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Commentary I don’t know if I’m lucky, or if they mean something else, but I have two tractors with a number and an “X” following the number cast into one part on one tractor, and two parts on the other tractor. On my “4020”, the numbers are on the axle housings. One is 643X and the other is 646X. The other “X” number is hard to read, but you can tell it’s an “X”, and it appears on the main case of my Model “70”. Do the “Xs” mean “experimental? Don Kelly, Indiana We wish we could give you good news about the “Xs”, but the letter “X” following a “production” or “heat” number (the foundry used the term “heat,” which is traditional in many industries where metals are melted and poured), but all they designate in these instances is second shift (typically 3:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., or thereabouts). The three-digit number preceding the “X” designates the heat number of the casting. Let’s take your “4020” as an example… The number 643X is actually production date 2643, second shift. The number (2) is not included because it takes 10,000 production days to come back to it, the equivalent of about 40 years. Also, it takes over four years to recycle the three-digit number, making it improbable that there would be heat date confusion in the event that a certain product had a specific issue that needed to be tracked. Now, let’s identify more specifically the time that your axle housings were poured… Heat 643 was March 13, 1970 (a Friday, at that), and Heat 646 was Wednesday, March 18, 1970. The “Xs”, again, indicate that your axle housings were poured on the second shift. The cover photo shows the source of the iron. The castings were made on either of two molding units set up for the job: No. 4 (Department 98) or No. 5 (Department 97). Until late 1972, all iron production at Waterloo was by the cupola process (this was also true for Dubuque for the entire duration of its foundry). Then the Electric Foundry at Waterloo began operations, using electric-arc furnaces as the primary melt process. Since these six furnaces soaked up a lot of electricity (32 megawatts each at full power), it became economical to melt during times that the City of Waterloo had unused capacity; i.e., the middle of the night. So, third shift molding operations began, and the castings made during the 11:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. shift were marked with the heat number followed by the letter “Z”. Look around and you’re bound to find some. Congratulations on the January–February issue! The Theo Brown photos are great, but I have a few questions. The photos on page 34 and 42 that show tall crops or weeds being plowed under caught my attention. I, too, have tried to plow tall crops like those shown, but didn’t do that good of a job. Plowing in conditions like that would be a neat thing to try at a plowing day, but I’d hate to embarrass myself. Sometimes I drag a chain attached to the plow, but I’d like to explore other ways. On page 34 it shows a farmer plowing down broom corn. The caption states that the No. 4A Plow has special equipment. What equipment might they have used? Do you have any literature on it? Also, on page 42, it shows a Model “A” Tractor and a No. 52 Plow in operation. The caption mentions weed irons and MP-314 Bottoms. Do you have any illustrations or additional information on these items? It was also stated in the caption that “they should have used a No. 4A Plow.” What would the reason be? George Becker, Wisconsin
The number of different types and styles of plow bottoms that were made for John Deere Plows through the late 1950s is simply mind-boggling. The MP-314 was considered a general-purpose bottom for mixed soils. Deere manufactured plow bottoms especially suited for nearly every kind of soil type and condition that can be imagined. As for the comment in the caption concerning the No. 4 Plow, we can only speculate that perhaps the observing engineers thought that the No. 4 Plow would have been somewhat more well-suited to those particular conditions, as the No. 4 was built a bit stouter than the No. 52. “What do you see as the future of this hobby?” That question has been posed, worded one way or another, quite often over the past few years; much more so recently than in the 1990s. Members tell us that they are the last one in their family that has interest in vintage John Deere products. Whole families aren’t as connected to the physical farming operation as they used to be. The children leave for trade school or college, and fewer of them return home to the farm. Collectors are concerned; will their tractors eventually reduce in value? Will they have friends in coming years that share their interest, or will the shop become quiet and lonesome? Without question, the average age of participants has gradually and steadily increased. There are fewer young people coming aboard than there are senior members departing. This trend is likely to continue unless the current participants take action to welcome their friends and associates to the hobby. There are ways to spark interest… Regarding future value, let’s look at the past record… Waterloo Boy, two-cylinder, and New Generation tractors are apparently locked in on a seemingly unending upslope. Everything common inches up, up, up; and the scarce and rare escalate even faster. Want it to be even better? That’s easy; get more people participating. If each current member encouraged just one new person to join the Two-Cylinder Club this year, it is estimated that, over the next few years, vintage John Deere Tractor values will climb an average of at least 25 percent. Further, the increased activity throughout the hobby will spawn additional aftermarket parts and services. And, to top it all off, our offer of a free tractor research to any current member (family included) who introduces the Club to a new member, continues on. The Club needs your help in sustaining membership numbers; as a strong organization will have the resources to perform the research; provide the services; and publish that thick, heavy, and information-packed Two-Cylinder magazine. Without question, the future of the vintage John Deere hobby is in your hands, now more than ever before. Nobody else can shore up its strength over the long term. Unlike almost any