A Rare Pair Of Woodies

A Rare Pair Of Woodies AG WORLD Ag World 21-3-19 "We mounted a wood cab with tilt-out windows on our 1936 W-30 McCormick Deering tractor, and wood fenders and operator platform on our 1945 Deere H. They really turned out nice," says David Koontz, Mocksville, N.C. "We bought the McCormick Deering on factory rubber in Dobson, N.C. When we got it, the sheet metal was in very good condition except for the fenders, which were full of holes. We completely disassembled the tractor and found that it wasn't as worn as we thought it would be. "When Dad and I took the back of the tractor apart, we were amazed at the size of the bull gear. After a few problems, we had completely overhauled the engine. We then started cleaning off all the metal. That was a slow, tedious job. We both did our share of cleaning, degreasing, and scrubbing. The fenders were taken to Ohio where Don Giles of G & S Brackets made a new set. "Dad decided that we were going to build a wooden cab on the tractor. He got the idea from a photo in æThe History of I.H.C.' We made the cab out of curly white ash lumber. After much measuring, sawing and staining, the finished product looked wonderful. We then hung tilt-out windows with locks. "My dad found the 1945 John Deere H in Kentucky when returning home from a tractor hunting trip to Missouri. It didn't look that bad on the outside, but the inside was a different story. When we took the plug out of the rear end, water poured out. The engine and transmission had to be totally redone. "We also had to buy new bearings for the entire tractor. Part of the sheet metal had to be straightened, but that wasn't as hard as the engine work. We finally got the tractor totally restored, but my dad thought that the tractor was a little unsafe for my sister to drive. So he came up with the idea of putting wooden fenders on the tractor. He built a wooden operator platform and tied that into the fenders, making it impossible for someone to fall into the wheels. John Deeres are not our favorite tractors, but we fell in love with this little Woodie. "We then decided to have a little fun with our fellow John Deere collectors. We put a sign on the fenders that reads æRare John Deere Woody produced from never-before published John Deere photographs.' This causes a stir among the serious John Deere enthusiasts." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, David Koontz, 5551 James Church Road, Mocksville, N.C. 27028. Reprinted with permission from Antique Power Magazine, P.O. Box 562, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387 (ph 800 767-5828).

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