The monthly magazine for John Deere enthusiasts enthusiasts
OCTOBER 2021
Inside This Month: • Plows for your “M” and “MT” • The 55 Combine • An “L” Hi-Crop
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Order your 2022/1955 Green Magazine calendar today! Tractors pictured in Green Magazine’s 2022 calendar are from 1955 and the whole calendar is designed to resemble one from that era. The days in 1955 match up with those in 2022 so the calendar works for next year. • Only a limited number of calendars are produced so ORDER EARLY before they are gone! • 12 high quality, professional photos on each calendar • Photo size is 11” wide x 8-1/2” deep • Calendar when fully displayed is 11” wide by 18” deep • Price includes shipping • Proudly printed in the USA • Call, go online or send a check to place your order
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Each March issue of Green Magazine includes an index of major articles from past issues. The March 2021 issue featured the newest index.
Magazine
®
The monthly publication for John Deere enthusiasts Editor Richard Hain Managing Editor Carol Hain Circulation Assistant Vivian Beckler Layout/Design Debbie Behne
Green Magazine® PO Box 95 Bee, NE 68314-0095 Hours: 8:30 AM to 4 PM M-F
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email: info@greenmagazine.com web: www.greenmagazine.com Check out the sample articles, catalog, ads and other features! NOTE: VISITS TO OUR OFFICE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY! Please call prior to visiting so we can be here to talk with you. At that time we can also give you our location. Thank you!
Rates:
October 2021 • Volume 37 Number 10 10
Gerry Spinner’s original “AR” Cindy Ladage
22
John Deere model 55 combine Benjamin Hain
Dan Brotzman
Benjy Conover • Littlestown, PA
Scale models
39
Tractor night light Pat Hinderman • Cuba City, WI
Departments 5
1/64th scale collector’s items Bill Proft
53
What’s new—and old?
NOS parts: Holding history Greg Stephen
56
The tractor doctor
6
Ron O’Neill
The Young Timer
“M”/“MT” series moldboard plows Tyler Buchheit
Jason Moser and his son took this photo of their 1937 “D” while at a local show in Littlestown, Pennsylvania.
50
Richard’s Column
16
ON THE COVER:
46
Tip of the month
Big tractor: The story of a 730
Foreign: $54. per year First Class/Airmail delivery now available: See page 5 Visa/Mastercard/Discover/AmExpress accepted
Deere & There
V8 repower on 318, Part 1
Deere John
00
44
32
U.S.: $34.95 one year or $65.00 for 2 years
Nebraska residents, add 5.5% sales tax ($36.87 or $68.58)
38
Do you have one?
30
Digging Deeper
Two unique tractors Richard Hain
Heirloom 620
60 Auction highlight
New Generation 10 series Eric W. Mickelson
62 Aussie Ken
The big move, Part 1 Ken Nicklas
81
36
Advertiser index
Fishing for good online buys
84
Saw it online
Adam Smith and Benjamin Hain
Mr. Thinker
“GREEN MAGAZINE®” (ISSN 0883-5462) is published monthly and released 12 times a year on or about the first of each month for $34.95 per year or $65.00 for 2 years (foreign: $54.00 per year - U.S. funds) by Hain Publishing, Inc., 2652 Davey Road, Bee, NE 68314-9132. Periodicals postage paid at Bee, NE and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to “GREEN MAGAZINE®, PO Box 95, NE 68314-0095.” GREEN MAGAZINE® reserves all rights regarding reprints of this publication. Our phone number is (402) 643-6269. Copyright © 2021 Hain Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Page 4 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
After a year when almost every show was cancelled, it has been good to get out to the shows again this summer. One of the comments I often get when people meet me for the first time at a show is, “I thought you would be an older guy.” Ummm, my beard is 90 percent gray, I have a 10 inch bypass scar on my chest and I’m getting those old man brown spots on the backs of my hands—how much older do I need to look? Either the stuff I write makes me sound like Methuselah, or other than the aforementioned, I have aged well. If you are one of the many who will soon be moving south for the winter, please let us know your new address. Or, if you normally do but aren’t this year, also let us know. We might have you on automatic address change and might start sending your magazine south even though you decided to stay north. The whole covid situation has made a giant mess of this at times, so if you have any doubts that we might have the wrong address, give us a call or an email and let us know. Don’t trust or
expect the USPS to forward your issues. An Iowa collector recently posted a photo online of his son standing next to a very early “A,” at the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion held every Labor Day weekend in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. He wrote that he has taken a photo of his son next to this tractor every year of his life. Something about the photo and the tractor flipped a switch in my brain and I went back to a binder with some of our very first issues in it, and found a photo of the same tractor at the same show in our November of 1985 issue. This caused me to wonder if this particular tractor had been to this show every one of the past 36 years, minus 2020 when there was no show. And if so, it also caused me to wonder if any other tractors could beat that record. What say you? Do any of you have a tractor that has been to the same show for decades? If so, send us a photo, early and late, or even just a note telling us what tractor and where. It would be interesting to see who holds the record. See you next month.
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Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 5
neto (or distributor) is still in place and Charlie McColm of Columbus, the tabs aren’t lining up. If he removes Kansas kept busy collecting and restorwhatever is mounted on the other end, ing antique tractors, pedal tractors and the shaft should slip right in. lawn mowers. This was his passion for Tightening the five bolts on the more than 38 years. Charlie enjoyed governor cover without the governor displaying his tractors at tractor shows. shaft all the way home costs exactly He met Richard and Carol Hain, who one magneto housing—don’t ask me publish Green Magazine, at several how I know. shows. He put on antique tractor pulls Greg Hanson and, for 28 years, put on kiddie tractor pulls at county fairs in Kansas, Missouri I enjoyed the article in the August and Oklahoma with the miniature sled One of many tractors owned issue on the model 50 tractor. I happen he designed and built. by Charlie. This is a replica to own two of them (below). They are a Charlie passed away in April at of a Spoker “D” that he built. handy little tractor and fun to operate. the age of 87. The knowledge he had One is a 1955 model on LP. It is of tractors will be hard to replace. equipped with 42 inch rear tires and Charlie enjoyed receiving Green the extra long rear axles. This picture Magazine. He liked reading the was taken at a show a few years ago. articles, especially Ask Mr. Thinker, My other 50 is a 1956 model and trying to determine what the in its original paint. It originally problem was. He has Green Magabelonged to a neighbor. It still sees zine issues dating back to November Military honor guard along with of 1986. The pages of the magazine some of the tractors at the cemetery. some limited use each year, picking ear corn off a family owned food plot are worn from the many times he reread the stories. He really liked helping anyone with and also trimming weeds and grass with a No. 5 mower. tractor questions. If you had a problem with your tractor, It does not have the live PTO option. I noticed that the LP model pictured in your article you would go to Charlie. You might as well plan to stay has a bracket on the left side and is apparently running off awhile because he also enjoyed telling stories. Many friends honored him at the cemetery with a an auxiliary fuel tank. I’m wondering if there are problems display of tractors. Charlie was very proud of serving in the U.S. Army and being a member of the Second Indianhead Division. For his service, the Columbus Fire Department draped the American flag over the entrance of the cemetery. He was also given a full military honors funeral. Charlie was active in a variety of organizations, was liked by a lot of people and made many friends. He was recently remembered at the annual rodeo with the tradition of the riderless horse. Charlie was a charter and founding father of the Columbus Saddle Club. He was with the factory tank or with the fuel valves on that tractor. My own LP model has developed a leak in the vapor the last of the original members. Charlie will be missed by those who enjoy antique valve, which allowed all the propane to leak out. A couple months ago, you ran an article about a gentleman who sells tractors and by those who called him a friend. repair parts for these systems. I have recently contacted This information is sent from his wife, the individual and have the part on order to repair mine. Margaret, and his daughter, Athena I’m hoping to get it installed yet this summer. Keep up the good work on the magazine. I look In the Mr. Thinker section of the August 2021 issue, CT of New York asked a question why the governor on his forward to receiving it each month. Richard Winter, MN 720 didn’t go back together easily. It sounds like his magPage 6 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
Miller Tire Show: Georgia National Antique Ag Show 2021
Iron Bull Manufacturing
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 7
Auction: John & Brenda Hoffman Auction: John & Linda O’Connell Auction: Cass & Hyler Collection Auction: Manitoba Muscle Collection
Auction: Caister Collection Auction: 720 Collection
Auction: Keane Thummel Auction: Minnesota JD Collection
On Saturday, June 5, Montgomery County, Illinois celebrated its sesquicentennial with a bang at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in the small burg of Butler, Illinois. The day was a warm one, warranting a stop in the shade, a hat and lots of water on hand. Like many days, there was more than one event going on. The Macoupin County Spring Festival, better known locally as the Strawberry Festival, was also taking place so many collectors were torn, trying to be two places at one time! The Montgomery County sesquicentennial, a celebration of 150 years, is a once in a lifetime event. While I am sure many happenings will take place to commemorate the event, all summer long, this one included a car show, tractor show, wood carving and more. Among the antique tractors on display was Gerry Spinner’s 1951 John Deere “AR.” “They made the standard version of the John Deere ‘A’ from 1935 to 1953. They started styling them in 1949,” Gerry said. The “AR” was a new twist on a theme for Gerry: “My family had a lot of John Deere ‘A’s. This tractor caught my eye.” These tractors’ low sleek design reminded Gerry of the appearance of a smaller version of the “R“ John Deere. The John Deere “AR” was built in Waterloo, Iowa and Gerry said that they were popular out west. “They were primarily used to disk and for field cultivating and pulling combines out west.” Another Deere that Gerry has Page 10 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
is a family heirloom: “I have a 12A combine that was my dad’s, too.” On the hood of the tractor is an unusual lettering that states, “Sold by John Deere Plow Co. 170.” Gerry thinks this is an indication that the tractor was originally from Canada. He said it came from North Dakota and that he bought it at one of Aumann Auction’s sales. “I originally bought it for parts,
but it runs better than what I had.” That and the fact that it is original, and has that wonderful lettering makes this a special tractor. “It seems pretty tight. I don’t know much about the history,” Gerry said. On the serial number it also has “Patent applied for.” “I have other tractors, too, but don’t admit how many,” he laughed.
However, he would share that he has enough tractors for a calendar and that his goal is to create a calendar for the kids and grandkids. Gerry Spinner is from Hillsboro, Illinois, in the heart of Montgomery County. He and his wife, Cheryl, collect tractors and enjoy the antique tractor hobby. With two grown kids (a son and a daughter) and three grandkids, family time is a primary consideration along with farm activities. “If the show wasn’t going on, I was going to rake hay,” Gerry said. While Deere is his go to favorite, at the show he also had a Massey. “My uncle had a 50 Massey and I ran into this Massey Ferguson that someone gave to a kid. He wanted to buy a
truck, so I bought it. It is a diesel, so I bought it for the parts in it. I grew up on two cylinders and went to work for an IH dealership but collect Deere.” Gerry is a busy guy. Besides farming, he also runs an excavating business, primarily working for the coal mining industry. As for the John Deere “AR” with the unique lettering, its fate seems safe—it won’t be a parts tractor after all. It was proudly displayed at the Montgomery sesquicentennial in its original work clothes. “It is too good a Deere not to do something with,” Gerry said. It is getting harder and harder to find tractors in original condition so Gerry has found a keeper for sure!
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 11
New, Used and Rebuilt Parts for JD Tractors 2510 through 4455 series
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$26.00 Pulley Brake Rivet Setter All pulley brake linings attached with rivets
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For 3/16” dia. rivets • Form rivets to factory appearance
$37. S-I Grille Reforming Tool Set 00
Garden tractor items also available
Call, email or see website for more info
MN residents, add .07375 sales tax
$120.00 Hood Repair Tool/Gauge
JD 1010 - 7020 and some early 30 series Forming die used with body hammer Reform damaged hood nose to factory original
$69.00 Clutch Handle Pivot Bolt Removal Tool For all two cylinder tractors • Exceeds expectations
2 cyl. 1949-1960 • Models 40-830 and Rs
$38.00 S-II Grille Reforming Tool Set New Gen. 1960-1990 • Models 1020-8960
$34.00 Airloc Cross Pin Removal Tool Hood and battery door • M-430 & 70D-830D
$38. Float Ride Seat Torsion Spring Tool Set (Below) 00
Steel Grille Reforming Tool Sets
$78.00 A, B, G & H 1939-1952 3-Piece $78.00 M, MT & MC 1948-52 3-Piece $78.00 L/LA 1939-46 3-Piece
Page 12 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
JD 20 & 30 series. Pair of tools rotate the rubber torsion springs in position to easily attach the adjusting handle. Two wrenches (not included) are used for force.
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PTO clutch kits & parts Complete carburetors, kits and parts
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Emblems
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Radiator cores, water pumps, bolt kits
Fuel sediment bowls
Wide front parts
Battery boxes
Valve train parts & kits
Full round main bearings for 2 cylinder tractors
Tachometers and cables
Grill screens
Ignition parts
Seats and seat parts
Gasket kits
Brake rebuild parts
Electric start kits
Manifolds & exhaust pipes
1948 A
Oversize pistons available again for many two cylinder tractors
Unstyled A
PARTS TRACTORS 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, unstyled L, M, MT, 40T, 40U, 40W, 70D std., 420U, 420W, 440 w/reverser and power steering, 440 gas, early & late 50s, early 60, 620, 620 LP, 630, 4 Gs, 70G, 720G, 720 LP, 720D pony, 730D, 730G, 820, 1010, 2010RU, 2020, 2520D, 3010D, 3020, 4020D • Most
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Page 14 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
TP Tools & Equipment
Unique plows for unique tractors— “M”/“MT” series moldboard plows The first Dubuque Works built John Deere tractors were always somewhat of an anomaly to me. I’ve always thought of the “M” and “MT” tractors somewhat as replacements for the Waterloo Works built model “H” but, being a traditional sort of collector (raised with “A’s,” “Bs,” a 60 and a 730), the horizontal two cylinder engine is what seemed normal to me. I’ve memories of spending time at a couple Two-Cylinder Expos in Grundy Center, Iowa many years ago, where I had the chance to study various models of John Deere tractors on display. The unique hitch arrangement of the “M”/“MT” tractors was one that always fascinated me as being so unusual. About the only other tractor maker that had a similar hitch design was Allis-Chalmers with their snap coupler hitch. Of course, the AC and JD “M”/“MT” hitches in reality were very different from one another but, to a kid looking at the plows, it’s not hard to see how they would look comparable. In reality, the “M”/“MT” hitch design was necessary mostly due to the universal three-point hitch patent held by Harry Ferguson and used on Ford tractors as well as those bearing his name. Seeing the success of this hitch led about every major tractor maker to design their own hitch with similar features in an aim to keep their customers buying their tractors rather than being tempted to switch to Ford or Ferguson. The “M”/“MT” TouchO-Matic system used an engine driven “live” hydraulic pump to supply an Page 16 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
operating pressure of 700 psi at seven gallons per minute. The “MT” system was dual, meaning that the rockshaft setup had two separate hydraulic cylinders that were operable independent of each other (think cultivating equipment) or could be pinned together for more lifting power for other heavy rear mounted implements such as plows or disk harrows. The “M” tractor had only a single cylinder Touch-O-Matic and a one-piece rockshaft setup. One might argue that not having a hydraulic universal three-point hitch would be a negative aspect for the “M”/“MT” series tractors; however, from the perspective of Deere & Company, the unique design meant that customers would be required to purchase nearly every attachment from JD dealers as well. The Deere sales team labeled their hitch system for the “M”/“MT” the “Quik-Tatch System” (as per normal from the ’40s and ’50s meant they took liberty of making up their own words). The basics of the system were that the implements
could be hooked up and unhooked without the driver getting off of the seat/off the tractor and requiring only removing or adding a single pin to secure the implement to the tractor. In a perfect world, this is exactly how the implement would be attached/ detached but in reality, the operator would often have to dismount the tractor to ensure the implement was hooked up correctly. Depth control on the “M”/“MT” for most of the integral implements was offered by hanging a bracket assembly underneath the tractor near to the clutch and brake pedals. This depth hanger allowed the drawbar of the implement to move vertically with depth to ensure the plow would be running level fore-to-aft, no matter what the working depth. There wasn’t any adjustment on this system other than two holes in the rocker arm for the depth control rod. Deere advertised that this depth system kept the plow running level and would ensure long wear life of plow shares in a benefit to the system.
An “MT” with MT-2A plow would be one of the most maneuverable combinations imaginable. Below: With the wheel removed, it’s easy to see the “MT” hitch setup.
To meet the price point needed to be competitive in the tractor marketplace, the “M” and “MT” weren’t over built, at least in terms of weight and bulk. In a 1951 price book, an “M” tractor listed at $1,337.75 with 8-24 inch rear wheels and weighed a total of 2,355 pounds, while the “MT” with 9-34 inch rear wheels cost $1,454 weighing 2,847 pounds. Liquid ballast was required to be added by the dealer (at additional cost) to ensure stability and traction. With their 100.5 cubic inch engine rated at 1,650 working RPM (1,825 at fast idle), the “M” managed to produce 19.19 horsepower (drawbar) in the Nebraska Test Maximum Horsepower observation. With a 9.5-gallon tank, the “M” or “MT” would normally burn about 1-1/2 gallons per hour under a heavy load delivering a solid six hours of run time before refueling would be required. The “M” was advertised as being able to pull 2-14 inch, 2-12 inch or one 16 inch plow. In reality, most “M” tractors were commonly set up to pull 2-12 inch or a single 16 inch or even 18 inch (the M1/M1A only could be equipped with 18 inch). Soil type and field conditions would greatly affect the “M’s” ability to pull its rated load. Insofar as what the “MT” would pull compared to the “M,” it is about the same. That stated, one item to consider is that of traction due to the difference in rear tire size between the two with the “MT” having taller tires and thus a larger “footprint.” When properly weighted, both the “M” and “MT” should be able to handle the same size plow in the same soil condition plowing at the same depth and speed. When seeking out information for this month’s Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 17
feature, I ran across a few interesting items pertaining to John Deere “M” and “MT” series tractors. FSB185-S November 1951- stated that in cold weather operation, it would be recommended to add two to three pints of kerosene to the Powr-Trol system reservoir if the daytime temperature would stay at or near freezing. It’s hard to imagine that today any manufacturer would advise dilution of hydraulic fluids. Back in the 1940s and ’50s, however, these systems used a 10 weight oil (same as engine oil). The bulletin also noted that when the weather warmed up that the system should be drained and only 10 weight oil be added until full—about five quarts for the system as a whole. When introduced in 1946, there was only the M1 and M2 model moldboard plows available. The M1 was offered in 14, 16 or 18 inch size. The M2 was available in two frame sizes—10/12 inch and 12/14 inch in with either narrow or wide setting was used to obtain the desired cutting width. The standards for each bottom
were offset in opposite directions such that when switched front-to-back or reverse narrow or wide cutting widths were available. If the owner of a new M2 plow setup with 14 inch cut found out that 14 inch was just too much plow for his tractor, he could adjust such that the plow would only have 12 inch cutting widths. Four inches of cutting width change on a The depth hanger assembly. “MT” used numbers 1 and 2, while the “M” used numbers 3 and 5.
