Antique John Deere Tractors

There are many John Deere antique tractors that have been saved from the rust pile and restored to like new condition. Decked out in that shiny John Deere green and yellow coat they are truly works of art. There are not many work horses of industry or agriculture that have captured the imagination to bring pangs of nostalgia like John Deere farm tractors have. For pure romance, they rank right up there with old steam locomotives.

John Deere farm implements, and especially their tractors, evoke this sense of nostalgia for a good reason. They made it possible for a farmer to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and they are tough! Everyone who has ever owned a John Deere tractor remembers the first job they tackled with it and the sense of satisfaction of a job well done when it was finished.

John Deere, the man whose name appears on all of those tractors and other equipment, actually died in 1886 before the first steam tractor existed. Born in Vermont in 1802 he  trained as a blacksmith, John Deere settled in Illinois. At the time Deere and Company incorporated in 1868 they were a manufacturer of plows.

The company began expanding into the manufacture of other equipment and included tractors in 1912. Over the next few years they developed the Melvin Tractor, the Dain All-Wheel-Drive, the Sklovsky and the Brown Motor Cultivator.

In 1918 the company expanded into the gasoline powered tractor business by buying the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company which made the popular Waterloo Boy Tractor. Their tractor sales continued under the Waterloo Boy name until 1923 when the first tractor bearing the John Deere name came off the production line. It was a Model D, serial number 30401.

Over the years, Deere and Company has grown from a company producing farm tractors and implements serving America's farmers to one of the most successful and well recognized equipment manufactures whose products are used throughout the world. Today they not only produce John Deere farm tractors, but a full range of equipment for agriculture, residential, commercial, golf, forestry and construction use.

But it was the John Deere farm tractor that gave birth to a whole new industry of fan clubs, fairs, tractor pulls, tractor restoration businesses and antique parts swap meets. Today it is still possible to find, and buy if you want, antique John Deere farm tractors and agricultural implements in like new, ready to work condition. Of course, the owners would never think of actually putting them to work again.

You will find many vintage John Deere implements including tractors on display at county and state fairs across the country. If your interest goes deeper than just being a spectator and you would like to buy your very own antique John Deere tractor, you may have to do a little detective work. Driving through farm areas can turn up the occasional vintage tractor. There are still many sitting around that the owners hope some day to get back in shape and hand down to the kids. But that kind of search takes a lot of time.

For more instant gratification, there are several sources with antique farm tractors for sale. An internet search for antique pulling tractors is sure to charge up your interest in old farm tractors. In addition to having vintage John Deere tractors for sale, they are also good sources of information on other John Deere equipment.

Antique Tractor restoration is not the challenge it once was with many original and replica  replacement parts available. Repair manuals are also readily available as well as paints that are actually better than the original. But if you are in a hurry to have your very own piece of vintage farm equipment, you can buy a fully restored antique John Deere tractor ready to go to plow!

Antique John Deere Tractors