Jr 4653 E. Michigan Fresno, California 93703
Here is my 1928 International tractor, or shall I say, my 1978
John Deere tractor?
This tractor might offend some of the die-hard enthusiasts. The
engine is a 1928 International LB 2-3 HP. The tractor itself is a
John Deere garden tractor. Some people say the two shouldn’t
get within 100 yards of each other, but I decided to bend the rules
a little.
My dad had the engine for a couple of years and I had the idea
of putting it on a small tractor for entertainment at engine shows.
After looking for quite some time, I finally found the remains of a
John Deere garden tractor at an old-engine swap meet. It was 12
noon when I set my eyes on it, and to my surprise it hadn’t
been sold. After discussing figures with the owner, I bought it for
$80. What a deal!!!
I immediately took the tractor home and started construction. It
took a while to get all the ‘bugs’ out mechanically. The
tractor was in great shape. Then it came to the paint job. What
color? Paint the engine red and the tractor green? Sounds like
Christmas! Since Dad’s engine cost more than my tractor, Dad
said, ‘Red!’ I said, ‘Yes, sir!’
Now it was time for a name. We took McCormick-Deering and John
Deere, squeezed them together, and came up with John-Deering. If
anybody can come up with a better name, please let me know.
I am a member of the San Joaquin Valley Antique Fly wheelers in
Fresno, California. We take the tractor to most of the engine shows
and use it as the water tractor for all the engines. We have a
trailer and a 50-gallon drum of water for this. Everybody loves to
see the tractor work. The only problem is we get a lot of people
wanting to buy it and the answer will always be the same, NO!!! The
tractor’s speed is only about a fast walk .