Truss-Frame construction of was used on the “M” and “MT” 1/2/A plows and was standard across the lineup of JD plows in the late ’40s and ’50s.
Page 18 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
20 horsepower tractor would no doubt make a huge difference if needed and meant that the same plow would be kept and used. Rear wheels on M1 and M2 plows between 1946 to 1948 were only of the same type used on 52 and 4B plows years before (actually called a rolling landside). 1948 to 1950 plows no longer had rolling landsides available rather a 19 inch stamped steel rear axle (actually the same axle offered on model 44 pull type plows) or rim with 4.00-12 inch rear rubber tire. Long rear landsides were used where no rear wheel was chosen. With the introduction of the “MT” series tractors in 1949, MT1 and MT2 plows were offered. The MT1 was offered in a single bottom of either 14, 16 or 18 inch bottom. The MT2 was setup for either 12 or 14 cut in only one frame size. The chief difference between the “M” and “MT” plows is the front hitch bar. The “MT” bar is approximately 47 inches long when measured from the tip to the first bend. The “M” hitch bar when measured the same way would be about 35 inches.
Here is an M-2 equipped with a rolling landside, meaning it was built from 1946 to 1948 only. Additionally, the “MT” bar is nearly flat and straight (looking across the top) from the rearmost bend forward, whereas the “M” bar has a slight concave curve in the same way. It is important to note this for anyone trying to add a plow to their collection so they can ensure correct fit and performance. Also, using an “M” plow (short hitch bar) with an “MT” tractor could also result in serious injury if the bar was to slip out of the depth hanger! 1950 brought a few changes to the “M”/“MT” series plows. The models now sported a new suffix: M-1A, M-2A, MT-1A and MT-2A. One of the most noticeable changes in the new -A series plows was the leveling handle was now nearly a foot taller and more accessible to the operator when sitting on the tractor. This lever screw came up and now was held in place through an elongated “EYE” pin for support. Additionally, the -A variant plows now came regular with a rear axle and steel wheel (previous models offered wheels or rolling landside as an option for extra cost). A new M-1A one-bottom 16 inch plow with NGP series bottoms in 1951 had a list price of $107.25 while the MT-1A cost only $2 more. A new M-2A with NGP 14 inch bottoms listed for $168.25, M-2A 14 inch NGP bottom $168.25. Jointers for all of the “M”/“MT” variants were an additional for $6 each. A few different models of twoway moldboard plows were produced for the “M” and “MT” tractors. The most common example was the M3 (1946 to 1948), M3A (1949 to 1950) and M3B (1951 to 1953). The M3 series was a single bottom two-way plow
manually actuated from left hand to right hand and back by means of two handles which unlatched, allowing the driver to partially rotate the plow to the other side when switching directions in the field. These were available in 14 and 16 inch sizes only. Coulters were standard on these plows; however, jointers were optional if desired. None of these variants had rear wheels, only long landsides. In 1951, a M-3B twoway single furrow integral plow 16 inch had a list price of $165.25. MT-3 series plows were of a different construction compared to the M3 in that instead of a single narrow beam and rocker assembly, they had
two completely separate beams, one for each plow bottom. The MT-3 was available with 12, 14 or 16 inch plow bottoms. Coulters were regular equipment while jointers were optional. MT-3 plows aren’t very common and are probably the rarest of all the “M”/“MT” variant moldboard plows. Finding one today with all of the correct mounting hardware/brackets would be challenging. In 1951, a new MT-3 two-way single furrow integral plow 16 inch had a list price of $218.25. These plows were offered for sale until 1953 or just a short while after the “M” and “MT” tractors had been replaced by the model 40 that
I feel that this information would be of particular interest to folks with “M”/“MT” tractors and would be useful as a statement of adding liquid ballast for safety. Keeping in mind how narrow tire tread needed to be for moldboard plowing and when combined with hillside plowing, this would be a big safety concern.
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 19
year. The passing of Mr. Ferguson’s universal three-point hitch patent protection meant that Deere would now begin offering this universal hitch on their Dubuque Works produced tractors. The “M”/“MT” Quik-Tatch system would only remain as a chapter in John Deere tractor history as would most of the implements with it. It should be noted
Page 20 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
that some examples of the “M”/“MT” implements were converted to regular three-point hitch use for later series tractors or for use on Ford and Ferguson tractors. Speaking from experience, it would be an absolute must to have an operator manual for any of the aforementioned plows. There were so many different setting nuances to ensure correct operation, depending on tractor tire size and plow bottom size, that without a manual it would be extremely difficult to guess as to which settings need to be adjusted for correct plow performance (especially if the plow you have didn’t come together with your tractor). With little extra horsepower to spare on an “M” or “MT” tractor correct adjustment would be a must to ensure good performance. Owners of “M” and “MT” tractors with these plows have shared with me that they’re a joy to use in good conditions. Contact Tyler Buchheit by email; send to tyler@ mrbtractors.com. His website is www.mrbtractors.com.
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Website: www.kkantiquetractors.com • Email: info@kkantiquetractors.com Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 21
Think draper heads on combines are something new? This precursor to the 55 has one. Note the off-center operator’s platform.
Page 22 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
The world’s first self-propelled combine was built in 1886 by George Stockton Berry of Lindsay, California. This beast utilized a steam engine which was able to burn straw in its boiler, effectively fueling itself as it ran (with the help of a couple of men with pitchforks, of course.) The combine initially had a 22-foot wide cut, but was later upgraded to a full 40 feet and could harvest over a hundred acres in a day. Six of these machines were built. Deere stayed entirely out of the harvesting business in those early days, focusing on tillage, haying equipment, corn shellers and more. When the International Harvester Corporation was formed out of the combination of the McCormick; Deering; Milwaukee; Plano; and Warder, Bushnell, and Glessner Harvester companies, though, Deere began to change their tune. Those companies which once had focused primarily on harvesting equipment were now beginning to expand into the sectors that Deere previously held relatively uncontested, and so Deere responded in suit.
An early 55. Note vertical steering wheel.
Deere officially joined the harvesting equipment business in 1913 when they released their first horsedrawn binder. This binder had been in the works since 1910, and it was spurred forward with the opening of the John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline in 1912. The first combine from Deere came 15 years later, and new models were released to update the line over the next several years. In 1936, Deere acquired the HoltCaterpillar 36 combine and added it to their lineup. Smaller straight-through combines, including the Nos. 10, 11 and 12, showed up in 1939. Massey Harris released the No. 20 self-propelled combine in 1938. While this combine was too big and too expensive for a lot of farmers, it did prove that self-propelled combines could be commercial successes. The No. 21 was an even bigger success at its 1941 release, and IHC had their competitor, the No. 123, out to the public in 1942. Deere’s engineers were at work on a self-propelled combine of their own already in 1940, but it would be some time before the public had it. Deere’s first experiment was built around a tractor that was set up to travel in the reverse direction. The tractor had modified final drives that
made it travel the proper direction at speeds from 2.2 to 3.7 miles per hour, and the seat was atop the tractor’s hood. Attached to the tractor was a No. 9 combine which still used a separate engine to power the separator. Later that year, Deere experimented with a different self-propelled combine based on the popular 12-A. This machine used a four cylinder Hercules engine and was truly selfpropelled. The header on a 12-A was just six feet wide, and since the combine had to be narrower than the header, the engineers were forced to build the machine vertically. The engine, fuel tank and grain tank on the combine were all set atop the separator, which led to a rather unstable machine. That narrow combine was revised and improved in 1942. The engine and operator’s platform were moved to the left side of the combine and the grain tank was moved to the right. This helped to lower the center of gravity of the machine. Deere also experimented with a mud-traversing track-mounted version of this combine. They called the machine the model 44, but it never saw production. Another version of self-propelled combine based upon the No. 9 was tried. This one was set up similarly to the model 44, with the engine and operator on the left and the grain tank on the right. The engine was set low to the ground between the front and rear wheels. The problem with this was that the balance of the machine changed as it was used. When the grain tank was empty, the left side was heavier than the right. When the grain tank was filled, the balance shifted to the right. The problem that this caused was that the header shifted out of level to the ground during regular operation. Another problem with this combine was that the engine to wheel drive and the engine to separator drive were complicated and expensive to produce. Deere labeled this combine the model 55, and while they could see that there were still issues to address, they could also see that this was the model that could be worked into a commercial success. Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 23
Rearranging the components of the model 55 resulted in a newer, improved version at the end of 1944. The grain tank and engine were put back on top of the machine, with the engine in line with the separator and next to the operator. The operator was shifted off to the side a bit, but the weight balance was much better on this version of the combine. The problems caused by this arrangement were a noisy operator’s station and a dusty engine compartment. Spring of 1945 brought yet another version of the 55 combine. The engine was moved behind the grain tank but kept high up on the machine. This position had the benefit both of being well shielded from dust and making it simple to attach drives to the combine’s systems. The operator’s platform remained offset slightly to the left side of the machine. This combine was well balanced left to right and front to rear. This version, called the 55C, was tested during the harvest season that year and performed very well. It was not yet deemed ready for production, however. The success of the 55C during the harvest of 1945 was inspiring for the engineers at Deere’s Harvester Works. When World War II ended that same summer, the company was freed to release new models as they saw fit. These two things meant that Deere was nearly ready to finish the 55 and finally release it. Before production began, Deere moved the operator’s platform once more, now to the center at the front of the machine, and they built a railing to enclose the area for safety. The drives from the engine were simplified further, allowing them to be built even more cheaply. While both auger and draper headers were tested while the 55 was in development, the auger was deemed to be the better of the two. This was particularly true with the addition of newly engineered retractable fingers. Finger-type beaters in the combine’s feederhouse combined with this header to feed material into the separator very evenly. The first production model 55 combine was given the serial number Page 24 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
The big news for 1958 was the new automotive type steering. 55-501 and was built in the mid-summer of 1946. The combine was powered by a 45 horsepower Hercules QXD-3 six cylinder engine. It ran a 12-foot header that fed into a 30 inch rasp-bar cylinder and separator. Clean grain went into the 45 bushel grain tank. These first combines sat atop small 9-24 inch drive tires. Dual tires were an option to help with the flotation and traction of the small wheels on the combine. The only brakes on the combine was a transmission brake on the transaxle. A sacker version of the 55 was also sold. The 55 was an immediate success for Deere and Company, and was a success in the field, as well. The tractor was released just in time for the first harvest that many of America’s fighting men would see after World War II, and they and civilians alike were ready to update their machinery in the promising time after that struggle. The nation’s economy boomed after the war and farm equipment companies prospered. The model 55, promising and delivering steady, efficient, one-man operation, was a big part of Deere’s success at the time. The combine was the first to put the operator at the top center position. The machine’s selective ground speed control allowed it to travel at up to 9-1/2 miles per hour and the grain tank could be emptied in 1-1/2 minutes while stationary or on the go.
Not long after the start of production, Deere was already improving their machine. Reports from the field and requests from customers, both past and potential, were coming into the engineer’s office and setting them to work. The small drive tires were replaced with larger 13-26 inch tires at serial number 55-2001, and even larger tire sizes were made available as options. 18-26 inch rice and cane tires were another new option. The 55 looked like a great combine for rice farmers, but their muddy fields were an almost certain trap for the heavy machine with its small shoes. These big tires with their higher flotation and grip helped to get the machine through the mud. Special header sickles for rice harvest were also created. The 55R rice combine was created for those who specialized in rice and the market embraced it. For the rice farmers who were still concerned about the 55’s ability to stay above the mud, Deere built the 55RC. This version of the combine was equipped with tracks on the drive side. When designing this machine, Deere looked at three options for the tracks— rubber tracks from B.F. Goodrich and steel tracks from Lindeman and from a Deere-Caterpillar collaboration. In the end, the Deere-Caterpillar tracks were chosen. The first of these was built for the 1951 model year. The
steering wheels on the 55RC would have been woefully inadequate had Deere not added wheel brakes as standard equipment on all rice combines that same year. They added them as an option on all 55s at the same time. Other upgrades that year included a strengthened transmission, heavier drive axles and a five horsepower increase in the Hercules engine. More improvements, outside of the drive train, came to the 55 in 1951. A new spike-tooth cylinder was offered as an option in place of the rasp-bar cylinder. Rice, edible beans and some other crops had a high chance of slugging the rasp-bar cylinder. The spiketooth type solved this problem and did a better job in those crops. Deere also changed how the concave to cylinder spacing was adjusted. Initially it was the cylinder that was adjusted while the concave remained stationary. This
the engine at full speed to run the separator and without having to clutch or shift. The variable-speed was operated directly, with a long lever reaching from the drive to the operator’s station. The only problem with this setup was that it sometimes required significant force to adjust. Deere installed a hydraulically controlled version of the unit in 1951. This, of course, made controlling the speed of the machine a simple, no-sweat maneuver. The final improvement for this year was the added option of a folding unloading auger. This made it easier and safer to transport and store the combine. The model 55 was perennially in the conversation of which was the best self-propelled combine on the market. After the upgrades in 1951, it was the clear favorite. The combine began its sweep across the nation in the Wheat Belt, then picked up
The not often seen 55H Hillside.
momentum out of the southern rice growing areas. Soon the influence of the 55 was spreading inward toward the Midwest, harvesting crops that, just a few years previous, it had been thought only a towed combine could handle. In 1954, the combine would invade the Northwest. The steep hillside farmland of the Palouse of Washington, Idaho and Oregon was dominated by tracked machines and pull-type combines. David Neal of Garfield, Washington started building kits that could convert a model 55 into a hillside combine. With those, Deere’s self-propelled
made the adjustment a bit complicated. Switching that setup to move the concave and keep the cylinder stationary simplified it all and made for a greater range of adjustment positions. The variable-speed ground drive on the 55 was one of the machine’s best selling points. With this system, the operator could slow the combine’s ground speed to adjust to an area of heavy crop, weeds, rough ground or to turn at the end of a row. He could then speed right back up when he was through the trouble, all while keeping
combine made inroads into the hilliest farmland in the world. They worked so well that Deere took notice and purchased the manufacturing rights to Neal’s system. Deere’s engineers then made a few improvements and alterations, and built them into the new 55H hillside combine. Now hill farmers could purchase a machine built expressly for them, directly from Deere. The 55H sold very well for a machine with a rather small audience. A couple of big changes came for the 1955 model year. First was a new four-speed transmission with inboard brakes and outboard spurgear final drives. Deere had been purchasing these parts from Timken Detroit, and while they worked well, the new parts had the advantage of allowing for adjustable wheel tread. The advantage of this was that it allowed the combine to use the No. 10 two-row corn head. Deere’s engineers also spent some more time with the Hercules engine and increased its output to 60 horsepower. The combine carried on like this for a few years, better than ever, but with more big upgrades in store for 1958. Deere finally decided to stop buying from Hercules and to put their own engine on the machine. The engine was a six cylinder, 217 cubic inch unit with overhead valves, built by the Dubuque Works. While the new engine was smaller than the Hercules, it had more torque and 64 horsepower. These improvements expanded the combines‘ threshing capacity. The machine had always had plenty of room in the separator but did not always have enough power to effectively thresh it. The Deere engine helped to close that gap. A newly redesigned operator’s station also came out in 1958. A new folding seat gave the operator more room when he wanted to stand on the platform. The steering wheel, which had previously been in a purely vertical orientation, was now slanted up and back toward the operator. This made steering more comfortable, no matter what position the operator was in. Hydraulic controls were moved Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 25
to the steering column to make them more convenient to a hand’s reach. The folding unloading auger became standard equipment, and the grain tank was expanded by a few bushels. The new option of power steering was added to the list, making the machine much easier to handle, particularly in soft fields. This catalog of improvements came at the start of the 1958 model year and Deere was excited to advertise the combine as “new and improved.” That it was, indeed. Part way into that model year, Deere added an LP-gas version of the new engine as an option for the 55. Southern farmers were particular fans of LP-gas as a fuel, since it was a cheap byproduct of the local oil industry. A few more changes were made to the tractor at this time, as well, keeping the machine at the forefront. While few production changes were made during the 1959 model year, a number of new options were added. Factory cabs with or without heating and/or air conditioning were added to the options list. If you have ever sat on an open station combine
1964 squareback 55 with pickup reel and an almost unimaginable luxury in a combine back then—air conditioning!
Page 26 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
during harvest, you can understand why farmers clamored for this addition. The thick, black, hot dust of wheat harvest, the dreadfully itchy dust of a sorghum field, the heat of a dry July day and the cold of late fall were all finally escapable in a combine cab. Another new option was a diesel engine. This engine was also built by the Dubuque Works and was a 232 cubic inch, six cylinder unit. Hindsight shows that this was possibly the worst engine offered for the 55. It was a finicky machine, closely related to the troublesome engine later used in the 2010. The 1960 model year brought another redesign to the model 55. The new “Hi-Lo” series of combines were released this year. The combines had a wider and lower grain tank than they previously had, allowing for increased capacity and a lower center of gravity. The 55 now carried an appropriate 55 bushels. The radiator screen folded to lower the clearance height of the combine for storage and the unloading auger now folded back, parallel with the combine instead of up and over the
top. Engine output was improved to 71 horsepower and adjustment of the front concave could be done from the operator’s platform. A variable speed reel and hydraulic reel lift were added to the options list. Production of the 55H combine was terminated at the end of the 1961 model year. The 95H significantly outstripped the 55H in capacity and, therefore, sales. Deere incorporated a new cell-type concave grate into the 55. While this may seem like a small and simple change, it actually increased the capacity of the machine by a great amount. In fact, Deere’s literature claimed that it made for a 20 percent increase in the combine’s capacity. The classic “roundback” model 55 was done away with for the 1964 model year. New styling was adopted, which was more angular and modern. Deere called the new combine a “modern ‘factory on wheels’” and the changes certainly brought the machine into the modern age. V-belts replaced the flat belts on the separator drive. These were more efficient,
lasted longer and provided better clutch response. The grain tank was expanded again to 65 bushels and a higher capacity auger decreased the unloading time to just 1-1/4 minutes. Hydrostatic power steering became a standard feature. New seat cushions made the ride more comfortable. The optional cabs were redesigned with a downward-sloped windshield, which provided a better view and stayed cleaner longer. The guts of the separator were also given improvements. The clean grain and tailings elevators were switched to top-driven units. Driving the elevators from the top instead of the bottom increased their capacity, reduced their power load and made them less likely to plug. New headers joined the fleet. These featured bell-crank sickle drives, which were stronger and smoother than the old oscillating pipe drives. The feederhouse was revised and now detachable, making changing headers easier, and made Deere’s whole line of headers interchangeable with the whole line of combines. In 1966, Deere added the option of a hydrostatic drive transmission. A pump at the back of the engine drove the system. It was expensive and, therefore, not very popular on the 55. While the variable-speed ground drive worked almost as well, its disadvantage versus the hydrostatic drive was that the hydro could reverse without shifting. The variable speed could not. 1967 brought three new engines to the 55. Whether you ran on gasoline, diesel or LP-gas, Deere now had a 303 cubic inch engine for your combine. The engines produced 72 horsepower for belt-driven machines and were turned up to 78 horsepower if you opted for the hydrostatic drive. Torque, fuel economy and cold weather starting were improved. There was a problem with the engines, though, wherein an O-ring at the bottom of the sleeve would deteriorate at about 1,500 hours of runtime. Coolant could reach the crankcase, then, causing a major problem.
