent the past several weeks trying to get the lid off as it is stuck tight and I do not want to damage it. I may have to resort to stronger measures to be able to open it. I like the colors and graphics on the can (Photo 13).
Photo 14 is part AR73922, and it is a new old stock push button radio kit. Wow, rocking the AM radio with push buttons. Talk about old school by today’s standards. It was a nice kit,
Photo 13 • Photo 14, below
Photo 11 • Photo 12, below
Photo 9 • Photo 10, below
complete with everything needed to install and had never been opened until I did. That is why I remember and like it. It shows to fit 40 series row crops as well as 7720 combines and others.
Old piston ring sets (and I mean probably sets from the ’40s and ’50s) had, for lack of a better word, aluminum foil around the rings and rings came in paper wrappers like these. They have always fascinated me as they were different from tractor to tractor, and I tried to document them whenever I would come across them. I also like the John Deere Waterloo Tractor Works wording on the wrapper (Photo 15).
Photo 16 shows the cojoined “JD” symbol that is cast into the housings of the older tractors. It is circled in red in this picture.
Photo 17 is another example. The seat mounting plates on older seats had the cojoined “JD” stamped in them. The J and the D are together
and share a line. Most collectors will have seen this before and know what I am talking about.
This is the important item I wanted to share with you all and to get it documented and in print before I lose it (Photo 18). I ran across this while reading some older John Deere literature, specifically the September 1919 issue of the John Deere magazine. It tells about the origins of the “JD” symbol. To say I was surprised is stating it mildly. I had never even heard about anyone who knew anything about where the “JD” came from and here it was in front of me.
Apparently, Deere had held a contest amongst the factory workers to see who could come up with the winning design. Mr. Clayton L. Cook, foreman of the paint department at the Syracuse Chilled Plow Company, was the winner. Deere was to adopt this design and use it to mark all Deere castings from this point forward. We certainly know that Deere began using it on their castings.
We now know that the “JD” stamp was created in late 1919, which is great. Deere awarded Mr. Cook a $25 prize for his submission. Deere went on to say that a total of 246 designs were submitted by 91 employees, both women and men. Also, that six submissions were identical, although submitted by different persons. Deere finished by saying that most employees would know Mr. Cook as his picture appeared in the August magazine along with “a mess of trout which he caught the first day of the season.” I cannot imagine this level of familiarity or even interest by Deere today with their employees.
That is something I do miss when I read through old Deere literature. There was very much of a family atmosphere, which is missing today
from Deere and I am certain as well as in most corporations. At one time, there was more to a company than squeezing every dollar they could from their customers. Imagine that— someone catching a “mess of trout” and the company mentioning it. Wow. I am glad I happened across that as I have wondered over the years where that cojoined “JD” came from and now I know.
That is the end of what I chose to share this time. It is funny as some of these pictures I posted are themselves decades old. I am so glad I saved the pictures I did as it allows me to go back in time so to speak and relive the great times I have had over the years. I am also able to share them, along with my thoughts, with all of you. Until next time!
Write Greg Stephen at The Old Tractor Company, Box 89, Franktown, CO 80116; phone 231-846-8243 or email deeredr@hotmail.com
Photo 18
Photo 15
Photo 17
Photo 16
The popularity of having a plowing day has become a great way to have fun with our old iron, and a way to witness firsthand how a variety of tractors perform with a variety of different plows. It doesn’t matter the color or brand of equipment being used at a plowing event, it’s just a great way to enjoy the comraderie that comes along with getting together for an event like this. With much of modern agriculture abandoning conventional tillage like the moldboard plow, and practicing minimum tillage or no-till planting, the art of using a moldboard plow is fading from history. Here in Green Magazine, Tyler Buchheit has done a fantastic job of covering many different styles of moldboard plows including how to repair, how to properly set up, and how to use these great pieces of history successfully.
Typically after the plowing is done, more work needs to be done to the soil in preparation for a proper seed bed before planting can take place. A common tool to use after plowing to prepare a good seed bed has been the disk as we call it here in the Midwest, or as some folks refer to as a harrow (Photo 1). Looking at vintage literature, you will find what us Midwesterners call a disk is referred to as a harrow. In the world of disks (we’ll call them disks here in this article instead of a harrow), there are just as many varieties of disks as there are plows and I’m no expert when it comes to disks and their differences. Many very early disks didn’t even have transport
wheels until farms started getting larger and paved roads were more common. In this era of history, sealing technology hadn’t progressed very far and many early seals were just hemp rope, or leather. As one can imagine, a rope seal or leather seal wouldn’t last very long in the application of a disk gang shaft rolling through the dirt. A common “bearing,” if you want to call it a “bearing” for disks, was just two halves of cast iron bolted together with a grease fitting to provide some lubrication for the turning gang shaft, but no seal was involved here to keep dirt out as we can see on this AW disk (Photo 2). The “bearing” halves just clamped around a disk spacer and also provided mounting points to attach
the disk gang to the disk frame. This was a very simple design, was very easy to service without taking the disk gang apart, and surprisingly provided a fairly long service life. As long as the spacer wasn’t worn too badly, you could just remove the two halves of cast iron “bearing” and simply bolt in replacements with the disk gang still attached to the disk frame.
As seal technology advanced, it was possible to use a ball bearing on disks in place of the simple, but effective shell bearing. The ball bearings provided less rolling resistance, allowed faster ground speeds, and finally provided an acceptable service life when properly greased. As far as I know, early disks were referred to with alphabet letters like AW, RWA, etc. Maybe someone more knowledgeable on disks could shed some light on the many different models of John Deere disks, and what the differences were from model to model.
When sealed ball bearings started being offered on disks like the AW and the H1300 we are working on this month, Deere gave the purchaser the option to order the old proven shell type bearing, or order the disk with sealed ball bearings. Eventually Deere discontinued the two piece shell bearing and all their disks were shipped with sealed ball bearings. While the sealed ball bearings were a step forward in technology, they presented one significant drawback, and that was serviceability. While not rocket science, changing out the sealed
Photo 1 • Photo 2, below
bearings on a disk gang has its challenges, so let’s get started on this H1300 disk.
The first challenge is going to be getting the large nut off the end of the gang shaft (Photos 3 and 4). In this case, and more often than not, you’re going to need some heat to get this nut loose. It will help to have the disk lowered down to the ground so the weight of the disk can help prevent the disk gang from spinning as you try to remove the retaining nut. In typical fashion, this nut proved to be a stubborn rascal and a pipe wrench over one disk spacer was needed to keep the gang shaft from spinning while attempting to loosen the nut. That nut is large and you will find any heat applied to the
nut will quickly be absorbed into the disk and spacer behind the disk, so be prepared with a torch large enough to apply a significant amount of heat like this one inch Rose Bud shown in Photo 4. Over the years, these disks have no doubt been repaired by someone previous to us taking them apart now, so it’s fairly common to find quite a conglomeration of spacers behind this nut. Just accept that whatever is there has worked for many, many years, and set the nut aside with whatever someone has used for spacers previously (Photo 5). Over the years, it is common for the disk spacers to wear a little on the faces, especially if the nut has come loose, or if a different thickness of disk has been used. It doesn’t take much wear on the face of a spacer, or much difference in blade thickness, before you end up with a tolerance stack up, and run out of shaft thread to tighten everything up. Hence, the ingenious amount of spacers you can find behind that large retaining nut. With the retaining nut removed, it’s time to remove the bolts that hold the bearing housings to the disk frame supports (Photo 6). Normally you will find one through bolt with a nut on one end at the top of the bearing housing, and you will find the lower bolt is tapped and threaded into the lower part of the bearing housing. It’s a good practice to replace all of these bolts with new ones, so don’t be too disappointed if you have to destroy some of these bolts to get them out. These bolts are still available from your local Deere dealer, Fastenal, or hardware stores. To make removing these bolts easier, it will help to raise the disk first before loosening any
bolts, then lower the gang of disks onto a length of two by six or two by eight board so the gang of disks lightly touch the board. This will remove the weight of the disk frame from these bolts, and will prevent the weight of the disk gang from binding the bolts. I prefer not to use the hydraulics on the tractor to extend or retract the remote cylinder for working on a disk, but instead to use a hydraulic jack that is easier to control, or the loader of another tractor if the hydraulic functions are easy to control in fine adjustments.
