Green Magazine June 2024

The Handbook of the John Deere Model A 1934-1938

Fourth Edition

• By Wes Malcolm

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.

ESTATE AUCTION

JOHN DEERE TRACTORS:

3020, diesel • 3020, gas

6 - 4020, diesel • 2 - 4010 Hi-Crop, diesel

4 - 3020 Hi-Crop, diesel • 4430 Hi-Crop • 4020, LP gas

2 - 4020, diesel, Power Shift

2 - 4520, diesel, side console, cab • 3 - 2010 Hi-Crop 4230 Hi-Crop • 4230, not running • 3020 standard 4020 Hi-Crop, Power Shift, side console

2 - 4020 Hi-Crop • 2 - 3020 Hi-Crop

2 - 3010 Hi-Crop • 2 - 4020 Hi-Crop, Power Shift

3020 Hi-Crop, Power Shift • 3020 Hi-Crop, 3-point 4010 Hi-Crop • 3020 with loader • 4010 3010, gas • 3010, diesel, tricycle 3010, gas • 3010, diesel, tricycle • 4 - M

R, diesel • 1010 special, gas • 620 tricycle, LP gas

2 - M with cultivators • 430W, spin out wheels

2 - A, square seat, gas • 40T

MT with cultivators • 4010, LP gas

M with belly mower • 2 - MT

B with sickle mower • 430W 430T • B • 2 - 60 60, parts tractor • 7100 four row planter L frame • 2 - L, parts tractor

3 - 60, parts tractor • 60, LP gas, parts tractor

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After taking another look at the Product Review article I wrote, I realized that I forgot to mention portable air tanks, or “bubble tanks” as many of us call them. Yes, I know that they exist, but I have fallen out of like with them. First, you must fill them from the compressor at your shop, carry them to wherever the low tire is, fill the tire, and, maybe if the tire is a large one, do it all over again. The tire inflator written about in the article is ready at a moment’s notice and, if the battery is properly charged, can fill far more tires than a bubble tank.

In April, Carol and I, along with about 40 of our closest friends, visited the site of the 2025 Classic Green Reunion in West Bend, Wisconsin. The facilities are excellent, and I was seriously impressed with the progress the locals have already made with over a year to go until the show. Make plans now to attend; it’s going to be a great show.

Speaking of shows, there are several on the agenda, though I am not sure which ones I will be attending. The list of “might be’s” include the Eastern National at Lancaster, Ohio; the plow day at Nappanee, Indiana; and Jake Rens’ open house, and the Albert City show, both in Iowa. Those of you who are geographically aware will notice that a couple of those are a fair bit of driving away from southeast Nebraska—hence the hesitance to state that we will definitely attend them all.

Father’s Day will be upon us in a few days, and if you are stumped on what to get Dad this year, how about renewing his subscription to this magazine, or if he isn’t a subscriber, a new subscription? Or how about one of our books? Does he have a copy of Mr. Thinker’s Almanac, the gift that keeps on giving?

See you next month.

Those who want to call to place orders for magazine

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This picture of a 3010 gas with heat houser was taken March 23, 2024. The barn was built in 1896 and the tractor’s serial number is T44680. My story, “31 years with a 3010,” was in the July 2004 issue. When the tractor was working hard with the houser on, the carb would vapor lock and we had to loosen the front of the heat houser to let cool air in.

I’m 90 now so in a month it will be 85 years since I watched them unload our 1938 John Deere “D.” When I pull into my garage with my pickup, it’s right in front of me along with its helper, a 1941 Ford 9N. You have had several stories about the “D.”

Bird Vincent

I am Tristan Zimmerman and I hail from eastern Oklahoma. My brother, Conner, started getting Green Magazine a couple years ago and we enjoy reading it and looking at the pictures. A friend of mine sent me this picture. It comes from Manchester, Oklahoma, a few miles south of the Kansas line.

I know this is not a JD but it was the only one I ever saw hauled this way. I’ve read several stories about custom operators (all in the west) that did this, but they were always Masseys. My friend identified this as a Massey

combine and my boss (I work at a mechanic shop) said the truck is a Chevrolet, an older neighbor said it’s a 1948. I’m sure I don’t know.

The idea was that the truck hauled the combine to the field. When the combine was unloaded, side boards were put on and the truck hauled the grain to the elevator.

So here is my question. Were any of the JDs used like that? In the short time we have been getting Green Magazine, I have not seen any pictures or stories of anything like this. But if you had some in the past, I would like to get hold of the articles somehow.

As you have doubtless already guessed, I don’t know much about JD’s first combines. So, there is probably some real obvious answer that you have pointed out somewhere before.

I also understand that this was a short lived era because farms, combines and trucks grew in size so rapidly. There is one more possibility (I guess) and that it this picture and the stories I’ve read are all someone’s wishful thinking. But hoping it is true …

Tristan Zimmerman, OK

Editor’s Note: Does anyone out there have photos of custom harvest crews with Deere combines mounted this way?

In memory of Dad:

This is my 1937 JD “B.” My dad, Glenn Maresh, resurrected this old tractor from a creek bed in Bellville, Texas when he was 13 years old, shortly after my grandfather (Frank Maresh) died. With the help of a family friend (Wilbert Wendt), Dad got this old “B” running and used it to cut hay with a No. 5 mower. He quite literally assisted my widowed grandmother in putting food on the table at 13 years old.

Years later, when I was about four to five years old (1980ish), Dad restored this tractor and put it in the local county fair parade. Afterward, he would use this tractor to tend his one to three acre garden, among other light duty tasks, every year until he died. In fact, when Dad died in 2014, the old “B” had a New Holland hay rack hooked up.

I hauled this tractor from its home in Bellville, Texas during December 2021 back to my home in Windsor, Virginia where I restored it. These days, the old “B” is used for the local parades and I plan to take it to the county fair this summer. My youngest children (Tenley and Hudson) occasionally take the old “B” down the street to wake up the neighbors.

Dad loved old tractors, especially John Deere, and owned many during his life, including a JD “A,” 60, 450C dozer, Ford 8N, Minneapolis Moline, and many others.

Dad got me hooked on Green Magazine years ago and I look forward to getting a copy each month.

Jason P. Maresh

8th Annual Antique Tractor and Equipment Show

Reunion of front wheel assist and four wheel drive All makes and models welcome in any condition July 12, 13, 14, 2024 • Cornwell’s Turkeyville USA 18935 15-1/2 Mile Rd., Marshall, MI 49068

300+ tractors and engines on the grounds, tractor pulls, working exhibits, daily parades, plowing demos, children activities, pedal pulls, miniature train rides, onsite restaurant, dinner theater, ice cream parlor, state of the art campground and much more! Presented by the Calhoun County Yesteryear Association www.CalhounCountyYesteryearAssociation.com

Kevin McMath has an array of antique tractors, but at last year’s Historic Days show in Penfield, Illinois where John Deere was the featured tractor, he brought some JD treasures to share! Kevin, a farmer, is from rural Clinton, Illinois. “My dad started collecting in the 1970s, and I started in the 1980s.”

The first tractor he got wasn’t planned. “I went to a guy’s place, and his uncle said he had a couple John Deere ‘Gs.’ I had never seen a ‘G.’ It was in a fence row with three flat tires. He said, ‘Can I interest you? You can have it if you get it out of here’.”

What is so ironic about this first JD collectible is that the tractor

belonged to the grandpa of Kevin’s neighbor. He ended up trading the tractor with him for a “GM,” which Kevin added, “They didn’t make many.”

This is how Kevin started collecting tractors. “I’m mainly a John Deere man, but also collect many colors and like Graham Bradley,” Kevin said.

Collecting is a family thing for the McMath family. It began with Kevin’s dad, went down to Kevin, and now his son Kade is also collecting. “My son Kade found a tractor on Marketplace, they had just posted it, and he learned that it was only six miles from the house. It is a 1938 John Deere ‘A’.”

While Cade bought the “A,” his very first tractor was a Case 530 he won at Penfield in 2008.

Kevin and his wife Barbara have two sons, Kade and Kolton. Kade’s John Deere “A” recently received a new coat of paint.

At this year’s show in Penfield, Illinois, one of the items Kevin had on

hand was a 1938 John Deere picker. “This came from Kevin Bos, who had a sale. They had an open house, and I went and looked and bid. I got it last spring.”

Kevin put his 1938 picker on a 1938 John Deere “A” with factory flats. “Both the tractor and the picker are original. You can still read the writing on the picker, even on the elevator,” Kevin pointed out.

The picker is in working order too. “Once you get it running, it runs nice. I can still use the belt pulley because the picker’s on the side.”

The picker has a nice safety feature. “There is a shield over chains, and over the muffler and the engine to keep corn shucks from catching on fire. Back then, Kevin said, “They were probably picking corn up into November.”

These shields are something that Kevin added. “I had to put the shields on and make a choke to be like the original book that Kevin Bos gave me.”

The picker also has a cool Super Snoot, which helps keep corn shucks from flying but lets air flow. “It keeps the shucks from clogging up the radiator,” Kevin added. Along with these options, Kevin said that the picker also “has a taller clutch that you almost need to stand up for.”

Besides the picker, Kevin also had a horse drawn disc harrow that also came from Kevin Bos’s sale. This is not just any disc harrow, though: “They said it was never sold, and it was

in the John Deere archives for years.”

This special piece was on display in the feature building. “I also have a No. 4 horse drawn sickle mower I got 10 years ago,” Kevin added.

Kevin thought the special disk harrow deserved a special home, and he donated it to the agricultural museum at Penfield. At the show, Kevin also had a couple John Deere “Ds,” the model which was celebrating its 100 year anniversary. Kevin also had his “E” engine, which was also the featured engine at the show. The “E” engine was hooked up to an ice cream maker!

Kevin has an amazing collection and, thankfully for collectors at Penfield, he brought several beautiful Deere pieces to share!

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

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

Most people visiting my shop in South Florida ask the same question: “What in Sam Hill are you going to do with that tractor?” They are talking about a 1968 John Deere 3020 diesel wide front row crop Synchro-Range sitting there like a locomotive looking for a train to pull. My answer is always the same. “Nothing.” No physical/mechanical reason but perhaps a mental one.

To help explain, let’s go back to 1968 in Westtown, New York, a rural area in western Orange County. Picture a 160 acre dairy farm milking about 30 Holsteins. I was a 15 year old kid driving a Ferguson 30 spreading manure. Down the road came a neighbor farmer driving a beautiful new John Deere New Generation tractor making a noise much different than I was used to hearing from his tractors. Most guys my age spent their time dreaming about women. I could not stop wishing that one day that owner/operator would be me.

To quote Elton John, “I should have stayed on the farm, I should have listened to my old man.” After high school graduation, I left for college and later started a refrigeration/air conditioning business. Fast forward 49 years, retirement was in order and now was the time to find that New Generation John Deere. The hunt began for a 3020 or 4020 row crop tractor. Facebook Marketplace helped me locate in North Florida the 1968 model 3020 now in the shop. It was sitting in a field with one bucket over the exhaust and one bucket under the load control shaft (Photo 1). The tach was showing 7,540 hours, but the

engine had been rebuilt about 200 hours ago, according to the seller. We agreed upon a purchase price of $5,000 plus $500 for transportation.

The tractor was now on jackstands with disassembly well underway (Photo 2). I took so many pictures that I had to increase my iCloud storage but each was studied carefully during reassembly. The John Deere parts book is outstanding because it includes hardware dimensions, a reverse lookup of the part numbers, and page/diagram numbers to indicate where that part is used. The owner’s manual shows some procedures not found in the service manual. As each part came off, all hardware was saved and tagged no matter what condition it was in. One part missing was the serial number tag. I called the seller, and he was able to provide the number from a note his father had written down many years ago. It must have been correct (or very close) because all parts ordered fit the tractor perfectly.

All tires, wheels, hubs and rims were removed for better access. All sheet metal parts and panels were removed, DA sanded to bare metal, and John Deere Buff Primer Sealer

was applied. The fuel tank location was well marked before removal for later alignment. The entire wide front assembly was removed as one piece for access and primed after the old paint was stripped. A local body shop applied the John Deere Classic green paint mixed eight to one with John Deere paint thinner.

When the fuel tank came back from the body shop, the inside was cleaned and sealed with Red Kote Fuel Tank Liner. Fittings were replaced because access later is very limited. After curing it was leak checked with water. No leaks!

The front wheels and tires were unusable and new ones were ordered. The rear tires were also replaced with new 16.9 by 38 rubber. Wheel hubs, clips, bolts, and rims were sandblasted, primed, and painted John Deere Ag and Turf Yellow mixed 10 to one.

All old paint on the chassis and frame was removed with a laser unit. At $120 per hour, it is not cheap, but the finished result was outstanding because it removes all oil and grease as well as paint. Primer was applied quickly to avoid flash surface rust. After at least 30 hours, John Deere Classic Green paint was used, and it looks like it just left the factory.

Assembly was truly a pleasure. All hardware was cross-checked with the parts manual. Worn or damaged fasteners were ordered and replaced as required. To my surprise, every cap screw, washer, nut, pin, spring, clamp, hose, belt, etc., was in stock. Three hydraulic lines and two fuel lines were also replaced and fit perfectly. I wish car restoration was this easy!

Photo 1

Changes were made to the electrical system. The conversion consisted of a 12 volt DC negative ground with alternator and a single John Deere battery. There is no such thing as a cold start in south Florida. The original wire harness had been altered but was saved to match up wire gauge and color of the new conductors. Since my business involved electrical control systems, all new switches, sending unit, neutral safety switch, oil pressure switch, gauges, tach, warning lights, circuit breakers, battery cables, and wiring were assembled and installed. The wire harness consisted of NAPA brand automotive grade wire and soldered terminals. Pull strings were installed under the operator platform to assist in wiring the rear 12 volt outlet and fender lighting later. As it turned out, original wiring terminations were the Packard 56 series used in many GM cars and trucks, which I had in stock along with the Delphi double crimper. NAPA provided two gauge battery cables custom made to length. The dash was painted using a spray can of GM low gloss black chassis paint (Photo 3).