Combines Below are serial number/year breaks for the model 55.
Model 55
Year
Serial Numbers
1948
2001-5550
1947 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1967 1968 1969
501-2000
5551-9425
9426-12050
12051-17837 17838-24948 24949-29749 29750-35199 35200-39749 39750-42000 42001-46800 46801-52000 52001-57000 57001-60000 60001-63100 63101-65500 65501-69000 69001-73000 73001-78000 78001-83000 83001-88000 88001-92000
92001-unknown 35001-43000 43001-52000
52001-unknown
If the model 55 didn’t already feel like the “combine of Theseus” to you, yet more changes for the 1968 model year brought it even further from its original, over-two-decade-old state. A variable speed separator fan drive was installed. Fan speeds could now be changed more easily and accurately, and while the combine was running. This made on-the-fly adjustments possible, making it easier to dial in the proper settings for a nice, clean sample of grain. The grain elevator chains were replaced with longer
lasting roller chains, extending their service life. Finally, Deere released the 55 Corn Special for farmers who wanted a machine that was purposebuilt for that crop. More options were available for the 55 than previously listed. These included covers and shields for various parts of the machine, safety lights, axle extensions, a tachometer/hour meter or speed indicator, wheel weights, belt pickups for windrowed crops, a straw chopper, a separator overload warning horn, header float control, the Hart Scourkleen grain cleaner and many more. The model 55 finally ended its production run on May 9, 1969—after 23 years. Obviously, the combine that rolled off of the line that day looked a lot different than the one that was built in July of 1946, but the basic setup not only never changed, it inspired the production of every other Deere self-propelled combine, both larger and smaller, that was built throughout that era. Even some of the options and variations of the 55 had reach well beyond its own model. Hillside combines have been in use for decades, with the basic setup changing only a little since its inception. Tracked drive wheels on combines are probably more popular today than they ever have been. Deere’s first combine to include them as an option was Deere’s first self-propelled combine, nearly 75 years ago. While combines are not the typical parade or tractor show material, a 55 certainly deserves a place in either one of those. Like the “D” is the granddaddy of all John Deere tractors, the 55 is the predecessor of the company’s combines. No, the restoration won’t be easy or cheap, but you can rest assured that you won’t have one of a dozen of the same thing at the next parade day. Oh, and it’s practical as well. When your X9 is down because of some problem with GPS, DEF, EGR or SCR you have a nice, simple, reliable backup combine. You might even like the feeling of being in control, again. Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 27
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Page 28 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
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Two unique tractors
#1: The littlest Hi-Crop
You’ll find all kinds of model “L” tractors I’ve seen “L” and “LAs” with four cylinder engines, V8s, made into crawlers and all sorts of other things, but I’ve never seen an “L” Hi-Crop like the one owned by Phil Hartline.
Where did it come from, how did it come to be? It came from New Jersey, a small state that is big in vegetable production. It seems that in about 1940, a vegetable farmer needed a small tractor to cultivate with, but he needed more clearance than regular production models could provide. However, his local John Deere dealer, Swedesboro Supply in Swedesboro, New Jersey, which back then was not much more than a hardware store, was up to the task of modifying a regular production “L” to fit his needs. The business still exists by the way, as an Ace Hardware store. So what did they do? It isn’t really all that complicated—replace the stock 22 inch rear wheels with 36 inch rims and 9.5 by 36 tires. The front axle was a little more work, in that the spindles had to be extended nine inches. The cultivator also had “L” looks tall with 36 inch rears and extended spindles.
Page 30 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
View of front axle showing welds where spindles were extended. Below: View from rear shows clearance.
to be modified to account for the higher clearance. Some years later, after the owner switched from vegetable production to Christmas trees, a sickle mower was modified and added. It still uses the regularly equipped 5.00 by 15 wheels and tires. And yes, Deere and Company signed off on the modifications. So where did Phil get it? Phil Hartline, who is from Jarretsville, Maryland, saw an ad for an “LA.” As it turned, the serial number plate had been painted over and the only parts showing were the “L” as in model, and the “a” in tractor. The owner, who was a collector but not a John Deere guy, had bought it from the son of the original owner and didn’t know that it was actually a modified 1940 “L” with a Hercules engine. Be on the lookout! Rumor has it that Swedesboro Supply modified three tractors. Maybe there are two more still out there.
You don’t often see a sickle mower on a Hi-Crop.
#2: Heavy duty fishing rig? It certainly “hooked” the people One of the more popular—stopped to take a second look, displayed at the Classic Green Reunion held this last summer—was a 1934 “GP” with a Hyster winch. It is owned by Craig Wright, often known as “Sandy,” from Delaware, Ohio, who purchased it at an auction in Dayton about eight years.
So what’s its story? The tractor was originally shipped to Columbus, Ohio, so I guess that you could say it is sort of a local tractor. Original purchase information doesn’t indicate anything special about the tractor, so it is not known when the big winch was added. Sandy Wright and his son, Shaun, talked to a man at the Classic Green Reunion who may have provided a clue as to its origins. Hyster tag. The man believed that the tractor was owned by a fish hatchery, who used the winch to pull in fish nets or cages. Seems like a very plausible conclusion. How does it work and why a “GP”? The way it receives its power might be a clue as to why a “GP” was used. The powershaft on a “GP” has both front and rear attaching points. In this case, the front shaft makes it easier to power a front winch, via a 90 degree gear box and a large roller chain. Are there any others? Shaun Wright hasn’t seen or heard of any, not on a “GP” anyway, though winches have been seen on some industrial tractors.
The Wright’s “GP” looks like it’s ready to go back to work, dragging in fish nets, or anything else. Below: Detail from “GP” catalog shows front and rear power shaft.
This story begins in 1946. Dad (Irvin Conover) had survived combat duty during World War II. Discharged in late 1945, “Irvie” returned to the home farm. He began farming while working at Crouse’s Junk Yard, where he met and eventually married Mom (Rhoda “Boots” Crouse), setting up housekeeping in a rented apartment and eventually buying a small farm outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Dad worked second shift at the Littlestown Foundry, doing field work during the early day and late at night. His first tractor was a used Allis-Chalmers with a hand crank. Plowing one day, he caught a tree with the hand crank while making the turn at the edge of the field. This incident proved to be the demise of the Allis and the beginning of a 60-plus year relationship with John Deere tractors and equipment. Shortly afterward, Dad bought a used JD “B” from “Bud” Crouse, local John Deere dealer. As Dad struggled to succeed, he would trade tractors, eventually ending up with late model “A” and “Bs.” In 1956, he was able to trade for a new JD 60. What an upgrade for him—power steering, Roll-O-Matic front wheels, live PTO, Powr-Trol, three-point hitch and three bottom mounted plow. This became his main tractor for plowing, discing, cultivating corn with the new four row workers he purchased, having previously bought one of the first four row planters, a 494, in our community. By this time, I was a whopping five years old and wanted to spend lots of time with Dad. Then 1957 came Page 32 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
and Dad bought a new JD 70. Unfortunately, this tractor did not meet his expectations. By 1959, Dad put an end to his frustrations. Dad started looking and talking to John Warehime, who had taken over the local JD dealership in Kingsdale, Pennsylvania. There it was, a brand new 1960 model year JD 730 sitting on the lot. Last of the two cylinders. Dad and John came to terms, the 70 was history and the new 730
(serial number 7322471) along with a new 4 by 16 inch JD 425(?) mounted plow was delivered to the farm. This became known as the “Big Tractor.” It was one of the few gas models sold in our area as most were diesels. The sound of the pounding cylinders of the gas is much different than the lugging sound from the diesels. At one point, we had the 730, 60, 50, 40, “R” and a “B” all working on the farm together. The Big Tractor, by far, was Dad’s favorite—mine as well. In 1966, we had completed hay baling for the year and were bringing the equipment home from a rented farm. The long green line was as follows: I was leading with the 730, 24T kicker baler and two 20 foot loaded wagons; Dad had the 60/rake, brother Bob had the 40/mower and Mom followed behind
us. What a sight going down the road. Wish I had a picture of the lineup. Several years later, I tried to convince Dad to trade the 730 for a New Generation 4020, but my attempt fell on deaf ears. Looking back, I realize this tractor had always been Dad’s pride and joy. Also, this tractor was a huge factor in helping Mom and Dad successfully raise and educate a family of four kids, plus provide part time employment to more than 45 neighborhood kids helping on the farm. Additionally, it helped support the local community with a 50 year sweet corn stand. Today I have the privilege of owning the 730 and still use it on a regular basis to pull a 13 foot crustbuster no-till drill, seeding soybeans and cover crops. It has GPS (pick out a landmark) and auto-steer (head for the landmark) capabilities. It may not have the bells and whistles of current model tractors but at the end of the day, it performs the same basic functions and allows me to recall fond memories of Dad, days gone by and a love and appreciation of the sound of the Big Tractor. Submitted by, Benjy Conover Littlestown, PA
VJT4: Tune-Up Video for John Deere Tractors. 4010, 4020 and 4000 diesel JD tractors. 42 min.
VJDP: How to Paint a Tractor. Give that old tractor a finish better than original. 56 min.
VJE4: Engine Rebuild for John Deere Tractors. 4010, 4020 & 4000 diesel JD tractors. 2 hrs.
VB2C: How to Rebuild DLTX Carbs: The Rest of the Story. Tells how to get those stubborn screws loose, how to correct common running problems and other secrets. 111 min.
VJTQ: Tune-Up Video for John Deere Dubuque-Built Tractors. Featuring 420 JD with information pertaining to the M, MT, 40, 430, 440, 320 and 330 JD tractors. 64 min. VJEQ: Engine Rebuild for John Deere Dubuque-Built Tractors. Featuring 420 with information pertaining to the M, MT, 40, 430, 440, 320 and 330 JD tractors. 90 min. VJDE: John Deere A, B, G, 50, 60, 70 Engine Rebuild. From tear down to starting it back up. A must for the beginner. 85 min. VJDT: John Deere A, B, G, 50, 60, 70 Tune-up. Don’t need an overhaul, just a tune-up? This video is for you. 60 min. VJDR: John Deere Powr-Trol and Power Lift Repair. Keep those hydraulics and rockshaft running right. 51 min.
VBBM: How to Rebuild Wico Magnetos. Disassembly, repair and reassembly of one of a tractor’s most important parts. 103 min. VBBG: How to Rebuild Governors. Keep that JD running smooth. 121 min. VBBS: The How-To’s of Sheet Metal. Repair dents, cracks and rust. 118 min. VB3D: How to Rebuild Duplex Series Carburetors. Tractor pull but not idle? Start hard and runs only by working the choke? Run for short periods and then quit? This video will help trouble shoot such problems and go through a complete overhaul of the Duplex carburetor. Designed for the home mechanic with a basic tool box. 111 min.
Prices for DVDs shown ABOVE: U.S. $26.00 • Canada $32.00 • Foreign $37.00 VBBF: And Just for Fun—From Seed to Elevator. Everything from check-wire planting to fall plowing, all with JD two cylinders. 2 hours. VBBF: U.S. Price $34.00 Canada Price $36.00 • Foreign Price $42.00 VTNG: New Generation Engine Restoration. Two disk set! Learn everything you need to know to confidently restore JD New Gen engines. Watch as Harvey Hamilton of Tired Iron
Restoration guides you through a complete engine rebuild of a JD 3010 diesel. Filmed in HD, over 7 hours of content. Perfect visual companion to the technical manual. Includes engine diagnosis, inspection and repair of every component and step by step disassembly and reassembly. Advanced principles apply to other tractors including the 3020, 4010 and 4020. Follow behind the scenes to Barry’s Quality Machine to see the machining process and to Diesel Fuel Injection Service to see a pump calibrated. VTNG: U.S. Price $59.95 • Canada $65.95 • Foreign $70.00
PO Box 95 • Bee, NE 68314-0095 402-643-6269 info@greenmagazine.com www.greenmagazine.com Nebraska residents add 5.5% sales tax Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express accepted
GreenMagazine.com
Check out the website for books, museum links, advertising and more! Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 33
NEW, USED & REBUILT
2 CYLINDER PARTS Hundreds of tractors parted: Wide fronts, 3-point,
Green Spring Tractor
We ship daily. Major credit cards accepted
carbs, starters, etc. • NOS parts MODELS A THROUGH 730 A&L Parts
A&L PARTS
432 N. Flat Street • Penn Yan, NY 14527
Phone 315-536-0543
Call days or evenings. NO SUNDAY CALLS
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402-643-6269 • Tollfree: 888-707-3939 Green Magazine • PO Box 95 • Bee, NE 68314-0095 Online: www.greenmagazine.com Email: info@greenmagazine.com Nebraska residents add 5.5% sales tax • Visa, MC, Discover, AmExpress accepted
Page 34 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
SCV rebuilds - Ted Braaksma
Central Fuel Injection Service
Wiring Harnesses - Cables - Switches
We build restoration quality wiring harnesses to fit these John Deere models and their variations: AG Models: A, B, D, G, GM, L, LA, M, R, 40, Harnesses available for 50, 60, 70,80, 320, 420, 430, 435, 440, 520, other models & brands 530, 620, 630, 720, 730, 820 2 cyl, 820 3 cyl, See website for complete listing Due to numerous 830 2 cyl, 830 3 cyl, 920, 1010, 1020, 1520, variations, call to order 1830, 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040, 2040, 2130, Shipping/handling not included 2240, 2350, 2355, 2440, 2520, 2550, 2555, Visa, MC & Discover accepted 2630, 2640, 2840, 2855, 2950, 2955, 3010, Prices subject to change 3020, 3150, 3255, 4000, 4010, 4020, 4030, without notice 4040, 4050, 4250, 4230, 4240, 4430, 4440, Circuit protection kits 4455 Mexico, 4630, 4640, 4840, 5010, for Diesel tractors 5020, 6030, 7020, 7520, 8010, 8020, 8430, From $35 (2 cylinder) 8630, 8440, 8640, 8560, 8760, 8960, 8770 From $60 (New Gen) Industrial Models: Al, Bl, DI, 300, 301, 302, 302A, 310A, 350, 350B, 350C, 380, 400, 400 Scraper, 400B, 400C, 401, 410, 410C, 410D, 440I, 450, 4508, 450C, 450E, 455E, 480B, 500, 500A, 500C, 510D, 540E, 544A, 548E, 600, 7E Scraper, 700, 700A, 710D, 750, 755, 840, 1010C, 1010W, 2010C, 2010W, 3010I, 4010I AG Machinery: 45, 55, 4710, 5730, 5830 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
We make alternator conversion harnesses
Call for a FREE 100 PAGE CATALOG! CALL: 716-937-6618 • WORLDWIDE SHIPPING International phone: 001-716-937-6618 Email: agriserv@rochester.rr.com Agri-Services 13899 North Road, Alden, New York 14004
www.wiringharnesses.com
SAVE THE DATE!
Gathering of the Green Gathering of the Green
March 16-19, 2022
Davenport, IA / Quad Cities More information to follow
gatheringofthegreen.com or follow on Facebook Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 35
This month What Brought More? will compare a toy tractor to a tractor part. The toy is a 1950s’ era model with a front end loader, disc and running gear. All of the toys are in played with but good condition. The tractor has a little paint loss and rust, the disc and running gear are rather clean with just a few scratches, and
the springs on the loader are sprung. Overall, though, they are functional, complete and good for their age. The second item is a new old stock steering sector gear for a styled model “A” tractor. A tractor with loose or wobbly steering can often be improved by Page 36 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
replacing this gear. So, which do you think brought more? The toy tractor and implements likely has a larger audience, but a new steering sector gear is significantly more difficult to come by. We’ll reveal the final prices of these items at the end of the article. Trust me as I’ve heard the moaning before, it’s difficult to come up with an item cheap enough to give away as a promotion, yet useful enough that people will be excited to get, keep and use it and remember your name. Giving away pens might cover those bases, but everyone does that. Giving away a fishing lure might appeal to fewer people, but imagine
how happy someone will be when they catch a lunker on that gift. Devil’s Lake Equipment Company in North Dakota tried that plan. They gave away a spoon lure that was painted yellow and had their company name and the Deere trademark on the front. It was a suitable giveaway item by that particular dealership, since the original lure of this sort was called the DarDevle or red devil. Oxidation has begun on this lure and the paint
on the surface is suffering for it. The fish probably don’t care much about that but a collector might. It sold for the opening bid of $7.49. Well, wouldn’t you know it? There’s a decent segue here into the next item. Another giveaway, this old metal ashtray, has the image of a pair
of men fishing from a canoe. They must be using a Deere lure because one of them has hooked a fish. This ashtray comes out of Hay Springs, Nebraska. There is a little rust on the bottom and some discoloration on the top, but it’s not too bad at this point. It brought $67.50. If you need to sharpen your fishing hooks, this fine Bavarian whetstone should do the trick. This stone is probably 60 years old or more, and has the Deere logo and the name of a Wheaton, Minnesota dealership on it.
The stone looks like it has been used a few times and has a bit of metal shavings embedded on the sides, but most of it is still a clean, bright white. It comes with the original box and could have been yours if you were willing to outbid the winner at $78. Back in the 20th century, many Deere dealership buildings throughout North America had a certain similar look to them. This had a lot to do with the fact that many of them were Armco buildings. Armco made custom steel buildings and advertised directly to Deere dealers, whom they believed could use a building upgrade. While it does not appear that Deere particularly advocated for Armco, Armco was successful in their efforts and got quite a bit of business from Deere dealers. A 1960s’ era brochure advertising Armco’s buildings and showing off some of their finest Deere dealerships sold on eBay this month. The brochure is just a few black and white pages but is full of photos and in good condition. It brought $46.66. A three-quarter inch drive ratchet set is basically a must-have on a farm. Just try removing a set of duals with anything less! A vintage John Deere three-quarter inch ratchet set was found on eBay recently. This set included the ratchet, a short and long extension, seven sockets and a toolbox to store it all in. The set was rather mismatched, with several sizes of sockets missing between 1-1/8th
inch and 1-3/4 inch and with a pair of 1-1/2 inch sockets. It also appeared that not all pieces were of the same vintage, but they were all Deere branded and American made. The case was very nice, made of green-painted steel with few, if any, scratches or dents and a clear John Deere Quality Farm Equipment trademark decal. It took $150.50 to bring this home.
While the box may have been the part in the best condition in the last lot, it was probably the item in the worst shape in this one. That said, it was still probably half of the value of the item. This seller had a PTO air pump that looked to be in good shape. Even the hose was there and looked to be ready for service. What differentiated this air pump from others was that you rarely see them with a box. The box was wooden with a steel lid and, while the paint had nearly completely flaked off, a decal proving that this box belonged with the pump was still evident on the top. This was a neat old find, and brought $222.51.
