John Deere Fall Fest 2012 (part one)

We attended the John Deere 2012 Fall Fest on the 6th - 8th of September, the 2nd by-annual event was held in Waterloo Iowa. Waterloo has been the home of John Deere tractor manufacturing since 1918, when John Deere (Deere and company) purchased the Waterloo Boy Gasoline Tractor Company. This Fall Fest celebrated three anniversaries, the 175th year of the existence of the John Deere company, 100 years of the Waterloo Boy Tractor and 40 years of the Next generation tractor. The festival was open to John Deere employees current and retired, John Deere dealers, farmers, collectors, enthusiasts and John Deere owners. 

The Fall Fest program included tractor displays, parade and demonstrations, seminars, factory tours, memorabilia and tractor auctions, swap meet and tractor parts sales, stalls selling memorabilia, new parts, old owners manuals, brochures and books. A banquets dinner with the head of John Deere Ag and Turf division David Everitt delivering the keynote address and the mayor of the city of Waterloo also speaking. The tractors on display presented a wide range from the Waterloo boy, to all types of models of two cylinders, new and next generations tractors, brought by collectors and farmers from all over the midwest. As well as brand new tractors John Deere had on display. I have shared some photos of a few tractors there including some rare ones.

Waterloo Boy model N, one of the anniverarys that was celibrated at this years Fall Fest was the 100th anniversary of the Waterloo boy, the Waterloo Boy Gasoline Tractors Company was purchaed by Deere and Company in 1918, the model N continued in production until it was replaced by John Deere's model D tractor in 1923.

A replica of the steel plow John Deere invented in 1837, this is the plow made John Deere successful, his steel Plow was know as self scouring, meaning it would self clean as it was pulled through sticky prairie soil.

1938 John Deere BWH-40 only 20 of these configuation model B's were made, they had special narrow axle housings for 40 inch bed crops.

1926 John Deere Model D, this early Model D tractor is known to have a nickle hole flywheel as the two small holes in the flywheel are about the size of a nickle coin. There were only 200 of this type of model D built and lees than ten known to be in existence.

A John Deere Model 60 Orchard tractor, these had special guards, low mounted lights and other slim line features were design to allow tractor to pass orchard tree branches with out damaging fruit as well as protecting the driver. The model 60 tractors were produced between 1952 and 1956

Importing Tractors to Australia (Part 3)

The third tractor I searched for to import to Australia was an unstyled model B with round spoke wheels, which was a lot harder to find. I eventually found a 1935 model B in Dunlap Iowa from Larry Folk and Sons Antique Tractors. I arranged to store the model B at the Folks place until I arrived to pick up in person when in the USA. 

 

Photo of the model B as advertised

cleaning the model B

The forth tractor was a 1952 styled AR which looks like a small model R tractor and were the last two cylinder tractors to be styled. the AR is a starndard tread configuation of the model A tractor. The model AR I found came from Manitoba Canada and was delivered to OK city while we were there. To my disappointment the tractor was not true to the sellers ad which stated “running”. Although it did run after cleaning dirty fuel/rust out of carbi and tow starting it. The starter motor had some kind of seed through it and was very rusty. On a positive note, the tractor came with an original operators manual. We had a bit of fun with this tractoras when it arrived at the Boultons, it came on the back of a truck with no ramps!, We took it to a local farm produce store and borrowed their loading ramp and then had their folk lift and driver tow start it. I then drove it on the main road for 2 miles back to the Boultons.

Photo of the model AR from advertisment

 View of the left hand side of the AR with flywheel removed to clean dirt and rust out of starter and flywheel area.