Deere & Company, the firm founded by John Deere, began to expand its range of equipment to include the tractor business in 1876. The Deere Company briefly experimented with building its own tractor models, the most successful of which was the Dain All-Wheel-Drive.
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The predecessor of Waterloo Boy came about in 1892. It was made by thresherman John Froelich. It is called the Froelich tractor. Scale Models of Dyersville, Iowa[1] made a 1/16 scale toy tractor of this tractor. In March 1918 Deere & Company decided to continue its foray into the tractor business by purchasing the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company which manufactured the popular Waterloo Boy Tractor at its facilities in Waterloo, Iowa.
Deere & Company continued to sell tractors under the Waterloo Boy name until 1923.
Despite a rather severe farm economy depression at the time, Deere management decided to build a Model D prototype in 1923, designed by Muir L. Frey (father of Ford Mustang designer Donald N. Frey).[2] The Deere Model D was produced from March 1, 1923 to July 3, 1953, the longest production span of all the two-cylinder John Deere tractors. Over 160,000 were made.[3]
The first Model D rode on steel wheels with a 6.5 × 7 in (170 × 180 mm) (later 6.75 × 7 in (171 × 180 mm)) two-cylinder hand-cranked engine rated 15–27 hp (11–20 kW).[4] It was not, however, the first tractor to bear the Deere name - as a number of Deere experimental tractors, and the John Deere Dain "All Wheel Drive" tractor (of which approximately 100 were produced during 1918 and 1919) had all carried the Deere name before the D.
By 1925, the company realized the standard Model D did not meet customers' needs for industrial applications. Steel wheels were not suitable for hard surfaces, and the gearing was too slow for safe road speeds. Solid rubber tires were added, and engineers fitted a 28 tooth sprocket to the final drive, giving a road speed of 4 mph (6.4 km/h). The company replaced the 465 cu in (7.62 l) 2-cylinder engine with a 501 cu in (8.21 l). In 1926, Deere advertised the model the "John Deere Industrial Tractor" with 40 × b inch rear wheels and 24 × 3.5 in (610 × 89 mm) fronts with solid tires. This would become known as the DI. Options also included wheel weights.[5]
Following the D, John Deere initially introduced a new model known as the C. The C tractor came with a 312 cubic inch engine which produced 20 horsepower (HP) along with a 3-speed transmission. The model C was made during the years 1927 and 1928, with a serial number range of 200111 to 200211.
On June 20, 1928, the model designation was changed from "C" to "GP" to avoid confusion with the "D" when dealers were phoning in orders to the factory. "GP" stands for General Purpose. This new model GP had the same horsepower, engine displacement, weight and 3-speed transmission as the model C. The GP's first serial number was 200211 . In 1930, the GP was updated with a 25-horsepower, 339 cubic inch engine.
The John Deere model GP continued in production, and was built in five distinct versions through the course of its production:
The John Deere Model A came off the assembly line in April 1934. The tractor was 25-HP, was 309 CID and had a 4-speed transmission. There were 8 different model A variations. Some of these were tricycle, Hi-Crop, orchard, single front tire and industrial models. The tricycle wheel design, patterned after that of the Farmall tractor, reduced steering effort and greatly increased maneuverability. In the following year, 1935, the prototype of the smaller model B was developed. The model B started rolling of the assembly line in June 1934. This tractor came accompanied with a shorter frame than the model A which was eventually lengthened so it could use some of the same equipment that the larger models A and G used. There were also 8 different model B tractor variations, the same as the larger model A.
The much larger G model arrived in 1937. It was fitted with a 36-horsepower, 425 cubic inch engine and a 4-speed transmission. John Deere publicized the G as a 3-plow tractor and was built until 1941 when the GM came along (GM stands for G, Modernized). The GM model was made from 1942 to 1947. The power was increased to 38 horsepower and a new 6-speed transmission was also added. The G model got a restyled front at this point as did the other John Deere tractors models. The GM had electric starting and lighting added to it options. During its production time the G tractor was available as a hi-crop, single front wheel and styled.