What’s a nice, running, paradeready unstyled “B” worth? About $3,700 if eBay is any guide. This tractor was a 1937 model, and according to the seller, it was in great shape. It had a PTO, ran very nicely and had four new tires. The rear wheels were flat spoke cutoffs and the front were pressed steel.
A model 60 standard that was almost as nice as the “B” also sold. This 60 had a few rare features for a standard tractor including a rear rockshaft and three-point hitch and an adjustable wide front end. While this tractor did have a few spots of light rust, it did had new tires and ran and worked great. It took $5,326 to buy this machine. Well, we’re back to What Brought More? and the revealing of the bigger winner on eBay this month. Which did you pick? The set of tractor toys brought $142.50 after 16 bids. Someone got a nice start to their collection! The steering sector gear actually received more bids during its time on eBay. After 21 bids, the final price landed at $112.49. So the toys brought the higher price! See something interesting on eBay? Forward it to sawitonebay@ yahoo.com. Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 37
Hats off to everyone who submitted photos of their John Deere Stetsons to our August Do You Have One? contest. I was told a time or two that these were part of a big dealer meeting held in Dallas awhile back.
Veteran collector John Craig was the first to get a photo to us and as such gets one year added to his subscription.
Marvin Huber of Quincy, Illinois also owns a Deere Stetson hat— perhaps not surprising since he worked the horse show circuit for years. Page 38 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
Ann Haymaker models the hat that her husband, Joe, bought at an auction. It was originally sent to the Taylor and Messick dealer in Harrington, Delaware.
Do they wear cowboy hats in Canada? Of course they do and here’s Art Freeman of Arthur, Ontario with his. It’s slightly different from the photo in the magazine with a beautiful feather and JD logo on front.
Deere built quite a few different types of wagons and trailers, and some like the No. 16 implement trailer are still somewhat commonly seen despite their age. However, does anyone out there have one of these No. 20 Farm Trailers? It could haul up to one ton at highway speeds and had a 12 inch deep box, drop endgate and flare boards, and since it was made considerably of wood, the survivability of something 80 to 90 years old that likely spent a lot of time outside couldn’t have been great. Do you have one? If so, be the first to get a photo of yourself with it to us and we will add one year to your subscription. If you are the second, we’ll send you a set of Harbor Freight box end wrenches, all of them 13/16 inch size.
Rich, my husband of almost 48 years, loves tractors…all kinds, but mostly John Deere and Oliver. His/our first tractor purchase was a 1951 John Deere “A” that we bought when we were farming and our children were little. Now it’s our grandchildren who are little. After we stopped farming, we acquired still more tractors, but Rich’s prize tractor is a 1952 Oliver 88 diesel. This belonged to his dad but was sold when his parents retired and sold the farm. We lost track of it. One night, we were at a county fair tractor pull. We were walking along, admiring all the nice tractors when he stopped at this tractor, an Oliver 88 diesel. What caught his eye was the old seat. Rich had put that seat on years before when the old one broke. As he checked it out more, he discovered several other things that he had repaired over the years. Wow! We met the owner, but he later sold it. We chased it for 24 years and four owners before finally buying it and bringing it “home.” The best part about it was it had been nicely restored. It now sits proudly in our tractor shed. My favorite is my 1952 John Deere “A” we bought from my uncle, Leonard Zeller in Cresco, Iowa, where my parents and family are from. My grandpa, Walter Zeller, bought it in Mable, Minnesota, when I was nine months old. It served the farm well. I was so excited and hubby said now I really need to learn to drive it.
Rich is always talking tractor…oil type, tire size, gears and grease, piston size. I just smile and say, “Yes, dear.” This would be like me describing my sewing and quilting projects and my love of old treadle sewing machines. We all have a love of something—I love creating and sewing and he loves driving tractors on hayrides, in parades, in the yard, anywhere or just hearing them run! One day, he parked a tractor by the window of the house. Okay. That night, I was watching a TV program about drones—the interesting things about them, how they are used by businesses, farms, tractor pulls, all with a bird’s eye view. But then also the bad things people do with them, like snooping on houses and people! Wow, scary thought! When—WHAT WAS THAT?!—out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little green dot of light. It came on and slowly faded out, came on and faded out, over and over. Scary thoughts came to my mind. Slowly I inched my foot over to my snoring hubby on the couch to wake him. I said, “Don’t make any quick moves, but there is something—maybe a drone—outside the window. A tiny green light comes on and slowly goes off. I’m scared!” He looked out the window, looked at me with a confused look, then said, “Oh, for pete’s sake! I have a battery charger on the ‘A’
and that little light tells me the battery is charged and its maintainer keeps it charged.” Well…he could have told me about battery chargers! Like my oven temp light coming on when the temp gets low. Sigh. I really need to know more about tractors. Our grandchildren thought this was so funny. One thing my friend, Beatrice Fredrickson, and I don’t understand: how can a tractor lover driving down a country road spot an old, rusty tractor with a tree growing up through the frame on a fence line a quarter mile away and tell you about the year, style, tires and fenders? And then say, “What?! You couldn’t see that?” Me? Nope. We posed that situation to our husbands, Merlin and Rich. They just grinned and shrugged their shoulders. Well, guess you can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy. Submitted by, Pat Hinderman Cuba City, WI Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 39
Oil, amp and temperature
GAUGES EverGreen Restoration
with white or black faces for most 2-cylinder models for the unstyled to the 30 series, Waterloo and Dubuque built models
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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
Gauge prices: $60 for oil / amp $70-85 for temp,
depending on length of the lead
PM Industries
EverGreen Restoration
Jerry Trcka • W7619 Walnut Dr Spooner, WI 54801
Phone 715-635-8629 Gauges - EverGreen Cell 715-520-7876 Restoration tractorgauges@yahoo.com
www.evergreengauges.com
Indicator lights now available!
NEW GENERATION gauges now available!
Please call with any questions or to order!
Lind Bros Tractor and Parts, LLC
• New aftermarket, rebuilt and used parts for JD A, B , D, G, H, M, R, 320, 330, 40, 420, 430, 50, 520, 530, 60, 620, 630, 70, 720, 730, 80, 820, 830, 3010 3020, 4010, 4020. • Used parts include: weights, 3-pts., toplinks, dual hydraulics, float ride seats, clutch parts, hubs, transmission gears, sheet metal, tires and rims, 720-730 ES parts, all-fuel manifolds, brake parts, square and round tube WFEs, heads, blocks and PTO parts. • New parts include: manifolds, battery boxes, carburetor kits, air stacks, mufflers, grill screens, radiator cores, lights and overhaul kits. • Rebuilt parts include: taper-loc flywheel, float ride seats, pony motors, starters, heads, bored blocks, carburetors, cleaned and lined gas tanks. Formerly Foreverdeere, LLC • New name & new phone numbers, same two brothers
Lind Bros Tractors and Parts, LLC 830 Saint Peter’s Church Road SE • Corydon, IN 47112
sales@lindbros.com • www.lindbros.com 812-952-3010 • 833-952-3010
Call or email today! Orders can also be placed online. Page 40 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
A Specialized Look Into
The Unstyled Model A The Handbook of the John Deere Model A 1934-1938
Fourth Edition • By Wes Malcolm Published by Green Magazine® • Printed in the USA Now in its fourth printing with 15 more pages, this is the handbook of the John Deere model “A,” 1934-1938. A book that should be on Book: A Specialized Look into the Unstyled Model A,no the “must read” list of any unstyled “A” owner. There is probably 1934-1938 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.
Order GM7A: $35.95 US • $44.95 Canada (US funds)
$49.95 All others (US funds)
402-643-6269 info@greenmagazine.com www.greenmagazine.com Green Magazine® • PO Box 95, Bee, NE 68314-0095 Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express accepted Nebraska residents add 5.5% sales tax Price includes S/H
BACK
BY POPULAR DEMAND for this FOURTH EDITION
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 41
Tractor Parts We Fabricate
Weight Bracket Step w/Pads 5010, 5020, 6030: AR58358, Pr $380 5010, 5020, 6030 - AR40914, $110 Rear Engine Panels Seat Base Cover for Tractor w/o 4620 Right, AR43290, $145 Rock Shaft - AR26846, $285 4620 Left, AR51804, $240 4000 & 4020 Std SN 201,000 & Above 2510 Right, AR38206, $285 AR40773 LH Rear Eng Panel = $80 2510 Left, AR38207, $210 AR40774 RH Rear Eng Panel = $80 2520 Right, AR38838, $285 AR40871 Platform (can modify 2520 Left, AR38839, $210 AR48727) = $125 5010, 5020 R, AR35023, $285 AR41097 Platform Support = $74 L, AR35024 OR AR36796 $285 Fabricated tractorAR41098 parts - Platform Dave Support = $74 6030 Right, AR53645, $325 AR41137 Dust Shield RH = $300 Haala 6030 Left, AR53646, $325 AR41138 Dust Shield LH = $300 Dust Shields AR41174 Support To Dust Shield=$22 5010 Right, AR35334, $300 R41253 Ext Front Right = $144 5010 Left, AR35335, $300 AR41451 Ext. (RH) = $66 5020, 6030 RC Right, AR40930, $325 AR42594 Step Bracket w/2 pads = $192 5020, 6030 RC Left, AR40931, $325 F3195R Step Pad = $24 5020, 6030 Whd R, AR36772, $325 AR42989 Cover Battery Box = $64 5020, 6030 Whd L, AR36773, $325 AR45129 Battery Box Support = $68 Rock Shaft Cover AR45130 Battery Box Support = $68 5010, 5020 Right, R36420, $280 AR45131 Ext L Ft AR48964 = $164 5010,5020 Left, R36422, $150 AR45207 Battery Box = $325 5010, 5020, 6030 Center, AR55756, $50 AR46289 Weight Bracket = $95 6030 Right, AR55755, $280 AR48964 Ext L Ft AR45131 = $164 6030 Left, R51485, $140 3020 Standard Tractor Toolbox Cover R34944 Floor Panel 3020 Std PS 5010, 5020, 6030 - AR35050, $60 R34943 Floor Panel 3020 Std PS Hood Air Cleaner Cover AR34801L Dust Shield = $300 4050, 4520, 7020 - AR43256, $145 AR34801R Dust Shield = $300 Hydraulic Dipstick Cover R42893 Fastner Pin for 5010, 5020, 6030 - R36421, $80 Battery Box = $32
Star Speedometer
Dave Haala: dave@haala.com or 507-920-9181
A book makes a great gift— for yourself or someone else!
Mr. Thinker’s John Deere Almanac Book: Mr. Thinker’s John Deere Almanac, Third Edition
* US funds only, please • Prices include postage • Visa, MC, Dis, AmExp accepted • Nebraska residents, add 5.5% sales tax
Third Edition
Order MRT3 $14.95 U.S. / $18.95 Canada $28.95 foreign (all other countries)
Green Magazine PO Box 95, Bee, NE 68314-0095
402-643-6269 www.greenmagazine.com Page 42 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
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.
K&K Antique Tractors
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.
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
SERVICES AVAILABLE • 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.
Overseas shipping available - call today!
K & K Antique Tractors Kent Kaster
5995 N. 100 W, Shelbyville, IN 46176 Ph. 317-398-9883
Check out our website: www.kkantiquetractors.com Email: info@kkantiquetractors.com
4 T10551 NAMEPLATE
Like original, stamped polished aluminum with raised lettters, flat black background Each 3-3/8” x 27-3/4” • $140.00 per set plus S/H
4 HYDRAULIC OUTLET PLUG AF3001R, steel w/chain - 2 cylinder AR52623, plastic w/chain - New Gen
4 AR45915 RAIN CAP
Fits 3020-4020 side console models
4 CHROME STACKS
Double walled, straight or curved
4 “NEW” BATTERY TRAY For 4000 model with brackets
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 43
Right: Todd Beisiegel of Belleville, Illinois exhibited quite a few tractors and pieces of equipment at the show, among them this 8020 and 4600 roll over plow.
Mark Berkel talks to young collectors Ethan and Jason Kothe about tuning their “A”. Right: One of the nicest original 4430s you’ll see made it to the show. Tom Restoff of Tamaroa, Illinois is the owner.
Page 44 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
Left: Monte and Sue Doing own this super rare 101. The only other is owned by Deere and Company.
This “L” based, custom made crawler was ready to smooth the grounds. Left: Mike and Kim Mayer of Grand Chain, Illinois brought their 1928 “GP.”
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 45
In the May 2021 issue of Green Magazine, we covered doing a front axle spindle conversion on a John Deere 318 lawn tractor so we could use bolt-on front rims that gave us a much wider range of tires we could use. The question was asked if there would be interest in covering any different aspects of this lawn tractor project and several folks have asked for details on how the engine repower was done, so we’ll try to cover this without putting everyone to sleep. Several have asked, “Why?” and the short answer is “Just because.” I like the sound of a V8…the 318 chassis was purchased with a blown engine sitting in a basket…I wanted power steering…I had a rusted out Chevy pickup that was no longer safe for the road (Photo 1)…and I like a challenge. Actually any chassis with a shaft drive rear axle is a good candidate for this type of repower. The hydrostatic rear axle provides hydraulics to operate power steering, and using the original transaxle limits the top speed to about eight miles per hour, or the equivalent of a slow jogger. The horsepower po-
tential of the V8 will never be utilized because the rear tires will lose traction first, and besides, that’s not how an old fellow like me operates. The intended use is just a mobility aid for my wife and me, and a fun toy for the grandkids with Grandpa’s supervision as he sits next to them (Photo 2). Let’s dig into this project, which still is far from completed as this is being written. The mechanicals are done, leaving lots of body fabrication to do yet. Test fitting the V8 with the stock chassis quickly points out that the chassis is too short to accommodate the longer engine (Photo 3). Some folks will cut out the battery tray area to move the engine back farther, but I wanted to keep the battery tray because doing several other measurements didn’t reveal any better place for the battery and making the chassis any shorter would require shortening the drive shaft. Looking at Photo 3, most of us will wonder why the engine is sitting backwards with
the alternator and water pump facing the rear of the chassis. The answer is quite simple—the original lawn tractor engine rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the front of the chassis, and automotive engines rotate clockwise. If you put an automotive engine in facing the front of the chassis, your hydrostatic controls will work the opposite of what they should because you would be running the hydrostatic pump in the opposite direction it was designed to rotate. At first, it may seem like an inconvenience putting the V8 in backwards, but as we’ll see later, it actually works out to your advantage. Bottom line with any repower—check the operating rotation of the engines before proceeding. The decision of where to cut the frame to lengthen the chassis is pretty straightforward. Before you make your first frame cut, measure the pinto-pin distance of the power steering cylinder with the front wheels facing straight ahead. Jot this measurement
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Page 46 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
Photo 4 • Photo 5, below
down because you will need it later; in this case, it’s 18.75 inches (Photo 4). Also mark your steering cylinder hoses before disconnecting them from the frame couplings so you can put them back in the correct position later on in the project. Cutting just in front of the oil coolers and just behind the original engine tray keeps the engine tray intact and allows you to have a place to secure the oil coolers later (Photo 5). Once you start cutting the frame, that’s when it really sinks into the brain that you’re committed to this project because what’s left isn’t much use for anything else (Photo 6). Looking closely at Photo 6, you will notice the power steering cylinder has been removed, but the rear cylinder bracket is still attached to the frame. The rear steering cylinder bracket will need to be cut off and relocated later. With the frame cut, our next project is to level the remaining chassis front-to-back and side-to-side because all of our frame extension fabrication and engine location needs to be plumb and square. Other folks might choose to approach this project differently, but I’m just going to move forward with what worked for me. With the engine hanging from a hoist, you will want the engine positioned as close to the battery tray as possible while leaving just enough clearance to change
the alternator belt. The center of the engine crankshaft should be lined up so the drive shaft for the transaxle is straight in line with the input shaft of the transaxle (Photo 7). Use whatever blocking is necessary to hold the engine in this position. Our next task is to fabricate a temporary engine stand that will keep the engine in the position we need it to be. In this case, 2 inch by 2 inch angle iron was used. A little preplanning here will make life a lot easier later. By having the chassis sitting on rigid blocking, you will always have a fixed reference point for all the other measurements you will be making. Blocking the engine up so it sits level and square with the chassis will allow you to fabricate a temporary engine stand so you can fabricate the frame extension (Photo 8). Looking closely at Photo 8, you will notice the level is resting on the top of the cylinder head casting, not the intake manifold. The intake manifold is machined at an angle so the carburetor sits level when the engine is in a vehicle. With a rear
Photo 6 • Photo 7, below
wheel drive vehicle like the donor truck used here (Photo 1), the engine actually sits in the truck with the rear of the engine lower than the front of the engine, so the manufacturer casts the intake manifold to make the carburetor sit level, even though the engine sits at an angle. This is done to reduce the operating angle of the U-joints on the driveshaft of the vehicle. For our application, we’ll set up the lawn tractor drive shaft with basically a zero degree operating angle. This is accomplished by keeping the V-8 engine level with the lawn tractor chassis when the center of the engine crankshaft is the same height as the center of the transaxle input shaft. Since we have the lawn tractor chassis blocked up sitting level and the engine sitting level, you can easily measure from the center of both shafts to your shop floor. If your shop floor isn’t perfect, the U-joints on the lawn tractor drive shaft will compensate for any slight variation. The center of the engine crankshaft will also need to be centered from left-to-right with the transaxle input shaft. Once we have the engine positioned where it needs to be, we can begin fabricating a temporary engine stand to hold the engine in this position (Photo 9). A hint here will be to use the top two bell
Photo 8 • Photo 9, below
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 47
