Help ID'ing an old tractor from a photo...

[SanDucerro]

I know three things about this photo - and that's all I know...

1) That's me with my hands on the wheel.
2) The photo was taken in April 1961.
3) it ain't a Kubota... :laughing:

Heck - I have no way of knowing if it's even a John Deere, but I thought I'd start here first. Any ideas as to what I'm driving?

Thanks!

 

[Xfaxman]

It is a John Deere, maybe an A. The collectors will be able to tell you for sure.

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

Not as big as an A more likely an H

 

[raheimdal]

Yep, JD H with electric start. Must have made it a lot easier to get running than trying to flywheel start it with the cultivator on!

 

[SanDucerro]

Wow! You guys are good - REALLY good. I've pulled up a photo of a restored JD H off the web and can ID many of the same components/lines/tank shapes/etc from my picture to the web shot. Thanks for the feedback!

Any idea how hard these are to find? I'm looking to buy an antique tractor as a display item for our vineyard and figured this would be a great one to start with.

 

[Tx Jim]

I agree it's an "H" as the H was the only JD model with the hyd unit on LH side of steering column. I think I know where an H is sitting in a pasture.

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

Not as many as A's and B's but not that hard to find.

 

[bobm6996]

I agree it looks like a JD H, we had this tractor and a B when I was very young. Had a belt driven large saw on the front of the B we used to saw logs for firewood. This took me back many many years.

 

[SanDucerro]

Talked to my mom about the photo and she said my dad had taken it - which makes sense as my sister is 4 years younger than I and she would have been 1 when this photo was shot. So it stands to reason that mom would be holding my sister while dad performed the photographer duties. What's more fascinating is mom ID'd the location of the photo as a cousins farm not 10 miles from where we live now. I need to see if the farm is still "in the family" and find out if the JD H is sitting in the pasture there...

 

[stuckmotor]

An interesting little tractor. Took it's power off of the cam shaft. Yesterday's Tractors - Tractor Profile: John Deere Model H