Picture 35 A Deere

Just a quick pic of my 35 A made
on April 5th 1935 just a month
after the open fan shaft was
discontinued. It still has the
pistons that might be the
originals unless they were
replaced before dad bought it. I
do know they are standard size
yet. I am shuffling a few tractors
around giving them a quick rinse
with the power washer in the
process and this Is one of them.
Dad bought this A 70 years ago to
use as a light duty second
tractor. When I was A kid dad put
me on this tractor to rake hay,
run a crimper and haul manure. He
put me on this tractor instead of
the 630 for hauling manure because
this A doesn't go fast! I guess he
knew my tendency to want to go
fast. I hated driving that old
antique back then but the passage
of time has changed my attitude
somewhat. When I started it today
it popped the second time over and
started and ran on the fourth time
over. Not bad for having four year
old gas in the tank. The gas did
not smell sweet and fresh but it
did smell pretty good considering
its age. Yes it's ethanol. The
carb float was bad, I knew it and
had a new float ready to throw in
it so with the new float in I
drove it a mile on the road I used
to drive it on so many years ago
just to warm it up. Now it sits in
its new home in the new shed.
Maybe I will exersize the old girl
more often now that it is more
visible.

Oh, there's a story connected to
it.Dad drove this tractor when he
worked as a hired hand for a
farmer during the war. When he
bought it he did not know this was
the tractor he drove for the
farmer until he was visiting with
the farmer 50 years later. The
farmer was dying of cancer and dad
would go to his house to visit
with him every few days. During
one of those visits the farmer was
reminiscing about tractors he used
to own and this A came up in the
conversation. The farmer traded
this A for a new 1950 A at Johnson
Implement in Newell Iowa. Dad
bought it from Johnson not knowing
it's history. The farmer said he
bought this A from his father in
law who bought it new in Odebolt
Iowa. A blacksmith in Alta Iowa
put it on rubber but I don't know
when that was done. The rear tires
that are on it now were new when
dad bought it 70 years ago. There
is a boot in the sidewall of one
tire that has been bulging ever
since I was a kid and it is still
holding. So that's the story. I
should write it down for my son
and grandson so the history isn't
lost.

Yes write it down. History goes when the people go. Just lost a huge chunk of family history with grandma passing at 98.

Nice story and a really nice old A.....It has had a good owner caring for it all these years.

great story and a real nice tractor! but im bias,i like all deere model a tractors!

One more thing. How many of you who grew up on two bangers remember positioning your left foot to stop seeds and berries from being flung in your face by the flywheel? Driving through a patch of Canadian thistles when the seeds are ripe and hard was the worst.

Fixer, you did write it down. Now screen shot and print.

Or foot on the govenor to make it over the hill so you don't have to shift? Leo

Nice to have the history on your tractor. Ron MN

sometimes I find wanting to ask my gandpartners or mom or dad about something that happened, however I never knew how muck to believe what mom's dad told us. why do people just plain lie about things?

Nice story. I still remember standing on the platform of my dads A raking hay when I was just a tyke. I'd steer on the straight stretches and he'd do all the turning. I'd love to have that tractor today
Pete

Spent many hours on an A just like that. It was 20 years old at the time and I just thought it was awfully old so I wasn't very fond of it. No place to hide when a sudden rainstorm would hit - not even a cast wheel to hide behind! So now, my "new" tractor is a 1969 4020 and I also have a 1957 620 and a 1949 G. I don't think of any of them as being old - time sure makes a difference.

Never had that problem with out 38 A. Dad bought it in Jan of 57 and traded it off in 60 on a 49 B, 2 days later knew it was a misteak traiding it off bot before I could get to dealer it was already sold. Never did know where it went. I do know where that 49 B is tho as well as the 51 A.

Or the "quick power shift" from 6th down to 5th, or 5th back up to 6th when hauling a load of baled hay on a hilly road; pop clutch and use foot to hit range lever the instant the clutch brake hit, clutch back in in one smooth motion - seamless.

. Nice looking tractor and I love the story behind it too! Thanks for sharing.

Those tractors only had 4 speeds forward, Heisler offered an overdrive but don't think I ever saw one. 6 speed did not come untill 1941.

We had a '46, a '48 and a '40 something B all 6 speeds....

46 was avaible with 4 speed on steel or 6 speeds on rubber, the 48 only with 6 speeds, The 1940 was only 4 speed but the 41 up to 45 could be either 4 or 6 speed depending on if tractor was sold on steel or rubber. So your 40 something would have been at least a 41 or newer.

(quoted from post at 21:32:07 07/09/20) Fixer, you did write it down. Now screen shot and print.

Click to expand...

Then laminate it and tape it up inside the hood.

Now that’s a tractor