other investment, the current participants have the ultimate control of its growth. If allowed to decline one participant at a time, the investments will dwindle correspondingly. On the other hand, greater numbers of participants can make them flourish like you’ve never seen before. So, please, introduce Two-Cylinder magazine to someone this year; and “thank you” for being such an important factor in helping to sustain a truly wonderful pastime. I have a 1959 Model “530” with the worst set of Deluxe Fenders imaginable; they are completely beyond repair. I’ve checked around and good replacement originals are very costly. I’ll need brackets, too, as it appears that when the previous owner of my “530” needed to pull something, he just slung a chain or cable around whatever part of the tractor was handy, including the fender brackets, and mine have been broken and welded so many times they are beyond reasonable repair. Do you have any recommendations on the best source of aftermarket replacements? There are people who advertise in this magazine who can supply you with quality reproduction fenders and mounting brackets for your “530”. However, if you’d rather not make that investment just now, there are several alternatives, because the Deluxe Fenders (called “Deluxe Fenders with Lamps” on factory price sheets) were not regular equipment on the “530”, or for that matter, the “630” or “730” Row-Crop Tractors. While it’s true that many collectors like to install every option and accessory available for their particular tractor, the fact is that many Waterloo-built “20” and “30” Series Row-Crop Tractors were shipped without fenders of any kind. In fact, if a “530” buyer had gone to a John Deere dealer and ordered a “530” without any options, here’s what he’d have gotten: Manual Steering The same basic equipment was provided as standard for row-crop “630” and “730” Tractors, with the exception that tire sizes were larger. While it’s probable that very few tractors left Waterloo with just this basic equipment, it’s equally as probable that relatively few tractors left the factory loaded with every option available. Most were equipped somewhere between these two extremes.
Concerning fenders; while almost everyone oohs and ahhs over the stylish fenders with lamps that were first made available for the “30” Series Row-Crop Tractors, few are aware that the “clamshell” fenders (which had been an option since 1950) were also available on the “30” Series Tractors, but are seldom seen today. In 1959, the “clamshell” fenders cost $22.50, while the “Deluxe Fenders with Lamps” set the buyer back $65.00. The point is, you have alternatives where fenders are concerned. It’s perfectly acceptable to have a “530” (or any other “20” or “30” Series Tractor, for that matter) with no fenders at all, with the more economical clamshell fenders, or with the Deluxe Fenders with Lamps. I am writing to find out what color the front wheel hubs on a John Deere Model “A”, serial number 546423, should be? If you say “yellow,” when and how did that happen? Stories I’ve heard concerning assembly at the factory talk of fully-built tractors with “dummy” wheels going through the paint booths. After painting, the dummy wheels were removed and the wheel equipment ordered for the tractor was installed. It seems to me that when painting the steering pedestal, green paint would cover the inner surface of the hubs up to the dummy front wheel, unless the dummy front wheels had dummy front hubs and bearings. In that case, then I can see where the hubs would be painted yellow. I have asked some of my more knowledgeable friends about this, and no positive conclusions have come forth. I now ask what I consider to be the only other source worth asking. You people are the very best. Thank you for your help. They’re yellow; here’s why: As you surmise, the “dummy” (steel) wheels used on the tractor during assembly and painting also had hubs and bearings. When the front wheel equipment was installed, both hubs and front wheels were yellow (or whatever color the tractor was to be painted, if other than green). An excellent illustration of how this was done can be seen in the photo on page 37 of the May–June 2006 issue. To the left are stacks of front wheels with tires mounted and hubs installed, ready to be put on the tractors. John Deere was very particular about the color of the wheels matching the color of the hubs on its tractors. For example, when the “GP” Series Tractors were built, after painting, the hub for the rear wheel was green, since the wheels were bolted onto the hub. After the production wheels were installed, during post-assembly detailing, the green portion of the hub was given a touch-up coat from the same bucket of yellow paint used for silk-screening the hood and for painting the raised-letters “JOHN DEERE” on the radiator top tank before passing final inspection. Despite what you may have seen or heard elsewhere, on two-cylinder John Deere Tractors the color of the wheels and hubs always matched. Why would the protection level of the antifreeze in my tractors reduce just a little every year? This year I had to flush and replace the coolant in two tractors, and I’m glad I did considering how cold it’s been. First, no antifreeze is truly permanent, despite the label. It’s a term that originally differentiated the modern ethylene glycol antifreezes from the old alcohol-based formulas. Depletion is caused primarily by two possible factors: Air in the coolant level below the top of the radiator tubes; and operating at high temperatures, thereby evaporating some of the water portion of the coolant and needing to replace it. Even though the antifreeze doesn’t evaporate, adding water continues to weaken it. And, despite instructions that may indicate otherwise, it’s best not to mix brands. Different formulations can slowly react in a negative manner.
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Plowing under tall crops or weeds and doing a clean job of it usually took some special equipment. In many cases, this equipment consisted of larger-diameter rolling coulters, independent jointers, a trash wire or weed irons (also called weed hooks), and moldboard extensions as shown in the illustration. All of these devices helped to turn under trash and do a “clean” job of plowing in heavy overgrowth conditions.