If your disk is equipped with mud scrapers on the disks, you will find it’s much easier to remove, and
reinstall the disk gang if all the scrapers have been removed (Photo 7). Once the gang of disks is removed, we can disassemble the entire gang of disks. You can either just pull everything off the gang shaft and lay them in a pile, or I prefer to pull the disks, spacers, and bearings off one at a time and lay them out in the order they were removed, and in the correct orientation as they were on the disk gang. It just makes reassembly quicker and easier to have the parts laid out in order. If you choose the “throw them in a pile” method, you can always refer to the disk gangs remaining on the disk frame for reassembly.
As you remove disks, spacers, and bearings from the square gang shaft, it will be very common to find that the disks have worn a groove into the shaft (Photo 8). Quite often this groove will interfere mainly with getting the bearings off the shaft so you will have to grind the ridges down flush with the shaft to get the bearings off (Photo 9). A few options to deal
Photo 3 • Photo 4, below
Photo 5 • 6, below
Photo 7
with these wear grooves are to just leave the grooves as they are and risk having the disks spin on the shaft loosely (not a good choice). Another option is to weld each groove and grind the welds down flush with the shaft again. The thing to keep in mind with this option is how the heat of welding is going to affect
the metallurgy of the shaft because this shaft needs to remain flexible, and shock-load resistant. The option I chose was to just replace the shaft from Deere to the tune of $374, part number B12173, for this 14 foot disk. Another option you might want to consider is reproducing the shaft yourself. The AW and H1300 disk use a 1.125 inch square shaft and this size bar stock is commercially available from most any steel supplier. An internet search will bring up several suppliers. If you choose to reproduce the shaft yourself, you will need to cut threads on one end of the shaft for the retaining nut, and
fabricate a stop for the opposite end of the shaft as shown in Photo 10. It’s a very simple design and easily replicated. The disk spacers and bearing housings can be reused, or if they are damaged, you will have to salvage some from a donor disk. Note in Photo 10 that the disk spacers and bearing housings have been laid out in the sequence they were removed, and in the orientation they were on the shaft. The spacers have a small diameter end, and a larger diameter end. The small diameter end of the spacers goes towards the concave side of the disks, and the large diameter end goes towards the convex side of the disks.
When ordering parts for your disk, if you are fortunate enough to have a serial number tag (Photo 11),
that will be very handy for getting the right parts. Here we have our first bearing housing to deal with (Photo 12). Yup, it’s dirty and has the stub of a cut off bolt sticking out of it. We won’t cover getting that stub of a bolt out because we’ve covered that topic here in Green Magazine before. The next item of unpleasant things to deal with will be the internal snap ring holding the seals and bearing in place (Photo 13). In Photo 13, the ends of the snap ring are being pointed to, and yes, they are rusty and crusty. This snap ring was rusted in so tightly the only option was to heat the tip of the snap ring red hot and bend it in towards the center of the assembly until it could finally be pried out of its groove (Photos 14 and 15). With the snap ring removed, you will find a seal, bearing, and second seal in that order. Basically the bearing has a separate seal on both sides of the bearing. Also take note that the snap ring side of the bearing housing is a larger opening than the non-snap ring side of the bearing housing. This will be critical when removing and installing seals and the bearing.
TO BE CONTINUED
Contact Dan Brotzman at W14729 Meisner Rd., Tigerton, WI 54486; cell 920-784-4029; email danb4230hc@yahoo.com
Photo 14 • Photo 15, below
Photo 11 • Photo 12, below
Photo 13, below
Photo 10
Photo 8 • 9, below
From threshing machine to combine
As a progressive farmer working east of Breckenridge, Minnesota, Leo Yaggie was always looking for ways to make his operation more efficient. Frustrated with the harvesting capacity of the then available production combines, he set out to build something larger.
In the late 1940s, he and local blacksmith Johnny Wood came up with the idea of building a combine from a threshing machine. A 28 inch John Deere was chosen and the process began with building a sub-frame beneath to mount two large wheels. Platforms for the operator’s
station, grain tank, and the engine, a Continental Red Seal, were also added. A model “U” Minneapolis Moline tractor provided propulsion for the combine, though it was steered and controlled from the combine.
Completed in the winter of 1949-50, it was used successfully for 17 years to harvest barley, wheat, oats, soybeans and flax. Two generations later with the guidance of Leo’s son Richard, Leo’s grandsons Mark Yaggie and David Dietz along with great-grandsons Jackson Falck and Adam Dietz, completed a restoration of the combine in 2018 with the guidance of Leo’s son, Richard.
Front view shows pick up head, Continental engine and steering and controls extending from operator’s platform to tractor.
Right side detail of feederhouse.
The model “U” Minneapolis is the only tractor that has ever pulled the combine.
Hope everyone had a great fall season. As I am writing, the weather has been nice, maybe too dry some might say. Harvest is wrapping up and I have started putting tractors in the shed and deciding which one will inhabit the second spot in my heated garage for some winter work!
It was such a great summer of pulls, shows and just a lot of tractor fun. I do have one more tractor to get.
It is a 1520 I purchased from my wife’s uncle in Iowa. Looking forward to one more fall tractor trip! But, I guess reality is sinking in as winter is upon us. I guess I’ll start dreaming about all the fun that will be had next summer!
I couldn’t help but start with a record setting 4840 John Deere. I farm with a 4640 with over 10,000 hours and is not in the record breaking category. But, this 4840 certainly turned out to be in a class by itself. First of all, the tractor had a mere 2,163 one owner hours. The”original” machine still had the original tires and starter. The tin is in good straight condition, eight front weights, 500 pound inside weights,
three hydraulics, block heater, radio, three-point with quick coupler. The final price $71,655. WOW!
Now the 4840 gets all the press but the sale also produced what I thought was another nice tractor that sold well. This one was a 1969 John Deere 2020 gas tractor with a 48 John Deere loader. The hours are not known as the tach quit working. This is also a one owner tractor bought new. The tractor recently had new points, distributor and spark plugs put in. It started and ran great. What was the price? SOLD for $17,750. Both of these tractors were sold by Sieren Auctions and bought new by Don Hotz of Lone Tree, Iowa.
As long as we are talking about newer Generation and Gen 2 tractors, next a a 1975 4230, serial number
4230H027476R. The tractor reads 156 hours as the tach was replaced at 4,300 hours. The tractor was freshly painted after being gone through with all hoses, seals, brakes, hydraulics and gauges being replaced. It has QuadRange transmission, very good tires, aftermarket manifold heater for cold starting, new cab liner, runs and operates great. You could have stepped into this one if you would have been willing to outbid the winning bid of $16,250. The tractor was sold at the October Consignment Sale conducted by the Hansen Auction Group of Downing, Wisconsin.
I also came across some tractors from the John Deere two cylinder 20
series. At the Don Collenbaugh Antique Tractor Auction conducted by Aumann Auctions, a 1958 620 with a narrow front came up for sale. The repainted 620, serial number 624858, has a three-point hitch and reads 5,859 hours. It has decent 13.6 by 38 rubber on the rear and 6:00 by 16s on the front. It managed a pretty good bid of $6,820.
The Acadia Farm and Heavy Equipment Consignment Auction in Acadia, Wisconsin gave us a couple more 20 series tractors, both 420s. First, a 1957 420, serial number 113867, three-point hitch, new battery, runs and drives. High bid: $3,450.
Next a 1958 420, serial number 132249, three-point, lights running and driving condition. This one got away for a mere $2,400! These two 420s were sold by the Hansen Auction Group.
for $6,000. This tractor was part of the Arnold E. Dennert Revocable Living Trust Antique Tractor and Machinery Auction in Westport, South Dakota. The sale was conducted by Steffes Auctioneers.
The Arnold E. Dennert Revocable Living Trust Antique Tractor and Machinery Auction gave us another fun tractor (to me). It was a 1938 model “G” John Deere with serial number 4769. Although the engine was stuck, the tractor had obviously been redone at some point. The unstyled “G” of course has a four speed transmission, PTO, and 12.4 by 36 rear tires. You would have had to outdo a bid of $4,550 to bring this “G” home with you.
We have a couple more two cylinders to mention. Next on the list a model “D” tractor. This one is a 1926 model, serial number 43175. The engine was free but the tractor had not
run in couple years. Rubber was bolted to the steel wheels although the lugs and skid bands were included. With
a few spare parts, it only took $1,550 to buy this “D”!