To eliminate a lengthy “I wish I would have done it this way” list, I decided to purchase any new parts from John Deere (greenpartstore. com) that are not marked NLA in the online parts catalog. Hardware may be the most important, even when the local hardware store has similar items that cost less. One example is the square head rear hub to rim mounting clip bolts. After mounting the hub to the axle, I hung

the rim with a new tire mounted in place with my engine crane. Place the shifter in tow mode and spin the hub until the stem and driving lugs line up. I found the best way to align the rim to the hub is to install clips, bolts, and nuts loosely. Then tighten each nut until three threads are showing. Proceed to tighten each nut one-quarter turn while spinning the assembly by hand. After each round of tightening, tap on the square heads with a five-pound hammer to further help seat them in the clips. Bolts from other vendors would probably not allow this method to work.

Now sitting on four new tires, all new fluids, belt, hoses, filters, water pump, thermostat, gaskets, SCV ISO conversion, front wheel bearings/seals, load control shaft seals it was ready to start (Photo 4). Anxiety flew out the overhead door along with a plume of black smoke as she roared to life once again.

After a trial run around the building to check power steering, brakes, clutch operation, all forward and reverse gears, gauges, tach, and PTO operation, I re-torqued the rear

wheel hub and rim bolts. Rim runout was less than 3/16ths inch. A 0-3000 psi pressure gauge was used to check hydraulic pressure at the remote. Pushing the dash-mounted control lever forward yielded a reading of 2200 psi on the right side. Coolant temperature was by now reading normal and battery voltage measured at the starter solenoid was 14.3 VDC.

The day after engine start-up, my Green Magazine 2024 (1968) wall calendar arrived. I immediately turned to my birth month of February and what did I see but a 3020! Another mental moment.

Submitted by, Don Hulle donhulle@gmail.com

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Deere’s Sound-Gard body was an absolute revelation in tractor design. When the Generation II tractors were released with this new concept, it completely changed what many people thought about the farm tractor. Suddenly, these machines could be quiet, comfortable, and a reasonably pleasant place to spend your day. The first Sound-Gard tractor was released in 1973. Deere was still using it almost two decades later when they released their new lineup in 1991, and it was still a top-of-the-line tractor cab.

The newest series comprised the 4560, 4760, and 4960 tractors. These four tractors shared the 7.6 liter engine. All were turbocharged, and the 4760 and 4960 also had an aftercooler. This aftercooler cooled the exhaust gasses so they would not heat the intake air as much as they passed near each other in the turbocharger. This allowed greater power to be made by those engines.

Deere did not make any significant changes to how the engines worked. The basic setup remained the same as it was in the previous generations. It had been working well for over a decade; there was no need yet for major departures. However, Deere did want to change one thing about the engine—the location of the intake and exhaust stacks. The Sound-Gard body was designed to hide these stacks, but they were still visible. Deere hoped they could almost completely eliminate the

operator’s view of these things. The intake was moved under the hood, where air was pulled in through a scoop above the radiator tank. Air was then sent through the air cleaner and air filters before heading into the engine.

On the exhaust side, Deere’s engineers were able to fit the muffler into the right rear of the engine compartment. From there, the exhaust had to be piped downward to go under the lower right window, then turn upward and follow the pillar at the right front of the cab.

A special exhaust pipe was used. It was double-walled with ceramic

Starting serial numbers for JD 60 series

insulation to reduce noise and heat levels through the sides of the pipe. It was running right next to the cab, after all. After careful planning and consideration like this by Deere’s engineers, it becomes even more baffling why someone would replace this insulated tube with a piece of straight pipe.

The 60 series tractors did away with the fuel shutoff knob. Fuel was now automatically controlled by the ignition switch.

The 7.6 liter engine was connected to one of two transmissions: a 15-speed Power Shift or a 16-speed Quad-Range. Each of these was well proven by this point in time, and it was essentially a matter of buyer preference as to which was equipped on the tractor.

The hydraulic system included many more updates. The pump was a 4.0 cubic inch, variable displacement, eight-piston radial hydraulic pump. It provided the system with pressures of up to 2,530 psi. The pump was connected directly to the tractor’s crankshaft near the front of the engine. Power was ample and ready whenever it was needed.

Deere changed and added several hydraulic controls. A toggle switch was added at the back of the tractor. The switch controlled the

three-point hitch. As anyone who has attached a piece of equipment to the three-point of a tractor can attest, it often involves at least a few trips to the cab to adjust the height of the three-point a few times. This new switch saves the operator from those trips, reducing time, exhaustion, and frustration. Of course, a switch so near the three-point could pose a danger to the operator, so Deere set it up to only move the three-point at very low speeds and to stop as soon as it was released.

There were more new switches inside of the cab for controlling the three-point. At the rear corner of the operator’s panel, behind the three-point lever, was a toggle switch that raised and lowered the three-point automatically to heights preset by the operator. This made the repetitive motion required to lift and lower the three-point at the end rows quick and nearly effortless.

Three more switches were there for the operator to control the three-point. The first allowed the operator to dial in the three-point’s load sensitivity and response

Representing the last of the Sound-Gard tractors, this 4560 sits in a dealer’s lot waiting to go back to work.

speed. The other two controlled how quickly the tractor would raise and lower the implement. Getting the tractor to do precisely what you needed was more possible than ever before.

The 60 series tractors could be ordered with mechanical front wheel drive. This system had been available on Deere’s tractors for decades and had only become better and more popular from one series to the next. MFWD could be engaged with the flip of a rocker switch. It automatically temporarily disengaged whenever a brake pedal was pressed, allowing for tighter turns. It also automatically disengaged when the tractor exceeded nine miles per hour. This was done to save wear and tear on the system and the front tires.

The front wheels in this system utilized a ball-and-socket kingpin joint that was tilted at 13 degrees. This tilted the wheels to the side to “lean into” the tractor’s turn. This helped push the front end of the tractor around through the turn and kept the turning radius of the tractor short, at just over 15 feet.

Deere’s IntelliTrak system made up the dash on these tractors. There were no more analog gauges. Instead, everything was displayed on a pair of screens behind the steering wheel. Engine

speed, PTO speed, engine temperature, fuel level, hour meter including time since the tractor’s last service, ground speed, area worked per hour, total area covered, distance traveled, and wheel slip percentage were all shown on these screens. There was now more information available to the operator than ever before, allowing him to make more informed decisions than he ever could in the past.

Deere put newly designed steps on the 60 series tractors. These steps started lower to the ground, were wider, were farther from the tractor, had a larger platform at the top, and included a couple of handrails for safe ascent and descent. Compared to the steps on older tractors, these were downright spacious. If you were concerned that the larger and lower steps may be in the way when working through a field of growing crops, you need not be. The steps could be rotated 20 degrees to clear crops or other obstacles. This new style of steps became very popular and has often been purchased to fit onto older machines, especially as their operators age.

A more modern set of lights was equipped on the tractor. Square lights in the top of the fenders were protected by louvers. These louvers directed light into the field while protecting the cab windows from glare. More lights could be added to the tractor to give a full 360-degree radius of light around the machine. Combined with the lights at the nose of the tractor and equipment lights at the back, little could escape the operator’s view, even at night.

One simple change to the engine made it much easier (or at least cleaner) to service. The oil filter was now attached to the engine in a vertical position instead of a horizontal one. Now, when removing the old filter or installing one filled with oil, less (or hopefully none) was likely to spill on the engine, frame rail, and the farmer’s boots. The air filter was also reoriented to make it easier to check and clean. It was now in an angled position so that it would slide nicely out from under the hood. Finally, the tractor included remote posts for the electrical system. If you needed a jump or to get battery power to an outside source, these posts were easily accessible for attaching cables. You did not have to pull off the panels that enclosed the tractor’s batteries.

The 60 series tractors were the final evolution of Deere’s Sound-Gard body design. They provided considerable power and efficiency in one of the most reliable packages ever built. While these tractors may have taken advantage of a few more computer-controlled systems and a little more electrical decision-making than previous machines, they were still under the operator’s control. The 60 series tractors were as popular as any of Deere’s previous offerings, and they sold well. These machines are still in demand, and just last year, a used 4960 in good condition was sold at an auction for $134,000. That’s more than Deere sold them for when they were new…a lot more. That shows beyond doubt that these tractors have proven themselves over the years.

The cover of the 60 series brochure. Notice how the muffler gradually gets lighter and moves to the right side of the tractor.

Even the most diehard John Deere snowmobile collector might find it a bit interesting that a large and notoriously conservative agricultural company like Deere would ever give the turbulent snowmobile market a second look, much less invest heavily into it at a time when there were more than 100 brands of machines marketed for sale at one time or another. For Deere to end up being one of the “Big Four” manufacturers for the 1982 and 1983 model years and the last manufacturer to leave the market in the ’80s says that they gave more than the halfhearted attempt at it. But why would they risk their name and reputation in the fickle recreational market?

Interestingly enough, the Deere snowmobile can thank the 1963 introduction of the 110 lawn tractor for its own introduction of the 400 and 500 in the fall of 1971 for the 1972 model year. Deere was on a growth trajectory back then, and looking for new markets. The successful launch of the 110 out of the Wisconsin Horicon Works was the seed that the new “Consumer Products” division was formed around. Deere added snowblowers, chain saws, trimmers and other home maintenance products while expanding the lawn and garden offerings in an effort to keep their dealerships busy and growing year around.

According to Leonard and Teal, in the book John Deere Snowmobiles” (JDS, available on Amazon or from Barnes and Noble), the concept of Deere’s Consumer Products Division came together at an informal meeting at Deere COE William Hewett’s home on a Friday night in 1960. This meeting was attended by C.R. Carlson, (R. Hewitt’s vice president for Agriculture Equipment Marketing in North America), and Woody Curtis and George French, representing marketing, finance, and manufacturing. The agenda was how to overtake IHC as worldwide market leader. Aside from

Dick Teal, co-author of the often quoted John Deere Snowmobiles book was at the meet and greet held the day before R.J. Carlson’s HOF induction on Feb. 22, 2007. Mr. Teal shared his notes and photos of his time developing Deere snowmobile clutching and systems.

more aggressive marketing for the new line of ag tractors and equipment, it was also noted that IH had something Deere did not: a garden tractor and “small retain stores in rural towns across North America.” By the end of the meeting, the Deere CEO “made it clear that the next growth business for Deere would be consumer products.”

So how did the snowmobile, a seasonal, recreational product fit into Deere’s new Consumer Products plan? Somewhat surprisingly, in several ways. With strong market acceptance of the first garden tractors being sold at the traditional Deere ag dealerships, “Deere added larger and smaller garden tractors to appeal to all segments of the market”

This Henry Dreyfuss Associates’ concept drawing for a next generation “JDX” machine was real hit at the meet and greet.

according to the JDS book. As garden tractor sales increased, the dealers themselves began to request Deere to make snowmobiles.

The snowmobile market was on a huge growth trajectory in the ’60s, rising from a few thousand units at the beginning of the decade to topping out at over a half a million machines by 1970. Inaccurate growth projections at the time predicted sales hitting one million units by middle of the ’70s. Some snowbelt Deere dealers, like Enn’s Brothers in Manitoba, Canada, for example, were selling other makes of snowmobiles to get in on the action. From the supplier standpoint, many of the lawn and garden component suppliers also made parts for the new snowmobile market, as

Jon Carlson organized the warm up event to honor his father, R.J. Carlson. This gave the sled collectors a great opportunity to meet our heros, like Raymon Kunts is doing here, speaking to Bob Enns and John Orvis. The Deere engineers, technicians and racers were very welcoming of all the questions from us.

I-500 finisher Jeff Larken is shown here with his former 295/s racer, with Robert “R.J.” Carlson and Bob Enns (from left) outside the Hall of Fame. About 30 collector sleds were brought to show our appreciation and to celebrate R.J.’s induction.

JDS states: “…so it was logical for suppliers to urge Deere to get into the business…”

While C.R. Carlson helped sow the seeds of the Consumer Products Division, after his retirement in 1967, his son, R.J. Carlson, became director of marketing at Deere’s world headquarters in Moline by 1968. It was the Carlson family Christmas held at Balsam Lake where fate, and an eager son, stepped in to nudge Deere alone. The late Jon Carlson told this story in person several times to the John Deere snowmobile collectors, and he thankfully repeated it to Ron Leonard and Dick Teal for their book. To quote Jon in John Deere Snowmobiles: “I begged my dad to rent a snowmobile for us to ride [over the Christmas of ’68 holiday]. I had seen the lights at night going past our house and heard the roar of the machines…” The 13-yearold Jon talked his father into renting a bright red Rupp for two hours, but they ended up keeping it for two days instead. “After that, R.J. embraced the opportunity to grow the consumer products business with snowmobiles.”

Now, just because R.J. embraced snowmobiles does not mean it was an easy sell to Deere. According to stories from Jon, his father had a vision for Deere consumer products (CP) dealerships to be market leaders, carrying everything from lawn and garden equipment, outboards, motorcycles, snowmobiles, etc. He wanted to see Deere enter and dominate the recreational markets, not just the home maintenance market. But even before R.J.’s push, personnel from the Horicon Works began to study the snowmobile market under the authority of their manager, Jack Moore, according to JDS

Some of the team at Horicon were already investigating snowmobiles as early as 1967 when engineering manager Martin Berk “recalls that he proposed Deere manufacture snowmobiles at (Product Review Meetings) in 1967 and 1968.” However, Horicon did not receive formal

Your author and then girlfriend, now wife, “Cari Deerest,” post with legendary racer Roger Janssen inside the HOF. I was just thrilled to meet Roger and he was extremely gracious about signing autographs and telling racing stories from his amazing history.

At breakfast the morning before the induction ceremony and the “Ride with the Champs,” my table was honored to have the three Carlsons join us. Jon, Robert and Mrs. Carlson were honored guest and it’s a great memory to have of them.

approval from HQ back in Moline, but “Horicon began to investigate the snowmobile market anyway and to evaluate competitive snowmobiles in 1967.”