housing bolt holes that are in the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock position. This will make it easier to add motor mounting brackets later on in this project. The front temporary engine stand can be attached to existing holes at the front of each cylinder head. Remember to add some cross bracing to make the temporary engine stand rigid (Photo 10). It may seem like a lot of unnecessary work fabricating a temporary engine stand, but you will find out as we get farther along, this temporary stand will make our life so much easier and faster. Another hint with your temporary engine stand, make the stand wider than the exhaust manifolds by at least a couple inches. As we’ll find out later, you will need this extra space for adding in the frame extension and fabricating the engine mounts. Now that the engine stand is completed, we can begin fabricating our frame extension and front axle mount. Looking closely at Photos 11 and 12, there’s a lot going on in these photos. You can see the heavy duty four inch channel iron frame extension is supported by blocking and the front axle with engine tray has been “C” clamped to the frame extension. At this point, everything is supported by rigid blocking and “C” clamps while we measure and remeasure to make
sure everything is level and square. The heavy duty four inch channel iron frame extension extends back under the existing lawn tractor frame by about seven inches to provide an overlap of the frames for strength and a place to provide plenty of welding surface. The front axle support/old engine tray overlaps the frame extension also to provide as much welding surface as possible while still giving the tie rods room to move without hitting the frame extension. The steering tie rods will be your limiting factor for front frame overlap, so triangle gussets will be necessary at the top and bottom of this weld joint for strength (Photo 13). At this point, the frame extension
Photo 10 • Photo 11, below
Photo 13 • Photo 14, below
Page 48 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
Photo 12
has been completed, but the engine itself is still sitting on the temporary stand that we fabricated. Our next step will be to cut off the steering cylinder bracket from the original tractor frame that’s located just below the battery area. Once the bracket is cut off, we’ll bolt it to the rear of the steering cylinder, then attach the front eye of the steering cylinder to the steering arm of the left front spindle (Photo 14; note: Photo 14 was taken with the steering cylinder in the original position before cutting of the rear bracket; this photo is just for reference). Now is when you will need the dimension you jotted down before disassembling the tractor; in this case, it was 18.75 inches (Photo 4). With the rear bracket bolted to the rear steering cylinder eye, position the steering cylinder so it is horizontal with the correct pin-to-pin measurement, then tack weld the rear bracket to the frame extension. Once the bracket is tack welded in place, remove the steering cylinder and finish welding the rear steering cylinder bracket in place. Since we moved the steering cylinder forward, the original steering hoses are going to be too short. With the steering hoses attached to the steering cylinder, reinstall the steering cylinder and measure from the end of each hose back to the attaching couplings on the frame so you can have your local hydraulic hose outlet make hose extensions for you. Since you marked the hose locations previously, it will be a straightforward task to attach the hose extensions to the correct fittings on the frame. In a moment, you’ll understand why we attached the steering cylinder before fabricating any engine mounts. With the steering cylinder attached in the correct position, and the frame extension welded securely in place, we can fabricate some engine mounts to hold the engine in place. A company called Coleman (800-221-1851, Photo 15
Photo 16 • Photo 17, below
Photo 18 • Photo 19, below
see website: colemanracing.com) sells expertly fabricated engine mounts for less money than you will likely spend fabricating your own engine mounts (Photos 15 and 16). The brackets bolt to existing bolt holes for both the rear of the engine, as we see in Photo 16, and for the front of the engine. These prefabricated brackets make it very easy and convenient for you to fabricate the remaining brackets necessary to attach the engine to your tractor frame (Photo 17). In Photo 17, we can see why the steering cylinder was attached to the frame before we started fabricating the engine mounts. You need room for the steering cylinder and starter motor to fit between the frame and your fabricated engine mount. For this project, I simply used three inch channel iron to fabricate the engine mounts. It’s relatively inexpensive, easy to source and more than strong enough for the task. You don’t need any fancy angle cuts or bending, just square cuts and welding. As you space this rear engine bracket from the steering cylinder and starter motor, keep in mind that the steering cylinder moves side-to-side as you steer left and right, so you will need enough clearance so the cylinder doesn’t hit the frame or engine mount (Photos 18 and 19). This rear mount not only provides enough room for the steering cylinder to pivot, it will also provide enough room so the starter motor can be serviced with the engine in place. Space both engine mounts Photo 21
Photo 20
at the flywheel end of the engine the same distance from the tractor frame. The extra space on the opposite side of the engine as the starter motor will be used later for running coolant lines. The engine mounts at the side of the engine block are also from Coleman Racing and provide an easy way to fabricate brackets to attach to the tractor frame. For these engine mounts, a length of three inch channel iron was welded to the top of the frame to provide rigidity as a cross member and to support the engine mounts (Photo 20). Notice that our temporary engine stand is still in place as we are fabricating our engine mounts and while we were welding our frame extensions in place. Now that the frame is welded securely, and our engine mounts are welded securely, we can finally cut the temporary engine stand apart and remove it, then set the chassis down on its wheels as a rolling chassis (Photo 21). Next month, we’ll cover fabricating the drive shaft coupling to the harmonic balancer of the crankshaft and we’ll see why we kept the old engine tray at the front of the tractor. We’ll also cover the cooling system and the fuel system to make this a drivable chassis. Once a project is broken down into smaller segments, it isn’t all that complicated. The fabrication phase will require you to keep the end product in focus, because there isn’t any glitz or glamour during the fabrication phase—just raw, unpainted and sometimes dirty parts going together. If you enjoy mechanical challenges and forward thinking engineering, a project like this will keep the cob webs from settling in your brain. Next month we’ll get the engine connected to the transaxle, add a radiator, fabricate coolant lines, make a flywheel shield and make this a drivable chassis. Contact Dan Brotzman at W14729 Meisner Rd., Tigerton, WI 54486; phone 715-5352595; email danb4230hc@ yahoo.com Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 49
A few 1/64th scale
collector’s items
For the most part, early farm toys, and certainly those produced in the 1950s and 1960s, were manufactured in 1/16th scale. If they were not exactly that scale, they were something very close to it. Tractors and farm implements in 1/64th scale were not produced until later in the 1960s. However, their popularity has grown tremendously since then due to their small size and relatively low price. Ertl’s start in the 1/64th scale toy business is somewhat unusual, in my opinion. Looking back, they produced their first John Deere models as a historical set (Photo 1). This included seven tractors that covered the time period from 1892 until 1960. The Froelich, Waterloo Boy and model “D” were manufactured with “steel” (yellow plastic wheels) and the “A,” 60, 730 and 4010 had rubber tires with narrow front ends. The set shown in Photo 1 is something that my brother and I received as a gift back in the late 1960s. However, it is no longer original. This set was produced with a kind of “bubble” packaging. A piece of cardboard was used as the base. Small oval holes were punched into it to accept the wheels or tires of the tractors. A historical timeline was printed and apparently glued to the top of the base above the tractors and then a clear plastic sheet was shrunk over the entire set. Page 50 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
Photo 1 • Photo 2, below
In thinking about this set, I’m not sure what market Ertl was going after. Notice that printed across the top are the words, “The Evolution Of John Deere Tractors authentic in detail; real collectors’ items.” Back in the 1960s, there were very few collectors as we know them today. If the intent was to start people thinking about collecting, why would they produce something in 1/64th scale when everything else to that point in time was manufactured in 1/16th scale? On the other hand, if the intent was to capture the attention of kids, I can understand that getting seven toy tractors at once would be neat, but kids were probably not too interested in the tractor history. That is probably a good thing since in order to remove the toys from the package, it was necessary to essentially destroy the package and the printed historical information. When my brother and I got our set, we did the best we could to save the printed material at the top. We were semi-successful. Since removing the bubble or shrink wrap peeled some of the cardboard base away, we painted it green. I guess it was our attempt to make it look decent. So even if this was intended for kids, there are a couple of other issues. First, there were no implements for tractors of this size. Sure, some other manufacturers of small toys like Matchbox and Husky made a wagon
Photo 3 • Photo 4, below
or two, but Ertl did not. It wasn’t until the 1980s that we started to see some 1/64th scale implements to pull behind the tractors. Second, these tractors had
Photo 5
Photo 6 • Photo 7, below
Photo 9
Photo 8
tiny “hook” hitches. Once implements did start coming out, the hitches on the tractors had to be changed to small holes to accept the “pins” on the implements. Photos 2 and 3 provide a couple of views of another version of this
historical set. Seven tractors were once again included, but the packaging was changed considerably. In this case, the exterior bubble wrap could easily be removed without destroying the “box.” The historical information was printed on the bottom of the base. Note that the description had now been changed to “Milestones In John Deere Tractor Design.” Suffice it to say that several versions of this set were produced over the years with many different types of packaging. The earliest sets carried Ertl’s stock number 560. As time passed, the tractors were sold both as a set and as individual items. So, I shared this information on the early John Deere tractor historical set to provide the introduction to another that was produced by Ertl in 1994. Photos 4 and 5 provide a couple of views of the carton. This is a fully enclosed box that is covered with clear plastic shrink wrap. In order to actually see the models, you have to remove the
clear plastic. Some would argue that in removing the plastic, the carton is no longer sealed and therefore it cannot be considered new in the box (NIB). Be that as it may, I see no reason to have a set of miniatures in which all I can see is a green and yellow box. Along the base of the carton, this set is identified as “The John Deere Dubuque Works Historical Tractors Set 1.” The models are identified as the 330S (standard wide front), 430T (tricycle front) and the 430S (standard wide front). For those who don’t want to remove the bubble wrap, photos of the actual toys are shown on the back side of the carton (Photo 5). I decided to remove the bubble wrap from my set. What I discovered is that a sheet of heavy paper covered the top of the carton and it is what the photos of the actual models were printed on. The display carton top features a John Deere trademark from the time when the real tractors were produced along with a green and yelGreen Magazine® • October 2021 Page 51
low pattern that sort of “radiates” from the trademark (Photo 6). The carton is in fact a display box and with the top removed, you can see the tractors under a clear plastic “dome,” as shown in Photo 7. Each tractor is secured to the cardboard base with wire ties. Photo 8 provides a more detailed view of the heavy paper that covers the top and one end of the carton before the bubble wrap is removed. Photo 9 shows what is printed on the reverse side. Here you can see that the plan from the start was to release a total of four unique sets to cover some of the many unique models and variations of the John Deere 330 and 430 tractors. Set 2 was to include the 330U, 430U and 430T with single front wheel; set 3 has the industrial tractors including the 330I, 430I and 430C crawler; the fourth set has the 330SS (Southern Special Semi Hi-Crop “V”), 430H and 430V. If you purchased set 1 back in 1994 and didn’t remove the bubble wrap, you probably didn’t know that other sets were already in the works. Let’s discuss some of the details on the tractors. Obviously, these are small items measuring approximately two inches long by one inch wide by one and one-quarter inches high. As
a result, the quality of the details is not as great as on 1/16th scale miniatures. Nonetheless, Ertl did a fairly nice job. Each tractor features printed graphics that include the John Deere name and model designations on the sides of the hood and the John Deere trademark on the nose. The wheels are yellow plastic with three-rib tires in the front and bar tread tires on the rear. Each tractor has a black muffler and the 330S (Photo 10) features a yellow seat. The 430T (Photo 11) and the 430S (Photo 12) have black seats. Both utility tractors also have fenders. The main body of each tractor, along with the axles and the drawbar, are made from die-cast metal. Ertl has always been very good at including many fine details in their tractor castings, especially in the engine area. Even on these tiny tractors, they were able to capture many of components found on the real machines. The air cleaner canisters, carburetors, manifolds, generators and starting motors are all cast in place and are visible if you look closely. Photo 13 provides a close-up view of the 430T in which the tiny gear shift lever can be seen. A rear view of all three tractors is provided in Photo 14. In my opinion, the overall fit and finish are very good for miniatures of this size. I purchased this set in late July while at an antique tractor show. One of the toy dealers there had it for sale with a price of $15. While my primary toy collecting interest is with 1/16th models, I thought this was a reasonable price and that this set would be a good topic to cover in this column. Online I have found all
Photo 10 • Photo 11, below
Photo 12, below
four sets available from a few different vendors in the $20 to $25 range each. For those who want to pull their Dubuque 1/64th scale tractors completely out of the packaging, it is possible to do so without ruining anything. The wire ties can be “untwisted” and removed without destroying the display base. Securing them once again might be tricky, but I think it can be accomplished. I understand that set 2 was also released in 1994 and sets 3 and 4 were released in 1995. I don’t plan to look for any others at this point, but I am glad that I purchased this first one. It is a unique collection of some of the smaller John Deere two cylinder tractors, it easily fits nearly anywhere on my shelves and it was inexpensive. Whether you regularly collect 1/64th scale miniatures or not, one or more of these Dubuque sets may be of interest. Enjoy. Contact Bill Proft at N1366 Woodland Dr., Greenville, WI 54942 or email billproft@sbcglobal.net.
Photo 13 • Photo 14, below
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I have come up with some more new old stock parts I thought I would share with you. I also need to tell you that this time my “studio” was the back of an old Suburban I have been driving so bear that in mind when looking at
Photo 1
Photo 2 • Photo 3, below
the pictures. Let us see what we have. Photo 1 is of part M64495. The style of label is definitely older. The older two legged derr logo can be seen as well as the part number, M64495. M64495 is a large decal. It has a section labeled troubleshooting and starting-stopping. It is also in both English and French (Photo 2). On the back of the decal, it lists both application and storage instructions and was produced by a company named Color Arts, Inc. It appears that Color Arts was based out of Racine, Wisconsin and eventually went bankrupt. The assets were purchased by a new company in 2004 and who were then themselves bought out by a company called Federal Heath Sign Company, who continue in business to this day. I always find the history of older companies very interesting as most have been sold and resold over the years. There is also what I believe to be a date stamp on the back of this decal, 5/73 or May of 1973. I found that this decal was originally installed under the engine access panel on early John Deere snowmobiles models JDX, 300 and 400. Snowmobile decals in general tend to be very difficult to locate today, almost 50 years after they were made, so this was a nice find.
Photo 3 is kind of fun for me. We, and I am sure most other Deere dealers of this time, used to have some of these on our shelves. Deere had a line of welding supplies available back in the ’70s and ’80s. They were discontinued, then Deere offered a line again in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Also discontinued. These black boxes are from the earlier offering. The reason it is fun is because I remember these boxes sitting and sitting, year after year. We used a few in the shop but I personally do not recall ever selling a single box. So, it became a routine of dust, inventory once a year, dust and repeat. There were lots of different rod available; this one was TY1848, a brazing rod. Note the tape on the end of the box. This is a pet peeve for me. I understand that the boxes were not designed to last 50 years but the tape, when used like this, makes the boxes much tougher to use as a display item. I have spent hours removing tape of all kinds from old boxes. Duct tape, strapping tape, clear tape, all of them. On these black boxes, the clear tape is a problem unto itself. Even with a heat gun, the tape ends up pulling the black color off the box. It is nearly impossible to recover a box like this and that is what makes me upset. Whoever tapes up these boxes is simply trying to get them to hold together, with little or no thought as to what they are doing. It is too bad they end up almost ruining the boxes in the end. Note the price label too, these price labels themselves are difficult to locate today also. Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 53
The back of the box contains general information for each type of welding rod and its usage (Photo 4). I believe it was standard on the back of all boxes, regardless of what rod was contained inside. Note the massive amounts of tape on the top and bottom. Great. Photo 5 is of TY1782, general purpose iron powder rod. This box is in fairly good condition. It is square, printing and cardboard looks good, and the ends are in decent shape. Since this was in good condition someone decided to mark it with a big yellow marker in large letters. You just can not win sometimes it seems. It still presents well and is a nice box. Some of these boxes were made to hang and be displayed that way. This box even has this end completely intact; the hole has not been punched (Photo 6). Incredible really. Enough of welding rod. Here we have a brand new engine temperature gauge, part AP17669. It is the temperature gauge for models 45, 55, 65 and 95 combines as well as 217 power units. It is an electric gauge and is in perfect condition (Photo 7). Photo 8 is of part TY4535. It is a handle. It is the handle from a John Deere TY9035 one-half inch heavy duty electric drill and a TY9036 3/8ths inch heavy duty electric drill (Photo 9). Kind of a neat little part and if someone has one of these drills in their collection and is missing their handle, then I am the guy to talk to!