You may think this last one is kind of a joke on my part, I mean why even mention it! But, when I look at a tractor I like to think about the his-
tory behind it. I would have liked to have seen this tractor in action. It was an unstyled “A” John Deere with round spoked wheels but it looked like cement weights had been added somewhere down the line. Today the rims looked to be about gone. It had what was advertised as a boom loader. At some point, it had been converted to electric start and on the “dash,” it looked like a Farmall light switch and amp meter was added. The front end was an add on wide front. I did not need this tractor but for some reason, I just wanted to bid; in fact I did, but then decided I really didn’t need this tractor! But, like I said, there was some history behind this one! Price? $329! The old “A” was part of the Haala Tractor Sale conducted by Kerkhoff Auction and Real Estate out of Redwood Falls, Minnesota.
Hope you enjoyed a few of the tractors listed above; I know I did. If you see any John Deeres that need a closer look, shoot me a message at mickelsonauctions@gmail.com. Thanks in advance and happy auctioning!
Email Eric W. Mickelson at mickelsonauctions@gmail.com
I guess we have one more in the 20 series of two cylinders. Probably my favorite of the 20 series, a 1956 820 standard, serial number 8205569. The tractor looked pretty good with a decent paint job, single hydraulics, 540 PTO, power steering, and free engine. This 820, in its present condition, sold
G’day, mates!
As I write this article at the end of October, the bush fire dangers in our area have eased. This is possibly due to a couple factors, one being that we have had some timely heavy rains to extinguish the fires, and the other being that all the areas of long grass are burned off now from several rounds of these fires over the past few months. I am not a fan of the fires, but the good thing afterwards is the new grass does have room to grow for the cattle to graze on.
I have been out of commission for a few weeks here. An umbilical hernia had developed a few years ago in my navel area. It had been slowly getting worse but had been delayed being repaired until after my hip replacement surgery last December. I went in for a checkup in August 2024, and the surgeon could do it very soon afterwards. The auction sale preparation for Peter Sands caused me to delay it for six weeks. I had the procedure on October 10th, and it was a success. I am not supposed to lift anything heavy for a few weeks, so I have been staying at the house and out of my workshop. This has allowed me to catch up on my Green Magazine reading again, so now I am up to date to the end of the October 2024 issue.
Peter Sands’ auction sale is done and dusted and was very successful. As I wrote previously, I had spent a considerable number of weekends there in 2024 to prepare the tractors. I also took the week before the sale as
holidays from work to give the 25 John Deere tractors in his collection all the final touches before the October 5th sale day. The action started on Monday, September 30th. I arrived around 10 a.m. and discussed the game plan with the auctioneer. They wanted the shed area clear to set up the small articles, metal signs, parts and diecast toys. The quickest way to clean out the shed was to hook Peter’s John Deere 2520 compact tractor onto each tractor and tow them outside to the yard beside the house. Peter has a hitch bar made from box metal tubing with a clevis hitch at each end. This makes it easy to push the tractors to where we wanted while I steered from the seats.
Once we had all the tractors outside, I began the task of getting them all running. After the first two tractors caused some issues, I went ahead and removed the caps from all the magnetos, filed, cleaned and checked all the points for the correct gap. Most of the tractors in his collection had not run in a few years. Amazing how time gets away and this happens. Out of the 25 tractors in the collection, 17 of the tractors were hand/flywheel start. A few started easy, but after a couple of difficult ones, I resorted to the procedure of hooking the front hitch on the 2520 compact onto the tractor’s drawbar with the hitch bar and giving the tractor a push start. Some started within a few feet of where they were sitting. Some were not playing the game and took a considerable amount of
distance being pushed to finally fire up and run.
After each tractor was started, I drove them over to the shed and then they were pressure washed to remove dust and dirt from the surfaces. When that was completed, I drove them out to the field in front of the house where a line had been painted on the grass. Each tractor was backed up to the painted line, and then I stepped off approximately 15 feet as I went between each tractor. The tractor that put up the biggest challenge to start was the 1928 model “D.” It had sat a long time since it was restored, so the oil had long drained back out of the engine parts. This made the turning of the flywheel very stiff to start. I could not get it to start with the flywheel, so we tried to push start it.
Since it is on steel wheels with attached rubber lugs, the rear wheels would only skid when I put the clutch in gear to try and start it. Since Peter had a flat drive belt for his saw bench, I thought that was our best bet. We aligned the “D” with his styled “AR” and belted the two pulleys together. I took out the spark plugs to relieve the compression and removed the plug wires from the magneto to eliminate the chance of an accidental fire. After a couple attempts where the belt flew off, I tightened the belt up a little more with the “AR” and gave it another try. This time we were able to get the 1928 “D’s” engine to turn over. After a minute of spinning the engine while watching the oil pressure gauge come up to a
good pressure reading, we stopped the “AR” and checked things over on the “D.” The flywheel on the “D” was now very easy to turn over since everything internally was lubricated.
I still used the “AR” to belt start the “D,” which it did easily after everything was lubricated. I drove the “D” over to the wash area and had some issues with the clutch disengaging. I stopped the tractor and removed the clutch parts and reinstalled them to the correct tension, so the clutch engaged and disengaged with the lever. The unstyled “AR” caused some issues as well. It kept flooding the carburettor, even after I removed the carb and replaced the needle and seat twice. I had parked the styled “AR” out at the auction field but needed to belt up to the unstyled “AR” after the carburetor repair. It had never let me down start-
ing until that day. When I attempted to start the tractor, I got zero activity from the starter. I checked the lights, and they were shining brightly, so it was not a battery issue.
We used the 2520 and push started it and then drove it to the shed. After a couple of checks, it was determined that the starter was the issue. Peter called his auto electrician friend to assist, and he arrived a couple hours later. He repeated my checks and agreed that it was the starter as the issue. He asked what time I would have the starter removed in the morning? I said it will be removed in 20 minutes. These starters mount under the tractor and are a bit of a challenge to remove, but it went well, and the starter was on the workbench in 15 minutes. The auto electrician did a couple of tests, and then we disassembled the starter. The
main stud that connects the internal wiring to the starter switch was loose and not making contact. The stud was removed, cleaned and reinstalled. The starter was reassembled and tested. Now the starter spun well. I reinstalled the starter and test started the tractor, and all went well.
The afternoon before the sale was set aside as an open house for any buyers to come in ahead of time to check over the tractors. Quite a few people were there, and all went well. At 8 a.m. on sale day, I began starting all the John Deere tractors. I was able to get the first 12 tractors started by hand in order. A friend arrived then, and he turned the flywheel on the last five tractors while I operated the choke. We were able to get all tractors started except for the unstyled “AR”—it was having carburetor issues for the fourth time! We push started the “AR” with the 2520 and got it started. It was quite a feat to hand start all the tractors in that short of time. My friend, Bruce Kirkby, commended me for getting them all going and remarked that this was the first antique tractor sale that he had ever attended where all the tractors started! Another friend oversaw getting all the Lanz tractors started on sale morning as well.
The sale commenced at 9:30 a.m. with the small items in the shed selling first. After the shed items were completed, then the collection of horse drawn John Deere plows and assorted brands of horse drawn tillage tools sold. This was followed by Peter’s blacksmith anvil and vice collection.
Peter Sands’ tractors lined up for the sale.
Action photos of the tractors selling.
Then to sell were his seven Lanz tractors including six of the bulldog models that use a blow torch to heat the cylinder head to start. The last Lanz was a “Q” model. This tractor was built after John Deere purchased the Lanz factory in 1955-56. It is still a Lanz designed tractor, but the paint scheme was JD green and yellow. This model starts using a pendulum starter to rock the engine back and forth to start. All the Lanz and John Deere tractors sold very well!
After the sale was over, several tractors left that afternoon. The next morning, the auctioneer went through all the sold tractors and tagged each one with the new owner’s name. The buyers of the tractors were from all areas of Australia, and one tractor, the “GM,” is traveling to New Zealand. After the auctioneer was done tagging the tractors, we started the 22 tractors that were still on site and put them back into the shed for storage. As of the end of October, most of the collection have left, with five left in the shed to go yet. I am sure it will really sink in with Peter once they all leave the shed. I left on Sunday afternoon and headed for home. It was a great experience helping Peter with his tractors. I gained a lot of hands-on knowledge with each tractor we restored.