During this time, Kohler Engines of Wisconsin was a supplier of garden tractor engines to Deere’s Horicon Works and Kohler also built two and four stroke snowmobile engines that were used in several brands of machines by 1968 such as Arctic Cat and others. According JDS: “Kohler invited Horicon factory personnel to attend a competitive snowmobile evaluation in Winter Park, Colorado, in the winter of ’68.” Martin Berk, Jack Moore and Jack Hoffman were flown out in the Kohler company plane with Kohler management to “observe and participate” in the evaluation. By March of 1968, Jack Hoffman issued a report on the complete cost study of the 1968 Polaris snowmobile, one of the machines Deere purchased for analysis after the trip to Colorado with Kohler. By the fall of 1968, JDS states that “Jack Hoffman and Gerry Buelow were back in Winter Park with the competitive (’69 model year) sleds to determine the design direction for a JD snowmobile.” It’s stated that Jack’s notes don’t say which machines were evaluated, but that one did have a front mounted engine, as compared to the mid-mounted position many

Low snow unfortunately closed the local trails in St. Germain in 2007, so about a dozen of us trailered our machines into Moniqua and rode around the lake chain for the afternoon, making the best out of it. Up to this, this was the largest gathering of vintage sleds at the HOF and the beginning of an annual event.

sleds of the day used. It was after this evaluation trip that “Horicon Works issued an Engineering Order to begin the design of a JD snowmobile.” And so began the office start of the Deere snowmobile project.

Jon Carlson related another story to us collectors at a Hall of Fame function years before his untimely passing about riding Deere’s prototype and competitive machines with Hewitt’s twin daughters. I will quote the passage again from Leonard and Teal’s book: “I took a call at home on Friday afternoon in late 1969 from Bill Hewitt,” Jon said. “Mr. Hewitt asked me to tell my dad we were to meet him Saturday morning at the maintenance building at the company headquarters.” R.J. Carlson, Jon’s father, “had made arrangements for competitive snowmobiles and one Horicon prototype to be shipped to Moline for such a meeting with Hewitt.” The story goes that Mr. Hewitt brought along his twin daughters and R.J. brought

Jon to the meeting, but Mr. Hewitt was not wearing snowmobile gear. Jon was demonstrating machines from Arctic Cat, Polaris, Ski-Doo and Grand Prix while the Hewitt daughters rode machines separately. Jon was reported to be friends with the Hewitt girls, as he had attended their birthday parties previously. Interestingly enough, there was some discussion between the CEO, Mr. Hewitt and R.J. about engine placement, style, and his dislike of white color. “At the end of the demonstration, Hewitt authorized R.J. to develop a comprehensive plan to enter the snowmobile business” quoted the book. Jon was quoted as saying that, “Following this meeting, there was no more indecision. Horicon was authorized to design and manufacture snowmobiles.” It is interesting that Mr. Hewitt never rode one himself, but delegated that role to his daughters. Meanwhile, there are several pictures of R.J. riding and even racing machines himself in the mid ’70s.

After the late 1969 meeting between R.J. Carlson and William Hewitt, Horicon was full speed ahead on planning, designing, and building four different machines for a 1972 introduction, noted back then as “models I, II, III and IV.” Due to scheduling and logistics, only the models II and IV actually made it production as the 400 and 500. The other models had to wait a year or two. A Kohler powered machine, the “Blitz Black” JDX-4, did not make production until 1973, but Deere kept one Kohler powered machine in the line up from 1973-79. So, it seems Kohler inviting Deere on an evaluation trip was not a bad idea.

Unfortunately for Deere, even after being promoted to senior vice president and having a seat on the board of directors, R.J. left Deere in 1979 for United Technologies. By 1982, Deere had stopped further snowmobile development work. After the small production run of ’84 models, Deere announced they sold the snowmobile division and rights to produce Deere machines to Polaris in February of 1984. It seems to many casual observers that the loss of their snowmobile champion was the end of the road for the product. More unfortunately was that Deere missed a large rebound in the market soon after they exited. Fortunately, Deere had Polaris sign a five-year contract to provide parts for the machines, which helped protect the JD faithful with service parts availability. This is probably why, even with Deere sleds being out of production for four decades, parts availability is better than most defunct brands.

On February 22, 2007, R.J. Carlson was inducted in to the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, Wisconsin for his part in bringing John Deere snowmobiles to life and for his efforts to organize factory cross country racing, especially with founding “Enduro

Robert Carlson gave a commanding and thoughtful speech. One thing he said that struck a cord with all the Deere collectors present was how he “was ashamed and embarrassed…” because he had no idea that guys collected, restored and rode Deere snowmobiles like we did. He seemed honestly flattered we showed up from all over the country to show our support and ride our machines together. We are glad he got to see all that before he passed in 2018. Now 17 years later, many of us still make the pilgrimage to St. Germain to ride with our friends each February. We think that Deere is still the fifth largest registered brand in the state of Wisconsin. Thanks for everthing, R.J.

Team Deere” and partly the “ICCSF” racing organization. I was fortunate to have been at the induction with many other JD snowmobile collectors where R.J.’s speech was both interesting and captivating. A few things he mentioned were how not one Deere board member ever rode a John Deere snowmobile. R.J. was a proponent of the “keep your foot in the furrow” mentality, and seemed downright disappointed at the lack of interest shown at the top for something he personally enjoyed. A board member once remarked to him that “the name Liquidator didn’t sound like a nice name” for the new ’76 racing snowmobile. To which R.J. remarked

to the crowd: “If I wanted to give it a nice name, I would have called it Bambi!” We loved that one.

And finally, Lowell Swenson, the COE and majority shareholder of Artic Cat, was looking to sell the company in the late ’70s. R.J. tried to make a deal with him, and took it to the Deere board. R.J. was given full approval from Deere’s board of directors in 1977 to cut a check for Arctic Cat lock, stock and barrel. Unfortunately, R.J. and Lowell could not come to terms on a share price, so the deal never happened. But what if… Joe Rainville is from Fort Worth, Texas. To contact him, send an email: joerainville@hotmail.com

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Small engine solid state ignition— or tractor magneto on steroids

Over the years, John Deere has dabbled in many, many “consumer products” and still offers a huge variety of “consumer products.” Some items, like riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors, still remain in Deere’s offerings, but other items, like John Deere branded chainsaws, leaf blowers, push type mowers, snowmobiles, and garden roto-tillers, were once offered through Deere’s dealerships under

the John Deere brand name, but have faded into history (Photo 1). In recent years, though, this segment of John Deere collectors has been growing by leaps and bounds! In fact, we’ve seen multiple articles here in our fantastic publication of Green Magazine from Jon Rainville regarding John Deere snowmobiles. Unlike farm tractors that were, and are, still built for a long, hard working life, many consumer products are built for a relatively short service life, and therefore fade into history and disappear without hardly leaving a trace. Maybe that’s the mystique of collecting John Deere consumer products because so many examples have ended up in landfills, or on the scrap pile out behind the barn.

The technology of things like chainsaws, push mowers, garden roto-

tillers, and other consumer products bearing the John Deere name that have faded into history used the old ignition points that came out in the first magnetos used on two-cylinder tractors (Photo 2). Since we are all familiar with the old tried and true ignition points, let’s move up to a technology that has been used for the past 50-plus years—“solid state ignition.” Yup, this “new” technology has been used in consumer products for 50-plus years already.

molded into the high voltage coil out of sight. We can’t physically see the low voltage circuitry in this Stihl coil/ignition module, but it’s there to replace the physical ignition points of a tractor magneto. Let’s just say the solid state circuitry is the old points we were used to, only on “steroids.” It functions the same, only some mechanical components have been replaced by electronics to perform the same job.

In our title “Small engine solid state ignition—or tractor magneto on steroids,” some folks are already asking how these two topics can be related. The small engine, solid state ignition operates using spinning magnets just like the old tractor magnetos. To shut down an old tractor with a magneto, you simply grounded the ignition points to stop the spark. The same thing happens with a small engine solid state ignition; you must ground the low voltage side to stop the spark. A small engine magneto system has every function that an old tractor magneto system has. The only difference with the small engine magneto we are going to deal with this month and an old tractor magneto is that the mechanical low voltage part of the tractor magneto has been replaced by electronics doing the exact same job, and those electronics have been

When Deere corporate decided to abandon consumer items like chainsaws and leaf blowers, Deere recognized the profit potential for their dealerships and approached a well known company that had established itself as a quality manufacturer of these products called Stihl USA. Deere recommended that their dealers carry the Stihl brand of small power tools when Deere stopped offering many of these power tools under their own brand name, and the majority of dealers did follow Deere’s recommendation. That brings us to our tip for this month on a Stihl leaf blower that wasn’t running very well, and finally wouldn’t start at all. Some folks might be asking what a leaf blower has to do with our world of green tractors and equipment. Well, nothing really other than your local John Deere dealer more than likely sells them, and most of us use these products on our farms.

Photo 1

Photo 2

If you’ve ever cleaned your shop floor with a leaf blower, you’ll not be in a hurry to ever pick up a broom again. Cleaning the shop floor with a leaf blower is not only faster, it does a much better job of getting rid of the fine dust that collects on all of our shop floors versus a broom.

This Stihl leaf blower started showing symtoms of a problem when it wouldn’t reach governed RPM, and it was “four-cycling” instead of firing every piston stroke like it should. Then finally it would not run at all. A simple test for spark at the spark plug revealed there was no spark. Our first step is to remove the recoil starting housing because we need to do a couple ohm meter checks to dial into where our problem is (Photo 3). You need to pay attention to what style screw comes out of each location because three screws are a machine thread, and one screw is a course thread for threading into plastic (Photo 4). All the screw heads for this little project are going to be a number 25 Torx head (Photo 5). With the recoil starter housing off, this will expose the flywheel, and ignition module (Photo 6). After detaching the two small wires from the ignition module, and removing the spark plug wire from the spark plug, we can remove the two

screws that attach the module to the engine, and remove the module (Photo 7). Some of us may want to call this the coil, which technically it is, but Stihl calls it a module because there is solid state electronics molded into this coil that replaces the old style ignition points many of us are familiar with inside a tractor magneto.

Now it’s time to figure out where our problem is. The first thing we’ll do is verify the ignition switch is working correctly. For this, we’ll touch the terminal of each of the two small wires that go up to the ignition switch in the leaf blower handle. With our multimeter on

the ohms scale and the ignition switch in the “O,” position we should have a complete circuit indicated by zero, or very few ohms of resistance (Photo 8). This is the “off” position of the ignition switch because it grounds the ignition module so no spark is created. In the “–“ position (run position) of the ignition switch, we should have an open circuit, or no connection between the wires as indicated on our multimeter as unmeasurable ohms (Photo 9). This confirms our ignition switch is working correctly.

Next we’ll check the ignition module with our multimeter. Place one multimeter lead on the spade terminal of the module, and insert the second meter lead in the spark plug wire cap until it contacts the metal

Photo 3 • Photo 4, below

Photo 8 • Photo 9, below

Photo 6 • Photo 7, below

Photo 5, below

terminal inside. You should have an ohm reading between 2,500 ohms and 5,000 ohms. In this case, our meter tells us there is an open circuit in the module because the resistance is so high, the meter can’t read any type of connection (Photo 10). This tells us the module is no good on the low voltage side of the module, and the reason we couldn’t get a spark. There is another ohm reading you can perform to check the high voltage side of the module and that is to leave the one meter lead in the spark plug wire touching the terminal inside the plug wire cap, and place the second lead on the metal bar of the module (Photo 11). This reading was 880 ohms on this module, telling us the high voltage side of the coil is good (Photo 12). An open circuit on either the low voltage, or high voltage side of the module will result in a “no spark” condition.

Since our multimeter confirmed the ignition module was not good, a new module was ordered (Photo

13). A quick multimeter check of the new module tells us the low voltage side of the module has 3,480 ohms of resistance, which falls right in the range specified of 2,500 to 5,000 ohms of resistance (Photo 14). I thought the price of the new module was actually quite reasonable through our local Deere dealer at $32 for a genuine Stihl module. This leaf blower is between 15 to 18 years old so a person should be happy with that many years of service. It would be a miracle if a standard set of conventional ignition points lasted this long, so I would say we can chalk up a win for the solid state circuitry versus old style ignition points.

Before we install the new module, we need to look at the flywheel.

There is a counter balance without any magnets (Photo 15), and the two magnets embedded in the flywheel opposite of the counter balance (Photo 16). I like to rotate the flywheel so the counter balance will be in line with the module when we install the module. Set the module in place and install the two retaining screws. Remember the small ground spade terminal goes on the top screw as a ground for the ignition switch. Do not tighten the screws at this time. Push the module up as far as it can go toward the spark plug and lightly snug down the two retaining screws. Next we’ll rotate the flywheel so the magnets are under each metal pole (or bar) of the module and place a .010 inch brass feeler gauge between the module poles (bars) and the flywheel magnets (Photo 17). It’s hard to see the feeler gauge in that small gap, but it’s there. The reason

Photo 15 • Photo 16, below

Photo 14, below

Photo 12 • Photo 13, below

Photo 10 • Photo 11, below

I like using a brass feeler gauge is so it doesn’t stick to the magnets. Metal feeler gauges stick to the magnets and just make the task a little more difficult. Some folks like the fact that the steel feeler gauges stick to the magnets, but I don’t—guess it’s just a personal preference. The service manual calls for an air gap between the module and flywheel magnets of .008 inch to .012 inch, so I just use a .010 inch feeler gauge. With the feeler gauge in place, loosen the two retaining screws and push the module down onto the feeler gauge, then tighten the two screws (Photo 18). With the module screws tightened, we can remove the feeler gauge (Photo 19). It’s always a good idea to rotate the flywheel at least one complete revolution to verify the module does not touch any part of the flywheel.

Attaching the two ignition switch wires to the module is a no-

brainer because the two spade terminals are different sizes. Imagine that, the engineers made it so we can’t attach the wires incorrectly! Remember to reattach the plastic retaining clip that holds the two ignition wires to the spark plug wire and push the spark plug wire onto the spark plug (Photo 20). Last but not least is to reinstall the recoil starter housing with the three machine bolts and one plastic thread screw (Photo 21). Once you start working on the Stihl line of power tools, you will appreciate how simple they are, how many parts are common between different power tools, how easy it is to locate parts, and how long Stihl keeps common parts in production (Photo 22).

