MATCHED WORKING EQUIPMENT

It was 15 years ago that a series of articles about John Deere implements was first conceived, and it was determined that the articles would appear in The Review, the short-lived companion to Two-Cylinder. The circulation of The Review only reached a level of about 4000 subscribers, and fewer than half of them still show on the Two-Cylinder roster.

Each issue of The Review (there were only 12 published from August–September 1995 to June–July 1997) have become quite collectible, with persons who have obtained an issue or two at a sale or on the Internet frequently contacting the Two-Cylinder Club office seeking more of them. In particular, they are looking for the articles on matched implements.

The effort of correctly matching implements to tractors came into its own after World War II. Prior to that time, tractors were frequently teamed up with modified horse-drawn implements, or given the job of pulling the biggest implement they could handle.

It’s not that John Deere didn’t try to encourage the use of appropriate implements. Early sales literature on the Model “D” and “GP” Tractors clearly recommend specific implements — but it wasn’t until the late 1940s, after most of the farm horses were gone, that dealers and farmers became increasingly aware of the benefits of “teammate” working equipment.

A lot has happened since the mid-1990s insofar as restorable implements are concerned. Without question, huge numbers and astounding tonnages of them were lost forever when scrap prices were way up, and few were spared. The last great hope in salvaging the good examples of what remains are the readers of this publication. You have proven over time that you care about preservation of historic farm machinery at a higher level than the casual collector, and it will be you who will seek out, protect, and restore the best of them.

To assist in that widespread effort, Two-Cylinder will be reviewing matched working equipment in this and several upcoming issues. For no particular reason other than it falls about halfway between the end of World War II and the end of the Two-Cylinder Era, we decided to begin with tillage implements matched to the Waterloo-built John Deere Model “50”, “60”, and “70” Tractors of the First Numbered Series.

As the quest for implements gets underway, remember these things: A market value for most implements has not been established; there are probably far fewer than a hundred restorable examples remaining of a great number of implements; implements can add considerable interest and significant value to exhibit-quality tractors. Think twice before you walk away from a good piece; it may be your only chance and the last one you ever see.