As I mentioned at the end of last month’s article, I decided to sell my 1938 “D” tractor for good reason. I was able to find a 1953 styled “D” tractor and personally prefer the styled “D”
models over the unstyled ones. The 1938 “D” was in good condition, but I did quite a few small things to spruce it up to sell. It looked good once I was finished with all my updates. It sold in the same online auction that my 112 mower and 3020 standard did that I covered in last month’s article. I was hoping for $12,000 and the sale reached $22,250! These prices are certainly elevated over North America prices, but it is supply and demand here, and these tractors are not for sale very often.
Back in September 2023, I was in Canada, working on loading the 40-foot shipping container full of our belongings and tractors. My friend, Billy, saw a classified advertisement in an Australian vintage machinery magazine that listed five tractors for sale. One of the five tractors was a 1953 John Deere “D” with electric start. He thought I would be interested so he sent me the listing. When I arrived back, I called the owner and requested some pictures, and the serial number. The pictures looked pretty good, and the serial number sounded even better! The serial number he quoted was 191460, a 1953 model, and based on the info I found, it is the 11th built in 1953 model year and was the 118th one from the end of the factory production of the model “D”! After the factory quit assembling the “D” tractors, more orders came in, and since the parts were available, they built 92 model “D” tractors by hand outside the factory under a roof…these models are called “Streeters “as they were basically built
on the street outside the factory!
I talked to the owner of the 1953 “D” a couple times but decided that I really could not buy another tractor with my current situation. A few months went by, and I started thinking that if I cleaned up and sold my 1938 “D,” I could use the finances to pay for the 1953 “D.” I talked to the owner again to see if it still was available, and remarkably it was still for sale!
I told the seller I would buy it for his advertised price as he would not budge. The tractor arrived on October 27th in good condition. As with most tractor purchases where you only see pictures, the rear of the fenders and a few parts were worse than I expected. I had not viewed it in person as it was eight hours/425 miles south of my place.
Those issues are minor, and I will be able to push the fenders back into shape and fix all the issues. I am missing the radiator shutters, battery box top, choke rod and the starting lever for the electric start rod, but otherwise everything else is there! There is a light switch, but there are no lights or mountings on the tractor. There will be quite a bit of labor and some parts, but it will be a dandy when I am done. I bolted the grille back on for a few pictures. The bottom of the radiator is broken where the grille mounts, and one of the broken pieces is still attached to the grille. The grille needs some work, but it is there; that’s 99 percent of the battle as the grilles are often missing. I have another complete radiator here that will have a better bottom tank than this one. I have ordered a new radiator core that will be installed at some point. I will cover this tractor more in next month’s article and I will update as I go!
That is all for this month. Stay tuned for more personal stories and tractor adventures in 2025. At this time, Janis, Maris, Kyle and I would like to wish all the readers a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!
Until next time, cheers, mates! Contact Ken Nicklas by email at kenanicklas@gmail.com
My 1938 “D” after the refurbishment to sell on the online auction.
My 1953 “D.”
In our October issue, we started a search for 4430 Hi-Crops, and we did indeed find a couple. Randy Warner of Rock Rapids, Iowa was the first to get a photo to us, and thus gets one year added to his subscription.
The item we are going to look for next was suggested by one of our readers, but neither he nor I have a photo of one. All sorts of substitutions were made because of the material shortages during World War II and one of them concerned Deere’s popular No. 5 sickle mower. According to rumors and hearsay, to save on materials, the chain and case on these mowers was replaced with a V-belt drive. Seems like a somewhat spurious story given that belts, I believe, are made of rubber, and rubber was also in short supply. What this all means is that if you have a No. 5 mower with V-belt drive, and you send a photo of it and yourself to us, you can both confirm this rumor and get one year added to your subscription.
The photo shown here does not appear to be a V-belt version of the No. 5. The photo comes from a 1942 Better
Farming catalog and shows 12-yearold Ivan Bausch of Hoyt, Kansas. You don’t seem to find 12-year-olds operating equipment in Deere literature these days.
See page 4 for Green Magazine’s postal and email addresses for entries in “Do you have one?”
4430 Hi-Crop owned by Bill Obermeyer.
Randy Warner, this month’s winner.
Ruby Brotzman also sent us a photo of her 4430 Hi-Crop. Interesting “cab.”
• Two Cylinder diesels—our speCialTy
• CompleTe Two Cylinder diesel
• Fuel injeCTion repair and CalibraTion
• Cylinder bloCk boring up To 8”
We also have good sources for aftermarket products for two cylinder John Deeres including Taper-Lock flywheels, engine parts, grilles, battery boxes, manifolds, mufflers, pony motor ignition parts, etc.
• 2 cyl. & later JD air cleaner conversions, Lindeman through 430C trunion bushings • 70-830 diesel piston kits in stock, STD, .045, .090, .125 os
Renaissance Tractor
For Sale
Three-point from 630 loose, sandblasted, primed and painted. No center link. $1200. Ph. 501-760-2811. Leave message, no texts. AR
JD 4630 1975 Power Shift, hydraulic front wheel. Triple hydraulic four post open station. For sale on Big Iron now. Ph. 605670-4755. SD
Rates: 50¢ per word, minimum charge $5 classifieds limited to 200 words ($100)
Photos: $40 per photo 2-1/4 inches wide or $20 per photo 1-1/4 inches wide
Discounts: 10% off for any ad running in three issues. No material changes allowed; payment must accompany ad
Classified & display ad info
•Green Magazine is mailed about the first of each month.
•Only John Deere items will be advertised.
•Positioning of ads is at publisher’s discretion.
•Green Magazine will not print any ads which it considers to be:
•offensive or proven to be dishonest;
•from competing publications or organizations Phone 402-643-6269
Email: info@greenmagazine.com
Website: www.greenmagazine.com
Mailing address: Green Magazine, PO Box 95, Bee, NE 68314-0095
Parting out JD M-MT-40-420-430 and A-B50-60-70 tractors. Call us for new, used and reproduction/replacement 2 cylinder parts. John Shepard, 715-265-4988. WI
1949 John Deere cyclone A two cylinder. Electric start. Brand new 13.6x38 rear tires. $3500. Good running condition, straight, new seat. New battery. Ph. 607-888-0250 after 5 PM. NY
1964 John Deere 3020 diesel, with 6400 hours. Wide front, power steering, 3-point. In excellent condition, all original. $10,800. 1956 John Deere 70, gas, Roll-O-Matic front end, power steering, completely restored and overhauled. $4700. Both tractors have always been shedded. Ph. 605-228-6230. SD
John Deere No. 31 potato digger. Running condition. Comes with vintage John Deere cylinder. $500. John Deere 4200 cultivator. $250. Ph. 541-910-5180. OR
Payment
• All ads are to be paid in advance. Ads sent without payment and needing to be billed will be assessed a $4.00 service charge.
• Classified ads will be taken over the phone, if accompanied by a credit card payment. We are not responsible for errors in ads taken over the phone or for illegible ads received in mail. Display ads will not be taken over the phone.
• We do not send checking copies or tearsheets. Send $6.00 extra for a copy of the issue in which your ad appears.
Discounts
1) 10% discount - for any ad running in three consecutive issues. No material changes allowed. Payment for entire ad run should accompany ad.
2) 5% discount for camera ready - ad must be typeset, clear and at the proper size.
3) 5% cash discount - payment in full by check, without being billed.
Word limits
When preparing display ads, please take note of the word limits. We can place only so many words into a given area and still make a readable ad. If ads exceed word limits, advertiser will be billed for extra space.
Restoration Services Restoration Services, in association with Paul’s Paint & Glass Supply of Seguin, Texas, will do:
Quality restoration, fine refurbishment & excellent body & paint work
We can also repair individual components on all two cylinder and New Generation Deeres
Carr’s Repair: JD R and 730/830D overbore piston kits. Ph. 807-487-2548. International Falls, MN. No Sunday calls. Website: www. carrsrepairvintageparts.com (A12X)
John Deere field cultivator. Nicely restored, with 1 inch double spiral loop square tines, all new pointed shovels with new bolts. To be mounted on a John Deere M or MT tractor. Was mounted on a 1947 John Deere M tractor, $750 cash. Ph. 715-532-3289. WI
Early styled tractors (pan seated models) A, B hand start • A, B long hood • G, GM & H $35.00 plus S/H
John Reed Antique Tractor Parts
RADIATOR BOLT SETS
Unstyled tractors: $45.00
Styled A, B, G and H + 50, 60 & 70: $40.00 520-up: $30.00 • plus S/H
We specialize in JD model H tractor parts— new, used and reproduction THOUSANDS of model H parts!
