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Like-New Collection Of Deere 20 Cyl. Tractors
In 1964, after his father died, Mel Kopf decided to keep the family's Deere 1935 D and 630 tractors rather than auction them off. Shortly afterward he began restoring them to their original condition and started buying more old Deere 2-cyl. tractors to restore them. He now has one of the country 's most complete "mint"
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Like-New Collection Of Deere 20 Cyl. Tractors TRACTORS Antiques 18-5-2 In 1964, after his father died, Mel Kopf decided to keep the family's Deere 1935 D and 630 tractors rather than auction them off. Shortly afterward he began restoring them to their original condition and started buying more old Deere 2-cyl. tractors to restore them. He now has one of the country 's most complete "mint" collections of Deere 2-cyl. tractors.
"Some people have more 2-cyl. tractors, but most of mine are completely restored to original operating condition. They look like they just came off the showroom floor," says Kopf, who has reconditioned a total of 53 models, including one of nearly every model built between 1935 and 1960. "My goal is to finish restoring the complete 30 series. I have all the 30 series models, but not all the variations of each model. For ex-ample, the 430 was made in crawler, CP, high crop, utility, standard, and row crop variations. I have several of those variations, but not all of them"
Deere 2-cyl. tractors are getting harder to find and more expensive. However, Kopf says a lot of his tractors aren't that rare. "Mostly I collect the ones I know about and grew up with. Of course, if I find a rare one I won't pass it up, but I don't try to collect only rare tractors. I collect and restore tractors because I enjoy it. I'm not in it to make money"
He keeps his tractors in a 230-ft. long, 42-ft. wide insulated building equipped with a concrete floor and a shop on one end.
Kopf's 1941 HWH is a rare model. "It was a Deere H with a wide front end and it sits higher than an H. Only 125 were made. My 330 utility tractor is also rare. Only 247 were made. Some have sold for up to $15,000." Kopf is also proud of his 730 standard gas model. "Most 730's were diesel. Only 296 gas models were made."
He pays a lot of attention to small details when he restores the tractors. For example, the cigarette lighter has to have a certain number of white rings around it - a Deere trademark. "I want to restore my tractors so that when I'm done with them they could go to the field. I want them to run as good as they look."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mel Kopf, 4625 S.W. 49th St., Topeka, Kan. 66610 (ph 913 862-5000).
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