John Deere fans, so many?

[Reg]

I absolutely GET the analogy.

How many of those JD enthusiasts KNOW that their all 'murican green and yellow machines come from Korea ?

How many of the black and orange group have been to the assembly plant in PA and seen the rail cars with "CHINA" on the sides ?
{I have, but only because I was lost at the time}

"Oh, its only the COMPONENTS that are made overseas"
OK, so "assembly" equals "manufacture" ? Yeah, right.

 

[unreconstructed]

I think most of us know we are paying for nostalgia and that most of our units are not American. You must forgive us of our "'murican" leanings.

To get back on course, I was going to upgrade to one of the high end JD tractors told the salesman my 133 was 8 years old. He said it would last another 10 years so I took the only possible course--I kept the LT 133 and bought a 2320. Still haven't been able to explain my logic to the Boss.

 

[RollingsFarms]

I've had terrible luck with lawn mowers over the years. seems like every one i would buy, it would last one cutting season, then break, and that same part would break over, and over, and over, and over. i could never get another FULL cutting season out of it. i grew tired of the Murry's and Snapper's i had bought in the past, i was in the market for a lawn mower that would LAST me longer thena year or so....5 at LEAST! i decided to go with JD and the new Z turns they had out. never owned a z turn before and ever since i'v owned it i wonder why i didnt buy one sooner. i paid $2,800(Z225 residential model) and i havent had one thing go wrong with it....not one. it's been doing what the others couldnt do, and its been doing it for the past 3 years. not to mention it does it faster and better. i'm not expecting this mower to last me my lifetime, since it is a residential mower afterall, but in the future i am going to save my $$$ and go get me a commercial JD or an Exmark. just been impressed with everything so far and i will NEVER, and i mean NEVER own any lawn equipment from walmart, HD, Lowes, or anywhere like that ever again in my life.

 

[Willl]

I just think greens a pretty color.

 

[unreconstructed]

My wife found a Murray at Walmart that had some defect and it was being sold at a heavy discount as such. This was several years ago and it was all we could afford. the Murray did last several years but when it decided to die, it died all the way. It served its purpose for the time.

 

[Alden Plowen]

Not that I am biased in any way ,but if you are not driving a "Johnny Popper" you are just driving another import painted green.

For a REAL John Deere check out johnnypopper.com

I'm just an old phart nearly 81 years old, but I grew up with Johhny Poppers and I have to admit putting on a set of cultivators on the old A would take the kinks out of your back. No three point hitch.

I got a new neighbor a couple years ago that came up from the city. Nice enough fella but, good Lord, he should never be allowed near a tractor or anything mechanical. He needed a tractor and I took him up to my John Deere dealer who has been in business 78 years. He didn't want to pay the price of a new one, though he could well afford it, so I suggested low hour used tractor. A couple of nice ones on the lot.

Well, before I knew it, he and the salesman got into a helluva argument and he ended up calling the salesman a thief and a crook!

I was embarassed as I had dealt with this dealer for over 40 years with no problem. So, I thought to myself, to **** with it. Let him buy his own dang tractor.

He did, too. Bought some kind of Chinese disposable from a dealer two hours away. Said it had FEL and only half the price of the John Deere. Of course I didn't believe that, but told him it sounded like a good deal.

About two weeks later, the phone rings and it's my neighbor who wants to know if I can pull him out as he is stuck in the woods. Well, I went down with my 1937 John Deere A and it seems that he was trying to do some logging with his tractor about 25 hp) with FEL and was trying to pull out a log about 16 feet long and 20 inches in diameter. Somehow he had got wedged between two good sized trees and was buried up to the axles in mud.

He couldn't go forward or backward and hydraulic fluid all over the ground. What a mess. We finally had to cut one of the trees. Somehow, he had gotton the drawbar jammed on top of the log and couldn't raise or lower it. I told him to just put it in neutral and I'll give it a straight pull. He was buried solid, but the old A, she squatted and grunted and threatened to stall, but she was just teasin'. How those big hind wheels threw the mud, but we pulled him out

The hydraulics are shot and now something is wrong with the transmission. No matter what gear he puts it in--no power! I end up dragging his tractor with the log still attached to the edge of the woods. There is sat for about ten days till the dealer picks it up. (I don't put all the blame on the tractor..)