Deere made their first unstyled rowcrop tractor in 1929 to compete with the Farmall. It was a modified GP tractor with adjustable rear wheels and a narrow front end. In 1933 Deere started experimenting with what would come to be known as the model A. The new model A went into production in 1934. The A launched Deere into the rowcrop farming maket. The A was by far the most popular two cylinder tractor that Deere produced. The next year the model B was introduced. It was one third smaller than the A which made it ideal for smaller farms. A few years later, the Model G was introduced in 1938. It remained unstyled for several more years than the A and B. The Unstyled tractors launched Deere into the rowcrop farming market which they are still a major part of today.
In 1938 John Deere hired well known designer Henry Dreyfuss from New York City to re-style Deere's agricultural equipment, especially its tractors. The first two letter series tractors (the A and B) were the first to receive the new modern styling, and other models were added later. The Dreyfuss styling was intended to help John Deere compete with the forthcoming Farmall Letter series of tractors, which along with Ford-Ferguson, were John Deere's largest competition at this time.
The 1930s and 1940s saw a large number of different John Deere models emerge, as small farmers emerging from their Depression troubles increasingly turned from horses to tractors. John Deere's GM model was introduced in 1942, and was made until 1947. Power was increased to 38-HP and a new 6-speed transmission was also added. The G model got a restyled front at this point as did the other John Deere tractors models. The GM had electric start and lights added to its options. During its production time the G tractor was available in hi-crop and single front wheel versions. The G was restyled in 1941 but did not start to roll off the assembly line until early 1942. Like the smaller A/B tractors the G model also had the 6-speed transmission added to it. In 1946, the 1946 model "D" had a 501 cubic inch engine, which was enormous for the day. Two new additions to the tractor line, namely the M and R models were also added.
After the Models A and B got new styling, both tractors were given a 6-speed transmission in late 1940. The A was 29-HP out of a 321 CID engine while the smaller B was both 18 and 23-HP reflecting the earlier and later updates between 1938 and 46. The 14.84 model H was given the Dreyfuss look from the time it was introduced in 1938. The H broke a fuel economy record when it was tested in Nebraska. This tractor also had 3 variations that came out in 1940-41. The H tractor was 14.84 horsepower out of a 90 CID engine and had a 3-speed transmission.
In 1939, the restyled model D appeared. The D was a 42-HP tractor, and weighed 5,300 pounds. Options available on this tractor included electric lighting and starting. In August 1940 John Deere introduced the new model LA which was followed by the model LI. The LA had a 77 CID engine with 14 belt horsepower. The John Deere G tractor was restyled in 1941 but did not start to roll off the assembly line until early 1942. Like the smaller A/B tractors the G model also had the 6-speed transmission, but also featured electric lights and electric start.
In 1947, John Deere opened a new tractor factory in Dubuque, Iowa, built to produce the John Deere M. The M was created to address the increasing demand for small tractors and compete with the increasingly popular Ford and the smaller Farmall tractor models. The M was the first Deere tractor to use a vertical 2-cylinder engine, with a square bore and stroke of 4.0 × 4.0 inches.with a high row crop.
After years of testing, John Deere released its first proper diesel tractor in 1949, the Model R. The R was also the first Deere tractor with a 'live' independent PTO equipped with its own clutch. The R also incorporated live hydraulics. PowrTrol, as it was known, provided the operator the ability to lift equipment by the pull of a lever. A pump powered by the PTO clutch provided 1800 PSI of hydraulic pressure to a lever controlled valve. At 45-HP at the drawbar and 50-HP at the belt, it was the most fuel-efficient tractor available at the time, and this combination of features resulted in over 21,000 being built. The model R had a shipping weight of 7,670 lb. The R was equipped with 2 engines. The primary plant is a 2 cylinder, 4 stroke, naturally aspirated 412 cubic inch direct injected diesel engine with a 16:1 compression ratio. The starting motor is also a Deere 2 cylinder, 26 cubic inch horizontally opposed gasoline engine. The starting or "pony" engine is electrically started by a 6 volt electrical system, and is used to crank the diesel. Testing results with various electrical starting systems for the diesel proved to be too bulky requiring a 24 or 32 volt system. The design of the pony start R's allowed for hot exhaust gasses to preheat the intake air for the diesel and a common liquid cooling system allowed the pony engine to warm the diesel block and head. This provided sufficient cold weather starting aids for the diesel that it would reliably run in sub zero conditions. The R did have several teething problems as this was Deere's first production diesel tractor. Available as a standard tractor only, it did not have an adjustable front axle, nor did it have a 3 pt hitch. The engine was mainly an up-scaled gasoline engine from the Model D. The use of a "Thermo-Siphon" cooling system and the lack of a 3 bearing crankshaft caused many issues. The R was prone to overheating and cracking the cylinder head. The lack of a center main bearing in the crankshaft allowed the shaft to flex when used as a stationary powerplant on the belt, this would lead to its failure. The Live PTO took its power from 2 45* bevel gears that were not big enough to transmit the full torque of the engine and were prone to failure also. The tractor was, however, very good at being a tractor, pulling larger equipment efficiently through the large acre wheatland farms in which it was designed to operate.
