1928 John Deere D

[Beatles65]

This 1928 John Deere D sold at auction for $6700 here in Nebraska this past Saturday. My question is why did it sell for so much? Its engine was stuck and as you can tell it wasnt even close to being restored. One thing that it did have was a factory PTO.

 

[shomfeld]

Yes I was there. The old D is a 82 year old tractor that was 100% complete less the wooden floor. The tracor had never been picked over it had perfect fenders hood and pto sheld you could still make out John Deere on the hood. It was as if the tractor came out of the feild and parked and left to age. The block was not cracked, I found the bottom water valve was left open. I looked in the radiator and it still looked like new. Yes the motor was locked up, but I would say from sitting for quite some time. Yes it was not restored with new parts and a nice new paint job. Anyone can put a new coat of paint on a tractor but you can't find a original survivor every day for sale. I would say that is why it sold like it did.

 

[Jack B]

I was at the sale also. The tractor had cobbled up steering that was totaly worn out. One front wheel hub was welded. The air stack, magneto,throttle and mag levers were wrong. I would consider it a parts tractor. I have a working clothes 28 "D" with a PTO and more silk screening on the hood that runs that I bought at an auction two years ago for less than one third of what this one sold for.

 

[johns48jdb]

Is that a nickle hole flywheel? Could be part of the reason if sold so high.

 

[Hoss In ME]

Too much for that tractor! my opinion of course! Hoss

 

[PBrowning]

NOPE!

 

[johns48jdb]

Is it not at least some what rare with a solid fly wheel? I can read small txt. After the em i got from you i've tried to do better with caps and you haven't said thanks!

 

[PBrowning]

Here goes - Yes, there were some D tractors with goofy flywheels - where the expansion holes were not much larger than the size of a nickel. But if you look a little closer at the photo, you will note these holes probably the size of a 50-cent piece. And while I am not a student of the "D" tractor, I am thinking that the "nickel D" tractors were made much earlier than 1928.

As for the letter size -- yes, I apologize that my Caps Lock was on. My Bad. (PatB)

 

[toot]

not a nickel hole, standard flywheel on that model, earlier models had flywheel they was keyed but that was before 1928, I had a 1926 with that. I personally dont see anything about it that makes it fetch that price.. oh well.

 

[johns48jdb]

Although i don't know alot about them either i always wanted one with electric start. I can't imagine trying to turn one of those beast over by hand. I use to go to a lot of shows and spend at least friday night at them because i never knew knew if my old motor home would get me there in time for the show on saturday, so i always left on friday night. At least thats the story my wife got. To the pint, i don't remember ever being at a show but what some redneck would bring one of those d's in about 2 o'clock in the morning and fire it up and drive around for 30 minutes trying to find a place to park it. I wish i had a way to set up a system to be able to go back to my green magazine or two cylinder magazines to read up on stories like the flywheel question here. I have 10 years of both of them and no place to put them, much less be able to go back and look somethng up. be nice if somebody took the time to put a catalong on line of the stories and featured articles for each one of them.

 

[Lon in NE]

Seeing the VW in the background makes me think this is the sale over by Wilber. Am I right? If it is, I was thinking of going, but I got started a little late that day. Sounded like an interesting sale, according to the bill.

Lon

 

[Beatles65]

Yes this is the sale over by Wilber Nebraska. A lot of people where saying that the stuff was going high anyway. The auction grounds were a mess it finaly got into the 40's and all the snow was melting. There was mud everywhere and none of the machinery was going anywhere any time soon. Its a good thing that they had very large tractors to help move some of the stuff that sold.

 

[TJ in NE]

Does anyone know of a 1928 D for sale? My grandfather had one for his first tractor and I would love to find one. Preferably in running condition.