JOHN DEERE MODEL D – c. 1935

The John Deere tractor company was founded in Grand Detour, Illinois, USA in 1837 by the blacksmith, John Deere, manufacturing the first plough.  By the time he registered the trade mark in 1876, production had grown from 10 to 60,000 ploughs per year. John Deere eventually diversified into tractor manufacturing in 1918 with the purchase of the Waterloo Boy Tractor Company.

The model D was introduced in 1924, the first tractor to wear the John Deere name. In the mid-1920s a farmer could purchase the tractor for $US1,000. Its popularity ensured the production run continued until 1953 with 160,000 units being built.

WA Distributors (1947): Paterson and Co Ltd, 641 Wellington Street, Perth.  

Technical Specifications: 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, horizontal valve in head. 6¾” bore by 7” stroke, producing 32hp at the drawbar and 43hp at the belt, running at 900rpm. Gears: 3 forward speeds and 1 reverse. Weight 5690lbs.        

History: This tractor was purchased from Jack Haig’s collection in Esperance in 1991.