Rare Deere Tractor

Rare Deere Tractor TRACTORS Antiques 26-4-22 John Deere collectors Ron and Barbara Koogler have a barn full of antique tractors, from pedal tractors to dozers. None are as rare as their experimental "No. 101." It was one of only five units built in the 1940's. No. 101 was designed to provide an unobstructed view of the field ahead and behind. Designed to compete with the Farmall Cub and Allis-Chalmers B, the experimental tractors featured a handlebar instead of a steering wheel, and a foot clutch on the right with both brake pedals on the left. Although many of its parts came from the earlier Model L, the hydraulic pump, transmission and rear end were all stamped EX for experimental. When Koogler restored the tractor, he removed the hydraulic pump due to its bad shape and the fact that parts were nonexistent. The transmission and rear end functioned well and were left unchanged. Koogler bought the tractor from a farmer who had purchased it from a Deere employee. The employee had received it as a retirement present when he left the company. He then used it for 20 years on a small truck farm. It is the only one of the five to end up in private hands and only one of two to survive at all. Traditional tractor design starts with a power range, weight and wheelbase. Theo Brown, the creative engineer behind the 101, started instead with a sight line. The tractor operator was to have a clear line of sight to the ground between the front wheels and behind the rear axle. Power and wheelbase would be decided later. To meet the site line requirements, the seat had to be centered up front. Full vision required the engine to be mounted behind and under the driver. A wheelbase of 73 inches was calculated based on sight line and seat height. A model LA engine, producing 14 1/2 hp, was added to provide enough power for an integral 16-in. plow mounted on one of the experimental units. Another unit equipped with a power take off was used for mowing and later carried a single row mounted corn picker. The tractor offered many advantages including: easier ride due to centering the seat on the tractor; perfect vision of the row, front and back; no hot engine air in the operator's face, and single unit engine/transmission/rear axle design for reduced vibration. The greatest drawback to the design was the operator's inability to reach control levers on drawn equipment of the day. What may have killed the tractor was philosophy, not design. Deere simply began concentrating on fewer and larger models, leaving the small tractor market to other tractor makers. Noticeably all of them have since merged or gone out of business. While the Full Vision 101 never went into production, it may have sparked a clear view of the future for John Deere executives. Story excerpted with permission from Antique Power Magazine, 117 Glen Street, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387 (ph 937 767-1433); Website: www.antiquepower.com).

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