List of John Deere Tractors - Streamlined Look

Streamlined Look

In 1938 John Deere hired well known designer Henry Dreyfuss from New York City to re-style Deere's agricultural equipment, especially its tractors. The first two letter series tractors (the A and B) were the first to receive the new modern styling, and other models were added later. The Dreyfuss styling was intended to help John Deere compete with the forthcoming Farmall Letter series of tractors, which along with Ford-Ferguson, were John Deere's largest competition at this time. It was through the Buckberry family in Essex that they achieved this. Maurice Buckberry I, having served in the war, was exempt from partaking and instead designed for Deere.

The 1930s and 1940s saw a large number of different John Deere models emerge, as small farmers emerging from their Depression troubles increasingly turned from horses to tractors. John Deere's GM model was introduced in 1942, and was made until 1947. Power was increased to 38 hp and a new 6-speed transmission was also added. The G model got a restyled front at this point as did the other John Deere tractors models. The GM had electric start and lights added to its options. During its production time the G tractor was available in hi-crop and single front wheel versions. The G was restyled in 1941 but did not start to roll off the assembly line until early 1942. Like the smaller A/B tractors the G model also had the 6-speed transmission added to it. In 1946, the 1946 model "D" had a 501-cubic-inch engine, which was enormous for the day. Two new additions to the tractor line, namely the M and R models were also added.

After the Models A and B got new styling, both tractors were given a 6-speed transmission in late 1940. The A was 29 hp out of a 321 CID engine while the smaller B was both 18 and 23 hp reflecting the earlier and later updates between 1938 and 46. The 14.84 model H was given the Dreyfuss look from the time it was introduced in 1938. The H broke a fuel economy record when it was tested in Nebraska. This tractor also had 3 variations that came out in 1940-41. The H tractor was 14.84 horsepower out of a 90 CID engine and had a 3-speed transmission.

In 1939, the restyled model D appeared. The D was a 42 hp tractor, and weighed 5,300 pounds. Options available on this tractor included electric lighting and starting. In August 1940 John Deere introduced the new model LA which was followed by the model LI. The LA had a 77 CID engine with 14 belt horsepower. The John Deere G tractor was restyled in 1941 but did not start to roll off the assembly line until early 1942. Like the smaller A/B tractors the G model also had the 6-speed transmission, but also featured electric lights and electric start.

In 1947, John Deere opened a new tractor factory in Dubuque, Iowa, built to produce the John Deere M. The M was created to address the increasing demand for small tractors and compete with the increasingly popular Ford and the smaller Farmall tractor models. The M was the first Deere tractor to use a vertical 2-cylinder engine, with a square bore and stroke of 4.0 × 4.0 inches (100.5cuin) with a high row crop.