John Deere B

[jd2cyl1943]

Hey I own a John Deere B that has round spoke front wheels and flat spoke rear. I have only seen one other like that and was wondering if you own one if you could tell me with the year and serial number(if known). Mine is believed to be 1943 and the serial number is 138090.

This post was edited by jd2cyl1943 on 11/07/2022 at 02:49 pm.

 

[old]

If it has one of each as in one with round the other flat one of them has been replaced at some point in time since factory they would have had both the same

 

[old]

1942 as per the serial number list on this site under research&info

 

[jd2cyl1943]

sorry I meant flat spoke back and round spoke front. I have some pics to how you what i mean.

This post was edited by jd2cyl1943 on 11/07/2022 at 02:59 pm.

 

[old]

Flat spoke rears are most likely what is called cut off as in at one time there where steel wheels. My 1935 B had flat spoke and it is on steel wheels

 

[jd2cyl1943]

old,
maybe they are cut off. it does have unfactory like welds on the rear. i just figured somebody didn't trust the welds and reenforced them. it also has six speeds which they didn't use on steel wheelers.

This post was edited by jd2cyl1943 on 11/07/2022 at 03:20 pm.

 

[old]

They could have been changed at some point in time., Who knows for sure what may or may not have been done over time unless you have history like I do with my 1935 JD B that my grand father got back in 1940 and I even have the owners manual that came with it when it was new

 

[jd2cyl1943]

old,
I don't have history of this tractor, but my great great uncle bought it just to add to his collection of 50+ tractors. all of his Bs are flat spoke rear. he gave me this one as a gift after I asked him about selling.

 

[old]

Very common at least on the unstyled to cut off the steel wheel and weld on a rubber type rim to the flat spokes. The B I have if it has ever had any engine work done to it, it would have been done by the grands father back in the 40s or 50s. It still runs by the way but does smoke a bit. My dad got it in the 70s and when he died I got it. 5 generation of my family have been on it

 

[jd2cyl1943]

on the styled Bs its unusual to find flat spoke rear. i mean, you see them but out of the 200,000 something styled Bs, they're unusual.
especially with round spoke front wheels. i know of only 14 that exist. so mine could be a "gem in the rough".

 

[shaun wallace]

The fronts are cutoffs too. No rivet nub on inside or out side of rim.

 

[jd2cyl1943]

shaun wallace
so it was a all steel wheeler. that's neat to know.

 

[coonie minnie]

I agree with old... your tractor was built in the middle of WWII, and so was likely shipped on steel wheels, which was common at the time because rubber supplies were very limited. Your wheels do look like
cut-offs- which means when rubber became available, the tractor was likely taken to a blacksmith or welder and the spokes cut and rims welded on.

Bs And As shipped on steel during the war were shipped without the 5th and 6th gear installed. This was so people did not get hurt trying to drive a steel wheeled tractor at fast speeds. It would be
interesting to know if yours has those gears- they were supplied as an update when rubber was available. You will not be able to tell by just looking, but by engaging.

 

[jd2cyl1943]

coonie minnie
the 5th and sixth have felt a little off to me the whole time. they go in easier.

This post was edited by jd2cyl1943 on 11/07/2022 at 05:21 pm.

 

[old]

That means there probably not there even if the shiftier plate says they are

 

[coonie minnie]

That gear set is actually outside the transmission case, behind a steel cover just back of the flywheel. This had several benefits- no redesign of the main case when the 5th and 6th gears were offered in
1941, and meant that it was easy to install later. Also easy for you to disassemble and see what is there

 

[jd2cyl1943]

old
they are there. i opened the cover and saw gears that like like 5 and 6. plus i have the tractor jacked of the ground and when a put in 5 or 6 and spin the flywheel the wheels spin

 

[old]

May have been added after the fact as in not there when it came out of the factory being it is a war time model and likely to have had steel wheels

 

[jd2cyl1943]

I want your opinion about whether to put it back on steel or keep it on rubber.

 

[old]

If you like to not have back problem stay with rubber. If you like having a score back go with steel. My 1935 B has steel and I have not driven it in 5 plus years now. Very hard ride to be sure and I have only used the highest gear on it one time in 42 years of having it on the place. In the highest gear it has you where 6 inches off the seat as mush as you where on it

 

[jd2cyl1943]

43 on steel

 

[jd2cyl1943]

Sorry the pic is so blurry. just grabbed it off the internet

 

[old]

Try riding that on a hard field in high gear and you will not use high gear again unless it is on very very soft ground

 

[JD39B]

It was shipped on steel to grand forks ND in mid august of
42. There were 7 others in that order that were identical. 5
including yours with sequential serial numbers. Since yours
is before nov 1 of 43 you have a 1942 model.

 

[Pete in MD]

JD39B,

Starting on July 1, 1939 JD changed the 'model' year to begin on July 1 of the previous year and end on June 30th of the 'model' year. This change resulted in the 1938 'model' year being only 8 months long.

The change was made when the early-styled models were introduced in the summer of 1939.

The OP's B was shipped, and presumably built in August 1942 and thus would be a 1943 model.

 

[jd2cyl1943]

What were their serials?