While we didn’t work on a John Deere branded item, we did work on an item offered through your local Deere dealer, and a brand of tool many of us have on our farms. To many of us, the idea of a solid state ignition system may seem like “new technology” because the old ignition points are gone, but the reality is this technology is well over 50 years old. The old breaker points began disappearing in the 1970s in favor of the solid state ignition modules on automotive vehicles, and the small engine industry followed right along. Deere never offered a breakerless, solid state ignition system on their tractors and continued with the old style ignition points right up to the time Deere dropped the option of a gasoline engine in their 30 series ag tractors. Do you find it odd that Deere kept the old style ignition points into the mid 1970s, yet used fiber optic cables to back light the gauges on their ag tractors in the early 1970s?

Contact Dan Brotzman at W14729 Meisner Rd., Tigerton, WI 54486; phone 715-535-2595; email danb4230hc@yahoo.com

Photo 17 • Photo 18, below

Photo 19 • Photo 20, below

Photo 21 • Photo 22, below

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Lawn and Garden: Commercial mowers: 38”, 48”, 54”, GX1320, 727 Z-Trak, 60, 70, 110, 112, 120, 140, 200, 208, 210, 212, 216, 245, 300, 312, 314, 316, 318, 285, 320, 322, 330, 332, 420 Compact Tractor: 790, 850 Snowmobiles: 340 Cyclone We also carry: Starters, Regulators, Generators, Alternators, Relays, Coils, Lights, Alternator Brackets, Pulleys

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• 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.

This 820 is owned by Ben Miller from Middlefield, Ohio.

Right: Steve Manternach sent us this photo of his 620 and “BW” disc.

Right: Rich Erwin of Laurel, Nebraska makes ice cream for the grandkids with this rig.

Left: Sam Harris of Buffalo Valley, Tennessee owns this 1969 John Deere 2520 in its original paint, which was purchased in 2001.

Below: Kevin Uphoff of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin is shown on his 3010 with his grandson, Braxton Uphoff, at the 2023 Stoughton, Wisconsin Junior Fair. A stop at the fair was part of the 15th Annual Utica Benefit Antique Tractor Ride.

Left: Here’s a photo from an old atrazine ad showing a “G” pulling a sprayer. It had to be the least fuel efficient spraying job in history.

Part 2

Let’s go back to the beginning of this carburetor’s issue when it was handed to me and I noticed that the choke door would not open sufficiently to bring it parallel with the incoming air flow—that is where it should be when the choke is not needed. Before I stripped all of this mechanism out of the casting, I looked it over in an attempt to see why the choke would not unload. I found that the choke door lever is spring loaded to the choke shaft, but the lever is positioned to the shaft by a series of holes in the outer race by

a cotter key. The outer race has a series of holes in it that will position the lever to the shaft as it should be, in order to put the choke door ON and to unload it in the off-choke position. Removing the tiny cotter key and repositioning it to another hole on the outer race left me with this position (Photo 21) with the choke door closed.

Somewhere in days past, this carb had been “operated” on. I can always tell by a path of half stripped out screws and jets where removal had been attempted, but then left “as is” with a stripped out screw driver slot in them. The project was abandoned at that point AS IS. So often these things are a “previous attempt to make

repairs” before they come to ME. But anyway, to leave a unit such as this to go back to the owner with the choke door only half open is surely going to

Photo 21 • Photo 22, below

Photo 23 • Photo 24, below

Photo 25 • Photo 26, below

Photo 27, below

run the engine rich at any idle or slow speeds. The owner stated that it was always that way for as long as he had owned it. He just learned to “live with it” and changed spark plugs as they fouled from a rich fuel mixture. I can’t help but wonder what sort of shape the rest of this John Deere 3010’s engine is by now. The pistons, rings, and cylinder walls have certainly been washed down with the excess gas mixture, and I assume the seals are ruined. Beyond that, the gas dilution in the engine oil

has likely taken its toll on the crankshaft bearings and on the shaft journals as well. The 3010 has already gotten a bad rap from its owner, but I feel that the fault is not that of the tractor, but with the fellow who last said that he had FIXED the carburetor. Right is right and wrong is WRONG in life and in carburetors; know the difference and choose RIGHT!

My carburetor rebuilds all start the same way with completely stripped and cleaned castings (Photo 22). This carburetor features a dual Venturi (Photo 23), which by the way was loose in the carburetor casting from a stripped out locater bolt. We can see the float reconditioned at its pivot point with the needle as I have mentioned before (Photo 24). The next photo shows the carburetor kit (Photo 25) that included all gaskets, a new needle and seat, a new idle needle, shaft seals, and a pump check valve. Putting a longer new screw with washers through the side of the carburetor throat and into the Venturi with a DROP of Loctite got the Venturi tightened up again (Photo 26).

Now we are installing the upper casting idle bleed jet (Photo 27), and then Photo 28 shows installing the lower casting idle jet; be sure to get

them in the CORRECT place. This is the installed float (Photo 29) set to the correct height. And here is the throttle shaft, the new seal, and retainer (Photo 30). The high speed or load jet (Photo 31) is installed through the side of the casting. The electric solenoid is reinstalled (Photo 32), the newly assembled carburetor showing the idle speed screw (Photo 33); this then is the assembled carburetor showing the new idle mixture screw (Photo 34). As always, the carburetor will be bench tested for any external leaks, and also for any internal leaks past its new needle valve. I will also, on this carburetor, be making a vacuum test to be sure that its accelerator pump system is working as it should. There you go…I LOVE doing carburetors this way but it takes a lot of time and patience.

The 620 block replacement… okay, the tractor has been washed, a section of the shop has been cleared out, the floor even scrubbed, and the parts benches have been strategically placed on two sides of the tractor. It is TIME to dive into replacing this 620’s block and pistons. Off comes the carburetor, the generator, and everything in front of the cylinder head. The manifold assembly is removed next (Photos 35 and 36), then the tappet cover and rocker shaft (Photo 37). Now there is enough forward room to slide the head off the block studs (Photo 38) and then turn it sideways on the frame rail OPPOSITE of the air cleaner and get it out to a metal bench setting on that side of the tractor.

I decided to do a little investigative work on it before proceeding any further. I have some suspicion that

Photo 32 • Photo 33, below

Photo 30 • Photo 31, below

Photo 28 • Photo 29, below

Photo 34, below

there is a coolant leak coming from somewhere because of the exhaust odor upon startup and a few puffs of blue smoke at the outset. Nothing as yet has showed up in the 620’s engine oil, but with all the piston rings on these old Deere’s pistons, they tend to hide that ailment by not allowing antifreeze to get in the oil…for a time. Get out the old magnaflux instrument (Photo 39), plug it in, position it over the cylinder’s combustion chamber, push the button to turn on the electro-magnetic force, then take the spray bottle of magnetic gray dust, and voila—just what I WASN’T hoping for…cracks in the head casting in not one but BOTH cylinders. Cylinder one shows a bad crack running from the upper deck of the combustion chamber and down between the intake and exhaust valves (Photo 40). Cylinder two shows almost an identical crack, but it veers off toward the exhaust valve seat and I am sure that it is cracked underneath. I could strip this head of its valves and sandblast the head to get down to the bare casting, but it would just show the further extent of the cracks.

What I see, even through all the dirt and carbon on the head, the extent of the cracks has convinced me that I need to find a replacement head for this 620. Green Magazine classified

ads and for sale ads, here I come. I have recently realized that finding a GOOD head casting that is NOT cracked is quite a challenge. Many places do NOT have one sitting on the shelf and after one already bad experience, I realize that some folks just do not know how to properly magnaflux a head in order to locate the potential cracks. As if it wasn’t enough proof, a quick read of the head gasket shows black exhaust carbon marking between the cylinders (Photo 41) and protruding off to one of the water ports. Either the head is warped or the block is also…or both. That allowed this kind of leaking. It won’t matter because we are putting in a newly refurbished block and will be doing the same with another cylinder head. Stay tuned; don’t change the channel. There will be many more adventures with this 620’s engine.

But before I leave, I have a question for anyone out there in Green Magazine land that could help me identify this military engine that my good old neighbor dropped off for me to take a look at before he headed to the junkyard with it. It appears to be a military grade Continental twocylinder overhead valve engine. Of COURSE I told him to leave it with me and NOT THE JUNKYARD! He mentioned that he knows for sure that it hasn’t run in 30 years, BUT the engine does still turn over (Photos 42 and 43). ANYONE?

Keep smiling, happy spring/ summer. God bless ’til we meet again. This column is written by Ron and Jo Anne O’Neill.

Photo 41 • Photo 42, below

Photo 39 • Photo 40, below

Photo 37 • Photo 38, below

Photo 35 • Photo 36, below

Photo 43, below

Part 2

Photo 13 is for $20 off on an air compressor and paint gun. I do not think we ever sold this type of compressor; we sold the one that is a tank on wheels. I do, however, have one or two of the paint guns around here as they feature good John Deere branding and make a great collectible.

A coupon for $2 off on a John Deere hammer is shown in Photo 14. I had this exact hammer, and it was a good one. I sold it many years ago on eBay with my other Deere carpentry tools. If I remember correctly, I think the hammer sold for $75. Other tools I sold at that time also did very well.

Photo 15 is of a few more coupons and also a grass trimmer, hedge trimmer, clippers and edger.

Photo 16 is for $20 off on a 50 amp welder. We never sold that many

welders or welding supplies. I did have one of these, I think, from when we bought all those John Deere carpentry and other tools when Deere was closing them out. I never used it and sold it on eBay for $150. Again, I thought that was a good price.

John Deere bicycles (Photo 17): I have always been interested in them and do have a few saved back. I also have some NOS parts and frames. This coupon is for $25 off a new bicycle. I will admit I did send a copy of this coupon to two friends, offering it to them on their next John Deere bicycle purchase. They found it funny, as did I. Bicycles were a long time ago and they are slowly gaining

interest as a collectible.

A handle kit was available to turn the handheld cordless electric shears into a stand-up shear. We only sold a couple, from what I remember, but today it makes a good collectible (Photo 18).

Deere’s line of walk behind tillers did quite well for them; I know we sold quite a few. They were well designed and performed well. In the past few years, there has been a lot of interest in them, and they are being picked up. A friend, Matt Biggs, has the three main models already—the 324, 524 and 624—as well as a few duplicates. It makes a nice lineup. Hand tools are discussed again—shovels and spading forks, then the small gardening tools. Deere had a broad bladed trowel, slim bladed transplanter, three claw hand cultivator and a notched edge digger.

Photo 13 • Photo 14, below

Photo 15 • Photo 16, below Photo 17 • Photo 18, below

They were reasonably priced and sold well for us. Can you see the red glove in the hand in that picture? These were actually Deere garden gloves and some of the designs were pretty wild. Well, I guess it was the ’70s so maybe it was to be expected. I have never found a pair of these gloves new yet. Pruners are shown again as are the sprinklers and then there is the hose cart. The John Deere hose cart is also pretty darn tough to find today. I have had many people call me over the years looking for one and I have to tell them I do not have one either. Finally, the Deere hoe is shown in use (Photo 19).

Photo 20 shows Deere chain saws, carpenter’s tools and mechanic’s tools. I have said it before, and I will say it again—the green chainsaws turned

out to not be a good chainsaw at all. The green saws were built by Remington and, at our store, we even had one seize up when being predelivered to a customer and locked up completely. Luckily, we had another one so just got it ready instead. The seized one went under the tool bench until we had time to repair it under warranty. It is pretty bad when a brand new chainsaw locks up while being prepped for delivery.

The next picture shows more of the carpenter’s tools Deere carried. Provided by Stanley, every item carried Deere branding and so is sought after by collectors today. Looking at this picture, I had every one of these and sold them on eBay. Mechanic’s tools are another hot area for collectors. To bring the most money, the tools have

to be what I call first generation, those made by Bonney. They were high quality tools, and collectors are hunting specific tools to complete a set or two. Over the years, Deere changed suppliers on the tools and the quality changed. Today most are China or Taiwan sourced and, for me, I would have no interest in collecting them, although others do. The tool boxes have also changed dramatically over the years and a Deere box is another must have item on a collector’s list. Ten years ago, or maybe a bit more, Deere offered some toolboxes with classic tractors and logos painted on them. They were not inexpensive then but today are another hot item collectors are looking for. If you have one, be glad you bought it when you did.

Photo 21 • Photo 22, below

Photo 19 • Photo 20, below

Photo 21 is more of the “leisure” part of Lawn & Leisure: Bicycles and barbecue grills; 10 speeds, five speeds, children’s and more; all the bicycles are listed here. You can get an idea of the many grills Deere offered also.

Photo 22 finishes up with the power washer. Deere goes on to conclude that your John Deere dealer has nearly anything you might need such as lubricants, battery chargers, fuel cans, paint, toys and far more—all at your local John Deere dealer. The next page has more pictures. First off is a fuel can—highly collectible.

The flashlight batteries again, trouble light and a flashlight. Yes, flashlights are collectible. The air compressor again. John Deere clothing with a classic design t-shirt shown here— collectible. Car or equipment battery. New batteries in the box bring over $100 now so yes, collectible. John Deere gloves: There have been almost countless varieties offered. Space heaters—collectible. The big chrome padlock again—collectible. Welders—collectible. Toys, I do not have to even say it but yes— collectible. John Deere oil can—collectible. And finally, battery chargers, also collectible. Do you notice my frequent use of the word “collectible”?

