John Deere A

The annual Jewell County Threshing Bee is upon us. One of the features of the event is a raffle to help fund activities. This year the prize is a 1947 John Deere AN model tractor.

The John Deere A was a row crop tractor which was in head to head competition with the Farmall line of tractors.

Manufacturing of the A began in 1934. A styling upgrade was introduced in 1939. The 1947 model year saw the introduction of electric starting. The model ceased production in 1952 when the Model 60, an updated version of the A, was introduced. More than 320,000 examples of the A were sold, far out pacing the slightly less popular Farmall M series. The Ford N series were the best selling tractors in this class.

The early models burned distillate. Distillate was a petroleum by-product similar to kerosene. It was an inexpensive fuel source which served a selling point for Deere, especially in the depression years. Distillate was also used to fuel kitchen stoves. Later models could burn gasoline and propane.

Another factor contributing to a low cost tractor was the use of a two-cylinder engine. The engines, which Deere constantly strived to improve rather than develop new models, made a distinctive sound when being operated which earned them the nickname "Johnny Popper" or "Johnny Pop."

The word "tractor" was coined in 1907 when the sales manager of the Hart-Parrs decided the term traction engine was unsuitable for advertising. He combined the words traction and power and came up with the word tractor which has endured far longer that Hart-Parr. Hart-Parr became part of the Oliver Farm, Equipment Company as the result of a 1929 merger with the American Seeding Machine Company, the Oliver Chilled Plow Works and the Nicholas-Shepard Company. Oliver later became part of the White Motor Company. White was acquired by AGCO and the Oliver name is no longer in use.

The development of pneumatic tires came about through a collaboration between Allis-Chalmers and Firestone in 1932. By 1934, they were equipped on 50 percent of tractors sold. Use of steel wheels continued but declined sharply over the next several years.

The model A was produced in several variants for specialized use. The A was for row crops. The AR had a standard front axle. The AO was utilized in orchards. The AOS was for narrow orchard use. The AW was equipped with an adjustable wide front. The AN had a single front wheel. The AWH was a high crop, adjustable wide-front model. The ANH was the high crop single front wheel. The AI was the industrial model.

The A was the first Deere tractor to come factory equipped with pneumatic rubber tires which increased traction and aided fuel economy.The A model received a styling upgrade in 1938 when Henry Dreyfuss, a noted industrial designer, added a styled hood and grilles. These 1939 models were referred to as early styled. A design change in 1947 has the A referred to as late styled. Pre- 1939 models are referred to as unstyled.

The A was powered by a two cylinder, 25 horsepower engine, which delivered 18 horsepower at the drawbar.

Design improvements by Dreyfuss led to the closing of the fan shaft to streamline the tractor appearance. Collectors value the open-shaft models.

The engine size was increased to 321 cubic inches. In 1941, the transmission was upgraded from four to six forward speeds. In 1947 the battery was moved under the seat. It had been situtated under the hood.

The tractor did not feature a three point hitch, a popular attachment. It is available as an aftermarket item at the present time.The hitch was invented by Henry 'Harry' Ferguson, an Irishman, who converted Ford Model A's to tractors before developing his own tractor model. He later partnered with Henry Ford to build the Ford 8N and 9N series, the best selling tractors of the period with more than 500,00 units being sold.

The A model was manufactured at Waterloo, Iowa.

Though the Model A has been out of production for many decades, it is still in use. It is utilized in mowing operations as well as other areas where a high horsepower tractor is not required. Many hobby farmers and small acreage farmers use it for its efficiency and simplicity. It is also a popular collector's item as it was the first tractor several generations of farmers learned their skills on.

Take a chance and you could own this memorable piece of agricultural history.