New Generation seat extended brackets, 4 inches longer than stock, not painted, 4 piece set, $120. ALSO: Axle wedge removal tool, 530-4620, three sizes, $260 each. Brett, 402429-5311. NE L3X
Recovering original tractor steering wheels for 14, 15 and 17” three spoke flat or round wheels, $95; 19” four spoke wheels, $110. Please send your core or call for information. EverGreen Restoration, W7619 Walnut Dr., Spooner, WI 54801. Ph. 715-520-7876. Made in USA. WI L3X
JD 214 L&G, been restored. $3000 OBO. Ph. 574-354-2171. IN
1963 JD 1010 dozer, refurbished, $10,000 cash. Text number 423-3681965. TN
Parts for 820 and 830. New drawbar, $300. Nice fuel tank, $100. New battery box, $135. Crankcase air breather, $165. Slide in toolbox, $65. Front weight, $85. Pair of three rib tires on 18 inch rims, $150. Pair 34x16 rear rims, $400. 23.1x26 tires on 24 inch wide rims, $600. 26 inch dual rings and clamps, $125. 830 hood, $450. 830 cowl, $350. Flywheel cover, $85. 16.9x34 duals, $200. 18.4x34 duals, $200. Ph. 260352-2849 IN
1970 JD 3020 gas, 3900 hours, with JD 148 loader, seven foot bucket. Good condition. Excellent snow removal tractor. $9750. Ph. 845-355-4571. NY
1937 JD D, new tune up, new tires, good paint, photos available, $4000. Ph. 712-6532773 or 712-830-4735 in Iowa.
1934 A, 1935 A, 1936 B, two 1938 Gs, two 1952 Gs, 1948 M, 1948 G for parts, pair of rear spoke wheels for unstyled G. Call for details. Ph. 512-619-8927. TX
Nice original 420 RU; 1020 utility, good condition; original 4520 PS, good condition; 4010 diesel, NF, good condition; 3010 RC utility, gas; 4020 diesel. JD #55 combine, very nice, has factory cab w/2 and 3 row corn heads. Ph. 712-269-1700. IA
Shell of a power block for JD A, SN 584,000 thru 647,999. Bid on it. Ph. 563-578-5360. IA
720 pony start, row crop, square WF and 3-pt. Not show quality, but very nice sheet metal, paint and 18.4x38 tires, $10,000. Ph. 715-676-2220 evenings, please leave message. WI
Excellent reproduction TOOL BOXES
New, used & reproduction
Crawler parts: Lavoy Wilcox
ALSO: New Generation tool boxes
Dillner's Tractors
• GP, D & LA brake linings
• Carburetor rebuilding
• H773R dust shields
• Clutch brake pads
• Governor springs BOB DILLNER
973 Corley Rd. • Manns Choice, PA 15550 814-733-4397 www.dillnerstractors.com CALL or see website for more info A thru 730D
Steering clutch parts, brake bands, bearings, final drive gears, engine kits, carb kits, radiators, fans, water pumps, battery sheet metal, seat cushions, gauges, light switches and more www.jdcrawlers.com
New Generation fuel gauges for 10 and early 20 series tractors, negative or positive ground, comes with new fuel tank sending unit, $160 for set. All our New Generation gauges fit in dash without modifications to the clamp bracket. Also have temperature and pressure gauges for same tractors. EverGreen Restoration, 715-520-7876; www. evergreengauges.com. WI L3X
Reproduced aluminum WARNING PLATES for 3-pt. Quick Hitches. Motorola alternator and amp regulator plates, 35-55-72 amp. Hydraulic cylinder stop pins with chains, spring steel clip, like original, three sizes – 3/8,” 7/16” and ½.” Ph. 712-660-8447 cell. IA K3X
1970 TSC green canvas heat houser, fits JD 70, 720, 730 diesel tractors. Barn stored over 40 years, very good condition, brackets and windshield. Could also fit JD 60-730 gas tractors, $250. Ph. 308-765-8371. NE
Used JD B hydraulic cylinder #B2161R farm fresh. Has a stroke limiting bracket as well. Cylinder rod has wear. Can be used on any tractor with low pressure hydraulics. Rebuilding services available. Ph. 845-260-2029. NY
Used John Deere two-cylinder tractor parts. Wide variety. Also, some New Generation parts. 30 years’ experience. Call or text Darwin Gingerich, 620-386-0071. KS
JD 2520 parts or to restore tractor. For sale on Big Iron now. Ph. 605-670-4755. SD
Polymatrix Super Coat is an extraordinary system designed to clean and restore your painted surfaces, while creating a gloss luster and a protective coating on the surfaces, 22 oz. bottle, $49.95. Polymatrix Restore is a blend of selected abrasives, which remove oxidation, scratches, and water spots. It’s recommended for metallic paint, industrial finishes, older cars and oxidation removal. Clear coat safe, 8 oz. bottle, $29.95. Free shipping with phone order for the holiday season. See website: protectivecoatingsystems.com or phone 208-509-9319. I3X
We have clutch covers, grill screens, manifolds, battery boxes, water pumps, steering wheels and more, plus a yard full of used 2 cylinder parts tractors. Over 25 years of experience. We also have battery boxes, grills, steering wheels and other parts for New Generation tractors. Call Shepard's Tractor Parts, 715-928-1039 (cell) or 715265-4988. WI
JD 300 NR corn picker, many new parts, $6000. Ph. 920-923-4240, no texts. WI L2X
New and used John Deere small square baler parts. Knotter rebuilding service. Our free catalog makes it easy to figure out what your baler needs. Call Finger Lakes Equipment, 585-526-6705. NY C12X
Unique and rare two-cylinder John Deeres including A’s, Bs, Gs and Ds. Styled and unstyled, including parts and tires. Southwest Minnesota. Ph. 507-694-1665. MN J3X
SERVICE INSTRUCTION CARDS. Reproduced sets of 3 for 3010 RC and RC utility; 4010 RC and standard. $35 postpaid. Green Iron Farms, 1320 Hwy. 92, Keota, IA 52248. Ph. 319-560-9508, tesieren@gmail.com. B6X-ALT
Electric starter kit for 70/720/730. Includes 12 volt starter, bracket, alternator and brackets, engine cover, breather standpipe, plug and caps for water ports, $1280. Kit for 80/820/830, $1350. Battery box now available. Free shipping. Also battery cable kit now available. Ph. 717-445-9465. PA J3X
Several John Deere two cylinder tractors, some restored, others for parts or repair. AR, D, A’s, Hs, MTs, several Bs from 1935 to 1952 and many parts call for details. Ph. 320-980-5090. MN K3X
1950 styled AR, many unstyled G parts. 70 diesel just fresh in! Parting out: 70 gas burner, 630, good tin; styled G, also H. Parts for unstyled A, B, GP, D. Styled A, B, D, G, 50, 60, 520 and 620. Some R parts. Call Larry Frederick, 308-520-7416. NE L6X
Buddy seat! For 20 and 30 series two cylinders. Will fit float ride seat or bat box. Looks like the original buddy seat! $495 plus S/H, includes cushions. Ph. 260-901-3076. Callaway Restorations, IN. K3X
Scott’s Tractor Restoration, 14025 Haumesser Road, Shabbona, IL 60550. We offer complete restoration and mechanical repair on all makes and models of tractors. Showroom quality. Ph. 815-762-0851, website: www.scottstractorrestoration.com or email: twocylindersh@aol.com. A12X
Gear reduction starter built for 3010 JD through xx60 series. Adaptable to some 8000 series JD tractors and some JD loaders. Starts easier. About $100 cheaper than OEM. No core charge. Call 218-234-6500. NE L3X
THREE PIECE FRONT WEIGHTS for JD 520-730. Good reproduction. U.S. made. $1000. Also numbers 4, 5 and 6 are available, $350 each. Detwiler Tractor Parts, Spencer, WI. Call 715-659-4174, 715-6594252 or 715-659-4525 (office) 9-5 M-F. H6X
Just in: Many, many mags and carburetors from big estate sale, including historical mags you won’t find anywhere else. Call for info. Over 30 years’ experience. Call EZ Tractor Shop, ask for Eldon, 785-3325482. KS L3X
SOME NEW AND USED New parts include battery box, seat, metal belly pans, light brackets and more The Ridenours Trenton, OH Ph. 513-988-0390 Visit our website: www.antiquejohndeere.com
