A Short History of the John Deere Two Cylinder Tractor
from the John Deere GP through the numbered, 20
and 30 series up to the beginning of the
New Generation of Tractors.
(See links below to see pictures of and read about each
specific John Deere Tractor)
The Lettered Series
The Model GP (General Purpose) series ran from 1928 to 1935.
The Model C as the first of the GP series introduced in 1927,
however they were recalled for design changes. A second
release resulted in a second recall. In 1928 they finally got it
right and the Model C's hit the market. However production
was brief with fewer than 100 being built before the C
was discontinued.
In 1928 the GP replaced the C on the market with a number
of improvements. During a very short time a few Model XOGP
tractors were built with a 6 inch bore and crossover
arrangement of the manifold and exhaust.
In 1929 the GP wide tread was introduced with the 6 inch
bore and cross over manifold.
A special variation of the wide tread was built in 1930, the
series P Potato Tractor having 68 inch instead of 74 inch rear
tread for potato rows. There were 203 P tractors manufactured.
In 1936 the Model Y was built, with 24 units being manufactured,
but were apparently all scrapped.
An improved version came out later in 1936, the first John Deere
tractor to bear a numbered designation, the Model 62.
There were 79 Model 62's built.
The Model L series was manufactured from 1937 to 1953.
The Model LA was introduced in 1940.
The Model H series was manufactured from 1939 to 1947.
The Model H had been experimented on during the 30's and
carried an OX designation until it's release as a Model H.
The Model M series was manufactured from1947 to 1952
and replaced the L and H series. It was unique in that the
Model M's had a vertical 2 cylinder engine as opposed to
the more familiar horizontal engines.
The Model R series was manufactured from 1949 to 1954.
The R was the first John Deere production tractor that had
a diesel engine.
The Model A series was manufactured from 1933 to 1953.
The Model B series was manufactured from 1933 to 1953.
The Model G series was manufactured from 1937 to 1953.
The Numbered Series
The first numbered series of John Deere Two Cylinder Tractors
refers to the first series of tractors that carried numbers as
model designations as opposed to the earlier series designated
by letters.
The Model 40 tractor replaced the M.
The Model 50 tractor replaced the B
The Model 60 tractor replaced the A
The Model 70 tractor replaced the G
The Model 80 tractor replaced the R
Some models of the numbered series went into production in
mid 1952, but the Model 80 didn't begin to be manufactured
until mid 1955.
The Model D John Deere tractor began it's production run in
1923 as a direct replacement for the Waterloo Boy tractor.
The Model D enjoyed the longest run of any John Deere
tractor manufactured, lasting almost 30 years. Production quit i
n spring of 1953, however to fill dealer orders, 92 Model D's
were put together in the street outside the Waterloo factory
in June and July of 1953.
The 20 Series
The first numbered series was replaced by the "20" series
beginning late summer of 1956 for the model year of 1957.
The exception was the Model 420 which replaced the 40 in
late 1955. The 620 Orchard tractor replaced the 60 Orchard
in mid summer of 1957.
Although the 20 series had basically the same looks and sheet
metal as the series they replaced, the 20 series tractors had a
bright new look with the addition of yellow on the sides of the
hood and grille. There were many other changes, including
increased horsepower and operator comfort for most models,
as well as improved hydraulics, controls, and a universal 3 point hitch.
The Model 320 was a brand new line
The Model 420 replaced the 40
The Model 520 replaced the 50
The Model 620 replaced the 60
The Model 720 replaced the 70
The Model 820 replaced the 80
The 30 Series
In 1958 John Deere replaced the 20 series with what would
soon become the final numbered series of the two cylinder tractors.
The 30 series tractors had basically the same horsepower
of the 20 series, but did have major improvements in styling
and operator comfort. They were easier to mount, easier to
start, easier to shift, and quieter running.
The 30 series also had protective fenders, a slanted steering
wheel, conveniently grouped instruments on a easy to see
instrument panel and the option of a Float Ride seat
The Model 430 replaced the 420
The Model 435 was a brand new line (introduced in 1959)
The Model 530 replaced the 520
The Model 630 replaced the 620
The Model 730 replaced the 720
The Model 830 replaced the 820
In 1960 the New Generation of 4 and 6 cylinder tractors
replaced the two cylinders, however some 730's continued
to be manufactured at the John Deere Waterloo works for
shipment overseas, and the 730's were manufactured in
Argentina throughout the 1960's.
John Deere tractors had been used over the years for industrial
purposes, however it wasn't until 1935 that there became a
unique industrial designation for their tractors.
As far back as the early 1920's the Waterloo Boy tractor
had been used to pull road scrapers and for other road
maintenance work. Industrial options were available for the
Model D in 1925, but the DI designation didn't come until 1935.
Then the AI and BI followed in 1936. There were also
occasional LI's and MI's modified in some way for industrial uses.
In 1959 John Deere came out with the 8301 and 8401 tractors
designed exclusively for industrial work, primarily to pull a
Hanock Scraper. Both of these tractors had a 2 cylinder engine.
A History of John Deere Tractors
The John Deere 24 Volt Electrical System Explained
The Froehlich Tractor
The Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company
The Waterloo Boy Tractors
Deere and Company's Experimental Tractors
John Deere Two Cylinder Tractor Models:
John Deere D
John Deere C
John Deere GP
John Deere P
John Deere A, AO & AR
John Deere B, BO & BR
BO (Lindeman) Crawler
John Deere G
John Deere L & LA
John Deere H
John Deere M, MT, MC Crawler
John Deere Y
John Deere 62
John Deere R
John Deere 40
John Deere 50
John Deere 60
John Deere 70
John Deere 80
John Deere 320
John Deere 420
John Deere 520
John Deere 620
John Deere 720
John Deere 820 (2 cylinder)
John Deere 330
John Deere 430
John Deere 530
John Deere 630
John Deere 730
John Deere 830
John Deere 435
John Deere 440
John Deere 840
Pictures
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See Restoration
project for our John Deere 50
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