Other side of the fence tractor story...

A tractor story from the other side first off let me apologize for the length of this but thought some of you might like this story. As most of you know once you start collecting old iron it becomes an addiction that is a part of you. I am constantly looking for other tractors to add to our collection and truly have a passion for antiques, which is focused on two-cylinder John Deere’s. I am lucky to be surrounded by family that also enjoys the hobby and have passed down great memories and advice. My grandfather, my dad, myself, my better half, and our son are all involved. On numerous times I have told my better half that I found a great deal on a tractor and we need to buy it.. Usually she is on board, sometimes she is not thrilled. However hardly ever do I get told no. To support our hobby I buy and sell tractors on the side of all makes. However I find that every time I buy an old John Deere to sell it stays in the garage or barn and never leaves… Usually I am the one to say “it was such a good deal, we won’t ever find another”, or the one to become emotionally attached to the tractor. Yesterday however that was not the case. I found a 1941 John Deere H for sale on craigslist on Tuesday that was about two hours away from where we live. The guy had just listed it and I called him, it seemed like a “Great Deal” asked him to hold it for a day and I would be up to get it. My good friend was supposed to meet me after work and ride up with me, but canceled last minute. The lady decided she didn’t want me to go alone through the storms we were having so she came instead. My plan from the start with this tractor was buy it… Clean it up a little and sell it.. Make some quick cash give someone else a decent deal and finish a couple other projects. However when we pulled up and the little H was parked in this garage I knew my plans were all over. She was instantly smiling, and when the H popped off and was sitting there running I think for a minute she loved it more than me. After I looked it over and didn’t see any huge flaws, I paid the man and loaded it up. Once in the truck Sabrina was smiling, and looking at me and said “we cant sell it, its too cute, and we wont be able to find another in this good of shape, plus its perfect for our son”. I started laughing and told her it sure does feel great to be on this side of the conversation. So now we have a 1941 John Deere H in the collection, and in line for restoration.. It has a rebuilt carb and mag, the sheet metal is almost perfect on it, it has a good tag. It is missing the shutters, 3 way fuel valve and the top part of the hitch… Needs one tube and one wheel needs some repair… Long story short were keeping it… Hope you enjoyed reading this, as much as I enjoyed sitting on the other side of the fence for once...

Great story, thanks for sharing it. As a husband we know that the old saying "happy wife, happy life" are words to live by. Enjoy the victory my friend.

Nice looking tractor. I'd say that was a good deal. I'd got it myself if I'd of seen the ad. LOL

Those old original tires are likely hard as rocks and ride rough. Be VERY careful if you have to dismount them as you can ruin the hard to find rims before the tire will pry off them.
I used to have to use a sawsall and cut the tires like that off just to save the rims !!!

Nice story, thanks for posting. Don't think my lady will ever be at the point she wants to buy another tractor, to her they are all the same.

One question, why it is so shiny in the pics? Wet, or is there something on it?

JohnDeereJimOhio,

Really neat little tractor. Actually reminds me a lot of our 1936 B. Will have to look for them at shows.

I am one of those wives who like tractors. But my husband has decided we have 5 and that is all the more we will ever have - says if we buy another, a current one has to go. I got him sold on the idea of finding a rusty unstyled B John Deere - he says if we do, our current one has to go... and I "ain't" going to let that happen. That one holds too many memories for us as a couple going to parades and shows - plus for our son. It was the first tractor our son ever drove and did work with... she isn't going to be sold if I can help it.

She has a John Deere B i bought as a parts tractor and she liked it and we got it running. Shes very attached to it and has done a great job working on it. I have the 1955 70 Diesel my dad bought two weeks after i was born and the first I ever drove it will never be sold. We have 6 2-cylinders right now. She really loves the unstyled tractors and have been keeping an eye out for an a for her and a G for me....

An old timer once told me after a certain point you
can bring as many home as you want they all look the
same to them.. He followed that up with saying just
never get them out and set them all in the yard at
the same time.. Lol...

Its shiny because i hauled it home through the
thunderstorms we had in Ohio yesterday..

It's addicting. I've got a '39 B that used to be my dad's tractor. A couple of years ago, there were actually some people on place looking at it and they were mildly interested in it. Actually, if we would have been able to agree on a price, I would have sold it. But now I think I'll keep it in the family because dad would have wanted it that way. My son, a freshmen in high school, will be starting a restoration on it this summer.

Glad you posted this. I was just about to post an inquiry as to whether anyone on this forum owns a JD 'H'. In all the time I've been reading this board I don't recall ever seeing one here, although I'm pretty sure that cobbled-up 'John Deere' with the hit-or-miss engine that was shown from Craig's List yesterday was built on an 'H' frame. I can understand that serious farmers might not want an 'H', but I would think that every serious collector would want one.

A few years ago I gave a few dollars for the remnants of an 'H' that had been surrounded by a thicket for many years. I had to saw out a tree that had grown up through the cultivator. Bottoms of the rims were rusted away, the nose was bashed in, and some parts had been cannibalized. I was already debating whether I had the time, money and know-how to restore the thing when I discovered a crack in the block. I sold it to a collector in east Texas for parts.

hi guys i have an H they are prtty hard to find in eastern SD as the model A was the big seller here you are right about tractor fever i now have 15 two cyls and 3 jd hit and miss engines

I'll post one other JD "H" story. Close to 30 years ago, my great uncle was getting out of farming and was selling all of his equipment. He didn't have too much on his sale, but he had an "H" that was in pretty good shape. The sale was about 4 miles from where his farm was and my brother drove the "H" from the farm to the place of the sale by way of a two-lane highway. The tractor actually had the SMV emblem on the back. Halfway into town, my brother met a cop and the cop slowed way down as they met. The cop immediately whipped it around, got behind my brother (who was driving the "H") and put the cherries on. My brother pulled over and shut off the tractor, waited for the cop to get out and watched the cop step up to the left side of tractor. My brother asked him "What did I do wrong?" The cop said that he did nothing wrong. He just said that when he was growing up on the farm they had a JD "H" and he just had to see one close up again. After a couple of minutes of the cop looking at he tractor, he thanked my brother, got back in the cop car and took off. The tractor sold on the sale later that day.

I too am the happy owner of an "H". Mine has the electric start option. I really like that little cutie. I also have 2 "B"s, 2 "A"s a "G", a 520, 620 and a 720 Diesel

Right now we have 41-h,1945-B,1948 G pulling tractor, 1951-GW, 1958 420c, my father has a 70 dieselponystart 720 diesel eletric start, and a 730 diesel pony start.. We also have a couple I"m not too proud of lol a farmall super m and a ferguson 35

Dad told this story about when the H came out in 1939 he wanted one. He had been plowing with a horse and walking plow. The only difference between the two was he could ride in stead of walk. So in 1978 we saw a H on a farm sale near us. We bought this H for the sum of 350 dollars. I still have this tractor, and has been restored and to the Two-Cylinder Expo a couple of times, to some parades and other shows. Dad is gone now but we will keep his tractor, and keep it running.