Any info on this tractor?

[Sleufoot]

B230 Started the 49th year so, It is a 49

Well I guess that somebodys data isn't correct whether its the John Deere Data book which lists 209295-237345 or Mr. Thinker's Almanac which 209925-230043 as 48 models or it could be when they end production for the year and restart of production for the next???? I go with it being a 49.

 

[greenmech]

Hi Ron, I quickly went through the "A" "B" & "D" serial numbers on the resource page up at the top of this page and compared them with the book I was using for my references and see about a half dozen places where the serial numbers don't match whether it is because of incorrect data or fat fingers touching the wrong keys one can only guess. Tom in Mn.

Also differences from the JD book and Two Cylinder Club numbers. Ron MN

 

[Sleufoot]

I guess the consensus is that it’s a 49 year model. In Mr.Thinkers Almanac it actually lists there being 828 gas BN’s made that year. If it’s a dual fuel and from the picture that he provided it doesn’t look like it is then it would be one of 89. But that doesn’t mean that the front wheels haven’t been swapped out at some time. Tom in Mn.

 

[ET]

John Deere's model year ran from October to October. Some serial number charts use this chart and some go by calendar year.

 

[J.Wondergem]

Well I guess that somebodys data isn't correct whether its the John Deere Data book which lists 209295-237345 or Mr. Thinker's Almanac which 209925-230043 as 48 models or it could be when they end production for the year and restart of production for the next???? I go with it being a 49.

My list from Taylor Equipment lists the first B in 1949 is 230044.

 

[dan_41jdh]

Hi Ron, I quickly went through the "A" "B" & "D" serial numbers on the resource page up at the top of this page and compared them with the book I was using for my references and see about a half dozen places where the serial numbers don't match whether it is because of incorrect data or fat fingers touching the wrong keys one can only guess. Tom in Mn.

Many of the beginning serial numbers on this resource page are wrong. They can be traced back to the booklet published by Deere in 1976 which had quite a bit of incorrect information. Those numbers were repeated in a 1987 edition. Finally, in 1994 Deere published their final book in which they described the error along with updated numbers. Unfortunately, during that 18 year interim, Deere's incorrect numbers got copied all over the world - including Dunning's "John Deere Tractor Data Book", and those incorrect numbers till persist, despite the availability of corrected data and many more recent publications.

 

[Pete in MD]

John Deere's model year ran from October to October. Some serial number charts use this chart and some go by calendar year.

Just to expand on what you said about October to October.

In the beginning the Deere model year ran from 1 Nov to 31 Oct. With the introduction of the early-styled A and B in 1939, the 1938 model year was changed to 1 Nov 37 to 30 June 38. As a result the 1938 model was only 8 months long.

With the introduction of the late-styled A and B in mid-model year 1947, the 1948 model year was changed to 1 July 47 to 31 Oct 48. As a result the 1948 model year was 16 months long.

Since then the Deere model year has been 1 Nov to 31 Oct.

 

[BWAnac]

Many of the beginning serial numbers on this resource page are wrong. They can be traced back to the booklet published by Deere in 1976 which had quite a bit of incorrect information. Those numbers were repeated in a 1987 edition. Finally, in 1994 Deere published their final book in which they described the error along with updated numbers. Unfortunately, during that 18 year interim, Deere's incorrect numbers got copied all over the world - including Dunning's "John Deere Tractor Data Book", and those incorrect numbers till persist, despite the availability of corrected data and many more recent publications.

So based on your comments here, which year do you believe my tractor fits into--48 or 49?

 

[JIM MN]

It is a John Deere B, tractor with serial number-B233000. That would be a 1949 tractor; with that years serial numbers being 230044 to 253024........

 

[dan_41jdh]

Just to expand on what you said about October to October.

In the beginning the Deere model year ran from 1 Nov to 31 Oct. With the introduction of the early-styled A and B in 1939, the 1938 model year was changed to 1 Nov 37 to 30 June 38. As a result the 1938 model was only 8 months long.

With the introduction of the late-styled A and B in mid-model year 1947, the 1948 model year was changed to 1 July 47 to 31 Oct 48. As a result the 1948 model year was 16 months long.

Since then the Deere model year has been 1 Nov to 31 Oct.

So based on your comments here, which year do you believe my tractor fits into--48 or 49?

Based on the corrected data in the 1994 John Deere book as well as that of other authorities (such as Ralph Hughes and J.R. Hobbs) who have done the in-depth research at Deere Archives and who did not just copy something they saw in an earlier publication, your B233xxx falls into the 1949 Production Year. The beginning serial numbers for model “B” tractors in Dunning’s “Data Book” are exactly those shown in Deere’s 1987 book – which are incorrect. Dunning’s book was published in 1996 – two years after Deere’s 1994 book showed their corrected data. It’s unclear why the correct numbers weren’t used since those numbers had been publicly available in plenty of time to be included.

Anyway, the “year” of the tractor is not that meaningful. Many significant changes to tractors were made within a Production Year and not necessarily at the beginning of the Production Year. For example, just as there are two distinctly different model “B” tractors that were built during the 1947 Production Year, there are also two distinctly different model “H” tractors built in the 1941 Production Year.

 

[BWAnac]

Based on the corrected data in the 1994 John Deere book as well as that of other authorities (such as Ralph Hughes and J.R. Hobbs) who have done the in-depth research at Deere Archives and who did not just copy something they saw in an earlier publication, your B233xxx falls into the 1949 Production Year. The beginning serial numbers for model “B” tractors in Dunning’s “Data Book” are exactly those shown in Deere’s 1987 book – which are incorrect. Dunning’s book was published in 1996 – two years after Deere’s 1994 book showed their corrected data. It’s unclear why the correct numbers weren’t used since those numbers had been publicly available in plenty of time to be included.

Anyway, the “year” of the tractor is not that meaningful. Many significant changes to tractors were made within a Production Year and not necessarily at the beginning of the Production Year. For example, just as there are two distinctly different model “B” tractors that were built during the 1947 Production Year, there are also two distinctly different model “H” tractors built in the 1941 Production Year.

I tend to disagree that it's not meaningful (though I understand your thinking--which is also true of cars/pickups, campers/RVs, etc. at present--changes occur throughout a model's year). I now know how old my tractor is, which I was not certain of before. It's 75 years old this year.