1940s John Deere H

[Beavis]

Just curious: Is there an actual use for something this old and only 12hp, or would it be for parades/show only? It is not my intent to offend anyone with that question; I ask because I may have access to one of these at a good price, but want to know if there would be work for it besides LOOKING GOOD. Some have a PTO and some don't. This tractor and photo came from "tractorhouse"

thanks

 

[Egon]

old and only 12hp,

That is draw bar HP. It's rated to pull a single bottom 16 inch plow.

 

[Chuck_Lind]

I'd use it to ride around the farm instead of a four-wheeler. It's fun to drive and you can never beat that two-cylinder sound of an old John Deere.

That Putt-Putt sound will carry to the next county; the old folks would be enlightened to hear that!!!

 

[Soundguy]

it could be great as a parade machine, or as others mentioned, it can be a farm-go-cart.. it can pull small drawbar loads.. etc.. many small tractors, especially the rowcrops were good for cultivating.. if you can find the equipment.

soundguy

 

[TripleR]

I love the sound of those old Johnny Poppers.

 

[CumminsLuke]

It would pull a one bottom plow, a small old drag type disc, a small drag harrow, a small two row corn planter, a small pull type grain drill, a sickle mower, a hay rake, a hay wagon, a small pull type manure spreader. There are tons of uses.

 

[DanD78]

I have a 39 JD-B that has 14hp. Those small two-cylinder tractors will pull a lot more than you think. Starts with about 1/2 spin of the fly wheel.

Dan

 

[flusher]

Just curious: Is there an actual use for something this old and only 12hp, or would it be for parades/show only? It is not my intent to offend anyone with that question; I ask because I may have access to one of these at a good price, but want to know if there would be work for it besides LOOKING GOOD. Some have a PTO and some don't. This tractor and photo came from "tractorhouse"

thanks

Your H would look really spiffy pulling an old steel wheel grain drill like my Minneapolis Moline P3-6 (10 ft wide, 20 drops)



Right now I'm pulling it with my 2008 Mahindra 5525. But I'm restoring this 1951 MM BF tractor



The BF presently is completely disassembled and the parts are being painted. Hope to have it reassembled this summer. Then I'll use it in Oct to plant my oat hay crop with the P3-6 drill.

 

[neucam]

It was an early 40's tractor, I believe the "B" replaced it. But they were sold to do farm work on a small, less than a 80acres farm, or as a second tractor. They plowed, cultivated corn, (2 row), maybe not too fast, but they did it, pulled small farm implements of the day, 1 bottom plow would be about right, could it pull 2-12" plows I don't know. Of course an updated HP "H" could do better, and they had fairly big tires for traction. Some later compact tractors of more HP may have there hands full keeping up to an "H" but I am talking about a rebuilt "H" and maybe a higher compression "H" and maybe an overbored one. So it may not have only 12hp on the drawbar anymore. If it was rebuilt low compression and no overbore, then it may be lacking in power to do field work, just utility work as a second tractor.

 

[flusher]

It was an early 40's tractor, I believe the "B" replaced it. But they were sold to do farm work on a small, less than a 80acres farm, or as a second tractor. They plowed, cultivated corn, (2 row), maybe not too fast, but they did it, pulled small farm implements of the day, 1 bottom plow would be about right, could it pull 2-12" plows I don't know. Of course an updated HP "H" could do better, and they had fairly big tires for traction. Some later compact tractors of more HP may have there hands full keeping up to an "H" but I am talking about a rebuilt "H" and maybe a higher compression "H" and maybe an overbored one. So it may not have only 12hp on the drawbar anymore. If it was rebuilt low compression and no overbore, then it may be lacking in power to do field work, just utility work as a second tractor.

You put your finger on one important factor--the engines on these old tractors sometimes are pretty worn out and won't put out the advertised hp they had when new. The 4-cyl Hercules engine on my MM BF had to be completely rebuilt ($1600 parts and labor) because there was no compression in the cylinders.



And there's a slight crack in the water jacket on the block that needs to be sealed with some of that magic stuff you put in the coolant.

Unless the engine on that H has been rebuilt, I'd doubt it'll do 12 hp on the drawbar.