During the 1950s, the R saw a series of upgrades in the Models 80, 820 and 830. The 80 was produced for 2 years and 3,500 were produced. It had new features, including power steering and dual hydraulics. It developed 68-HP and weighed 8,100 pounds. The 80 also corrected the other design flaws within the R such as using a water pump and pressure radiator cap and the addition of a center crankshaft main bearing. The 820 and 830 were similar overall, camshaft design (to stop the tractor running backwards), also differed in their sheet metal exteriors and fuel tank design. The 820 is a larger version of the 720 and the 720 was basically the same as the 70, except for the number and that the low spots on the hood are painted JD yellow. The 720 was upgraded to the 730 for 1959. The 730 featured more contoured bodywork than the 720 and came with more ergonomic features for the operator. Although the 730 had a short production run it became one of John Deere's most popular models. The 730 also featured power steering and 24 volt electric starter motor instead of the V4 pony start engine. The 730 was available in Diesel, Gasoline and LPG as well as in Row crop tricycle, Row crop wide front, Standard tread and hi crop wide front formats. The 730 is very popular with tractor pulling enthusiasts because of its weight, power and slow speed. Plus its good looks have become popular with tractor restorers. The 730 was a 59HP tractor at the belt and 54 at the drawbar.
After making more than 1¼ million Two-cylinder tractors, John Deere switched to four- and six-cylinder engines. Announcement of the change came after seven years of development and forty million dollars in retooling.
In October 1959 the company showcased a new large 215-HP 4WD, called the 8010, on the Robert Ottilie Seed Farm north of Marshalltown, Iowa. It was shown during the largest farming field days event held in Iowa up to that time. Only 100 8010s were built many of which were rebuilt as 8020s.[6][7] The 215-HP 8020 would appear in 1960. To introduce the new tractors to all of its dealers in a single day, the company chartered planes to fly more than 5,000 people to Dallas, Texas, on August 30, 1961. The day would mark the release of a line of farm tractors that would soon evolve into the standard all other farm tractors would be measured by.[8]
1960 saw the original New Generation tractors with the 1010, 2010, 3010 and 4010 introduced. These were followed by the model 5010 standard introduced in 1962. The 5010 was the first two-wheel drive to be over 100-HP at the PTO and drawbar. This tractor was never available as a row crop model. 9,762 model 5010s were built. In 1963 the 3010 and 4010 were replaced by the 3020 and 4020. The 4020 was one of the most popular tractors Deere and company ever made. 1965 brought the 5020 Standard, which was the industry's most powerful two-wheel drive model, along with the 1020, 2020 and 54-HP Model 2510. By 1966 Sales of the 4020 accounted for 48% of all John Deere tractor sales.[9] Also that year the row crop version of the 5020 was introduced, and John Deere pioneered the Roll-Guard protection frame to protect the farmer from roll-over injury while in the field.
In 1968 seven new models appeared: the 820, 920, 1020, 2520, 4000, 4520, WA-14, and WA-17. The 4520 was John Deere's first turbocharged tractor and a pair of 4WDS called the WA-14 and WA-17. The 3020 and 4020 were updated with new features, and the 5020 model had a power increase to an industry leading 141-HP.
During the 1970s, John Deere introduced 36 new models. 1972 was the year in which John Deere introduced Generation II. Generation II was characterized by the option of the Sound Guard body and cab which was to be the 1st truly successful integrated cab.