Carburetor, water pump, distributor rebuilding. Farmers Service Incorporated. Ph. 330-482-4180, www.farmersserviceinc. com OH L6X
WIRING HARNESSES, battery cables and spark plug wires made to order for restoration or repair. Covering models from the 1930s to the 1980s. Electrical parts including: switches, regulators, lights, relays, alternators. Wiring harness repair/ rebuild service. Worldwide shipping. See our display ad in this issue. Call or email for a free catalog. Agri-Services, 13899 North Road, Alden, NY 14004. Ph. Website: www. wiringharnesses.com. Email: agriserv@ rochester.rr.com. J3X
Automatic release brake locks for two cylinders. Parts: 420W, 50 and 630 RC; 520-630 LP and A-730: air stacks, 3-points. Hose and breakaway kits for dual hydraulics 520-730;: also Behlen overdrives, round spokes and lugs. 800/801 hitches and parts. Aftermarket parts. 3-16s 825 rollover plow; 820, 825 rollover plows and plow parts. Marlin Smith, Pine Valley Farm Equipment. Ph. 712-579-9922. IA L3X
New and used JD two cylinder parts. Specializing in H, M, MT, 40, 420, 430, GP, 800 and 801 3-points and parts. Also: See my eBay store for specials and NOS parts. Some NOS parts, many reproduction parts. Dave Cook Tractor Parts, 715-373-2092. Morning calls are BEST. WI H6X
New parts for L, LA and LI. Bases, propeller shaft guards and shield assemblies. Leave message and phone number, will call you back. Ron Brungart, cell 570-6604573. PA I3X
1968 3020 orchard, 1 of 136 built, good tag, 3-pt., PTO, solid front axle, runs and drives, $8500. Ph. 715-294-3837. WI
FOR SALE: Hubs for taper-lock JD flywheels. Also new old stock JD tractors and machinery bearings and high-speed gears for tractor rides. Ph. 701-942-3102. ND L3X
New and used parts for JD two cylinder tractors and crawlers and some NOS parts. Models A, B, D, G, H, LA, M, 40, 50, 60, 70, 70D, 440, 520, 620, 720D, 530, 630, 730, etc. A&L Parts, 315-536-0543. NY C12X
Currently parting out styled and unstyled A, AR, styled and unstyled B, styled and unstyled D, H, R, 40, 50, 60, 70 gas, 80, 420, 720, 820, 840, 1010, 2010, 3010, 4010, 3020, 4020 and 2030. Countryside Tractor, 618-731-6625. IL K3X
DUBUQUE TRACTOR PARTS - top links, hood bolts, wheel bolts, front and rear, PTO shields, tie rod tubes. Ph. 217-5024504. IL L6X
John Deere tractor repairs and restorations – all two cylinders and New Generation tractors. Pickup and delivery available. 4177 White Oak Road, Paradise, PA 17562. Ph. 717-687-3761. K6X
By J.R. Hobbs
ADVERTISING DEADLINES
for upcoming issues of Green Magazine®
January 2025 issue: December 1, 2024 - display ads due December 5, 2024 - classified ads due
February 2025 issue:
January 1, 2025 - display ads due January 5, 2025 - classified ads due
FOR MORE INFO:
See page 60 of this issue Call 402-643-6269
Email: info@greenmagazine.com
Canopies for JD 3020, 4020, etc. Powder coated yellow. $1135. Quantity discounts. Ships truck freight. Nelson Horning, 585526-6705. NY C12X
Large inventory of good used two cylinder parts. Call for parts needed - casting numbers and/or parts numbers appreciated when you call. Detwiler Tractor Parts, Spencer, WI. Ph. 715-659-4174 or 715-6594252 weekdays 9-5. I6X
PARTS AND DECKS for older Deeres. 110, 140, 200s, 300s, 400s and over 150 lawn tractors for sale. Ph. 219-942-2242, website: tractorsalesandparts.com. IN H6X
Fuel gauges for John Deere 2 cylinders with original face. Six or 12 volt positive and negative ground comes with new fuel tank sending unit. $135 for the set. See our ¼ page display ad for other gauges. EverGreen Restoration, 715-520-7876; www.evergreengauges.com WI J3X
We have parts for your 45 combine! www.45combineparts.com. Ph. 417-2592520. MO G6X
ELECTRIC STARTER KIT for R, includes 12 volt starter, bracket with battery box, breather, water manifold, water pipe. Alternator with top and bottom brackets, mounting hardware and battery cables. $1595. Free shipping. Ph. 717-445-9465. PA J3X
For sale: 1947 D (like new), 1937 AR, 1948 G, 1950 B. Call for details. Ph. 785-8212600. KS L3X
Toys, Books, Manuals & Videos
TRACTOR MANUALS AND LITERATURE, large selection, ag, industrial, L&G. Jim Robinett, 5141 Kimball Road, Ontario, OR 97914. Ph. 206-713-3441, send email: tractrmnul@aol.com. OR C12X
The Corn Picker book: 804 pages/over 1500 pictures, all brands. Corn Cribs book: 330 pages/over 1200 illustrations. NOW ALSO in hardcover! COMING SOON: Corn Choppers: Field Corn Forage Harvesters. www.CornPickerBook.com or call Corn Picker Bob at 815-761-3709. Email: mrcornpicker@aol.com IL E8X
To place a classified ad under Toys, Books & Manuals, call 402-643-6269, email info@ greenmagazine.com or go online to the website: GreenMagazine.com (click on “Advertising" at the top of the home page).
A Specialized Look Into The Unstyled Model B
The Handbook of the John Deere Model B 1934-1938
For years now, thousands of you have relied on the Specialized Look into the Model A book written by Wes Malcolm and published by Green Magazine. Now we offer the same types of information, except about the model “B,” written and compiled by a panel of experts who have spent decades collecting and restoring the unstyled version of Deere’s most popular tractor. This book shows nearly every change made in the parts that make up the unstyled “B.” It also has history, specifications, serial numbers, original prices and much, much more.
Wanted & Announcements
Wanted: Want to purchase an operator’s manual and parts list for a JD #11 or #12 combine. Not the A series. The manuals can be original or reprint. Please call Cal, phone 605-380-0651. SD
Wanted: Looking for someone to remanufacture JD LP valves. Ph. 828-231-6017. NC
Wanted: John Deere 3300 rotary screen, diesel, air conditioning, decent condition. Ph. 309-945-8117, call or text. IL
Wanted: Looking for a John Deere model 70 diesel with pony. I am only interested in excellent mechanical condition and somewhat parade and show quality overall. I am located in south central KY. Phone 270-253-2615 or email bradfordgregory@ bellsouth.net
Wanted: Waterloo Boy model R in good condition. Also wanted: John Deere Backbone of Agriculture Henry Big Boy .45LC rifle, artist proof. Ph. 613-229-5788.
Wanted: Part for a 672 JD hay rake, part #620211E. Ph. 920-923-4240. WI K2X
Wanted: 1969 to 1972 4020, propane or diesel, Power Shift. Ph. 620-923-3364. KS J3X
Wanted: John Deere fenders to fit model H John Deere tractor. Ph.580-716-9030 OK L2X
Wanted: Green Magazine book, “The John Deere 30 Series - 2nd Edition” by J.R. Hobbs. Ph. 765-594-4002. IN J3X
Announcing: Glendale, Arizona, February 8, 2025, 9 AM to 4 PM, Sahuaro Ranch Park Historic Area, 9802 N 59th Avenue (between Olive and Peoria). Sponsored by Arizona Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association. Tractor pull and parade. Kids’ tractor drive. Antique gas engine displays and demonstrations. Classic and antique tractors, all makes. Admission: adults $5, children 12 and under free. For more info: 623-435-3955, www. aedgeta.org. AZ K4X
COST FOR BACK ISSUE S, NOW AVAILABLE
Order BIN1
No need to punch holes in those precious magazines to hold them in a three ring binder. These binders have inserts to hold your magazines in place. Magazines are easy to put in, easy to take out and can be read while in the binder.
