WHITE WATER DEERE

By Staff
Published on December 1, 1986
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12260, Galice Road, Merlin, Oregon 97532.

Old iron collectors fall into several categories. There are
those who get satisfaction just out of finding an old tractor,
engine, etc. They haul it home and let the rust continue and dust
collect.

Then there are those who go a step further and clean, paint,
restore, and get the thing running, but it is really no use to them
except to look at and dream of the good ole days.

Some collectors hit the shows. Then there are those lucky
collectors who have farms or acreage so they can really get out and
‘play’ with their old equipment.

I needed an excuse to own an old tractor and what better way to
justify the purchase than that it was necessary for my occupation.
I am a river raft outfitter on the Rogue River in Oregon. Three
times a week we have to launch four whitewater rafts and all the
gear for the trip with 24 people through the ‘Wild &
Scenic’ canyon of the Rogue.

The river bank from the warehouse to the river is steep with
soft sand and gravel. I suppose we could have used a four-wheel
drive rig but now I had a real good excuse to own an old tractor. I
have always loved the music coming from the exhaust of the old John
Deeres so I found and restored an old H, serial #54759. We had to
add a bucket on the front to prevent back flips while coming up the
steep river bank.

We’re really having fun now, and by the way, the H was a lot
less expensive than a four-wheel drive rig.

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