Photo 23 is our final picture, and it is of the back of the pamphlet. Mr. Dealer is shown in the center and Deere talks a bit about what it takes to make a dealer and what the dealership is prepared and capable of doing for you and your equipment. All true of course and well worth considering when purchasing new equipment. In the bottom right-hand corner, we can see that this pamphlet was printed in February of 1976, which is 47 years ago. When I stop and think of time spans like this when dealing with old literature, I realize that more than likely, the majority of the people shown in these brochures are no longer with us. Mr. Dealer here appears to be in his early 60s, which would make him over 100 today. Anyone who was middle-aged has passed on in

all reality. Any children shown are now middle-aged adults themselves. It is hard to get your mind around it at times, but it is what it is. It was fun looking at this great equipment, but I am trying to get a point across to you. Many of you have at least one of these items just sitting and not being used. Can you see where it may be time to get that old John Deere hoe out or that set of hand tools that you have not used in years and get them back in circulation so to speak? If they are not doing you any good, why not get them into the hands of someone who will appreciate them and take care of them? When I was at the parts counter most recently and talking with customers, I was surprised at how many mentioned older Deere equipment they had in their garages or barns that they were not using. I toyed briefly with the idea of trying to track some of it down, then just as quickly lost interest. I am past that point.

Again, there are a lot of these items still not in collections and if a collector is determined, they may be able to locate some items and put them in their collection. And for those who have these old items, a little extra money never hurts anyone— something to think about. I hope you enjoyed looking at this brochure this month. 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 23

Today’s product portfolio of John Deere tractors is huge, to say the least. They have four series of what they term “compact” tractors, two series each of “utility” and “row crop” tractors, and then the “four-wheel drives” or “9 series.” The 1 through 4 series of compact tractors has 23 models alone! This is quite a huge change from where the company was 40 or 50 years ago. With increasing numbers of people with small acreages, and a continued growth in lawn and landscape services, it is understandable that John Deere would decide to design and develop products for those markets. To help promote the products to folks of all ages, they work with Ertl to provide miniatures or toys. Recently I purchased a 1/16th scale Replica model of the 2038R compact tractor with a loader. This item was actually released about four years ago and it carries Ertl stock number LP70531 and Sku 45676. This month we are going to take a look at this unique toy.

Photo 1 shows the tractor in the carton. The graphics use the current standard green, yellow, and white background colors with the machine model number, Ertl “Replica Play” identifiers, and John Deere trademark printed on each panel. Unlike the cartons for the Prestige models, the opening in the front and top does not have a clear plastic “window.” The Replica models are designed to be played with, and so the display carton is not necessary. Partial pictures of the real tractor are printed on each end panel and a full picture of a 2038R tractor with

loader is on the rear panel (Photo 2). Today’s Replica toys are a bit different from the regular Ertl farm toys from years ago. In the past, the tractors were mostly made of die-cast metal construction with a few plastic or rubber accessories. Now, much of the construction is plastic with a few

metal accessories. In this specific case, the frame of the tractor, the loader arms, and the front bucket are die-cast metal. The rest of the tractor is made from plastic and rubber components. Photo 3 provides a front view of the tractor. The hood and side shields are one plastic piece with the front grille screen and side vents accented in black. The John Deere trademark is printed on the front (Photo 4) and selfadhesive decals with silver and black graphics are included at the top of the grille to represent the headlights. The

Photo 3 • Photo 4, below

Photo 1 • Photo 2, below

front weight bracket is cast into place as part of the main frame.

Unfortunately, the hood does not open so there is no engine detail to see. Photos 5 and 6 provide left and right side views of the overall tractor. Note the center rib cast into the top of the hood and the silver hood ornament at the front. There are other seams cast in place to represent the different panels that make up the hood on the real tractor. However, they are difficult to see in the pictures.

The operator’s station is fairly well detailed. Photo 7 shows the steering wheel and the rubber boot below it, which simulates the tilt steering capability of the real machine. Note the full color dash with gauges and warning/ indicator lights printed in black, white, red, yellow, and blue. The John Deere name is even printed in the center near the bottom of the display. The “floor” features a flat black, ribbed surface. A view of the operator’s station from the right side is shown in Photo 8. Here you can see the forward-facing work lights on each fender along with the handrails. A tool box cover is cast into the left side and the controls and cup holder are on the right. The seat is a yellow plastic item with a black back to which a large slow moving vehicle emblem has been printed.

Photo 9 shows the rear of the

tractor. Here you can see the complete roll-over protective structure (ROPS). Hinges are cast into the ROPS but the structure cannot be raised and lowered. Four “rectangles” are cast into the side of the ROPS to represent the warning and brake lights. The upper ones are highlighted in orange on the front and rear while the lower ones are red only on the rear. A small hitch is provided at the rear of the tractor, which has a center hole that is large enough to attach toy implements.

As I mentioned earlier, the loader frame is made from die-cast metal parts. A single piece forms the vertical arms and the horizontal mount that runs below the tractor and attaches to it. Another piece includes the arms and the lower horizontal cross bar immediately behind the bucket. A third piece is the bucket. Four hydraulic cylinders are attached to the assembly with small silver rivets. Each cylinder has a green plastic outer housing and a silver cylinder rod. The net result is that the bucket can be raised and lowered and it can tip (Photo 10). Friction between the components holds the loader in any position. I have to give the team at Ertl quite a bit of credit for designing such a realistic loader that operates as well as it does. And, it is on a Replica toy.

All of the wheels are plastic

I am really impressed with the overall fit and finish of the components. Everything on this tractor and loader was assembled correctly and the features are really nice.

Photo 7 • Photo 8, below

Photo 5 Photo 6

items with “hardware” cast in place. The front and rear tires have a rubber feel to them and include what I would call an “industrial” bar-tread pattern. Another very nice feature on this toy is the steering on the front axle. Rather than having the entire axle swing from side-to-side like has been done on many small toy utility tractors in the past, this miniature features real automotive-style steering. Photo 11 provides a view of the bottom of the tractor. Note the axle, tie rod, and steering arms. These components are all made of metal and are riveted together. The rivets are black so they are well hidden and this makes for a very realistic looking assembly. In addition, the front axle oscillates and the steering operates very well.

I am really impressed with the overall fit and finish of the components. Everything on this tractor and loader was assembled correctly and the features are really nice. Most of the graphics are printed in place, which I think looks great on any toy tractor or farm implement. Included are the yellow and black hood side stripes with the John Deere name in black letters, the yellow and black stipes on the loader, the 2038R tractor model designation in yellow characters with a black outline, and the 220R loader model designation also in yellow characters with a black outline. The John Deere trademark is also printed on each side of the loader. Photo 12 shows these items in more detail.

I purchased this model very recently at a toy show after having spent some time to look it over. My initial intent was not to purchase it, but the more I checked it out, the more I thought this is a really nice model. In addition,

one of my grandsons likes anything with a “bucket” on it, so the tractor and loader will eventually be his. If you need a more modern tractor in your toy collection, this 2038R is nicely detailed and may be just the answer.

One other item to note is that Ertl very recently announced that the second set in their Precision Heritage series will be a model 3010 diesel tractor with an RW disk. At first glance, this appears to be a really nice set. However, while a Precision disk

would be nice to have, Ertl already did a Precision 3010 gas tractor years ago. That one had a narrow front and weights, and the new one appears to be set up the same way. The release is projected to be in July of this year and I will provide additional details as I get them. Enjoy.

Contact Bill Proft at N1366 Woodland Dr., Greenville, WI 54942 or email billproft@sbcglobal.net

Photo 9 • Photo 10, below

Photo 11 • Photo 12, below

It’s a tire inflator (different from an air compressor)

There are some of you out there who would never consider leaving home without your cordless impact wrench. Besides making it easier on us old guys with bad wrists, elbows, or shoulders, their biggest benefit might be making a scary trailer tire change on the side of the interstate much faster. If you already have the impact wrench, and the battery, which is often the most expensive part, you might also consider a tire inflator. It was recommended to me as an alternative by someone when I said that I was thinking of purchasing a gas engine-powered air compressor. It seems like there is always a tire that needs to be inflated well out of reach of my shop compressor. That can be on the old “RW” disc sitting on the other end of the yard that I haven’t used in several years, or the grain drill that has been stored in a shed on another farm since it was used during the last planting season.

They can’t technically be called an “air compressor” because they have no tank, hence the name “tire inflator.” On the particular model I own, you connect the hose to the tire valve stem, turn the inflator on, and set the pressure you want the tire inflated to.

After pressing the start button, you can walk away; it will automatically stop when the tire gets to the desired pressure. How fast will it fill a tire? It takes about two minutes to fill an average-sized car tire to 30 PSI, but closer to 10 minutes to get a truck tire to 80 PSI. Time between battery charges depends on what size battery you have and age, but it’s surprisingly long. I purchased a Milwaukee model

2848-20 for $179, mainly because it could share the 18 volt battery with my Milwaukee impact wrench. In doing some research, I found that the Milwaukee gets slightly better reviews than the DeWalt brand, which is slightly less expensive. If you’re a bargain shopper, you can get Pittsburghs, Ryobis and Rigids for considerably less, though I would suggest you think twice about a couple of those brands.

Scotch tape, scotch whisky, scotch oats and scotch bottoms. Other than having “scotch” in the title, I’m not sure what all of these things have in common. The whisky and the oats probably originated in Scotland, the tape most certainly did not, and I am certainly uncertain about the plow bottoms. If you will recall, in the April issue, we began a search for scotch bottom plows.

Brian Wolf of Canandaigua, New York was the first to get a photo to us. His scotch bottoms are on a 415 two-bottom plow. Since he was the first, he gets one year added to his subscription.

Phyllis Johnson, “the Plow Lady,” has a scotch bottom that has never been attached to a plow. Look at that beautiful stenciling on the back of the moldboard!

Greg Miskow of Paris, Ontario is pictured here with his M2 plow with scotch bottoms.

Here is Keith Eyre’s 415 plow. He says the bottoms have been “updated.”

In that same article, I asked what the purpose of scotch bottoms was. Deere publications state that they lay the cut soil on its side, but why? It was suggested to me that the spaces between the ribbons of soil filled up with rain, ice or snow and would help break up clods. Since I have no better information, I will go with that.

In the 1970s, stack wagons became a popular way to put up hay. Big round balers were just getting started, so the stackers sold by Deere and Hesston were a convenient way to get a considerable amount of hay from the field to the yard with little labor involved. Deere offered three

different models, the 1-1/2 ton-stack model 100, four-ton model 200 and six-ton model 300. Sometimes producers wanted to move a stack after it was made, and Deere was ready for that too, with the 100, 200 and 300 stack movers. However, Deere had one more trick up their sleeve, the 230 Shredder/Feeder attachment. It could be attached to the front of the 200 or 300 stack mover to provide an easy way to process and feed hay or stover. The 230 would shred and blend the hay and deliver it into a neat windrow either on the ground, or in a feed bunk.

Do you have a 230 Shredder/Feeder? If so, be the first to get a photo of it and yourself to us and we will add one year to your subscription.

While writing for the local newspaper, I went driving around the countryside and took some pictures of tractors in the field. My neighbor was seeding wheat with his 8100T John Deere and 9450 drills, another neighbor was out spreading fertilizer with his 4230 John Deere, yet another was pulling an air seeder with his 9530T—it was a fun drive! My dilemma is different. I am trying to figure out what to seed with this spring. A couple years

ago, I used my 1940 “A” JD and a 12 foot Van Brunt drill that belonged to my dad! This year, I might just use a 1949 “B” JD recently purchased from friend. Decisions, decisions!

I spied many “modern” tractors on my drive around the countryside and Richard Hain put me on the trail of some Generation II tractors that sold for top dollar! Wilkinson Auction Company of Muscoda, Wisconsin recently held an auction and they put it this way: “After over 50 years of being in business, R&M Motors has become well known for providing the highest quality pre-owned equipment. Jon and Pat Moriaty have decided to retire and offer for sale their inventory

and personal collection of equipment. This may be one of the best auctions of the year!” Let’s start with a 1992 JD 4055 with only 22 actual hours— yes, you read it right, only 22 ACTUAL HOURS! Some of the features also include Power Shift, MFWD, Goodyear 18.4R38 rears, and Goodyear 14.9R26 fronts, four remotes, three-point and 540/1000 PTO. The serial number is RW4055P011428. Absolutely a top notch, one of a kind, collectible 4055! Hold on to your hats—SOLD for a bid of $275,000! That is pretty amazing but it doesn’t stop here!

sion, MFWD, Firestone 18.4R42 rears with axle duals, Firestone 14.9-28 fronts, three remotes, three-point and a quick hitch, front weights, rear wheel weights with serial number RW4455P023139. The gavel dropped at $160,000 for this beautiful John Deere.

Ten years newer is a 2002 JD 7510, this time with only 13 actual hours—YES, you heard it, 13 ACTUAL HOURS! The 7510 has Power Quad with E-Range transmission, MFWD, Firestone 18.4R38 rears with axle duals, Firestone 16.9R26 fronts, three remotes, three-point, 540/1000 PTO, diff-lock, hammer strap hitch, and a buddy seat. Serial number RW7510H075177 and again absolute top collector quality! Not too bad a price for this one (tongue in cheek)—how about $192,000! Another 1992 model made the list.

This time a JD 4455 with only 2,260 actual hours! This 155 horsepower tractor has a Power Shift transmis-

A little closer to my pocket book, another tractor that sold was a 2510 diesel with Syncro transmission and wide front. This was Pat’s own tractor that he did the nut and bolt restoration himself! Someone grabbed this gem for $17,000.

Aumann Auctions recently held the Kauffman Antique Tractor Auction in Arcola, Illinois. One of the nicer tractors was a 630 JD, repainted with a front weight set and rear wheel weights, deluxe fenders, three-point with quick hitch and a canopy. The replaced tach shows just 544 hours. It would have taken a bid higher that $6,600 to drive this nice 630 home!

Since we are talking about 630s, here is another one equipped with a John Deere 237 mounted corn picker. This one was sold by Schultis and Sons, Inc. of Endicott, Nebraska. The description touted “good rubber” and sold for $7,100!

Back to the Aumann Auctions, we find a “GP” JD. The tractor presently has a stuck engine but also featured decent older repaint, a JD magneto, PTO, with cut off front and rear wheels. When the bidding ceased, someone became the new owner of a “GP” JD! Price: $2,900.

My son is looking for an “LA” tractor, but I didn’t pass the word on to him in time! This one featured a loose engine (that is a plus) and also electric start, belt pulley, and a handy umbrella bracket. High bidder was able to take this one home for a bid of $2,400!

At the same auction, although not a tractor, a model “W” power unit was sold. Final bid on this one: $3,850!

