| LIFE Little John is 79 today

[Bamabww]

I have a 1942 (model year) LA John Deere tractor that is 79 years old today. I have a letter from John Deere that says according to the serial number on the tractor, it was put on the production floor December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed.

 

[rick4bama]

Happy Birthday!!

 

[footballer]

Sir, that is a beautiful machine.

 

[sk33tr]

damn thing looks brand new!

 

[planomateo]

How much HP and torque does it have?

 

[Bamabww]

How much HP and torque does it have?

HP? almost 14 at the drawbar! (Most lawnmowers have more than that now.)

This particular one was one of the "fancier" models made with a belt pulley, electrical start (6 volts), lights, and an adjustable front end. Not sure about the torque but I'll look up the factory rating. It's strong enough to pull the grandkids around the farm on an old John Deere farm wagon I have.

 

[XXL TideFan]

That is way cool.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

That is outstanding! My Brother in-law's family were big into old tractors, particularly the Allis Chalmers "G" models made in Gadsden.

We have a '31 Model A pickup that would help haul the crop in if you'll hitch a furrow to that thing...

 

[XXL TideFan]

@It Takes Eleven, I worked in one of the old Allis Chalmers building once. I've been fascinated with farm equipment since I was stationed outside of Fresno and saw a huge Cat being used to suck water out of an irrigation ditch to water a couple thousand acres of garlic or onions

 

[It Takes Eleven]

@It Takes Eleven, I worked in one of the old Allis Chalmers building once. I've been fascinated with farm equipment since I was stationed outside of Fresno and saw a huge Cat being used to suck water out of an irrigation ditch to water a couple thousand acres of garlic or onions

@XXL TideFan , growing up in the country, I always had an appreciation for small farm equipment and what labor saving devices could do to make one or two men do what dozens might have done just decades earlier. I used to hate post hole diggers, and when I started working on a local farm and that Ford 3000 had an auger running off the PTO to set posts for a trellis, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

I'm not that good with a tractor, just don't get enough practice, but a landscaping bucket, a boom, a 60 inch tiller and a bush hog to go with a 40hp or so farm tractor all make me want to go homestead 60 acres.

 

[Bamabww]

Finally found the documentation and thought I would share it along with an edit.

 

[rick4bama]

Happy Birthday!!

 

[Since61]

Absolutely beautiful.