John Deere G

[Jim Blakeman]

Help! I am looking to buy an unstyled John Deere. I thought I wanted a B, but, after looking at the G, I think it is a beefier tractor. I need to know if the G has more horsepower than the A or the B. What are some pro's and con's of the G please?

Wanting to be John Deere Smart,
Jim

 

[55 50 Ron]

The G has more HP than the A or B. The G also commands a lot more $$$ to buy as not as many were built.

 

[Husker44A]

Jim. .....Yes the JD G does have more power then the A and B. Good luck finding a unstyled G. If you do they will be pricey. As for a handstart G. They can be a real P.I.T.A to start. As they have more compression then a B AND A. But are real charm to listen to under a good load. Have fun.

 

[rustred]

the G is basically the same hp as the D , but a crop model.early D"s were hand start as the G"s, but they have decompression petcocks to open for starting. the G has a nice huskey sound to it.

 

[Jim Blakeman]

Any secrets to help them start more easily?

 

[JD 5020 guy]

There was one on ebay. It was kind of in pieces and when I checked last it had over 30 bids. I would say the only con would be the price. I know unstyleds are "cooler" and bring more money but if you want to play the numbers game, JD made fewer GMs then unstyled Gs and they will be cheaper to buy.

 

[Husker44A]

Some guys drill the petcocks on the side of the block to a bigger hole. Like from 1/4 inch to 5/16 . They are not hard to start once you have the precedure down. Its not how fast you turn the flywheel but how consistent it is turned. Just roll it over through the compression stroke. Watch some videos on youtube to get a good understanding on how to start a handstart JD. They are fun to play with. My. JD 1944 A is a handstart that will start on about 3 pulls. Good luck..

 

[Farmallb]

Neighbor had one when i was a kid. Cant remember seeing it run. They wernt there too long after I moved in. They also had a perfect steel wheeled F-12/14 with perfect cultivators on it. I wasnt interested in the G as I had had my fill as a teenager starting our 38 A. I went to F-20s and 30s. Never regretted it. Wish I had a 30 today.

 

[DPG]

Jim:
Here is some generic production data I cut and pasted from:

http://johnnypopper.com

I hope you can see the differences in height, length and weight. If you look at horsepower you"ll see the G @ 38 hp on Distillate and the A @ 38 hp on Gasoline. (PS everyone had their own personal HP/Dyno #s when As or Gs are overhauled) The G if overhauled to Gasoline pistons (approx 6:1 comp ratio instead on 4.5:1) is no harder to hand-start than an A with Gasoline pistons if all the components are in good shape. It may take a bit more energy to roll the flywheel as there is more mass to move than an A or B: but if the fuel system/magneto etc are in good shape it should pop-right off.

G"s are taller, heavier and longer so keep that in mind when it comes to head-room and trailer space.

Replacement parts tend to run higher for a G as there were less of them built, and the replacement market demand is less than the A or B. So if you get into a restoration/refurbish you"ll drop more coin on a G.

But the "smurk" factor a G has with it"s distinct bark, extra lung capacity and umph can offset the extra $ when you walk by a Farmall M or Oliver 88.

Browse this website or look at the search box in the upper right corner and see what you can learn on your own.

John Deere Model G

General Specification:
Years Produced: 1938-1953
First Serial Number: 1000
Last Serial Number: 64350
Total Built: 64,000 (approx.), all types
Price, New: $2,600 (1953)

Horsepower (Max.) Drawbar PTO/Belt
6.12"x7.0" 34.5 38.1

Engine Displacement:
6.12"x7.0" Engine 412.5ci

Engine Rated rpm: 975

Wheels/Tires, Standard Wheels Tires
Rear: 51.5x7" 12.0x38
Front: 24x5" 6x16

Unstyled GM New G
Length (inches): 135.0 137.5 137.5
Height to Radiator (inches): 61.5 65.9 65.9
Weight (pounds): 4,400 5,624 5,624

Transmission
Speeds Forward (early): 4
(after S/N 13000): 6

John Deere Model A

General Specification: A: Row-Crop AR: Standard Tread
AO: Standard Tread, Orchard
AI: Standard Tread, Industrial
Years Produced: 1934-1952 1935-1952
First Serial Number: 410008 250000
Last Serial Number: 703384 284074
Total Built: 300,000 (approx.), all types 34,075
Price, New: $2,400 (1952) ?

Horsepower: (Max.)
5.5"x6.5"
5.5"x6.75" (kero)
5.5"x6.75" (gas)
Drawbar PTO/Belt
18.7 24.7
26.2 29.6
34.1 38.0


Engine Displacement:
5.5"x6.5" Engine: 309ci
(to S/N 487999) (to S/N 259334)
5.5"x6.75" Engine: 321ci
(from S/N 488000) (from S/N 260001)

Engine Rated rpm: 975 rpm

Wheels/Tires, Standard: Unstyled Styled Unstyled Styled
Rear: 50x6" 11.0x38 11.25x24
Front: 24x4" 5.5x16 6x16


Length: (inches)
Height to Radiator: (inches)
Weight: (pounds)
Unstyled 1938-47 1947-52
124.0 133.0 134.0
60.0 62.5 63.9
3,525 3,783 4,909

124
55
4,470


Transmission:
Speeds Forward: 4 (early) 4 (early)
6 (after S/N 499000) 6 (after S/N 260001)

 

[The Dukester]

I don't seriously think you'll be happy with an Unstyled G...mainly because they have no road gear....and you'll miss that if you ever parade the tractor much. I've got a styled G and a GW and while there is a certain character with an unstyled G, you really get the same thing with styled G plus two more faster speeds and electric starting and lights. Of course if you grew up around an unstyled G or there's some other particular reason I can understand that. Unstyled hand cranked G's don't start particularly hard if they're kept in good shape...after you "budge" the flywheel it takes about the sme effort as a A to pull 'er through the compression stroke...don't worry, you won't turn an A or a G without opening the compression petcocks...unless the engine's totally shot......

 

[pbb]

I got a 37 A. Im happy with it . You can buy a unstyled A alot cheaper than a unstyled G. When people sell the G model they are proud of them. The model A is going to be lighter when trailering it. Find a Belhin overdrive to put on it and it will get you down the road prety good.Your choice.

 

[don deere B]

jim;
i have a styled '46 G. gave $1200 for it about three years ago. its electrlic start and runs great, this tractor will do any heavy job you have but the flip side is "you better have lots of fuel around" i once heard a man say "the only design flaw in the G is they did not make the fuel filler neck big enough to pour in fuel as fast as it burned it" its not quite that bad but they are a thirsty tractor.
good luck with your hunt.

don deere

 

[cushman]

I"ve got a "47 G I put clevite aluminum pistons in giving 5.6 CR,with these in, it makes 54HP.Doing the light job of pulling a 500 gallon sprayer it averages 2 gallons an hour