Visit any antique power show and you are sure to find row after row of pristine green and yellow tractors gleaming in sunlight. You might wonder if you had somehow wandered onto the lot of a John Deere dealership. While I can appreciate the desire of the owners to protect and preserve their new toy, the sense of history is gone, covered over by a thick coat of new paint.
This is the way I like to find antique tractors, dripping nostalgia and chock full of restoration possibilities. Well, maybe not quite this chock full.
The Model A was one of Deere’s all time greatest hits. In production from 1934 until 1953 more than 300,000 rolled off the assembly lines, It was offered as a row crop and standard tread tractor, as styled and unstyled. There were also industrial and orchard versions available. Serial numbers range from 410000 to 703384,
The model A unstyled was built from 1934 until 1938, the styled A from 1939 to 1952, A styled AOS model from 1937 until 1940. Models designated AO, AR and AI were available from 1936 to 1949 and a styled AR from 1949 until 1953. The A designated row crop, AR standard tread, AO orchard, and AI industrial.
Power was supplied by Deere’s trademark “JohnnyPopper” engine. A two cylinder, horizontal, water cooled, distillate burner. The big cylinders measured 5.5 inches across the bore with a 6.5 inch stroke to yield a displacement of 309 cubic inches.
Deere shipped a copy of the A to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln where it was evaluated in test number 222 from April 19 to 27 in 1934. It was rated at 16.22 drawbar horsepower and 23.52 hp on the belt. Speeds were listed as: 1st 2 ⅓ mph, 2nd 3 mph, 3rd 4 ¾ mph, 4th 6 ¼ mph and reverse as 3 ½ mph.
The model A offered several innovative features that contributed to its popularity. The wheel tread was adjustable for row crop work. Hydraulic lift systems were offered as an option. Individual differential breaks gave enhanced performance. It was a general purpose tractor that the farmer could depend on for years of service.
These photos were taken at the Richland Creek Antique Fall Festival at Saluda , South Carolina. For information about future events visit: www.richlandcreekantiques.com
Sources:
Encyclopedia of American Farm Tractors by C. H. Wendel
Steiner 2017 Annual Catalog
www.tractordata.com
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu
