| The Model 40 | |
| And other Dubuque Built Tractors of the 50's | |
My JD 40s Parts Tractor Shows Links Power of the Past Angel Tractor Books and Publications My Photo Album
|
Featured Tractor |
The Model 40 was built by John Deere for model year 1953 to 1955. Some 48991 tractors were built in 7 different configurations. (T) Tricycle (S) Standard (C) Crawler (U) Utility (W) Two Row (H) High Crop (V) Special/Vegetable The 40 was the end to most all of the remaining horse and mule powered farming. The tractors offered an affordable way to increase farm production for smaller farming operations. They were used in industrial applications as well. With it's standard three point hitch and many optional pieces of equipment available from John Deere and other manufacturers, it's versatility was amazing. Standard color on the 40 was yellow wheel rims and a green tractor. Units ordered for industrial or municipal use were painted many colors with yellow being the most common but red, orange, and blue were other colors. The 40 used the same 2 cylinder engine that was used in the model M. The cooling system was a thermo-siphon design that needs no water pump. All the rubber wheel 40 tractors came equipped with Deere first true 3-point hitch which had load and depth control system. Controlled by a new hydraulic system called the Touch-O-Matic, this line of tractors were meant to compete against the Ford tractors. A PTO shaft made no end to the number of different jobs the 40 could do. The 40s did not come standard with a belt drive pulley but a pulley unit on the rear, powered by the PTO, could be added. The Dubuque Works In the 40's, Deere & Company saw a need for increased production capacity. A site in Dubuque, Iowa was chosen on the bank of the Mississippi River and along side the mainline of the Milwaukee Railroad. The Dubuque Works was built to meet the need for more small tractors and began production in April of 1947 with the Model M. The new plant would have it's own foundry operation. It had it's own engineering group in charge of designing the models ultimately made there. Their innovative and forward thinking is evident in the machines they produced. They also built power units at Dubuque so, two cylinders were not the only engines made there. Production of parts for the E series engines was moved to Dubuque also. This facility still produces John Deere equipment today. Other Dubuque Tractors This site showcases the two cylinder models built at Dubuque in the 50's. If production started or ended in the 50's, I've tried to document it here. The first line of tractors built at the Dubuque Works was the model M. The M was the answer for the farmer that needed a tractor for a small farm or a small tractor to help out with chores on a large farm. Other Dubuque built models of the period include the 420, 430, 435, 440, the 320 and 330. They were built in many configurations like the model 40. Some having more variations that others. A diesel was available in the 440 first but the 435 was the first diesel powered tractor in the Deere's agricultural line. Ms 420s 430s 440s 435s 320s 330s Site still under development. New content and pages are being added weekly.
|
2005 2-Cylinder Expo - Peosta, IA |
Designed and built by DL
Find out more and get your own web site.