Photo 5 • Photo 6, below
Photo 4 Page 54 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
Am52798 are brake pads for John Deere bicycles and these fit most models. As I have said before, genuine parts for Deere bicycles are fairly tough to come up with today. Anyone doing a refresh or restoration of a bicycle would need these new brake pads (Photo 10). Looking at them, it’s hard to believe they are from the mid 1970s— they look perfect. This is an unusual item (Photo 11). It is a John Deere window cling decal advertising Deere’s PowerGard insurance available for their equipment. This decal is fairly large and is obsolete also. Here is another new old stock bicycle part—a new tire (Photo 12). As I said, the Suburban served as a rolling photo booth and also serves as kind of a rolling storage unit for
Photo 7 • Photo 8, below
Photo 9 • Photo 10, below
me. Excuse the distractions. Bicycles, if being restored, can nearly always benefit from having new tires. Nothing is better than period correct tires. In this case, it is part M64355. It shows as being correct for a John Deere three speed bicycle. Remember, these are the bicycles offered by Deere in the 1970s, not the late 1800s or today’s common mass-produced big box offerings. The tire is a “Carlisle Super Ride” and it has not been made for many years. A correct new old stock tire on a restoration would be a nice touch. Our last item is another great old decal (Photo 13). Some time ago, I showed you part JD269, a large four legged deer logo decal. This is part JD268, another large four legged deer logo decal. These old vintage decals are just great in my book. They evoke an era and a nostalgia for a time when they were in use. Finding new old stock decals today is almost unheard of; most were used many years ago or have deteriorated over the decades so much that they are unusable. This one is in great shape. The envelope it comes in is another great vintage piece all by itself. Our final picture, 14, is of the back of the JD268 decal. We can see it was made by the Meyercord Company of Chicago, Illinois. Meyercord was one of the powerhouses in decal and sign
production and was started in 1896. It is long gone today but many of its products remain, this being one of them. It is dated June of 1962. What a great old decal. As you can tell, I never grow tired of looking at parts, especially new old stock parts. They are so indicative of a different time and each one is like holding a piece of history in your hand. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to have these available to me so that whenever I want to or “need a fix,” I can simply
go the warehouse and indulge myself. It is also great fun sharing them with all of you and I have come to find that I am far from the only one who enjoys new old stock parts. Our group on Facebook is active and we share the various parts we have with each other. It is all great fun and a lot can be learned from these old parts also. Hope you enjoyed them—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 11 • Photo 12, below
Photo 13 • Photo 14, below
Send your question to Mr. Thinker Send questions to: Green Magazine PO Box 95 Bee, NE 68314-0095
Email: info@greenmagazine.com Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 55
It has been said more than a time or two that old John Deeres bond their owners together. In my days, I would agree that this is TRUE! A very recent example of this is a 620 and the owners, Dave and Cathy Daye from Ripon, Wisconsin (Photo 1). As one can see in the photo, this loving couple (now married 50 years) has carved their life out of farming with the help of their John Deere tractors. Many of their old John Deere tractors that helped them get to where they are today are still with them. One of their favorites is this 620 (serial number 621424). Now it seems that Dave and Cathy have been on a mission to get the 620 running and operating as it should in order to be
Photo 1 • Photo 2, below
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part of a large annual tractor parade around rural Ripon, Wisconsin. The carburetor had already been rebuilt, the tractor’s ignition had been gone through, but the 620 was still not running correctly and its clutch was as jumpy as a frog in a firecracker factory. And so old Doc was approached for some help to get this 620 running in time for the big tractor ride. As I stated, even with this shiny rebuilt green carburetor (Photo 2), the 620 started with some difficulty, idled on one cylinder and would not run at high speed without your hand on the
Photo 3 • Photo 4, below
choke. Also, the governor was having a hard time controlling the carburetor as it did not want to idle down and then would “over speed” when in full throttle. There just was no speed control between the governor and the carburetor. I soon concluded that this shiny green newly painted carburetor was going to have to come off the 620 and that I would need to investigate what could be wrong. This one even surprised ME; here is what I found. For starters (no pun intended), the carburetor was mounted with two thin gaskets instead of a thin one to the front and a thicker gasket to the rear (Photo 3) next to the manifold. A thicker gasket to the rear is essential to be a complete PROPER seal and to disperse heat from the manifold—let’s call this mistake number 1. Next in this carb adventure is why the heck the governor isn’t controlling the carburetor. Could it be that the carb’s new throttle shaft is SO tight in its bore that one almost needs to move it with a pair of pliers (Photo 4)? Putting in a new throttle shaft and its bushings is part of a carb rebuild; getting the proper fit between the two is SO important. This throttle shaft is WAY too tight, causing the governor to have almost NO effect on speed control—mistake number 2. While looking the carburetor over a bit more, I noticed that the gas inlet fitting (Photo 5) had been painted on the inside! This means that the paint has been flushing into the car-
buretor as the gas dissolved the paint. This mistake number 3 convinced me that this nicely “rebuilt” carburetor had to come apart and totally redone “old Doc’s way”! A quick look under the carburetor’s fuel bowl and we see a NOT so clean casting and a float that is set with its level way too low (Photo 6). Enough already! It is time to strip this carb down to its birthday suit and start with a clean casting (Photo 7). This carburetor had its load circuit that feeds the number one cylinder PLUGGED and the idle circuit that feeds the number two cylinder PLUGGED, so add in a misadjusted float and you have a 620 that just doesn’t run properly. Let’s begin by freeing up that tight throttle
Photo 5
Photo 6 • Photo 7, below
shaft which, by the way, was still tight after the casting was cleaned. I used a hand reamer that is .002 oversize from the throttle shaft’s diameter and gave it a run through (Photo 8). Now we opened one of those complete carburetor kits that I like to use and try the new throttle shaft in its bore; it now fits and moves effortlessly. Note the pile of new parts and pieces that came with this premium kit (Photo 9); it is literally everything that is in the casting. It’s a godsend for an old carburetor rebuilder such as me. One part that is NOT included in these kits is the float (Photo 10). I always install a new one, making sure that the level and the “drop” is set correctly. And in this carburetor, for instance, the float had to be adjusted so as not to rub on the casting that it operates between. This is done by tightening and adjusting the float’s pivot brackets. Getting the float settings correct takes a lot of time, but it is time well spent to make the 60 run properly. As I have stated before, one of my policies with rebuilding these duplex carbs is to always rebuild the system’s fuel diaphragm assembly (Photo 11)
when the unit is rebuilt. I always test them for opening pressure and leaks, then I set the override button for the correct travel, and finally, I always add an inlet tube filter to the unit before it goes back into the tank. I now install these filters on every fuel diaphragm that I rebuild…let’s call it an insurance policy. Now, let’s bolt the carburetor back on the 620 and take a look at the governor rod adjustment (Photo 12). With the throttle shaft on the carb in wide open position, and the 620’s hand throttle pushed fully forward, we can see the amount of distance for the two pin holes not to line up. This adjustment is not correct and will affect how the governor controls its engine speed. Although these Deeres do run a slight interference in the pin hole alignment, the proper adjustment for this should look like this (Photo 13)… that is, the pin hole setting should be one-half of its hole diameter short of alignment. Most of the Deere tractors that I check are not adjusted correctly for this matter. Get it right and your old tractor will run better. Also note with Photo 13, our brass ID tag that now goes out with our carb rebuilds. Are we done here? Can we dump the five gallons of gas back in
Photo 8 • Photo 9, below Photo 10 • Photo 11, below
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 57
the 620 that was drained out in order to replace the fuel diaphragm? Can we start her up? Not so fast…I detect an odor in the gas that doesn’t seem right to me. Putting a small sample of the gas in my ethanol tester, giving it a shake and letting it sit for five minutes shows an 11 percent ethanol content (Photo 14). Sorry, but this gas will be in a can when Dave and Cathy Daye
Photo 12 • Photo 13, below
Photo 14 • Photo 15, below
come to pick up the 620, NOT in that tractor’s gas tank. When that tractor leaves here, it will have five gallons of fresh NON-ethanol gas in it. I hope that they will use the gas that WAS in the 620 for some other purpose than in an old John Deere. Because of ethanol’s habit of attracting moisture and then its second bad habit of phase separation, I do not want it in any tractor that has had my hands on the fuel system. In fact, ANY engine that vents its gas tank to the atmosphere would be better off without ethanol in its gas. The last item for this 620 was a new set of ignition points and condenser, but maybe even more important was a look below the point plate to find a set of flyweights that were rusty and not operating (Photo 15). A bit of housecleaning and lubrication fixed this issue. While we are in the distributor area, let’s take a look at that shiny new coil (Photo 16) that was likely installed in an effort to make this 620 run better. Coils are directional as to how the primary wires are installed. That is why there is + and a – by the wire terminals. The coil must be installed with the distributor’s wire matching the tractor’s ground polarity. This 620 has a positive ground battery. And the
coil must be installed with its positive wire going to the distributor. This new coil was installed backwards! The tractor WILL run either way, but its coil output to the spark plugs will be reduced by nearly 30 percent. It’s one of those “little things that mean a lot” things. With all of this, the 620 fires, runs and idles like a trooper; it’s such a pleasure to see and hear the results. It’s my goal to have this 620 start and run at all RPMs as it should and to have the tractor’s owners, Dave and Cathy, happy with it once again. That being said, I can’t help but turn my attention to how the 620’s clutch operates and the clunking noises that are coming from it. Even though it was not on our list of things to look into for this tractor, I cannot imagine taking this 620 on a ride through the countryside and being in close proximity with other tractors and people in a safe manner. I had to take it upon myself to see what could be wrong with the clutch. I’ve decided to tell “the rest of the story” in next month’s Green Magazine issue and perhaps we’ll call it “the 620 clutch from hell.” But here is just a sneak peek at what I found (Photo 17)—an extra washer that caused a lot of damage and ruined the clutch flywheel, a pile of parts that were worn out or damaged (Photo 18) and the engine’s crankshaft endplay (Photo 19) that is meant to be 10 thousandths or less but was running at 272 thousandths. This excessive crankshaft endplay will greatly affect the clutch’s proper performance. Keep in mind that .250 is one-quarter inch…aaargh. Stay tuned.
Photo 16 • Photo 17, below
Photo 18 Page 58 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
But for the wrap up of our time in this issue, let’s have a little fun talking about some OTHER real happenings going on as we finish this article. It seems that my pen pal from Fairfax, Minnesota has been out there still saving old John Deeres from their demise in the salvage yard. When Mark Rieke (seen often in his bib overalls and recently referred to as “Old McDonald”) saw this model “B” (Photo 20) being towed down the road to its death at the wrecking yard, he took off a runnin’ after it and caught it by the drawbar. He negotiated the front wheel for a tow cable and had it brought back to his farm for its restoration instead of its destruction. Even the RED paint on the old “B” didn’t fool Mark; he knew it was a John Deere and he wasn’t going to see it destroyed. He even has a name for this new addition; he’s calling this one Red/Green—no duct tape required. And from old Doc’s corner, the summer of 2021 has been a doozy. Our pumpkin fields have turned from a “field of dreams” (Photo 21) to a field of screams! Relentless heat, humidity and then what seemed like never end-
ing rainstorms (Photo 22) have netted us 21.9 inches of rain throughout the month of July and early August— months that are typically very dry here in east central Wisconsin. Our task was to replant and surface-pump water as needed just to keep things growing. Several of our close pumpkin farm competitors have thrown in the towel, hung up the closed sign and held a liquidation sale. But as always, Jo Anne and I press on and still consider ourselves blessed. The pumpkin harvest season will be here soon; we are hoping for the best. And from the “things sure are costing more these days” department, the other day as our old John Deere Gator was resting peacefully in the farmyard, one of its rear (tubeless) tires gave up the ghost with a loud BANG (Photo 23)! Now that’s not good because this old machine hardly ever cools off in the fall during our pumpkin season. But it seems that when this incident took place (the bang), the Gator was parked close to our three fainting goats that were causally peacefully chewing their cuds. The blast sent the beasts in to an upside-down seizure that lasted
for minutes. When the dust settled, I got on the phone and called my tire guy to order a pair of new rear Gator tires. The tire guy that I always deal with is named “Gunner.” He said, “Yup, Doc, I got those tires in stock for you, but you might want to sit down before I tell ya their price.” Now, I thought how much can an oversized wheel barrow tire cost (Photo 24)? So I said to Gunner, “Hit me with the bad news.” His answer was $125. “Wow!” was my response. “That’s more than $60 a tire!” He quickly responded, “No, Doc, that’s for ONE tire!” Now there was FOUR of us that had fainted…the three goats AND ME. Keep smilin’, take care and may God bless. This column is written by Ron and Jo Anne O’Neill.
Photo 23 • Photo 24, below
Photo 19 • Photo 20, below
Photo 21 • Photo 22, below
Please don’t call about delivery of your Green Magazine until after the 20th of the publication month. Green Magazine is always mailed by the 1st of the month, but delivery date can vary. Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 59
New plus Generation 10 series— more You hear it all the time. Going to tractor shows and pulls, you meet great people. One of the best parts of the tractor collecting business is also the people. Over the years, I have attended many shows and pulls and recently got to go to the Don Dufner farm in Buxton, North Dakota in search of a tractor part. I have seen Don at tractor pulls, auction sales and tractor shows many times over the years. I had a nice visit with Don and his wife, Sylvia, and this created another connection. Auctioneer Rodney Mursu talked to Don and then contacted me with some great auction results. On Friday, August 13, Aasnes Auctioneers conducted a Premier Minnesota Tractor Collection Auction for the Vernon Johansen collection. There were many great tractors on the sale from two cylinder models as well as New Generation. All the tractors were beautifully restored, but the 10 series caught my eye. A 2010 gas brought $10,395. The 3010 diesel with new 14.9 by 38 tires, quick hitch and New Series side step sold for $12,600. A nice 4010 diesel with new 16.9 by 38 tires, three-point Page 60 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
and New Series side step topped $14,000—$14,070 so be exact! One of my favorites, a 5010 diesel with new 24.5 by 32 rear tires, reached $26,250. If a 10 series tractor was your wish, this sale provided some beautiful examples! Recently I headed to Iowa for a family reunion. The reunion was held in Eagle Grove, Iowa. Down the road in Pocahontas, Iowa, there was a consignment auction with many good old tractors! I drove over and took a few pictures of a few of the tractors that struck my interest. The sale was going to be held Wednesday, but I would not be in town (probably a good thing)! One interesting tractor I saw was a 420 John Deere utility with a mounted mower. It was a nicely restored tractor. It was at one time a county tractor (I assume used to mow ditches). The 420 had three-point hitch and nice tires. The 420 tractor came in many different versions. The 420W was the row crop utility model, the 420T was a tricycle, the 420C was a crawler, 420U was a utility, the 420S was the standard model, the 420I was the special util-
ity. Add the 420H and 420V, which rounded out the list. So you see there was a 420 for nearly every job you can think of! The 420 was made from 1956 to 1958. I have never been around a 420 tractor but it sure looks like a handy little machine. This little beauty brought $8,000. Another John Deere that I noticed in Pocahontas was an unstyled “B” John Deere with round spokes and long axles. Although not a show piece, the old “B” made a nice addition to someone’s collection for a mere $2,625.
Probably my favorite tractor at the Pocahontas sale was a nice 730 gas with a narrow front. Maybe it’s just because I recently acquired a 720 that this one caught my eye. The 730 was repainted and had great tires (which is always important)! For $5,000, this went to a new home! The 420, “B” and 730 were all sold by Sale Barn Realty and Auction in Pocahontas, Iowa. They hold their machinery auctions on the second Wednesday of the month in March, April, June, August, September and December. Last month I wrote about a 4640 with just 3,273 hours that managed to bring $50,000. Sullivan Auctioneers, LLC recently sold a 1978 model 4640 with 3,809 hours topped that $50,000 mark. The 4640 had a Quad-Range transmission, 1000 PTO, 2 hydraulic outlets, three-point quick hitch, front weights, new style steps, 20.8 by 38 tires and clamp on duals. Final price tag—$55,000! Wow! Booker Auction Co. of Eltopia, Washington recently held the Amstad Collector Tractor Auction. The whole sale featured many, many great John Deere tractors. Lot 1 was a 620 John Deere gas with power steering, threepoint, PTO, two remotes, narrow front and Alliance 15.5-38 rear tires. The hour meter read 3914, serial number 6201505. If you wanted a 620, you would have had to bid more than $9,000, the selling price! If a big brute of an 80 John Deere was more your style, they had one—price tag $9,750. How about a 1959 John Deere 430 Hi-Crop tractor, serial number 430H 158058, with threepoint, Titan 7.50-16SL front tires, 13.6-38 rear tires—$17,500 the selling price on this one! One last tractor for you. A John Deere 2520 diesel, Power Shift, threepoint, PTO, single remote, Firestone 15.5-38 rear tires, serial number T713P017553R—$27,500. What a fun month of research! Thanks for the emails— keep me posted with a message to mickelsonauctions@ gmail.com.
If you see interesting auction results, submit for possible publication. Send an email to Eric W. Mickelson at mickelsonauctions@gmail.com or to Green Magazine at info@greenmagazine.com
MOVING?
BE SURE TO TAKE GREEN MAGAZINE WITH YOU. Call, write or email Green Magazine with your new address FOUR WEEKS PRIOR to your move
Phone 402-643-6269 • Email info@greenmagazine.com Green Magazine, PO Box 95, Bee, NE 68314 Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 61
G’day, mates! As I write this article, September 1 is approaching. That is observed in Australia as the first day of spring. Now, you would not really think that we have just gone through winter here in southeast Queensland, as I feel the winter days are like a late spring day in Ontario. It is colder first thing in the morning, but by lunchtime, you are down to your work shirt. Temperatures here never got below zero Celsius/32 Fahrenheit in the early mornings, and by 10 a.m., it was usually 10C/50F. My body and mind sure like this kind of weather. In Ontario, I suffered with colds for most of the winter, something I rarely experience any more! Well, the property move up the hill is done, but the work is just starting! We took possession of the property on July 23, 2021. The sale of our property and handover was set for August 10, so we had 19 days to move. Aussies call moving “shifting,” which is not a term I remember being used back home. We did this on purpose for several reasons. First reason was that we had time to do some redecorating in the new to us house before we moved in. Second reason was the old house needed to be packed up and shifted, including my John Deere themed man cave full of caps, manuals, toys and collectibles. Third reason was the magnitude of my workshop/hoarding collection needed to be packed and shifted. Fourth reason was that Page 62 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
Part of the hand built stone wall in front of the house. Below: Purple feature wall getting primed over.
I needed to drive or haul 15 tractors up the hill. Fifth reason was the collection of steel, used and new parts, firewood and “hoarded stuff” needed to be shifted from the igloo shelter and up to the new place. I took 12 days off as holidays from work to complete the move. The new house is built on a cement pad, which is the opposite to our previous house, which was built one meter/39 inches up off the ground surface and supported on electric power pole stumps. The garage area
of the old house was built on ground level on a cement pad. This area had been converted to living space before we purchased the house. This is where we divided the original garage with a wall and made two rooms, one of which was my man cave. This area was three steps lower than the rest of the house. These steps, as well as the exterior steps, were needed with this design but did not make the house friendly for people with mobility problems. This, unfortunately, is an issue I am having now due to a poor right hip. The steps are okay, but not the easiest to use all the time. We got into the house on the first day, which was Friday afternoon, and inspected the house and came up with a game plan. All the walls and ceilings needed repainting. A lot of the walls and ceilings were a very close color to what Janis chose, a natural white tone, but they needed to be freshened up. Some of the walls were considered feature walls. These included dark pink, purple and some “sea foam” green that had to go. The floor was another story. The tiles are a terra cotta style, which would be fine, except every tile had a swipe of black across it. It looked like a leopard spot pattern floor! We were sure this tile color had to go. Two light fixtures had been removed and insulators/marr type connectors were screwed on the open wires. Saturday morning, I headed to the local hardware store to get some supplies. I purchased some basic light
bulb fixtures and paint supplies. I shut off the main power in the house at the main breaker since Australian house power is all 240 volts, not just ovens and clothes dryers. This increased voltage is not something you want to work with in its live state. I removed several light fixtures that were not to our taste and replaced all, including the missing ones with the single bulb fixtures. I had bought a two foot wide roll of brown paper at the paint shop and rolled it out along each wall and secured with a strip of tape. Then the painting began, starting with a good coat of primer on all the feature walls. We had all the walls and ceilings done by Tuesday night. The laundry room and all three bathrooms were not touched at this time and they will be completed later. Wednesday, we cleaned the floors and used a cement floor paint to cover all the leopard spot floor tiles with a gun metal gray paint. We left the inside of the house alone for several days to try and cure the floor paint. Then I tackled the workshop at home. I had borrowed a bunch of metal shipping crates from work that lawnmowers arrive in from the USA.
These worked fabulously to pack workshop equipment. Once they were full, I moved them with my pallet forks on the 2250. I worked away at the workshop on Thursday and got quite a bit ready to move. Friday, I had planned as tractor drive day. I started out with the 1020, which went great up the hill to the new place. Then the 2020 was next and it went well, too! I then got the 4020 started, which is still a question mark some days as the fuel pump is causing grief. I still have not worked out the shut off solenoid on the side of the Roosamaster CB pump. With it removed and power applied, the plunger with the seal attached moves fine. Install the solenoid with the plunger installed and it will not start. I am of the belief that the Oring or packing is too thin that seals the solenoid. This then allows the solenoid to thread in too far and not allow any clearance for the plunger to move rearward and allow the fuel to flow. The 4020 made the drive fine and sounded great all the way there. I must stall the 4020 at this point to stop the engine, by pressing on the brakes and slowly letting the clutch out in sixth gear. This will be solved at a future date. The next one was the 5020, which started good and ran great up the hill. The last one of the day was my 3020 standard that I bought from Jeff, my service manager. It started right up and ran well—for a bit. I made it about halfway to the new place and the engine started to run slower and
slower, until it would only idle. I pulled off to the side of the street and then it stopped all together. It would start up but only idle and then die. I remembered that Jeff told me he had the same issue. Luckily, I had a pair of pliers and a couple wrenches with me. I went down to the injection pump and removed the fuel line elbow from the return port on the main fuel pump. I could see debris inside and could not blow air through. I was able to start the tractor with the elbow removed and the engine revved up fine. That ring inside the pump was coming apart slowly and this was causing the debris. I called Janis and she picked me up and took me back to my work ute at the old place. I blew the debris out of the elbow using compressed air, went back up and installed it. The tractor then ran fine and was able to make the rest of the trip without incident. Looks like a pump rebuild will need to be done at some point. This is a side story that ties into the move. I had taken delivery of two tractors a couple weeks earlier, a styled “B” and a 3020. I was contacted a couple of years ago by a fellow named Derek who owned a styled “B” and a 2010. He was inquiring about the possibility of me restoring his styled “B” that was purchased from my friend, Bruce Kirkby. Derek also had questions about two other tractors he had found that week. He sent me pictures of the serial number plates from two tractors that he had found and wondered if their parts were in-
The 1020 to 5020 parked at the new place. Workshop before packing and, below, loaded to move.