John Deere introduced at least 38 new tractors during the 1980s during a time when at least 3 other competitors merged, were sold or went out of business altogether:
In some industry watchers were calling Generation 3 the year 1991 brought a glimpse of the 1990s would be like in John Deere tractors. Eight new tractors were introduced in 1991 starting with the three 5000 Series tractors. These were the 40-HP 5200, 50-HP 5300, and 60-HP 5400. A new model the 92-HP 3055, and 100-HP 3255 followed. John Deere is manufacturing 5000 series of tractors from Sanaswadi, Pune in India, range of products from India are
5036C 35 HP 5041C 41 HP 5103 Economy (35 HP) 5038 D (38 HP) 5103 (40 HP) 5103 S (42 HP) 5104 (45 HP) 5203 S (50 HP) 5204 (50 HP) 5310 (55 HP) 5310 MFWD (55 HP) 5410 (65 HP) 5610 MFWD (75 HP)
But what the company called "Fined Tuned Perfection" otherwise known as the 60 Series tractors. These were the 200-HP 4560, 177-HP 4760, and 202-HP 4960.
The spring of 1993 the four new 70 Series Power Plus 4WDs were introduced. These were the 250-HP 8570, 300-HP 8770, and a new model the 350-HP 8870. And the first 400-horsepower tractor, the 8970. These tractor were equipped with an electronic power bulge that would kick in when tough field conditions were encountered. Later in the summer the 3055 and 3255 were replaced with the 92-HP 7200 and 100-HP 7400.
1994 was one of those red letter years in tractor development for John Deere because that year brought about the most revolutionary row crop tractors the industry had seen up to then.
1996 saw 13 new tractors debuted at a big dealer meeting in New Mexico.
During the fall of 1998 John Deere had a 360-HP prototype 9300T track tractor at it least three farm shows. During August 1999 the company had another dealer meeting in Moline, Illinois. It was here that the 360-HP 9300T and 425-HP 9400T were revealed to their dealers. A 115-HP 7510 that came with full four wheel drive was added. As a result the 7610 was kicked up to the 120-HP and 7710 up to 135-HP. The 8000/8000T Series tractors were replaced with the 165-HP 8110/8110T, 185-HP 8210/8210T, 205-HP 8310/8310T, and 235-HP 8410/8410T.
One thing the dealers in attendance saw that did not appear at 'Deere.com' until March 2004 was the new 500-HP 9620. The 9620 came after two of their competitors introduced 500-HP 4WDs.
In Columbus the three larger 7000 TEN tractor were replaced with the 140-HP 7720, 155-HP 7820, and the new 170-HP 7920. The 7610 was discontinued.
The Annual dealer meeting was held in Omaha, Nebraska. The Launches included:
John Deere brought out a lot of new tractors in 2007 with 32 models in all. The year began with the introduction of the 5603 and 5625, both these are 82-HP and are a further extension of the 5003 and 5025 Series tractors.
The big meeting was held in August 2007 in Cincinnati, Ohio. At the Ohio meeting the dealers saw four new nursery and greenhouse tractors which would not appear at 'Deere.com' until February 5, 2008. These would be the;
In the Cincinnati dealer meeting the dealers saw the regular 6030/7030 and the Premium 6030 Series tractors.
On the back of the John Deere publication the The Furrow (Summer 2008) is a signup for new equipment. The company had another dealer meeting in late July 2008 to introduce many new utility tractors. But the real announcement came with John Deere introduced a new Worldwide Numbering Scheme for the Entire Line up of Compact and AG Tractors.
From the 2008 model range on the Engine horsepower will now be advertised in metric (ISO) per the International Organization for Standardization 97/68/EC standard for determining bare engine horsepower at rated engine power in the Model name.
For example, the new 3032E Tractor will be a 3000 with 32 HP on engine. The E is low-spec. This tractor represents the 2007 year 3203 for its spec, not to be mistaken for the 3320 which has the same HP but more features more money. Over the next few years all Tractors will get this scheme. The issue is that Deere is using Engine HP in the Name, not PTO which is usually less.