At the Polk Annual Spring Collectors Auction, I saw a unique tractor. The only one I have ever seen with my own eyes belonged to Don Dufner of Buxton, North Dakota. This JD “B” tractor was, shall we say, on “stilts”! This raised high aftermarket set up is something to see. I have heard they were used for spraying or with a tassel cutting attachment. Whatever the use, it makes for an interesting rare tractor. This styled “B High Boy”’ sold for $7,000!

From a “B” we’ll move to an “A.” A complete but non-running

1951 “AW,” to be exact! Factory wide front and the unit was advertised in nice original, complete, straight condition! I have a couple similar I guess I should sell. I think I would if I could get a matching bid of $4,700.

Following the “B” and the “A,” the same sale produced a couple

of non-runners that managed what I thought was a pretty good price considering you are buying a tractor that is not running. The first of these was a 730 diesel. The description included a NOS flywheel and a reground crankshaft, with 15.5 by 38 BF Goodrich tires. Someone was willing to bid $5,600 for this 30 series diesel. I had to end this

portion with one of my favorites, an 830 diesel!

The “R,” 80, 820, and 830 are some of my personal favorites. I would love to own an 830 like the one sold here. The tractor was repainted with factory electric start, 18.4 by 34 rears, hydraulic, and PTO. Once again, not a running machine at the time of the sale, it sold for a bid of $8,100!

Let’s go back to the Schultis and Son sale in

Nebraska. A tractor that caught my eye was a 1953 JD 50, serial number 5001627, with a single front wheel and clamshell fenders. This would have been a fun one to bring home! SOLD: $3,500. Here is one I don’t know if I have seen with my own eyes, maybe at a show, but I can’t recall. A 1010 crawler with a gas engine and a six foot blade. Seems to me it would be a handy machine or simply a nice collector piece. You could use it for whatever you wish, you just had to top the winning bid of $5,100! I owned a 5010 at one time and I don’t know why I sold it—a moment of weakness, I guess! So whenever I see a 5010 or 5020, I get a bit lonesome for “my” 5010. Not too far down the road from me was a 1963 model 5010, serial number 321-2810, that came up at auction. It was sold by Dakota Auctioneers in Cando, North Dakota. It was listed as a 5010 with a 5020 motor having Firestone 24.5 by 32 inside rear tires with 18.4 by 38 duals. Not a bad deal: $5,750.

Finishing up with one more, this time a 5020. It was a 1967 model with serial number T313R019061R. This one had a factory cab, threepoint hitch, dual hydraulics, and a 1000 PTO. This one commanded a bid of $7,800. Man, I miss my 5010!

Another fun month has flown by! If you see any John Deeres of interest coming up at sale, give me a shout out! Email me at mickelsonauctions@gmail.com! Happy auctioning!

Email Eric W. Mickelson at mickelsonauctions@gmail.com

G’day, mates.

As we head into May, it is very hard to believe four months of 2024 are already history. Time seems to go faster, or maybe I just go slower. Well, I did go slower, as my right hip was causing lots of difficulty with my mobility. I can say now that my body has rolled back time. Since my hip replacement surgery in December and the six-week rehabilitation, I feel fabulous and have the mobility of a 20-year-old me! We hosted a cotton picker training course in March 2024, and I could climb the ladder up to the cab with zero difficulty. I cannot believe how good I feel!

It was tough to not do anything physical for six weeks. I did catch up on my reading as I was several years behind on my Green Magazines. I might have mentioned it before, but I would receive the monthly magazine, and look through to see all the articles and pictures. I would set it aside to read and then the next month’s issue would arrive before I read it.

A few weeks after the surgery, I started to walk down to my shop to see what I could do with little physical lifting. The first thing I tackled were two tractor electric starters that I shipped over in the sea container in December. When I packed the container, I put in the starters for a styled “D” and a styled “A” that I had in a plastic storage container with some other tractor parts. When we picked up the parts and tractors at the warehouse, there had been quite a bit of rain. The plastic

container with the starters in was level full of rainwater! I angrily fished both starters out and when I got home, they were put on my workbench. So, the priority after my rehabilitation was to disassemble both starters and refurbish them. This was also done to be able to remove any moisture and rust that was the result of the rainwater dip. The starters cleaned up great, and operated as they should after reassembly. I have since sold the model “A” starter to a fellow here who lost his starter. Story goes, he removed the starter 20 years ago to be refurbished by a man and some time later, that man passed away before the starter could be returned. Whatever happened after that I am unsure of, but the starter disappeared. He was very happy to be able to get the starter from me!

While I was laid up recovering,

I also received several DLTX carburetors and Wico magnetos to refurbish. I really like restoring these pieces. I test the magnetos after reassembly on my test stand for one hour to make sure that the coil does not stop working once it gets warm. All DLTX carburetors I restore are then tested on my 1938 “D” tractor to verify idle and load circuits are working. I rebuilt carburetors years ago that I never tested before returning to their owner. A couple of those carburetors were still not right, were sent back and I had to redo some of the work.

Since I have read the back issues of Green Magazine, I have taken Ron, the tractor doctor’s, advice that I read about. He always static tests the carburetors after he is finished to make sure that the needle and seat will not leak fuel and flood the engine. The fuel tap from the fuel tank should always be closed when the tractor is not in “D” starter brushes holder/end cover, rusty from the rainwater dip.

Carburetor ready for testing.

use, because if the needle and seat leak when the tractor is stopped for a short time, the engine can be flooded easily. I use a fuel tank from a small engine and a hose with tap to connect to the carburetor. The fuel is turned on and left for at least one hour. I only do this test while I am in the vicinity working on something else, in case of a large fuel leak onto the floor. Most carburetors have held fuel fine, but I have had three carburetors that leaked fuel soon after turning on the tap. The needle and seat needed some work to get them to stop leaking. One carburetor needed the needle swapped to one with a Viton needle tip to stop the fuel leak.

On January 19th, I received a distress call at home. A local couple had their motorhome parked in the back yard. While it was parked there, our area had five inches of rain over a couple days of time. They decided to leave for a trip with their motorhome once the weather cleared. The motorhome was started and backed to the corner of their property. Within a few feet of travel, all four wheels were down to the axles in mud. They contacted our local Men’s Shed manager, Adrian, who I work with to mow the Men’s Shed grounds’ grass with my 2250 and rotary cutter. He asked if I would be able to help pull the motorhome out of the mud with one of my tractors. I was happy to help and drove my 5020 over to the other side of town. We hooked the motorhome onto the 5020 and the tractor did not even flinch. The motorhome was quickly out of the mud and up on solid ground.

A couple weeks later, I was asked by Adrian to bring my 5020 down to the Men’s Shed for a display at a BBQ for Australia Day. I went to start the tractor and it would not start. The engine would crank slowly but would not fire. I worked out that I was getting no power to the injection pump to open the solenoid to let fuel flow to start. After an hour of working on it, I could not get any power through the wiring, so I left the 5020 and drove down with my ute.

When I returned home from the BBQ, I took a 12-volt lawn mower battery and some electric leads. I was able to put battery power to the injection pump and got it to start. I drove it over to the shop to sort out the issue. I removed

the cover where the key switch is located, and I could see the original 10 wire terminal connector was poor and the terminals were green. I removed the hood and there was a second 12 wire terminal connector there that had dirty green terminals. I was able to buy “weather pack” terminals and connectors from the John Deere dealer and replaced both terminal connectors and the terminals.

After the wiring harness was repaired, I thought about the 24-volt starter, and the fact that I have never had it apart and cleaned up the internal components. The starter was easy to remove. I disassembled the starter and found the commutator in need of some attention. I cleaned up the commutator ring and cut down the mica between the bands. The brushes were still in good condition, so I reassembled the main starter. I then dismantled the starter solenoid and was shocked to see how poor the internal parts were!

There is a spring-loaded round terminal plate that when power is put to the solenoid, the plate is moved to engage the main terminals. The plate was almost nonexistent. I did a check on Google and found a rebuild kit in New Zealand.

When the rebuild kit arrived, I reassembled the solenoid. There was a new plastic sleeve that slid into the solenoid coil. The stem attached to the terminal plate that went into the new plastic sleeve was a little stiff in the movement in and out. I left this be, and reassembled the starter and mounted it on the tractor. The starter spun very well, and the engine started quickly. My wiring harness repairs had fixed the non-starting issue. I started the tractor three times. When I stopped the engine after the third attempt, the starter was still spinning! I quickly disconnected the battery cable to stop the starter.

I started to think what I did incorrectly to cause the starter to stay running. It quickly came to mind about the stiffness of the terminal pin and how sloppy the original pin was in the old plastic sleeve. I pulled the starter back off and removed the solenoid. Once I had the solenoid

Getting ready to pull

2250 unstuck with 5020 tire holes in foreground from trying to pull it out.

disassembled, I could see that the stiff movement of the pin through the plastic sleeve did not allow the spring to push the terminal plate back forward after starting the engine. The terminal plate stayed in contact with the two terminals on the starter solenoid. I removed the new plastic sleeve and sanded the end that was causing the stiff movement. The start was reassembled and reinstalled. It now started the engine repeatedly without issues!

My 820 that I imported from Canada is in my shop to do some much needed improvements. The tractor spent its working life in western Canada with an aftermarket cab. I purchased it in 1993 in Ontario and the cab had been removed before it was shipped to Ontario. There were areas of damage from the cab on the fenders and the cowl in front of the steering column. The fenders had bolt holes from the cab mounts; some of the holes had spider cracks as well. The cowl had the steel

cut in several spots from the cab frame. I had never fixed the damage while it was in Canada.

Since I needed to reattach the cowl that was removed for washing, I figured it best to repair the damage. I removed the cowl and welded up all the cuts and cracks. The seat, battery box and platform were removed. Then the fenders were removed, and the holes and spider cracks were welded up. The bottom of the left fender had been crumpled years ago before my purchase. I used heat and a hammer to straighten the crumpled area. Some body filler was used to smooth out the area and then I painted all the repaired spots. It’s a different tone of green—the tractor is not original paint, and

two tones of green is better than rust. Several bolts in the fenders, platform and rear engine cover had the seized broken bolts in the holes. Other spots had the welded-on nuts missing. All these bolt holes were repaired. Some of the wiring needed to be updated as well as the ignition button that was not wired correctly. The fuel button has never worked and needed replacing. I needed to replace the oil pressure gauge that had stuck in the off position when it arrived in Australia. The cigarette lighter was replaced as well; I do not need the lighter, but the old one was poor, and I wanted it right. The fuel gauge was poor as well, so new gauges were ordered from EverGreen Restoration. The gauges arrived last week, so the repairs can now proceed. Will update these repairs next month.

As I said, I mow grass for the local Men’s Shed grounds. I try to do the mowing at least every six weeks. When I was off with the hip surgery, the grass mowing was delayed almost three months. It usually takes eight hours to mow the 10-acre property with my six-foot-wide rotary cutter. When I mowed the grass in February, it took 14 hours due to the extra growth. I just mowed the grass again the last weekend of April and it took eight hours. After I finished the mowing in February, I came home and mowed a section of my yard where I want to erect my igloo shed from our previous property. The mowing all went well in my yard until I got near the bottom of the grassed area. The ground was a little wet, and the tractor started to spin the wheels. A couple trips back and forth trying to get out and the soil turned to slop; I was in trouble. With the rotary cutter attached, it made things worse. I dropped the rotary cutter to the ground and disconnected it from the tractor. My 1020 was used to pull the rotary cutter out of the way. I tried to pull the 2250 out backwards with the 5020, but the 2250 would not budge with no one driving. I was able to get the 2250 backed out of the mudhole and up on solid ground. It took 30 minutes to wash the tractor with the hose to remove the mud from the tractor!

That’s all for this month. Stay tuned for more 820 repairs, as well as 620 and 720 repairs and other tractor adventures. Hoping everyone farming in the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing a great planting season!

Until next time—cheers, mates!

Contact Ken Nicklas by email at kenanicklas@ gmail.com

820 left fender - old damage.

820 fender—body filled for repainting.

Old plate compared to new starter solenoid plate.

Until this month, I wasn’t even aware that there was a John Deere toy chainsaw made by Ertl, but it is the first contestant in What Brought More? This toy chainsaw is made of plastic

and was sold by Deere, probably in the late 1970s or 1980s. Kids could pull the starter handle and then, when they pressed the trigger, the chain would run around the bar and make a bunch of noise. Of course, there was no cutting edge on this chain, but I’m sure it still ended up being used to terrorize younger siblings. This toy looked like it had never been played with. It was in its original box, which was also in good shape.

Another item of a similar vintage, also never used, is the second of your choices for What Brought More? This is a new old stock eight-track player for a John Deere tractor. This player was made by Motorola and was in great condition on all sides. The installation of one of these into your tractor meant

that you were committed to your own music. This eight-track player did not have a radio tuner, so you would not be able to listen to the news, weather, or any other radio station if you installed it. Bring your stack of eight-tracks and sing away the acres. Adding one of these to a full restoration of a SoundGard body tractor would certainly make it period-appropriate down to the finest detail. Do you think this radio could bring more than the toy chainsaw? Find out at the end of the article.

Most farmers carry a pocket knife of some kind, so if you give

them one as a gift, they’ll appreciate it but may not need it. If you want to give him something that he’ll carry around with him, you’ll need to come up with something else for his pocket.

A dealership in Portland, Indiana came up with a seldom-seen solution to this problem, sending plastic toothpicks home with their customers. The toothpick comes in a small yellow tube/case that advertises John Deere as “The pick of the field.” It’s a little difficult to determine the age of this toothpick, but between the three-digit phone number on it and the fact that it is made of plastic, it likely dates to

sometime in the late 1940s or 1950s. It sold for an even $50, which makes it a pretty pricy toothpick.

Another dealership, this one from West Point, Nebraska, came up with a different solution to the farmer’s pocket problem. They sent customers

home with a keychain. This keychain was a simple plastic pocket, holding a piece of paper printed with the dealership’s information. It advertises that the dealership sold Oldsmobile and GMC trucks as well as John Deere. The back had a space for someone to fill out their name and address so that the keys could be returned if lost. The most impressive thing about this keychain is that it has remained in such good condition for the last 75 years, since it is only a bit more than a piece of paper meant to be carried in someone’s pocket. Obviously this was never put into use. It is in very good shape. Still, the final price of $355 is quite amazing.

Feeding the chickens, hogs, or cattle? Unless you want to shovel the feed out to them with your hands, you’ll probably want a good scoop. A steel scoop from the 1950s popped onto eBay this month. This scoop looks like it was well used. It shows wear on

the leading edge and rust all around. Thankfully, most of the text on the back is still clean and clear. This scoop advertises Earle E. Struchen Sales and Service from Fairview, Pennsylvania. I’m sure that, without that text at the back and the QFE logo, the scoop would have brought quite a bit less than the $237.50 that it brought.

A few months ago, the box for a Deere PTOpowered tire pump sold on eBay and was featured in this article. The box sold for over $300 on its own. This month, we have a tag from the same piece of equipment. This tag states a bit of advertising copy for the pump on one side, and on the other gives the proper inflation pressures for the tires on a model “A” tractor. The tag did not show any wear or tear but was slightly stained. It sold for $38.

probably just from drying out with age. It brought $152.

You might need a tractor to run your toy bale elevator. A 430 should do the trick! This Ertl model 430 shows some wear but not a lot. There is a bit of paint missing here and there, but it

is in better shape than a lot of the toy tractors its age. The tractor is complete and the steering and wheels all work as they should. These little Dubuque toys are rarer and now more valuable than their larger Waterloo cousins. This tractor sold for $494.

A toy bale elevator sold this month on eBay. This one has not been played with. It is in very good condition and has the original box, which is also very clean. The only downside is that the rubber belt has split in half,

“W” engines are interesting pieces of history. They did a lot of work, powering a lot of industries for a lot of years, until they were made obsolete by stronger electric motors, diesel engines, and more efficient machines. One model “W” sold on eBay this month. The seller states that it ran

a sawmill until just 15 years ago. Since that time, it had been sitting outside under a rubber canvas. The engine is now seized up, and it is either a No. 113 or it is a 111, missing the fuel tank, radiator, and hood. Otherwise, it is reported as being complete, but is obviously quite rusty. Still, the engine brought $1,230. It’ll either be a good source for parts or a major restoration project for someone. Good luck to them!

We’ll get back to What Brought More? now. The two items both began with starting prices under $20 and were available to bid on for a week. Both pieces were from sometime around 1980. Both were unused. Both brought exactly $130.50. Yes, it was a tie game this month, which is probably the least satisfying type. Still, I’ll bet you never expected an eight-track player to sell for so much money in 2024!

See something interesting on eBay? Forward it to sawitonebay@ yahoo.com

Sometime in 1999, a man from the Quad-Cities area called me and said that he and a few others were thinking of having a winter convention, and wondered what I thought of the idea. I thought that it was a great idea, and as I mentioned a few months ago, I compared it to the convention we had in Lincoln, Nebraska for a few years. I offered suggestions of several people who might be good choices to hold seminars.

The convention was to be a collaborative effort by four clubs—Deer Valley Collectors, Illinois Valley Two-Cylinder Club, Northeastern Illinois Two Cylinder Club and the Northwestern Illinois Two-Cylinder Club—and would be held at the Holiday Inn Convention Center near the Moline airport on March 3rd and 4th of 2000. That’s right, it was the first event of the New Millennium for John Deere enthusiasts.

I offered the organizers suggestions of several people who might be good choices to hold seminars, several of which were our writers, and when word spread of the new event, quite a few vendors signed up to reserve their space. As you will see in the ad accompanying this article that appeared in our February 2000 issue, many of these individuals or companies are still at it, while others left us long ago.

More than 1,000 people

attended that first event, and afterward Mark Johnson, who was the person who first called me about the event, said, “It’s about people, not tractors.” Things got underway on Thursday evening with participants visiting the 90 vendors, while others listened to humorous stories given by Dallas DeShane. Friday included seminars, tours to Deere and Company factories and in the evening an auction. The highlight of the auction was a painting by Lois Hobbs, author of the Johnny Tractor and Corny Cornpicker books, which fetched $250. Curtis Linke was the speaker at the Saturday night banquet. His speech was on the lives of John Deere’s mother, wives and daughters.

The show was successful enough to be held every other year since, except for 2020 due to Covid and 2024. As membership in the four original clubs that organized the show began to dwindle, they found that they no longer had the manpower to handle all of the organizing involved and thus management of the event was transferred to Classic Green. However, there were so many proverbial hoops to jump through with this transfer that it was determined there wasn’t enough time to do a show this year justice. Plans are to have a bigger and better show than ever in 2026.

• 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

Get those small bales in the barn with John Deere loader. Original single cylinder gas engine. Loader and engine are in good working condition with original paint, no welds. $ 1500. Ph. 620-441-2982. KS

JD 3-pt., 2 bottom plow, 2x12, complete with new moldboards and points, $600 firm. JD #51 single bottom plow, rope trip, on steel, great shape, $500. JD front weight M1854T, $400. Two sets JD rear weights, M343T, $150 per set. Ph. 270-230-5596. KY

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Phone 402-643-6269

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1949 JD GW, SN 34694, running, wide front, good tires, like new fenders, tractor complete, an archives GW, with extra hood, gas tank and good grills, $5400. Ph. 715-865-4732. WI

1979 JD 8640, 3-pt., PTO, three hydraulics, recent engine overhaul, 8 matching Firestone tires, $18,725. Ph. 405-574-5413. OK

1928 GP. GPO. GP Beaner. AOS. W-111 engine. Brass tag BO. Unstyled BN. M. MI. L (orange). LA. 40-U. 40-S. 420-S. 430-S. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

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1938 JD A, complete tractor including shutters and radiator screen, runs, older paint, new rear tires, great restoration project, located near Burnsville, MS, $3000. Call Jim after 5 PM, ph. 865-607-1190. MS

John Deere styled A, new rubber, tool box and steps, $5000. John Deere 620, newer rubber, new battery, 3-point hitch, $5000. Ph. 937-638-8308. OH

1959 JD 630, low hours, new paint, $6500. 1971 4020 JD, completely redone, $13,500. Call 612-718-9750. WI

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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

2495 Hwy. 46 North • Seguin, TX 78155 Ph. 800-933-6380

830-372-2195 • 830-401-1365 cell paulspaint78155@yahoo.com www.restorationservicestexas.com

1953 JD 40T, SN 63255, Owned by one family since new. Single front, original 3-pt., paint, tires. Rebuilt carb, new battery, everything works. Missing left headlight, runs very well, new seat and back rest. Includes original starting crank, belt pulley attachment, with JD 3-pt. One bottom 2-way plow, also 8’ JD pull type disc. Asking $5000 for all. Video available to hear and see it run. Call 308-641-3748, calls only. NE E3X

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 C3X

Deere

row crop,

LPTO, remote, flat fenders, air

ride seat, show condition. $8500. Call 330806-0145. OH

LGT tractors: early 110; 112; 400; 430 diesel. 120/140 front 540 PTO. 316/318 front 540 PTO. 120/140 front wheel weights. 400 rear wheel weights. 430-D front blade extension bracket. Ph. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

1936 unstyled B, good paint, good rubber, runs excellent, $4200 OBO. Ph. 937-3361736. OH

John Deere 5x14 plow, hydraulic, new rubber. Model 666H. Complete with all coulters. Ph. 308-380-0760. NE

High-speed road gears for John Deere tractors A, B, D, H, 50, 60, 620, 630, 730 models for tractor rides. Ph. 701-942-3102. ND F3X

1971 4020 diesel Power Shift transmission, beautiful and totally reconditioned. Perfect for your man cave or your special museum, brand new bolted-on duals. Runs great. Selling to downsize. Please call to discuss. I can provide video. $58,000. Ph. 260-564-0227. IN

I have lots of parts for “B” 96000-201000 including rebuilt head, .090” over bored block with new piston kit, like new tires (imports), front 5.00-16, rear 11.2-38 on pressed steel rims, very nice sheet metal, rebuilt carb and more. Also good head, block, carb and miscellaneous parts for a 1947 A. Joseph Byler. Call from 7 AM to 3 PM. Ph. 440-536-2647. OH

Buddy seat! For 20 and 30 series two cylinders. Will fit float ride seat or bat box. Looks like the original buddy seat! $475 plus S/H, includes cushions. Ph. 260-901-3076. Callaway Restorations, IN. E3X

Panels for 2520 tractor AR38838-AR38839, AR38524-AR38525. Ph. 507-920-9181 (MN), dave@haala.com F3X

John

630,

3-pt.,

stack, PS, cushion

Fits H, R, 80, 820/830: $35.00 plus S/H

SHEET METAL BOLT SETS

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!

1959 730 diesel, SN 7314966, electric start, power steering that works as it should. Flat top fenders, 3-pt. front and rear weights, 4 bottom #810 plow with slat mold boards. $7500. Ph. 949-394-9251. CA

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

Sunday Calls

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

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 F3X

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

Carburetor, water pump, distributor rebuilding. Farmers Service Incorporated. Ph. 330-482-4180, www.farmersserviceinc. com OH F6X

1010 orchard. 1020 orchard. 1020 vineyard. 2020 vineyard. 1020-V w/sidewalk snowplow. 2030 orchard. 2255 orchard. 2240 orchard. 3010 utility. 300 turf. 301 turf. 401-C Pipeliner. 4230 open station. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

1941 AR, electric start, completely restored. Located at zip code 63010. Ph. 636-2963112. MO F3X

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 E3X

JD 20 series double stack front weights with side frame brackets, $1250. 20 series flat pad weights, $100. Double stack weight w/out side frames, $800. Single stack side frame, $200 /set. 20 series fender brackets, $125. Ph. 815-383-2947. IL

John Deere B, one remote, like new 38” tires, excellent sheet metal and paint. $2850. Call 330-806-0145. OH

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

1600 pound rear wheel weights off of 5020, part number R36990R, $3000. Stolper roll guard cab off a 5020 std., very good condition, all glass is good, all mounting hardware and bolts, $1250. Ph. 765-5944002. IN E3X

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 E3X

1950 D, runs as good as it looks, $10,000 OBO. Ph. 704-600-8101. TN D3X

1957 JD 420H, restored, 3-pt., PS and remote hydraulic mint condition. Serious inquiries only. $18,250. Ph. 215416-7335. PA

John Deere 1010 RUS and a John Deere 1010S for sale. Both tractors run and drive well. $4600 each OBO. Ph. 616-520-1907. MI

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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 F3X

1969 2520 Syncro, SN T713018550R, all restored, $28,000 OBO. 5 bottom JD plow, like new, $1500. Ph. 605352-9788. SD F2X

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 D3X

Yellow zinc wheel bolts for Waterloo or Dubuque 1/2” NF and 9/16” NF. Square head also for cast wheels. Ph. 217-5024504. G6X

John Deere 70, low (4146) hours, original tach, good running, original paint, excellent power steering, very good tires, rebuilt float ride seat, fenders. $3500. Ph. 816-863-9966. MO

1955 JD 60, new restoration, factory wide front, power steering, remote, restored 800A hitch system, live PTO, fenders, Evergreen gauges, correct front weights, correct two rear weights, new rubber, SHARP museum/show quality, 13,000 OBO. Ph. 814-789-3276. PA

John Deere 530 gas, 3-pt., LPTO, show condition, $8500. Ph. 330-806-0145. OH

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 F3X

Canopies for JD 3020, 4020, etc. Powder coated yellow. $1135. Quantity discounts. Ships truck freight. Nelson Horning, 585526-6705. NY C12X

1968 4020 diesel, HP 94, clean, dry tractor with tires like new, showing 3033 hrs., always housed. SN 402024T77547. Leave your name and number. $18,000 OBO. Can be seen in St. Clair, Michigan, Ph. 810-689-8124. MI

Fender grommets – part #R44619 and #R44621, left and right side for JD 4520, 4620, 5020, 6030 with roll bar and fenders. $149.95 per set plus freight. Ph. 712252-0423. IA F3X

Dubuque tractor HOOD BOLTS: Airlock 160 threaded hood bolts, looks like original Airlock ¼ turn fastener. Has same face, but allows you to snug up metal without harming paint. Set includes 11 Airlock bolts, unuts and nylon washers. For all M, 420 and 430 series. $60. Battery box winged Airlock bolt also now available, $15. Both for $70, includes shipping. Ph. 217-502-4504. IL F6X

We have parts for your 45 combine! www.45combineparts.com. Ph. 417-2592520. MO A6X

Parting out: Unstyled L, L, LA, LI, M, GP, GPO, GPWT, AOS, BO Lindeman, BO/ BR, AO/AR, 40-U, 420-U, 330-S, 430-U, 60 orchard, 1010, 2010, 1020 orchard, 2020, 3020 utility. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

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, 715-265-4988. WI

1956 John Deere 320S. Completely restored. Have cultivator, not restored. Way too much to list. Call for details. $12,500. Ph. 716-735-3848. NY D3X

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 D3X

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. C6X

L-4100T motor. Depression D air cleaner. AI/BI/DI seat. AI front end casting. K-W, Remy and gas lighting parts. GPO air cleaner. GP Beaner front axle. Big bore GP gas tank. 1010/2010 side panels. 2020 grove hood and PTO shield. New Gen orchard manifolds and exhaust pipes. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

Paul's Rod & Bearing

Let us repour your rod & mains for models A, B, D, G, H, L & LA Ph. 816-587-4747

6212 N.W. Bell Road Parkville, MO 64152

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

Dealer signs. Men’s green bicycle. Arcade and Ertl toys. Operation, Care and Repair farm machinery books. Sales literature. Memorabilia. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

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. D3X

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 F3X

- L parts

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

Dubuque parts: Top links, utility anchor yoke assembly, M3434T steering arm, Float Ride seat; PTO shafts, orchard manifolds, PTO belt pulleys, sway bars and brackets, PTO shields, 40-W drawbar, 330/430 standard drawbars. AO/60/620 orchard sheet metal support bracket. Ph. 269-4613449. MI D3X

14T baler. Good shape, shedded, $1100 OBO. Some other John Deere equipment. Ph. 319-560-2756. IA E3X

After 133 model D JD tractors and 44 model Rs and approximately 300 other JD and other makes and models, what I have left needs to go. Will make good deals. A few JD tractors, lots of wheels and tires, lots of model D and R parts, a few late model B parts, some 820 and 80 parts. Bring your truck. We will have fun. Ph. 785-821-2600.