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 63
terchangeable. The one serial number plate was from a 2010 and the second was from a 1965 model 3020. As most readers know, from 1965 on, John Deere removed the model number from the serial number plate and the numbers and letters were a specific sequence based on the model of tractor. I let him know that these tractors would have very few interchangeable parts, and of course, I asked what the story was. Derek said he was at a farm with a friend picking up equipment from an auction sale that had occurred a week before. Sitting outside were the remains of a 2010, but in an open shed sat the 3020. Derek said that the 3020 was missing most of the engine but much of the rest was there. He sent me several pictures, which showed that it was a standard model with factory three-point hitch. The story goes that the good equipment was sold at the auction, but the 2010 and 3020 were considered scrap and were not offered for sale. I asked what was going to happen with the tractors. Derek said that he was interested in the 2010 parts, but if I was interested in the 3020, offer a price and he would ask the farm owner. I threw a number at him of $400 for the remains of the 3020, since they did consider it a scrap machine, and they accepted the offer. Derek loaded the 3020 and 2010 onto his truck and took them to his property. The plan was put in place that at a future date, Derek would bring down his styled “B” and the 3020 when he was traveling this way. Well, it took a couple of years, but I am not in a hurry. Derek called and said that he was coming my way to pick up a large metal turning lathe at Brisbane. He wondered if he could bring the “B” and 3020 and drop them off. I was totally in favor, but said that since we were moving, I arranged for him to meet me at our dealership and unload them there. He arrived early one morning with the load. There were no front wheels found with the 3020, but I had extra ones at home. We lifted the front of the 3020 and installed the front wheels. Then we backed Page 64 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
the work tilt tray up to his truck and winched them across one at a time. I had arranged with our store manager to park the tractors in yard for the several weeks needed to move to the new property. There was no need to bring them to the old place and then reload them to take to the new place. We discussed the two tractors before Derek left. His “B” is in very good original condition, but needs a lot of new gaskets, gauges, tires and
The $400 model 3020 at the farm and loaded on Derek’s truck to take to his place. Below: Steel box welded into 3020 pivot point right side.
paint. The 3020 had square metal tubing welded to each side of the frame at the front axle to keep the front axle from pivoting. Derek said that the owner of the farm where the 3020 was told him that this tractor was used in a tandem setup, with two tractors attached in a line for extra pulling power. This was quite a common occurrence in the 1960s in Australia. The front wheels were removed and front axle made rigid to clear the ground. The engine block is in the tractor, but the crankshaft, rods and pistons, fuel system and other parts are missing.
There were a bunch of John Deere parts strewn about at the farm, which Derek grabbed for me as well. A lot of the pieces, including the cylinder head, will come down later. On Saturday, I had help from Jarrad, one of our workshop apprentices. He met me at the workshop, and we winched the “B” and 3020 onto the tilt tray truck and brought them to our new place. We winched them off in the backyard and then headed to the old place. I got the 1010 diesel started and backed up to the truck. We winched it on as there is a major transmission noise and I don’t drive it any farther than I must. We chained the 1010 on and then backed the 420 crawler up to the truck and winched it on. Up the hill we went and dropped them off. Then the 420 standard and 2010 were winched on and dropped off. The “R” project was next in line to go on the truck and then the 3020 Power Shift on a separate load. This 3020 has a badly damaged engine with a cracked block and cylinder head. Surprisingly though, it still always started and ran well considering the issues it has. Well, I guess my luck has run out with it, as it decided to not start the day we were moving. We got the engine cranking, but there was no fuel delivery from the main pump. I removed that same fuel return elbow and there was fuel flowing there while cranking, but no start. We hooked the 3020 to my 2250, put the transmission in tow mode and pulled it up the hill at the old place and winched it onto the truck. By this time, it was starting to get dark and we called it a day. The only tractors left at the old place were the 2250, 1938 “D,” 112 lawn mower and the Kubota mower that I use. I was going to drive the “D” up later, which is also kind of a story in itself that I will share next month. I will stop the story there for this month. Stay tuned next month for the rest of my moving adventures and other bits and pieces. Until next time, cheers, mates! Contact Ken Nicklas by email at kenanicklas@gmail.com
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Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 65
Darwin Gingerich
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JD 530 used parts: Radiator cover, radiator with cast iron surround, 2 flywheels (worn centers), flywheel cover, belt pulley assem., PTO housing with gears, starter, crankshaft, pistons, cylinder heads complete, gas tank (rust hole), generator, carburetors and more. Make offer. Ph. 301-788-2761. Maryland.
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1937 A JD running tractor, Behlen 5 and 6th gears, new front tires, fair rears, new paint, decals, “hard to find.” $3675 OBO. Ph. 712-209-1916. IA th
Belt pulley for JD LA. Very rare. Good condition. Ph. 580-854-6549. OK 1924 spoker D, nice sheet metal, older restoration, original mag and carb, runs great, $40k. Two 1928 Ds, on steel and running, $3500 each. One 1927 D on steel with cracked block, $2000. Ph. 740-291-9099. OH One swing cylinder for old JD 9550 backhoe. Fits some other models, part number AT46826. Ph. 574-870-3686. IN 1953 40S, older restoration, great tires, recent tune-up, ready for work or parade, $5000. Ph. 601-757-6055. MS JD plow, model #51, one bottom 16”, on steel, clutch lift, new clutch kit installed, nice. Ph. 715-828-2286. WI JD 4620, Power Shift, 3 hyd in rear, 24.5x32 tires on rear, $19,000 OBO. Ph. 608-7786209. WI Power block for JD A, 6-3. Ph. 217-2490496; if no answer, leave message – will call back. IL
Page 66 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
2-JD 110 (1969-1970), repaired mechanically, new paint, new seats, good tires, both run good, $600 for both. No mower decks. Ph. 419-512-8546. Mansfield, Ohio. 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 H3X 1937 AR new tires, new rear rims, rebuilt carb and mag. Sheet metal good, $6500 OBO. Ph. 317-407-9444. IN
1971 4320 Wheatland diesel, Syncro, 8152 hours, new 11.00x16 tires and new 23.1x30 Firestones, quality restoration. Ph. 715307-1064. WI
45 John Deere loader in NE. Ph. 402-380-9213. NE
We’ve got you covered! Carr’s Repair
CARR’S REPAIR D and R overbore piston kits for sale D overbore .125-.250 • R overbore .045-.125
NOW AVAILABLE! 720-830 JD diesel .125 overbore piston kits Restore
Ph. 807-487-2548
those JD tractors to original!
www.carrsrepairvintageparts.com International Falls, MN • No Sunday calls
ADVERTISING
Restoration Services, in association with Paul’s Paint & Glass Supply of Seguin, Texas, will do:
DEADLINES
Quality restoration, Restoration Services fine refurbishment & excellent body & paint work
November 2021 issue:
We can also repair individual components on all two cylinder and New Generation Deeres
for upcoming issues of Green Magazine® Oct. 1, 2021 - display ads due Oct. 5, 2021 - classified ads due
December 2021 issue: Nov. 1, 2021 - display ads due Nov. 5, 2021 - classified ads due
January 2022 issue:
2495 Hwy. 46 North • Seguin, TX 78155 Ph. 800-933-6380 830-372-2195 • 830-401-1365 cell paulspaint78155@yahoo.com www.restorationservicestexas.com
Dec. 1, 2021 - display ads due Dec. 5, 2021 - classified ads due
February 2022 issue: Jan. 1, 2022 - display ads due Jan. 5, 2022 - classified ads due
March 2022 issue: Feb. 1, 2022 - display ads due Feb. 5, 2022 - classified ads due
FOR MORE INFO: Parade ready John Deere 3010. Sharp, clean tractor! Newer tires, new seat, new battery, 1000 RPM PTO. Ph. 319-430-0102. IA
1929 GP, SN 212302, tractor parade ready with all new bearings, seals, tires. Has tandem seats for parades/driver’s education. $8500 OBO. Ph. 303-279-5161 (CO), email vvwagner.golden@comcast.net
See page 65 of this issue Call 402-643-6269 Email: info@greenmagazine.com
New Generation s e at exten ded brackets, 4 inches longer than stock, not painted, 4 piece set, $120. ALSO: Axle wedge removal tool, 530-4620, three sizes, $240 each. Tim, 402314-3872. NE I3X
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. $125 for the set. See our ¼ page display ad for other gauges. EverGreen Restoration, 715-520-7876; www. evergreengauges.com WI G3X Tractors for sale: 1930 D on steel, 1927 D, 1937 AR, 1947 D with hydraulics and PS, 1938 D with dual pipes and good rubber. Ph. 785-821-2600 cell. KS I3X
John Deere 630, WF, live PTO, 3-pt., deluxe seat, flat top fenders $8500. Call 330-8060145. OH
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 67
IPCO MACHINE
IPCO Machine Reproduction Items for Restoration
NEW HEADS & BLOCKS Murphy’s Motor Service producing performance A & G blocks, heads and manifolds
Three-Point Top Link for John Deere Dubuque Tractors #M1737T and #M2469T (complete unit)
Square head, square nut, unplated radiator repair bolts for top & bottom tank for unstyled A-B-G & GP $24.00 per set with extras Above items all include UPS shipping in US Cash • Check • Money Order • COD
Garry Power: Two cylinder diesel fuel systems
G & Performance A valve springs, $50 set Roller rockers, custom billet rods and pistons for JD and other applications
NEW REPLACEMENT PONY MOTOR RODS Murphy’s Motor Service
Call Jeff 573-696-3655 or www.murphysmotorservice.com
Raleigh O. Oliver %IPCO Machine Box 35 - E. Center St. • West Mansfield, OH 43358
937-355-4910 Days Evening/Weekends:
567-674-1920 or 567-674-3269
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 I3X
Even a
small ad
draws attention! For more information about placing an ad, see page 65 of this issue or call 402-643-6269
Buddy seat! For 20 and 30 series two cylinders. Will fit float ride seat or bat box. Looks like the original buddy seat! $450 plus S/H, includes cushions. Ph. 260-901-3076. Callaway Restorations, IN. I3X JD F680 AH 6 bottom, 16 inch plow. Plow has been gone through, all trips and pins have been removed and cleaned and replaced, if needed. Wheel bearings gone through. New landslides and pads. New Firestone tires. Professionally sandblasted, primed, and painted. This F680 AH plow is very rare in the 6 bottom configuration. This plow would look and work great behind your John Deere tractor. Will entertain fair offers. Call or text for more information. Ph. 701-650-8936. ND
Page 68 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
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 H3X
John Deere 440 crawler tractor with loader and dozer. Runs well. Asking price of $3500. Ph. 320905-2536. MN JD parts: Parting A’s, Bs, 630 LP, 620G, Gs, 720, Ds, 60s. Just in: Many 520/530 parts, 70G, late B, GW. New in: 2010, 60, 2-620s, MT, D, late A’s, 720 LP, 70G, 80, 830, 2-840s, 1020, 4-70 LPs, 4010s; 800/801 and 520-730 3-pt. hitches and parts; grills; hoods; carburetors; distributors; 50-70 LP distributors; engine parts for various tractors. L belly pans, $95. Darwin Gingerich, 620-386-0071. KS JD 1941 LA tractor and LUC motor on cart, all extra parts, manuals and LA tractor rare PTO, package deal for $8000. Ph. 612-2801904. MN H3X
JD CRAWLER PARTS Decals: QuipCal.com
New, used & reproduction Crawler parts: Lavoy Wilcox JD crawler & tractor parts Steering clutch parts, brake bands, bearings, final drive gears, engine kits, carb kits, radiators, fans, water pumps, battery sheet metal, seat cushions, track frame covers, NOS sprockets, new undercarriage, gauges, light switches and more.
www.jdcrawlers.com Lavoy Wilcox • Horace, ND 701-361-1006, 9-6 CST
New Generation fuel gauges for 10 and early 20 series tractors, negative or positive ground, comes with new fuel tank sending unit, $150 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 I3X
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 H3X
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
Closed Sundays
Visit our website: www.antiquejohndeere.com
Ridge View Tractor Restoration. Sandblasting and painting. Complete restorations, all makes and models. General repairs. Agricultural and industrial equipment. Eugene Burkholder, 3376 170th Street, Ionia, IA 50645. Ph. 641-228-4558. J6X
New: Automatic release brake locks for two cylinders. Tractor: ’38 B. Parts: 420W, 50 and 630 RC; 520-720-630 LP and A-730: wheels, motor parts, air stacks, 3-points, weights, fenders, new and used. ALSO: A full line of aftermarket parts. Front weights, also hose and breakaway kits for dual hydraulics for 520 through 730 series; For A and B tractors: Behlen overdrives, round spokes and lugs. 800/801 hitches and parts, MT-430T rear weights. Rollover plows and plow parts: 820, 825, 835. Marlin Smith, Pine Valley Farm Equipment, Panama, IA. Ph. 712-489-2570. I3X
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. 716937-6618. Website: www.wiringharnesses. com. Email: agriserv@rochester.rr.com. J3X ELECTRIC STARTER KIT for R, includes 12 volt starter, bracket with battery box, breather, water manifold, water pipe. Alternator with top and bottom brackets, mounting hardware and battery cables. $1595. Free shipping. Ph. 717-445-9465. PA J3X 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 J2X
JD 2 bottom plow beam, No. 40, good condition, $300 OBO. Ph. 303-279-5161 (CO), email vvwagner.golden@comcast.net
John Deere L, LA, LI Ridenours - L parts and Unstyled L Parts
Large inventory of good used two cylinder parts. Call for parts needed - casting numbers and/or parts numbers appreciated when you call. Detwiler Tractor Parts, Spencer, WI. Ph. 715-659-4174 or 715-6594252 weekdays 9-5. I6X 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. G6X
Rockshaft for late model B, fits years ’48 to ’52, bearing replaced in PTO shaft, has Powr-Trol valve, also has Pioneer remote coupler plumbed into it. $400 OBO. Ph. 660-458-1103. MO J3X 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, see website: www. scottstractorrestoration.com or email: twocylindersh@aol.com. A12X 70 diesel just fresh in! Parting out: 70 gas burner, 630, good tin; styled G, also H. Parts for unstyled A, B, GP, D. Styled A, B, D, G, 50, 60, 520 and 620. Some R parts. Call Larry Frederick, 308-534-9649 or 308520-7416. NE G6X Call now for model D and R parts. Ph. 785821-2600, cell. Goodland, KS. I6X We have parts for your 45 combine! www.45combineparts.com. Ph. 417-2592520. MO G6X
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 69
Countryside Tractor Steiner Tractor Parts Dealer
Working to put you with your favorite tractor
1215 CH 13 • Keenes, IL Countryside Tractor
618-731-6625
Parts New, Used and Reproduction
Service
Scenic View Engine
Buying and Selling Collector Tractors
lukeaeberly@gmail.com www.vintagejohndeereparts.com www.ebay.com/str/vintagejohndeereparts
Fresh in for parts—50 and 720 diesel, pony start; 4010 propane and 4020, 720 gas, 2510 Power Shift and 2520; also 1010, 2010, MT, 3010 and 3020, late styled A, late styled D, late styled B, styled B, early unstyled A, R, 60, 70 LP, 630, 4010 diesel. Countryside Tractor, 618-731-6625. IL H3X 720 diesel, narrow front, SN 7204346, near new rear tires, both engines run good, $4500. JD model A manure spreader, wood slath bottom/apron, beater on the axle, horse pull, good condition, shedded, $450. Van Brunt 8 foot grain drill, wood box with grass seeder, shedded, good condition, $400. Ph. 612-390-1839. MN I2X Carburetor, water pump, distributor rebuilding. Farmers Service Incorporated. Ph. 330-482-4180, www.farmersserviceinc. com OH F6X 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 J3X THREE PIECE FRONT WEIGHTS for JD 520-730. Good reproduction. U.S. made. $1000. Also numbers 4, 5 and 6 are available. Detwiler Tractor Parts, Spencer, WI. Call 715-659-4174, 715-659-4252 or 715-6594525 (office) 9-5 M-F. H3X Selling for the estate of the late Kenneth A. Smith of Fayetteville, TN. 1936 A with complete round spokes, smooth rear cover, $5000. 1937 B with complete round spokes, smooth rear cover, $4000. All tractors start and run great, older restorations. Pictures available upon request. Contact Jim Luna at 931-703-0152. Call, text or leave message. TN H3X
Page 70 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
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 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. H6X JD tractor parts for G, D, A, B, H, MT, 50, 60, 70, 420C, 520, 620, 730, 80, 830, 840, 2010, 1020, 4010, 4020. Darwin Gingerich, 620-386-0071. KS JD parts, new and used are available for most models. We also have good running JD tractors, wheels, assorted weights. Call to see what is available. Call Larry Baker, 931-248-2782 or e-mail lpbaker@twlakes. net. TN H3X 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 E6X 313 JD corn head, always shedded. JD bean head for 45 combine, for parts. Ph. 260-517-8492. IN J3X 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. $55. Battery box winged Airlock bolt also now available, $15. Both for $65, includes shipping. Ph. 217-502-4504. IL F6X
Electric starter for 80/820/830. Includes 12 volt starter, bracket, alternator and brackets, engine cover, breather standpipe, plug and caps for water ports, $1280. Battery box also now available. Kit for 70/720/730, $1165. Free shipping. Also battery cable kit now available. Ph. 717-445-9465. PA J3X NEW: FENDERS and HOODS. Made like original - 18 gauge. FOR A-B-G-D-GP-AR and BR. Call: 715-659-4174, 715-659-4252 (shop) or 715- 659-4525 (office). Send email: detwiler@tznet.com. Detwiler Tractor Parts, Spencer, WI 54479. G6X ’52 JD G, nice older restoration, clam shell fenders, excellent runner, like new tires, bring battery. $6000 OBO. ’39 JD H, original, hand start, like new tires, $2000 OBO. ’54 JD 50 w/45 loader, tires chains, $2000 OBO. Ph. 715-791-0403. WI I2X NEW manufactured parts for John Deere L, LI and LA. Forty years of experience making these parts! Grilles, bases, propeller shaft guards and shield assemblies. Ron Brungart, cell 570-660-4573. PA J3X 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 J2X 1952 JD G, SN 61161, good tin, earlier restoration, big nut carb, fairly new rubber. Ph. 712-299-2870. IA I2X 1963 JD 4010 gas, wide front, Syncro-Range trans, one remote, 3-pt. hitch, shows 6759 hours, 15.5x38 rear tires, runs good, $6500 OBO. Ph. 715-229-4965. WI J2X
PAUL’S ROD & BEARING
Specializing in JD babbitt bearings Paul's Rod & Bearing
Let us repour your rod & mains for models A, B, D, G, H, L & LA
Ph. 816-587-4747
Since 1952
6212 N.W. Bell Road Parkville, MO 64152
Excellent reproduction
TOOL BOXES
A thru 730D
ALSO: New Generation tool boxes Dillner's Tractors
• GP, D & LA brake linings • Carburetor rebuilding • H773R dust shields • Clutch brake pads • Governor springs
CALL or see website
FOR SALE
JD 4020 gas engine, complete, model #6362GR, SNengine 21E137735, For sale: 4020 gas block casting R40860
for more info
Also: JD sickle 8’ mower,
973 Corley Rd. • Manns Choice, PA 15550
Ph. 970-487-3410 (CO)
BOB DILLNER
814-733-4397 www.dillnerstractors.com
model 39N11165
Toys, Books, Manuals & Videos Books: The John Deere Moldboard Tractor Plow 1914-1960, 240 pages, $29.97. John Deere Moldboard and Disk Plows, New Generation Era 1960-1990s, 256 pages, $30. DVD-A Guide to Better Plowing, 50 minutes of plow set up, $15. Plow lever parts for JD plows. Email: bedacompany@yahoo.com, website: www. thebedacompany.com or call 608-323-3087. Send orders to: Beda Company, N30101 Church Hill Rd., Arcadia, WI 54612. I6X