He got a new tractor. All I know is that it is painted green. Don't ask.

I could write a book about this fella.

Anyway, I've got to go spin the flywheel on the old A!

Alden

 

[RollingsFarms]

Not that I am biased in any way ,but if you are not driving a "Johnny Popper" you are just driving another import painted green.

For a REAL John Deere check out johnnypopper.com

I'm just an old phart nearly 81 years old, but I grew up with Johhny Poppers and I have to admit putting on a set of cultivators on the old A would take the kinks out of your back. No three point hitch.

I got a new neighbor a couple years ago that came up from the city. Nice enough fella but, good Lord, he should never be allowed near a tractor or anything mechanical. He needed a tractor and I took him up to my John Deere dealer who has been in business 78 years. He didn't want to pay the price of a new one, though he could well afford it, so I suggested low hour used tractor. A couple of nice ones on the lot.

Well, before I knew it, he and the salesman got into a helluva argument and he ended up calling the salesman a thief and a crook!

I was embarassed as I had dealt with this dealer for over 40 years with no problem. So, I thought to myself, to **** with it. Let him buy his own dang tractor.

He did, too. Bought some kind of Chinese disposable from a dealer two hours away. Said it had FEL and only half the price of the John Deere. Of course I didn't believe that, but told him it sounded like a good deal.

About two weeks later, the phone rings and it's my neighbor who wants to know if I can pull him out as he is stuck in the woods. Well, I went down with my 1937 John Deere A and it seems that he was trying to do some logging with his tractor about 25 hp) with FEL and was trying to pull out a log about 16 feet long and 20 inches in diameter. Somehow he had got wedged between two good sized trees and was buried up to the axles in mud.

He couldn't go forward or backward and hydraulic fluid all over the ground. What a mess. We finally had to cut one of the trees. Somehow, he had gotton the drawbar jammed on top of the log and couldn't raise or lower it. I told him to just put it in neutral and I'll give it a straight pull. He was buried solid, but the old A, she squatted and grunted and threatened to stall, but she was just teasin'. How those big hind wheels threw the mud, but we pulled him out

The hydraulics are shot and now something is wrong with the transmission. No matter what gear he puts it in--no power! I end up dragging his tractor with the log still attached to the edge of the woods. There is sat for about ten days till the dealer picks it up. (I don't put all the blame on the tractor..)

He got a new tractor. All I know is that it is painted green. Don't ask.

I could write a book about this fella.

Anyway, I've got to go spin the flywheel on the old A!

Alden

that's one of the best stories I've read on here! really enjoyed that. when you get a chance, please, share some more with us!

 

[tjkadar]

I could write a book about this fella.

Anyway, I've got to go spin the flywheel on the old A!

Alden

Heck of a story. When you have time, write more of them! I would love to hear them!

 

[unreconstructed]

I have a pic of my Dad and me sitting on his old A--probably 1952. Good story old phart. Keep 'em coming.

 

[larso1]

That was a great story!

As far as "A"s are concerned, my first exposure was when my family visited my uncle's farm in Nebraska, circa 1959 when I was 9, a city kid. For some reason, my uncle and dad thought it would be ok to sit me on the old "A" and let me drive it around the yard a little, set in 1st gear, low speed. Well, I promptly drove it thru a wire fence in his front yard before he could jump up and stop it. That was fun tho

I got introduced to "A"s again in 2001 when a friend at work wanted to sell his fully restored 1935 "A", and he knew I was familiar with YT-Mag and e-bay. He said he'd give me $500 if I sold it for at least $5K. It really did look like new and started easily with a lazy turn of the flywheel. He did all the work himself except for the machine shop work on the motor. It had the un-styled front end (I think that's what you call it). Well, I ttok lots of nice photos and did a real detailed write-up. I tried YT-Mag first, he had some interest but no takers. Then on ebay, the bidding went up to $4500. He decided to sell it for that, to some guy in AR who was looking for a nice "A" that was made the year his dad was born. The guy drove a trailer all the way here to CO and loaded it up. My friend still gave me the $500 even tho it was a little short of his expectations.