Order BIN1 • Binders are now available in sets of 2 Each binder comes with 12 inserts • Additional inserts can be ordered—prices listed below
U.S. $48 for set of two binders w/12 inserts each or $88 for set of four binders w/ inserts Additional inserts are $14 per dozen or $34 for three dozen CANADA $68 for set of two binders w/12 inserts each or $128 for set of four binders w/inserts • Additional inserts are $24/dozen or $54 for three dozen ALL OTHER COUNTRIES $88 for set of two binders w/12 inserts each or $168 for set of four binders w/inserts • Additional inserts: $34/dozen or $64 for three dozen
2-Cylinder Plus Tractor Salvage, 14
2025/1958 calendar: Green Magazine, 3
Agri-Services, 14
A&L Parts, 26
Auction: Bob and late Gary Buhrows, 9
Auction: Danny Cotton, 7
Auction: Live/online Dec. 14
Auction: Mel Smith collection, 21
Book: A Specialized Look Into The Unstyled Model A, 74
Book: A Specialized Look Into The Unstyled Model B, 66
Book bundle: Green Magazine, 2
Book: Mr. Thinker’s John Deere Almanac, Fourth Edition, 36
Book: The Green Experience, 20
Book: The John Deere Hi-Crop Book, 64
Book: The John Deere Unstyled Letter Series, 64
Brillman Company, 69
Burrey Carburetor Repair, 14
Central Fuel Injection Service, 8
Countryside Tractor, 26
Crawler parts: Lavoy Wilcox, 62
Decals: QuipCal.com, 61
Dennis Polk, 67
Dillner's Tractors, 62
Dubuque top links - Bill Miller, 9
EverGreen Restoration, 14
Fabricated tractor parts: Dave Haala, 8
Fisk Carburetor and Ignition, 27
Garry Power, 62
Green Magazine back issues, 68
Green Magazine binders, 68
Green Magazine Bookstore, 70
GreenMagazine.com, 67
Iron Bull Mfg., 9
John Reed Antique Tractor Parts, 61
Jorde’s Decals, 9
K&K Antique Tractors, 71
L and LA parts - Ron Brungart, 63
Lakeside Service & Supply, 30
Lind Bros Tractor and Parts, 8
Little Green The Tractor Magazine for Kids, 20
Martin Parts & Repair, 31
Martin Repair, 27
McDonald Carb & Ignition, 20
M&D Reproduction Parts, 63
Miller Tire, 27
Obsolete parts - The Old Tractor Company, 26
Paul's Rod & Bearing, 63
Renaissance Tractor, 60
Restoration Services, 61
Ridenours - L parts, 63
Scanlan Tractor Restoration, 30
Scenic View Engine, 65
Show: Classic Green Reunion, 37
Steiner Tractor Parts, 75
TP Tools & Equipment, 15
Wapsi Innovations, 21
Bookstore
The place to go for accurate and informative books
A Specialized Look Into The Unstyled Model B: The Handbook of the John Deere Model B 1934-1938 This book should be on the “must read” list of any unstyled “B” owner. Offers the same type of info as the unstyled “A” book (at right). Written by experts who have collected and restored the unstyled version of Deere’s most popular tractor, 84 pages, 11x8-1/2,” soft cover. GM8B - $39.95 US, $47.95 C, $52.95 F
The John Deere 20 Series New Generation Tractors This book is packed with info on the JD 820, 1020, 1520, 2020, 2520, 3020, 4000, 4020, 4320, 4520, 4620, 5020, 6030, 7020, 7520, 8020, WA-14 and WA-17. History and development, specs, production numbers and horsepower ratings. 8-1/2x11,” soft cover, 128 pages. NG20: $28.00 US, $35.00 C/F
A Specialized Look Into The Unstyled Model A: The Handbook of the John Deere A 1934-1938 Now in its fourth printing, no other book goes into so much detail on a single model of tractor. Shows illustrations of nearly every change made in the parts that make up the unstyled “A.” Written by Wes Malcolm, 95 pages, 11x8-1/2,” soft cover. GM7A - $39.95 US, $47.95 C, $52.95 F
THE GREEN EXPERIENCE
Articles first seen in Green Magazine 1984-2000
The John Deere Unstyled Letter Series Covers the JD unstyled GP, D, B, A, L, G, AR, AO, AI, BO, BR, BI, BO Lindeman, DI, 62, Y, W, AOS, Waterloo Boys and predecessors. Production numbers, year/SN breaks, original prices, matched working equipment, magnetos, carbs, wheels, history. 8-1/2 x 11,” soft cover, 160 pages. GM10: $24.00 US/C, $31.00 F NOW ON SALE! $18.00 US, $30.00 C/F
Approximately 96 pages of the best articles taken from Green Magazine’s first 15 years. Every member of the family will enjoy this book of restorations gone awry, trips that didn’t go as planned, cherished memories and sometimes profound situations. Not a technical or historical book, but a book about the lives and experiences of those who enjoy John Deere tractors. 11”x8-1/2,” about 96 pages, soft cover. GREX - $20.00 US, $30.00 Canada, $40.00 Foreign
Mr. Thinker’s John Deere Almanac, Fourth Edition All the same info found in earlier editions plus now Dan Brotzman’s New Gen and Gen II SN guide. For all models built from 1918 to 1972: history, SN/year breaks, accurate production numbers (no 820 three cylinder, 1020, 1520, 2020), notes on some significant changes, charts on tractor fluid capacities, cubic inches, compression ratios, torque specs, list of plow beam numbers. Info on proper colors of mufflers, axles, horse drawn equipment, fuels/lubricants, E/W stationary engines, L&G tractors. Chart on heights, weights and top speeds; SN/year charts for models 45 through 105 combines; tractor/loader application chart; SN/year charts for all tractors built from 1973 to 1990; and production numbers for models 4030 and 4230. 8-1/2”x51/2,” soft cover, black/white. MRT4 - $19.95 US, $28.00 C, $36.00 F US = United States • C = Canada price • F = Foreign price
The John Deere Hi-Crop Book This book provides serial number lists for JD models A, G, 60, 70, 620, 720, 430, 630, 730, 2010, 2510, 4010, 2520, 3020 and 4020. Verify Hi-Crop serial numbers, build dates and shipping locations in a pocket-sized book that’s easy to carry anywhere. Production summaries of two cylinder HiCrop tractors provided, as well as Hi-Crop totals by state and more. 72 pages, 5.5 x 8.5,” paperback, limited quantity. Order GMHC - $19.95 US, $26.95 C/F
A Tractor Goes Farming Author Roy Harrington (co-author of John Deere Tractors & Equipment, Vol. 2) has put together a book that places the child in the driver's seat of a variety of tractor makes and models. Short sentences that kids will be able to read alone or with help and full color photos to please everyone. 32 pages, 7 x 8-1/2, hardbound. AS6T - $10.95 US, $16.95 C/F
Grandpa’s John Deere Tractors This book for kids tells the history of Deere and Company starting with John Deere and his steel plow. Then in 48 pages with 50 color photos, it talks about how farming and JD tractors have changed. Best for kids 5 to 10 years. 7 x 8-1/2, hardbound, written by Roy Harrington. AS8K - $13.95 US, $19.95 C/F
How John Deere Tractors and Implements
Work Kids are always asking questions, especially about big machines. This book will give kids the answers they crave as they step into the field with impressive John Deere tractors and implements. Ages 8 to adult. 8-1/2 x 11, hardbound, 48 pages.
AS9H - $14.95 US, $21.95 C/F
A book is a great gift — for yourself or someone else! Orders can be called in or placed online with a credit card or by mail with a check. For more information, see yellow box in opposite column.
DECALS
Our vinyl computer cut decals are a Licensed Product of Deere & Company.
• For John Deere tractors & equipment!
• Looks like silk screening.
• Pressure sensitive die cut vinyl.
• No film between the letters...they are on pre-spaced application tape.
REPRODUCED PARTS
• Nameplate for 1010 thru 7520, stamped, raised letters, like original.
• Medallions for styled AR through 830, including industrial tractors. Also medallions for steering wheels, power steering and non power steering.
• Correct size medallion: 320, 420, 520 USA made.
• D306R D manifold gasket.
• F55R early G head gasket.
• Air stacks for A, AR, AOs & B, BR & G unstyled tractors; also styled A, B, G, R, 80, 820.
• Air stack adaptors for 620-630 & 720-730.
• Tool boxes.
• New valves and guides: GP, D, G, A, B.
• Replacement upper and lower water pipe for 2 cyls.
• Flat top fenders 530-730, New Generation.
• Clamshell and also New Gen Hi-Crop fenders.
• BO Lindeman steps, side plates and fenders.
• PTO shields & casting 520-730.
• GP dust shields for brakes and muffler parts.
• Grill screens, back and seat cushions, arm rest.
• Spark plug wire looms for A, B, G, BR, BO & AR, AO.
• New radiator cores for John Deere and other tractors that use bolt up type radiators (made in USA).
