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Hi guys. I'd like to weigh in on this subject. My Grandpa was a dairy farmer, and had the good fortune of running his small farm through the 1920's up to the end of 1950. He had three Johnny Poppers: a 1937 Model B two bottom on steel which he converted to rubber, a 1949 "styled" Model A three bottom on rubber, and a 1941 Model BO Lindeman crawler (which he hated and quickly sold because it was "too damned slow!"). The 1937 Model B had only about 12hp at the drawbar and 15 (I think) on the flywheel. The '49 Model A was 16/32hp, was heavier than the B, and was his last full size tractor because his farm failed. Both the B and BO started on gasoline, the tank being the small one found closest to the driver. The kerosene tank was the larger fuel tank and it was forward of the gas tank. I remember that they were both what were described as being General Purpose, Multi-fuel, two cylinder, horizintal spark engines having magneto ingition and "sparking plugs." The '49 had electric start (electric lights also!!) but could also be started like the '37 B and '41 BO. Starting went something like this: open gas selector, run flywheel to indicator mark for start (TDC I think), advance spark, switch on, spin the flywheel, and it would generally pop on the first go. I think there was also a hand crank that almost nobody used, at least not on Gramps' farm. Each of the machines had an oil pressure gauge and a temp gauge. The temp gage was an "add on" for the B, and once the indicator reached the warm mark the selector valve was turned from "gas" to "kerosene," and the spark was then retarded. Neither engine would run for beans on just kerosene so like most Popper Pilots Gramps had his own brew. These were still low rpm (1120rpm) spark engines, and not diesels. To the best of what the old timers left in my family can remember Deere didn't offer a production diesel until the Model R in 1949 or 1950. Gramps didn't like them because they were Nazi engines, in his opinion. It was said to have been an offshoot of the production two cylinder multi-fuel spark engine but was a true diesel. At any rate, be it a multi-fuel or diesel, they were back-breaking mean machines to work all day with only an umbrella for shade, even with the hydraulic hitch. The B and A also had a horrible habit of wanting to flip, a real nasty trait of tricycle configured machines. One other thing real quick, a page my Mom saved from our 1935 farm records show gasoline was 12 cents a gallon, kerosene was 6 cents a gallon, and the migrant workers earned $1.15 for a sixty hour week. I doubt if any ever had a tractor or even knew how to farm with one. Funny, my compact diesels are plush in comparison. I wonder what Gramps would think if he could have a chance to work them? This information comes to you from an 83 year old Uncle, a 78 year old Mom, and my own 50 something mind. I hope it was of some help and interest.

JD History Question
Just For Fun Off Topic
Replies 28 Post by Ted @ Abbeywoods