Star Route 67, Box 326A Norwich, New York 13815
I saw my first 2-cylinder John Deere about 12 years ago and said
to my wife, ‘Where the heck is the engine?’ I could see
right through the darn thing!
I was born and raised in North Jersey. When I was young, my
uncles farmed with a team of horses. Then I went into the army as a
fighter pilot during WW II. When I came home from service, the area
had become urban. No more farms! 30 years later, we purchased 50
acres in central New York state, to build a log home for our
retirement.
That is when I first saw a 2-cylinder John Deere. I looked
around the area and found a 1949 ‘A’ styled. It ran, but
was kind of rough looking. I have used this tractor to clear land,
plow, and pull stumps. It came with a ‘W45’ bucket
attachment, which I move dirt with, and of course I use a bush hog
behind it.
I belong to Rough & Tumble and Southern Tier Antique Engine
Clubs. At the meets, I see the restored John Deeres that look so
nice. So, this fall I pulled mine into the garage and rebuilt it. I
had to replace a few gaskets, seals, hammer out some dents, do a
lot of sanding, then a paint job. I put two new tires on the rear
wheels because the old tires leaked real bad.
Now, my ‘A’ looks and runs like a show model, but I
still have to use it as I did before. Hope you enjoy the photo of
my 1949 John Deere ‘A’ styled #636596.