In 2008, the first Tractors to get this scheme were the 5D, 5E, 5E Limited edition and the 6D Series tractors. These tractors were introduced at the annual John Deere dealer meeting. This years event was held in Denver, Colorado.
The biggest tractors in the new range were the 100-140-HP 6D models.
According to Deere.com the company introduced two new 3E Series tractors. This pair of new 3E Series tractors is on page two of The Furrow, December 2008 edition. Both new 3E models would appear in early October 2008. These would be the 31/25-HP 3032E and 37/30-HP 3038E. The 3032E is powered by a 97 CID diesel while a 91 CID supply's the power on the 3038E. Promagazine.com reports that this pair is for house owners who want a tractor that could take on everyday jobs, some features are: diesel engine, Twin Touch pedals, hydrostatic transmission, standard 4WD, optional cruise control, power steering, a power take-off that is electronically engaged.
On March 17, 2009 Deere.com announced the new 152 hp 7530 Premiun tractor. During the week of August 13, 2009 the company had another big dealer meeting in Omaha, Nebraska to introduce the new 8R/8RT row crop and track tractors to their dealers. On August 20, 2009 at Deere.com a news release was posted on the 8R, 8RT and two new 5105M specialty tractors. Six new green and yellow 8R row crop tractors 225 hp 8225R, 245 hp 8245R,270 hp 8270R, 295 hp 8295R, 320 hp 8320R and the 345 hp 8345R. PTO ratings are 181, 198, 220, 242, 263 and 284 respectively. The 8225R is the only one available as a two wheel drive model. Optional IVT or Powershift Transmissions. In John Deere language the first number=size, the next three numbers are the engine hp and the letter at the end stands for capability. The six tractors range from 225 to 345 hp with the 8345R being the most powerful row crop model on the market.Also shown to the dealers were the new 8RT rubber track tractor models. These three models are the 295 hp 8295RT, 320 hp 8320RT and the 345 hp 8345RT. The T at the end stands for tracks. Other than that the numbers in the 8RT Series are the same in their 8R counterparts. PTO hp for the three 8RT tractors are 239, 260 and 281 respectively.
The 8RT models had their fuel capacity to 200 gallons and can come with track width up to 160 inches. All nine 8R/8RT tractors are powered by the company's 548 cubic inch PowerTech Plus 6 cylinder diesel engine. Two other lesser known tractors were also introduced by the company are the 5015ML orchard and poultry tractors. The hp is 105 engine and 90 PTO. One version of the 5105ML comes configured to work in orchards and vineyards while the other version is a low profile tractor to work in poultry barns.
In August 2010 John Deere had another dealer meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio to introduce still more tractors. This was confirmed at Deere.com on August 26, 2010 with the announcement of more new 8R/8RT Series tractors.These new models are 2011 year tractors with several improvements.
These would be the 8R/8RT Series tractors. These would be the 8235R, 8260R, 8285R, 8310R, 8335R and 8360R wheel tractors ranging from 235 to 360 engine horsepower. The PTO is 192, 213, 234, 25, 276 and 296 hp for the six tractors. Besides the six wheel tractors, three new 8RT track tractors would be added too. There would be the 310-360 engine hp 8310RT. 8335RT and the 8360RT. Power-take off horsepower for is 247, 268 and 288 respectively. One of the major changes with these nine green and yellow tractors was the new PowerTech PSX 548 cubic inch dual turbocharged diesel. This is a Interim Tier 4 (IT4) diesel engine. On January 1, 2011 EPA Tier 4 regulations will begin thus the new PowerTech diesel in these tractors. Despite their competitors going with SCR to counter this John Deere will be using EGR-Exhaust Gas Recirculation. To tell these new 8R tractors apart from the 2010 tractors John Deere put new wrap-around lights up front. Also the model number has been moved close to the front just off the black grill on both sides .Another characteristic is the new large black muffler on the right corner of the cab.
Other improvements engineered into these tractors are JDLink, ActiveCommand Steering (ACS), Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT) AutoMode, GS3 CommandCenter and the StarFire 3000 Receiver. In a 2010 October meeting in Florida John Deere dealers were shown the new 1023E & 1026E sub compact trac- tors that the company will announce in February 2011.
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