KS F3X

Wheels: A-1106-R cast 24”, L/LA deep-dish fronts, styled L rears, 9.5x24” 1010 turf duals, GP round spokes, GPO front steel, GP lister fronts, GPWT rear spokes, BO/BR front spokes, BO/BR rear steel extensions, BO/AO 24” rims, D/DI front spokes. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

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 plow820; rollover plows and plow parts: 820, 825. Marlin Smith, Pine Valley Farm Equipment. Ph. 712-579-9922. IA F3X

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. Can deliver JD parts to Albert City, Iowa. Call Larry Frederick, 308-520-7416. NE F3X

Carburetors: DLTX-5, DLTX-10, DLTX-18, DLTX-46, DLTX-51, DLTX-53, TCX-12 replacement, TSX-13, TSX-60, TSX-245, TSX514, TSX-530, TSX-641, TSX-688, Ensign BJ, GP water valve. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

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 B6X

Carr’s Repair: We’ve got you covered! D and R overbore piston kits for sale - D overbore .125-.250, R overbore .045-.125, SPECIAL $595! 720-830 JD diesel .125 overbore piston kits. Restore those JD tractors to original! Ph. 807-487-2548. International Falls, MN. No Sunday calls. website: www. carrsrepairvintageparts.com (A12X)

Weights: suitcase, BO/AO front spoke wheel weights, L/LA, M/MT, M-1168-T, 320/330 fronts, 420W/430W front, 40/420/430 S/U rear spinout weights, 1010 front, 1020/2020 fronts, 1530/2440 suitcase bracket. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

Berry Cam Service: For your 2, 4 and 6 cylinder camshafts, stock or antique pullers. Ph. 320-395-2377. Location: 1948 175th Street, Lester Prairie, MN 55354. D6X

John Deere 350, 6 way blade, 3-pt., PTO, one SCV, reverser, new chains and sprockets, $15,200. JD 350, side boom with winch, 80% bottom, original, open to offers. Call for photos. Ph. 716-801-6658. NY E2X

Implements: Plows - model 835 rollover, F-45 3-pt, 2x16”, #51, #411, #412, #415. Disks - KBL, KBA, RWA, model E, #31 offset, model Y. 246-247 planter. F-1150 harrow. Boom crane. Hi-Crop lister. #20 scoop. TP-16 subsoiler. #22 subsoiler. #80 blade. TP-26 forklift. #12/ #14 rotary hoe. 3-pt toolbar rippers. 953 wagon. HD-2240 harrow. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

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

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

Mounted implements: H-3 two-way plow; L/LA planter; L/LA belt pulley; L/LA plow; LA-113 harrow; M-10 cultivator; M-111 planter w/ fertilizer attachment; M/ MT disc; M/MT plow; M-404 offset disc hanger; M disc hanger. Triumph wagon. Horse drawn buggy. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

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, $1250. Kit for 80/820/830, $1350. Battery box now available. Free shipping. Also battery cable kit now available. Ph. 717-445-9465. PA D3X

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 E3X

1964 3020 gas, WF, nice. 1953 JD 60. 1944 B, nice. 1965 1010, RUS. All tractors run. Also, 1950 B for parts. Pictures available. Call or text, 217-808-2628. IL E3X

Hoods, grills: Styled L, LA, 40, 420, 430, 435-D, 650 compact, 4100 compact, 1010, 2010, 1020 orchard, 2020 grove, 1530, 2030, 2640 orchard, 2940, 2150, 2350, 2950, and others. Ph. 269-461-3449. MI D3X

NEW manufactured parts for John Deere L, LI and LA. Forty-two years of experience making these parts! Grilles, bases, propeller shaft guards and shield assemblies. Ron Brungart, cell 570-660-4573. PA D3X

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

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. E6X

Parting out 3010D, 70D and 620. Ph. 641228-4282. IA I12X

Pedal tractors: small 60, large 60, 130 restored, dealer pedal car, LGT, three hole 10, 4020 (D-63), early 4430. 1977 Liquifire 340 snowmobile. Koiritz 440 L/C motor. Various snowmobile hoods. Ph. 269-4613449. MI D3X

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

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

• 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.

Toys, Books, Manuals & Videos

Green Magazines for sale, 2000 - present, complete sets by year. $125 for all, picked up only. Ph. 815-794-1101 after 6 PM, central Illinois.

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

Wanted & Announcements

Wanted: Serial number tag for 1929 GPWT. Must start with 400. Ph. 303-877-7641. CO

Wanted: 430 standard, gas, decent condition, 5 speed, spin out wheels and power steering if possible. SE U.S. preferred. Could trade a 420U towards the 430 std. Email gg.formshaping@embarqmail.com or phone 407-497-6328. FL

Wanted: Round hole hood for 4020, must be straight. Ph. 303-877-7641. CO

Wanted: Looking to buy a tractor, prefer one of these models: 4250, 4055, 4255: Power Shift preferred. Ph. 605-352-9788. SD F3X

Wanted: Adapter plate or drawings for installing Detroit 8v71 engine in John Deere 5020. Calls only. Ph. 319-239-5527. IA E2X

Wanted: John Deere deer weather vane (TY1582 or limited edition). Ph. 260-5731512. IN E3X

Wanted: 430 standard, gas, decent condition, 5 speed, spin out wheels and PS if possible. SE U.S. preferred. Please call Gary, 407-497-6328. FL

Wanted: 1972 4020 Power Shift, can have bad engine, but prefer lower hours, must be original and straight, can be a 1970 or 1971. Ph. 519-291-3954. Ontario Canada. E3X

Wanted: JD 4430, or 4440, open station, in good condition. Ph. 309-256-1100. IL E7X

Wanted: 1969 to 1972 4020, propane or diesel, Power Shift. Ph. 620-923-3364. KS F3X

Announcing: North Texas Antique Tractor and Engine Show: Antique tractor show and pull, antique engines, and kiddie tractor driving. June 8-9 in Ben Gill Park on Hwy 80, Terrell, TX. Contact Lyle at 214-497-1611 or Carol at 214-384-8543, www.north-texas-antique-tractor-andengine-club.net

2-Cylinder Plus Tractor Salvage, 28

Agri-Services, 35

A&L Parts, 65

Auction: Dr. Joel Janssen, 13

Auction: Jerry Braden, 3

Auction: Monday, June 24, 9

Book: Mr. Thinker’s John Deere Almanac, Fourth Edition, 34

Book: The Green Experience, 68

Book bundle deal, 2 Brillman Company, 69

Burrey Carburetor Repair, 35

Central Fuel Injection Service, 16

Classic Green, 36

Countryside Tractor, 16

Crawler parts: Lavoy Wilcox, 62

Decals: QuipCal.com, 63

Detwiler Tractor Parts, 8

Dillner's Tractors, 65

EverGreen Restoration, 67

Fisk Carburetor and Ignition, 29

Garry Power, 62

Green Magazine back issues, 74

Green Magazine binders, 74

Green Magazine Bookstore, 70

GreenLight Products, 29

Iron Bull Mfg., 28

Jensales, 22

John Reed Antique Tractor Parts, 62

Jorde’s Decals, 35

K&K Antique Tractors, 12

L and LA parts - Ron Brungart, 66 Lakeside Service & Supply, 65

Lind Bros Tractor and Parts, 36 Little Green, The Tractor Magazine for Kids, 35

Martin Parts & Repair, 75

Martin Repair LLC, 67

McDonald Carb & Ignition, 34

M&D Reproduction Parts, 63

Miller Tire, 28

Obsolete parts - The Old Tractor Company, 28

Paul's Rod & Bearing, 65

Renaissance Tractor, 60 Restoration Services, 61

Ridenours - L parts, 65

Scenic View Engine, 61

Show: 8th Annual Antique Tractor and Equipment Show, 8 Show: 76th Annual Central States Threshermen”s Reunion, 29

Show: Albert City Threshermen and Collectors Show, 23

Show: Classic Green Reunion 2025, 37

Show: Jake Rens & Sons

Open House, 9 Show: Nappanee Power from the Past, 8 Show: Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion, 16

Steiner Tractor Parts, 71 TP Tools & Equipment, 17

Wapsi Innovations, 67

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.

Mr. Thinker,

Just wondering when John Deere started painting the remote control cylinders black. We have the green low pressure ones for the two cylinders, several green high pressure ones, and several black ones that we got with our Gen II tractors and the New Iron Horses. I am guessing the black ones came out with the side console 20 series, but I am usually wrong.

B.H., Iowa

Now, now, don’t be so negative, because in this case, you are correct. MT

Hi Mr. Thinker,

I’m restoring a Killefer rotating road scraper, model 27, serial number 2707. Company was bought by JD in 1937. Any idea on year of manufacture and also color scheme would be appreciated.

T.R., New Zealand

Answers to Mr. Thinker are provided by a variety of “experts.”

Mail a question to Mr. Thinker/Green Magazine PO Box 95 • Bee, NE 68314

Email: info@greenmagazine.com

As best as anyone has been able to figure out, early Killefer equipment, at least until Deere bought the company, was painted a darker forest green. The wheels were probably red. MT

Dear Mr. Thinker,

Do you consider an “AOS” a styled or unstyled tractor?

D.F., Michigan

In the case of the “AOS,” where the “S” stands for “shielded,” all that sheet metal is there for protection, not for looks, and since they were first built in 1937, before

styled tractors were introduced, Mr. Thinker would call an “AOS” an unstyled tractor. If you need further evidence, notice that it is included in our Unstyled Letter Series book. MT

Mr. Thinker,

Just a note to answer your question about a brand of turbo that sat on top of the hood on a 4010 or 4020. It was an Air Research, a lot larger turbo than the M&W. Some farmers around here thought it was a better turbo. As for the M&W, you could bring the exhaust pipe up through the original hole in the hood if you got the latest turbo and the correct plumbing. My brother and I each had one. I had it on a 1965 4020 and my brother on a 1967 4020. We had them on for five or six years and stuck the rings on the pistons at least two times. We then took them off and got larger tractors, a 4620 and 4320. Good moves.

Q.M., Iowa

Thank you, Mr. Thinker thought that one of his readers would know more about this. MT

Dear Mr. Thinker,

My 1948 “A” starts good when cold and runs fine, but when I shut it off, after it gets warmed up and try to start it up again, it is very difficult. What could be the problem?

G.G., Pennsylvania

Fairly typical signs of a weak coil in the magneto. Next time you have it hot, shut it off and remove a plug, turn it over and see if the spark is yellow or absent completely. MT

Mr. Thinker,

I own a 4620 and I guess like all of them, it has a 1000 RPM only PTO. Are there an parts from another model that could be used to convert it to 540?

H.V., Wisconsin

In short: “no.” At the time, Deere felt that tractors of this size should only be used on implements with a 1000 RPM shaft. They didn’t consider that someone might want to run a square baler or post hole digger with these monsters. Your only choice is an external changer. MT

Mr. Thinker,

A friend is trying to sell me a styled “AR,” or maybe it’s an “AO”—I’m not sure since it has no serial number. Can you tell me what the actual differences are?

J.H., Michigan

On the styled tractors, the differences are largely just in the protective sheet metal. On unstyled tractors, though, it gets a little more murky. In the unstyled world, an “AO” will usually have differential brakes, while an “AR” will not. However, a few farmers who wanted an “AR’ with differential brakes ordered an “AO” with “AR” exhaust and intake equipment. MT

Mr. Thinker,

Why do you suppose it is that Deere only built the row crop version of the 50, 520 and 530? Why not a standard, utility or Hi-Crop?

D.D., Washington

Mr. Thinker must admit, a standard version would be cute, but by the time Deere quit building the “BR,” the market for a standard tractor that small had dropped considerably, with only 379 being produced in 1947. Given the layout of these tractors, with their horizontal engines, fitting them into a utility chassis would have been difficult, and it was likely thought that the 40/420/430 were big enough for utility jobs. Deere sold a total of 815

model 40/420/430 Hi-Crops and 274 model 60/620/630 Hi-Crops. That’s not quite 1,100 of six different models. Did they really need another one? MT

Mr. Thinker,

When I was a young punk growing up in Oklahoma, there were always a lot of LP tractors around. I understand the reasons for using them, but can you tell me what model of Deere LP tractor was the most popular?

L.S., Oklahoma

Mr. Thinker will give you the top five most produced Deere LP, propane or butane tractors. All of them are row crops.

1. 4020: 7,846

2. 70: 6,254

3. 4010: 5,268

4. 60: 3,803

5. 720: 3,670

MT

Dear Mr. Thinker,

Why is it that the owner’s manuals for the big twocylinder diesels say that you should only change the second stage fuel filter during a major overhaul? If you are changing one, why not change the other if you already have diesel fuel dripping from your elbows anyway?

B.B., Michigan

Perhaps Deere felt that there was less of a chance of any impurities getting through both filters than there was impurities getting in the system when changing both filters. Other thoughts—those old diesels used far less fuel than today’s tractors, and perhaps Deere was trying to save its customers some money. Of course, this does not mean that you shouldn’t replace both filters on a tractor that you pulled out of the shed and got running for the first time in 50 years. MT

SET 1: 2014 and older (feature article listed after each issue)

Apr 2011 Lost models • Oct 2011 7520 • Aug 2012 4030 Nov 2012 520 • April 2013 US B May 2013 4230 • June 2013 40 • July 2013 6600 combine Aug 2013 R •

Green Magazine back issues

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

Martin Parts & Repair

Complete clutch rebuild kits and clutch lining kits

PARTS TRACTORS

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

Tachometers and cables

Brake rebuild parts

Brandon Knapp's 1938 John Deere “DI” during the April 8, 2024 total eclipse; photo taken in New London, Ohio.