JD D PURCHASE

[Anonymous-0]

HEY GUY'S. LOOKING ON BUYING A D NEED TO KNOW WHAT CRITICAL AREAS TO LOOK FOR. ENGINE IS FREE TRACTOR IS 85 TO 90 % COMPLETE. I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEGE ON GREEN TRACTORS ,I HAVE THOSE RED ONES [DON'T BEAT ME] BUT A D IS JUST TO COOL TO PASS UP.

 

[pbb]

What model you after unstyled or styled?The early unstyled spokers is going to be higher.Look on ebay some times they got some good ones and some times they have rusted needs a lot of work spend a fortune on there.I seen one at a local auction it was a styled pulled out of a weed patch motor locked up fenders rusted out but had full steel wheels it got 18 hundred dollars.If you find one look at it good i seen one that had a new paint job but it was pitted bad.Just look at it good check it out one end to the other. Listen at it run look at the oil preasure listen for knocks drive it check transmission out.There some good ones out there good luck i hope you find one.

 

[1936]

Alway cheaper to buy a tractor running-I know been their. Interesting the way the tractor is bolted together. Progressive starting with trans frame and then the block and head and last the radiator. Mother Deere was sharpe in saving steel on a rail frame. Seen more that one D head or block welded due to no antifreeze. Not pleasent to the eye, but works.

 

[Moore-D]

SuperTruker:
Therer is a few things you want to keep an eye out for when checking out a D.
Number one problem is cracked cylinder block as 1936 stated above. They are usually between the 2 cylinders on the top side of the block. Most of them are pretty easy to spot because it's pretty open around the area. Many blocks were repaired, some good, some not so good. Cast Iron stitching is probably the best way to mend a cracked block. If it looks like it's been done properly, chances are it'll be okay. Most of the blocks cracked due to people letting straight water freeze in the block. Antifreeze was not commonly used when most of these tractors were made, and also on the D only, it has a water injection pipe which injects radiator water into the combustion chamber. You would use this water injection if the tractor started to ping-ping (detonate) under heavy load. Also caused by less pure fuels that the farmers were using back then. Most people have unhooked the water injection valve or removed it completly from the tractor. With todays higher octane fuel, and the fact that most guys only run gasoline anymore, the water injection valve would hardly be used. It's nice if the tractor you look at has the valve still intact. Also remember that the D does not have a "frame" so to speak. It uses the cylinder block to support everything in front of the flywheel !! So needless to say, it was kinda hard on the block if you happened to pull a wheelie and set the front wheels down hard several times. They were built very tough, but everything has a limit.

Another thing to check is the transmission interior. If at all possible, take a look inside the inspection cover on top of the transmission. You may already know that the Model D has a chain and sprockets inside the case for a final drive instead of gears. Check for broken and chipped teeth on sprockets and gears. Water in the oil, and too low of oil. If you are able to drive the D, they do whine a little bit when moving and under load. It's due to the mesh of the gears and a little whine is normal.

One thing to think about when buying a D is moving it around. Most normal car trailers will not handle the weight of a D with loaded tires. I had to hire a guy to go and pick mine up with a trailer he used to haul a antique fire truck with. Also they don't really have a "road gear" to speak of, and only move at a snails pace in 3rd gear. Not very practical if you plan on driving it anywhere at the side of the road. Deere did offer smaller rear sprocket sizes to increase top speed in all gears. I believe the standard sprocket is 41 teeth, and they offered a 35 tooth and a 28 tooth as optional equipment and for the industrial models.

There are a few things that are nice to have on the tractor you're looking at. The original battery trays go missing when somebody decided to put the wrong sized battery in them. The toolbox hanging on the right fender are sometimes damagedand removed. The original starter lever gets replaced alot. Depending on the year that you look at, it could have a Wico or a Edison-Splitdorf magneto. Mine has the Edison mag. The problem with these mags are they are rarer than the Wico and consequentially harder to get parts for. But if that's what was original to your tractor, it's worth having the original mag.

Please let me know if you have any questions, I would be more than happy to help you out.

Moore-D

 

[Anonymous-0]

THANKS FOR THE INFO I LOOKEDM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BLOCK BUT NOT THE TOP. WITH THE HORSE TRADING MY COUSIN AND I WILL HAVE AROUND 400 INTO IT , IF ANY THING IT WOULD MAKE A GOOD PARTS TRACTOR. OH THE YEAR IS 47 TO 50 BEPENDING ON WHAT REFERANCE I LOOK AT. SER# 1863?. IT HAS THE WICO MAG AND THE WATER & PETCOCKS HAVE BEEN REPORTED MIA. WERE GOING TO USE IT MOSTLY FOR PLOW DAY AND A LITTLE DEAD WEIGHT PULL BUT MOSTLY GIVE RIDES TO MY 3&5 YR OLDS ONTHE 150 YR FAMILY FARM.

 

[Moore-D]

Did you check out the serial number reference on the side bar of this web page? There has been a lot of debate if the numbers here are 100% correct, but it will give you a pretty close estimation anyway. Look under the "Reasearch & Info" side bar.

I have a 1946 Styled Model D with serial #165148. Is the one your looking at Styled or UnStyled? Hand start or electric start? If it's missing the decompression petcocks you'll want to get a set of those, especially if it's a hand start. You can still buy them for a reasonable price at quite a few different places. I think you'll be way ahead of the game if you're going to get it for around $400. That's a pretty good deal even if it's a parts tractor.

Here is a picture of my '46:

Good luck, and I hope you get it.

Moore-D

 

[Anonymous-0]

BEAUTIFUL TRACTOR. MINE IS ELEC. START,STYLED,HAS A PTO , CAST CENTER REARS. I NEED A NEW TIRE ON THE REAR [WHAT IS ORIGINAL] I HAVE 13-30. I HAVE ONE LIGHT ON RIGHT FENDER THE LEFT ONE LOOKS LIKE A TREE RELOCATED IT AND MANGELED THE FENDER A LITTLE BUT IT'S A EASY FIX. PROBABLY GOING TO GET IT SAT. THANK GOD THE TIRES HOLD AIR!