• Wire hose clamps for unstyled A, B, G, 50-630 & 80-830.
• Reproduction steering wheels A-830 and New Gen.
• Early D & GP fuel tanks.
• We bore and sleeve JD 2 cylinder blocks.
• We rebuild carbs and mags for JD & other tractors.
• We carry new parts for Wico mags, also for pony motors.
• Rebuilt mags and carbs for sale.
These exhaust pipes are made with smooth mandrel bends like the originals
MADE IN USA
We make styled and unstyled A, B, G, GP Top Steer and 50 through 730D.
4 MUFFLERS
D, AO, GP, GPO Spark Arrestor Style D, AO, AOS, BR, BO A, AR, B, G Styled and Unstyled 50 through 730D
50 through 530 horizontal, 60, 620 Orchard Made in USA • Restoration Quality
4 AR28048, AR28049 NAMEPLATE
Stamped, polished aluminum like originals Fits 1010 through early 7020
4 T10551 NAMEPLATE Like original, stamped polished aluminum with raised lettters, flat black background Each 3-3/8” x 27-3/4” • $140.00 per set plus S/H
4 HYDRAULIC OUTLET PLUG
AF3001R, steel w/chain - 2 cylinder AR52623, plastic w/chain - New Gen 4 AR45915 RAIN CAP Fits 3020-4020 side console models
4 CHROME STACKS
Double walled, straight or curved 4 “ NEW” BATTERY TRAY For 4000 model with brackets
Mr. Thinker, What was the specific paint used for a 1970 model 70 John Deere lawn tractor? And is it available to the public?
K.B., Iowa
The specific paint may not be available, but the color is. It’s called “John Deere green” and is available from virtually every John Deere dealer. If you want to get fancy and use an automotive type paint, most paint shops can mix up John Deere green. Mr. Thinker would caution against using farm store brands as some of them might be off color and/or subject to fading. MT
Hello Mr. Thinker,
I have a 1955 JD 70, serial number 7023067. Is there a screen somewhere in the power steering that can be removed to possibly make the steering more powerful? It’s not really all that bad but I have driven others that are easier than mine and plow time is coming up. I have checked all my books and find nothing that particularly says “screen” and I’m not one to just start taking things apart.
K.M., Illinois
the crank, or have the splines welded and remachined. This is not a job for the inexperienced because care must be taken to not compromise the hardening of the crank. A new clutch driver will sometimes do the trick by itself if the crankshaft is not too badly worn. Some have used other methods, which Mr. Thinker isn’t even going to describe here, though the fix is usually temporary at best. MT
Dear Mr. Thinker,
This last summer, I volunteered to pull a people trolley at a local Independence Day celebration with my 1952 “G.” Things went well until I got to a section of town where I had to go down a long hill, where the tractor would sputter and backfire. I am sure that part of the problem was the load behind it. What causes this and is there a cure?
D.K., Oregon
There is no screen in the system. Mr. Thinker would suggest you obtain the Power Steering Service Manual to properly diagnose your problem(s). Low system pressure could be caused by a worn parts in the pump, too much side clearance between the gears and housing, too much “goop” used to seal the pump in a past repair, etc. The procedures are too involved to go into here. Get the service manual or engage the services of someone familiar with these systems. MT
Mr. Thinker,
I have a 1949 “A” that is having clutch problems. The splines on both the crankshaft and clutch drive disc are worn and it no longer fits tightly. Is there any way to fix this that you know of short of replacing them both?
D.B., Oklahoma
Many collectors have felt the same pain you are experiencing, and there are two viable solutions. If the splines on the crankshaft are badly worn, you can either replace
The weight of the trailer and the tractor itself are pushing your tractor down the hill. The braking effect of the engine compression is the only thing that is holding it back. If the engine is in an overspeed condition, the governor is trying to hold it back by closing the butterfly, but the engine is producing enough vacuum to override the governor, so it is still sucking in gas. There is no cure, but you can lessen the effect by shifting down to a lower gear and throttling down to just above idle. MT
Dear Mr. Thinker,
You didn’t totally answer the new collector’s questions about the differences between an ”L” and an “LA.” According to my 1946 tractor specifications book, the “L” has 10 horsepower and the “LA” 14. Love your sarcasm.
P.O., Minnesota
Yes, sarcasm never gets old. MT
Mr. Thinker,
Could you explain why some 1971 and 1972 model 4020s have the double bent gear shift levers and some have the straight lever and also some have the square fuel filters and some the round one with one being on top of the other one?
R.M., Nebraska
For 1971 and 1972, the Syncro-Range tractors all used the R46285 double bend shift lever. The long double bend R46285 was implemented with the side console redesign in 1969 and carried through to the end of production in 1972.
Syncro-Range tractors from 1964 through 1968 used the less curved R27633 shift lever. Deere received a fair amount of complaints from farmers that the straighter shift lever was getting bumped when the farmer reached for the throttle lever. Basically, the shift lever was too close to the throttle lever to suit some folks, especially if they were wearing gloves. So with the introduction of the redesigned 1969 side console tractors, Deere moved the end of the shift lever farther away from the throttle lever. Power Shift tractors from 1964 to part way into the 1967 production used an AR32396 shift lever. At serial number 160787 in 1967, the Power Shift lever was revised for the same reasons as the later Syncro-Range lever to give more room between the throttle and shift lever. When Deere redesigned the side console tractors for 1969, they carried over the revised Power Shift lever contour that was introduced in mid 1967. However, at serial number 250377 in early 1971, Deere again changed the contour of the Power Shift lever. 1969 to early 1971 used an AR40792 shift lever, then at serial number 250377 the final revision was made to the Power Shift lever as part number AR50118. The Power Shift levers were revised for the same reasons as the Syncro-Range shift levers to satisfy customer feedback.
The low profile Power Shift 4000s, however, had a unique shift lever AR58210, while the Syncro-Range low profile 4000s used the same R46285 shift lever as the late 4020s.
Mr. Thinker has not seen a 1971 or 1972 Syncro
tractor with a straight shifter (early part number R27633). The early R27633 shift lever attaches to the drum assembly just like the later Syncro R46285 shift lever so it’s possible to interchange the levers. After this many years, some may interchange early and late Syncro shift levers.
The way an early Power Shift lever attaches to the linkages is different than the later side console tractors from 1969-1972 so it’s highly unlikely someone would interchange an early AR32396, or AR42290 Power Shift lever, to a late side console Power Shift tractor.
The standard fuel filter setup starting from 1964 is the two round fuel filter setup. The two round filter setup used two filter cartridges in a canister. With that being said, Deere did come out with a square filter conversion kit somewhere in the production run of the early dash console tractors, but Mr. Thinker is not sure exactly when Deere introduced the square filter kit for the early tractors.
Starting in 1969 at engine serial number 215000 through engine serial number 280000, the two round fuel filters were still standard equipment. Deere did offer the square glass fuel filter as an option from Deere, or for a dealership conversion to the square filters for tractors built beginning in 1969. Then at engine serial 280001, the square glass fuel filter was standard equipment and the two round fuel filter setup was discontinued.
Where engine serial 280001 fits in the tractor model year serial number range, Mr. Thinker is not sure. With the square filter setup being available for conversion, it’s fairly common to see early and late model 4020s with the square fuel filter.
Growing up Mr. Thinker had a 1966 model 4020 Power Shift tractor that had the square glass fuel filter setup. Most likely when Mr. Thinker’s father had the engine overhauled is when the Midstate dealership converted the tractor from the two round filters to the square glass fuel filter setup. The engine overhaul took place around 1969 when the engine spun a rod bearing and Midstate covered the labor while Dad just paid for the parts at dealer cost. Midstate said it should have never spun a rod bearing with the low number of hours that Dad put on the tractor since new. Technically the warranty was expired but Midstate stood up to the plate and helped by covering the labor and offering parts at their cost. MT
A Specialized Look Into The Unstyled Model A
Handbook of the John Deere Model A
Malcolm
Published by Green Magazine® • Printed in the USA
Now in its fourth printing with 15 more pages, this is the handbook of the John Deere model “A,” 1934-1938. A book that should be on the “must read” list of any unstyled “A” owner. There is probably no other book on the market that goes into so much detail on a single model of tractor. Shows illustrations of nearly every change made in the parts that make up the unstyled “A.” 95 pages, 11x8-1/2 inches, soft cover.
Harvesting soybeans near Loma, Nebraska this past September.