Collected Thoughts – Behind the Muffler, $20. Behind the Fence, $25. Behind the Motometer, $10. All three books, $50. Rural humor. 300 pages total. Robert Frey, 104 Snyders Road, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865. C10X 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 John Deere 20 Series New Generation Tractors By Benjamin Hain
This book is 128 pages packed with information on the John Deere models 820, 1020, 1520, 2020, 2520, 3020, 4000, 4020, 4320, 4520, 4620, 5020, 6030, 7020, 7520, 8020, WA-14 and WA-17
Includes history and development, specifications, production numbers and horsepower ratings. All the features you’ve come to expect in Green Magazine publications, giving the complete story of Deere’s finest line of tractors. 128 pages, 11x8-1/2 inches, soft cover • Prices includes postage
Order NG20 : $28.00 U.S. & Canada • $35.00 Foreign
Call 402-643-6269 • Email info@greenmagazine.com Online www.GreenMagazine.com Mail: Green Magazine • PO Box 95, Bee, NE 68314-0095 Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Am Express accepted • Nebraska residents, add 5.5% sales tax • U.S. funds only
Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 71
Jorde’s Decals
We want to hear from you! • Your story with or without photos (send high resolution photos, please) • Deere John letters • Questions for Mr. Thinker • New product information Send by mail: Green Magazine PO Box 95 • Bee, NE 68314-0095 Email: info@greenmagazine.com
Send your story
TODAY!! TODAY
Please include your phone number on all submissions If you have questions, call 402-643-6269 or email info@greenmagazine.com
Page 72 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
• Two Cylinder Diesels—Our Specialty • Complete Two Cylinder Diesel Renaissance Tractor • Fuel Injection Repair and C alibration • 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 120 Cabe Road • Chehalis, WA 98532
800-784-0026 • 360-748-0026
Wanted & Announcements Wanted: Early John Deere D with original patina. What do you have? Ph. 717-7384157. PA Wanted: P4E 8” pulley, P8E coupler for Dain pump jack. Ph. 419-738-6622 evenings. OH Wanted: 4040 with open station and Power Shift and 4000 with Power Shift. Ph. 563539-4444 evenings. IA J2X Wanted: Parts for JD 30 combine. Ph. 920923-4240. WI Wanted: JD 555H 3 bottom, 14 inch plow. Long boards. Condition—straight and not worn out, rusty okay, for farm use. Prefer within 200 miles from Charleston, IL or Hankinson, ND. Send email: rghoughton@ farmside.co.nz or 01164274542932 between 3 PM and midnight CDT. (New Zealand) Wanted: JD tractor 5020 model, no cab, diesel. Built 1970 and later. In working condition, no pieces missing. For farm use, not parades and museums. specialsearchusa@ gmail.com (S.Carolina) I2X Wanted: Original 2520 diesel operator’s manual. Also side console 3020 diesel Power Shift, prefer 1972 model. Ph. 605352-9788. SD I3X Wanted: Lid for model 71 unit planter. Lid is 10 inches across. Ph. 712-260-1500. IA I2X
Wanted: Front mount JD cultivator for JD 4230/4030 tractor. Four or six row. Front mount only. Text to 678-699-3164. South Carolina. J3X Wanted: Two row 40” cultivator for corn, fits 1937 A, with sweeps. Would like to find one in Nebraska. Ph. 785-821-2600. KS H3X Wanted: Looking for JD models 50, 520, 530, 60, 620, 630 and 70, 720, 730 tractors that were painted industrial yellow or highway orange or any other color than the traditional green and yellow. Must be factory original color. Please no clones. Any condition considered. Ask for Jeff. Ph. 631-806-1181. NY J3X Wanted: Want to purchase JD 4230 diesel, no cab, 1973 year or later. No damage, no pieces missing, ready for farm use. Also seeking front mount cultivator four or six row, to fit JD 4230 or JD 4030 tractor. Email: specialsearchusa@gmail.com (S.Carolina) I2X Wanted: Parts for seed delivery chains that carry seed from the meter down to the ground in 495A planters. Ph. 515-2036183. IA H3X Wanted: JD 50 or JD 60 tricycle with power steering. For farm use, not parades. Text preferred: 678-699-3351. Middle GA. J3X Wanted: Seeking JD horse drawn hay mower in working order. Send email to: specialsearchusa@gmail.com (S.Carolina) I2X
Want to buy: JD 2755 or 2555 low hours, with or without these options - front wheel drive, JD loader, Sound-Gard cab. Must have hydrostatic steering. Call or text 309738-8410. IL I3X Wanted: JD 71 planters with 3-point tool bar, two row or four row. Ph. 678-6993351. GA I2X Wanted: Seeking JD 1020 tractor, diesel, late model, ready for farm use. Power steering, not wrecked, not burned. Ph. 678-699-3351. GA I2X Announcing: Glendale, Arizona, Feb. 1213, 2022: Sahuaro Ranch Park Historic Area, 9802 N. 59th Avenue (between Olive and Peoria). Sponsored by Arizona Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association. Tractor pull and parade both days. Antique gas engine displays and demonstrations. Classic and antique tractors, all makes. 9 AM to 4 PM Saturday, 9 AM to 2 PM Sunday. For more info: 623-435-3955, www. aedgeta.org. AZ J5X Announcing: Apache Junction, Arizona, March 12-13, 2022. Rodeo Park (located on Lost Dutchman Boulevard between Idaho and Tomahawk Roads). Sponsored by Arizona Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association. Tractor parade and pull both days. Antique gas engine displays and demonstrations. Classic and antique tractors, all makes. 9 AM to 4 PM Saturday, 9 AM to 2 PM Sunday. For more info: 623-435-3955, www.aedgeta.org. AZ. J6X
We like to hear from our subscribers— send a letter by mail or email:
Green Magazine, PO Box 95, Bee, NE 68314-0095 • info@greenmagazine.com Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 73
The John Deere Hi-Crop Book This book provides serial number lists for models A, G, 60, 70, 620,Book: 720,The430, 2010, John630, Deere730, Hi-Crop Book 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 Hi-Crop tractors provided, as well as Hi-Crop totals by state—and more.
72 pages • 5.5 x 8.5 inches • Paperback • Limited quantity
The John Deere Hi-Crop Book Order GMHC $19.95 shipped to the U.S. and Canada
All prices include postage! Visa, MC, Discover, AmExp accepted Nebraska residents, add 5.5% sales tax
$24.95 foreign (all other countries • US funds only, please) Available ONLY from Green Magazine • PO Box 95, Bee, NE 68314-0095 Phone 402-643-6269 • Email info@greenmagazine.com ORDER TODAY! Website for online orders: www.greenmagazine.com
Page 74 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
Lakeside Service & Supply New and Used Parts for Vintage JD Two Cylinder Tractors We ship parts daily!
Lakeside Service & Supply Dennis Polk Equipment 325 S. Main Street • Elmer, NJ 08318
856-358-2444 deereblaze@verizon.net
Like us on Facebook! Visa/Mastercard/Paypal accepted
OBSOLETE PARTS CHECK YOUR PART NUMBERS
Obsolete parts - The Old Tractor against one of the largest inventories of obsolete and Company reproduction John Deere parts in the world
www.theoldtractorcompany.com The Old Tractor Company • Box 89 • Franktown, CO 80116
TEXT: 303-594-3074 (texting preferred) Ph. 231-846-8243
The John Deere Unstyled Letter Series By J.R. Hobbs Covers 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.
Order GM10 • NOW ON SALE! $18.00 US/Canada $30.00 Foreign
Inventory reduction
SALE
Call: 402-643-6269 ORDER Email: info@greenmagazine.com TODAY! Online: www.greenmagazine.com Green Magazine® • PO Box 95, Bee, NE 68314-0095 Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express accepted Nebraska residents add 5.5% sales tax Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 75
AC-1000 ATTACHMENTS CATALOG A reprint of the catalog sent to John Deere dealers in October of 1958. It shows accessories and attachments available for two cylinder tractors, such as weights, axles, wheels, tachometers, Book: AC-1000 Attachments Catalog seats and lights. Also, mufflers, hydraulics, fenders, belt pulleys and 1000 RPM PTO conversions. Covers all two cylinder models, except “L” and “GP” series. Most letter series attachments are not pictured, just described.
This is not a book of machinery or implements. 8-1/2”x11” • 260 pages • Soft cover • Spiral bound • All black/white Printed in the USA
Order GMAT
$39 postage paid for orders shipped to the US $49 postage paid to Canada / Foreign
Green Magazine • PO Box 95 • Bee, NE 68314
www.GreenMagazine.com Phone 402-643-6269 Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express accepted Nebraska residents add 5.5% sales tax • U.S. funds only
Page 76 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
Order TODAY!! TODAY Limited quantity available
Take a look at these sample pages
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Reach the most targeted audience of John Deere tractor enthusiasts that you can find with a Green Magazine classified ad. Your classified is seen both online and in our print magazine. Enhanced classifieds also reach our email subscribers and Facebook followers.
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SET 2: 2015-2017 (feature article listed after each issue)
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Bookstore GM The place to go for accurate and informative books
IT’S BACK—AGAIN!
A Specialized Look Into The Unstyled Model A: The Handbook of the John Deere Model A 1934-1938 Now in its fourth printing by author Wes Malcolm, this book 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 John Deere unstyled “A.” 11”x8-1/2,” 100 pages, soft cover. GM7A - $35.95 US, $44.95 Canada, $49.95 All others
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/C, $35.00 F
Green Magazine Bookstore
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/C, $30.00 F
Mr. Thinker’s John Deere Almanac, Third Edition For all models built from 1918 to 1972: a bit of history, SN/year breaks, accurate production numbers (no 820 three cylinder, 1020, 1520 and 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 and a list of the 20 highest production Deere tractors. This edition includes a chart on heights, weights and top speeds; SN/ year charts for model 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. A great book for show, shop or office! 8-1/2”x5-1/2,” soft cover, black/white. MRT3 - $14.95 US, $18.95 C, $28.95 F
AC-1000 Attachments Catalog
This reprint of the catalog sent to JD dealers in October 1958 shows accessories and attachments available for two cylinder tractors, such as weights, axles, wheels, tachometers, seats and lights, mufflers, hydraulics, fenders, belt pulleys and 1000 RPM PTO conversions. Covers all two cylinder models, except L and GP series. Most letter series attachments are not pictured, just described. This is not a book of machinery or implements. 8-1/2”x11,” 260 pages, soft cover, spiral bound, black/white. GMAT - $39.00 US, $49.00 C/F
US = United States • C = Canada price • F = Foreign price Page 82 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
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 Hi-Crop tractors provided, as well as Hi-Crop totals by state and more. 72 pages, 5.5 x 8.5,” paperback, limited quantity. GMHC - $19.95 US/C, $24.95 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/C, $16.95 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/C, $19.95 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/C, $21.95 F
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Little Green, The Green Magazine for Kids
Here’s a magazine for kids ages 4-8 that’s all about tractors and farm machines. Six issues per year • Each issue contains: • Farm-centered puzzles, games and recipes • Articles on how things work, how crops are grown • Historical articles about tractors and farm machinery — plus much more! Little Green’s adventures help teach lessons about getting along with friends.
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Mr. Thinker, Several months ago, there were several questions about 4020 Power Shift transmissions and that has prompted me to ask a question of my own. My 4020 LP, serial number 22T76937, leaks oil from the transmission oil filter packing when the tractor is started. It was much worse in the cold of winter, below 32 degrees, but it has not stopped even now, when it is over 80 degrees. Once the tractor is running, it will generally stop but as I use the loader, it tends to leave a spot on the floor. I rebuilt the engine and transmission six years and only 35 hours of use ago and it didn’t start leaking until just this past year. I have changed the filter and filter housing packing, which might have helped a little. I know that the earlier serial numbers use a different packing than the later ones; I have removed the filter relief valve from the pedal valve housing and it moves freely (fell out on its own) and it seems like I can tighten the filter housing bolt occasionally but it is not a lasting fix. What am I missing? Thanks for your help, J.C., Kansas
Unless you can find some paperwork locally, whether that be in a box of old papers found in Grandpa’s attic, there is no way to find out what dealership sold the tractor, because neither Deere nor anyone else is going to have those records. Likewise for what he paid for it, though if he bought it new, it was probably somewhere around $1,400. He probably chose the “M” over the “B” and “A” because he didn’t need anything that large or, in relative terms, expensive. MT Dear Mr. Thinker, I am 17 and I look at Dad’s Green Magazine every month and I really enjoy it. I was looking through the book called John Deere Model “B” Photo Archive, edited by P.S. Letourneau. On pages 15, 16 and 17, the unstyled model “B” pictured has rubber tires front and rear and has spoked wheels. The wheels appear to be painted black but the front hub caps and rear wedge rings are yellow. Why are the wheels painted black? How many were liked this? D.B., Minnesota
Sounds like a frustrating problem, especially after a rebuild and very low hours of use. Mr. Thinker would suggest double checking the sealing lip of the oil filter cover for a chip, ding or crack. If the sealing lip looks perfect, then remove the filter cover bolt and check the filter cover sealing lip for flatness. If the filter cover was ever tightened up, even slightly, without being properly seated in the seal packing groove, it can warp the filter cover, causing your leaking problem. The filter cover Quad ring is quite forgiving, but it does have its limits. If that doesn’t pinpoint your leaking issue, try replacing the filter cover with a new seal. MT Mr. Thinker, I never thought to ask any family members while they were alive about the details of my grandfather’s John Deere “M” that I have inherited. He lived in Augusta, West Virginia and bought it new in 1948. The serial number is 21972. I would like to know what dealership sold this tractor and how much it cost him new. I also wish now that I knew why he chose the “M” over a “B” or “A” at that time but no one will know that now. Thank you. G.M., Virginia Page 84 October 2021 • Green Magazine®
The dark colored rims shown in many archival photographs were generally dark green. This color was French and Hecht’s typical color for painting wheels produced for all brands of tractors unless the manufacturer specified something else. Even the F&H steel wheels produced for Deere will often have the dark green paint underneath the factory yellow paint. From
studying photographs, it’s common to see tractors from ‘32 to ‘36 with dark wheels. The conclusion is that during this time, Deere didn’t always bother to paint them yellow before they made it to the farmer. Tractors factory shipped on F&H round spokes from Waterloo probably had a better chance of being shipped with yellow wheels than tractors being dealer equipped with rubber or those purchased aftermarket. It’s simply how F&H was supplying their wheels if the tractor manufacturer didn’t specify a certain color. MT Mr. Thinker, One thing we were debating about recently is why John Deere went from 38 inch tires on the JD 50, to 36 inch tires on the JD 520 and then back to 38 inch tires on the JD 530. Do you know what their decision making was behind that? We have a JD 520 and we would sure like to get some bigger tires on it than the 36 inch ones. L.S., Wisconsin When Deere developed the 520, they increased the RPM of the engine, which had been 1,250 on the model 50 to 1,325. That increased the ground speed, so to counteract it, they decreased the diameter of the rear wheels. The original 13.9 by 36 tires had a lower profile than the now available 13.6 by 36s. While 38s were available on the model 530, so were 36s. MT Mr. Thinker, Any history available on the No. 40 combine? Is this the first self propelled combine built by John Deere? H.T., Missouri
Deere’s self propelled combine line started with the No. 55 in 1947, followed by the 45 in 1954 and the 95 in 1958. The 40 didn’t come along until 1960. Price of a new No. 40, about $4,300. MT
Just about the same place, but in this case, you have to remove a pipe plug (26) first. Once the plug is off, you’ll take a large flat blade screwdriver to tighten the adjusting screw (25) to increase the oil pressure. MT
Mr. Thinker, I have a 1951 “B,” serial number 287434. It has an oil pressure adjustment screw right below the belt pulley. I also have a 1952 “A,” serial number 696386. My question is—where do I and how do I adjust the oil pressure? S.H., South Dakota
Mr. Thinker, Will a 630 JD power steering unit bolt up to a JD 620 non power steering tractor? C.P., Pennsylvania From looking at the parts book, it appears that the Green Magazine® • October 2021 Page 85
frames and the pedestal are the same on both power and manual steering 620s and 630s, so it would appear that the answer is “yes.” Mr. Thinker’s concern is whether or not there is something different with the steering shaft where it enters the pedestal. As you know, the 620 has a straight steering shaft and the 630 has a shaft with a U-joint, so it is hard to tell by using the information in a parts book. So you will want to compare those parts carefully. MT Mr. Thinker, I have a 1959 John Deere 440 bulldozer, six-way blade, forward reverser, gas. Very good condition, starts good, runs good. I’ve been told very few 440 six-way blade dozers were built at the Dubuque plant. Help me know how many and if rare. D.Y., Wisconsin
some of my parts tractors work in replacing this crankshaft? I have a few 1938s, and a couple of 1936, “A’s” that I can take the crank out of. Will they exchange okay? R.S., Nebraska Few things could ruin a parade as quickly as an “A” flywheel rolling wildly through the assembled masses. While JB Weld is good for some fixes, this one calls for something a little more mainstream. All unstyled “A” tractors used the same crankshaft and flywheel so you should be able to make an exchange. MT Mr. Thinker, When did Deere use the flat style flywheel on the model “B”? S.G., Illinois
All Mr. Thinker can tell you is that Deere built 9,855 gas burning 440 crawlers. How many left the factory with, or later had, a No. 64 six-way blade is unknown but given the relative popularity, you would have to think there are a fair number out there—probably not as many as the manual 602 (outside) or 63 (inside) mounted blades. MT Dear Mr. Thinker, I bought a 1937 “A” a few years back. I thought I got a good buy. I put it in parades back then, but to my horror found out it had a loose flywheel. Bad splines on flywheel and crankshaft. I also found that they put tobacco can strips in the splines and the flywheel to try and tighten it up. Someone told me to put JB Weld on it and adjust up the flywheel but my experience as a machinist said to fix it the right way. My question is—will a crankshaft from
Deere went to a flat flywheel on the styled, hand start model “B” tractors when it was updated with available six speeds and refined combustion chamber at serial number 96000. The flat flywheel was used on all hand start “Bs” up to when the “B” was updated to the late styled design. MT
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Todd Beisiegel’s “GP” and No. 5 combine.