John Deere History

Agricultural Leader.

John Deere is one of the most well-known and trusted brands in the agricultural industry, with a reputation for quality, innovation, and reliability. But how did this company become a leader in the tractor business? Here is a brief overview of the history of John Deere tractors.

The Origin of the Plow.

The story of John Deere Tractors begins with the story of John Deere himself, a blacksmith who moved from Vermont to Illinois in 1836. He soon realized that the farmers in his new community were struggling with the sticky prairie soil, which clogged their cast iron plows. He decided to create a new kind of plow, made of polished steel, that could cut through the soil without sticking. He used a broken sawblade as his raw material and shaped it into a plow that changed the face of agriculture. ¹

The Entry into the Tractor Business.

John Deere's plow business grew rapidly, and he expanded his product line to include other implements and Machinery. However, by 1912, he faced a huge challenge: he lacked a tractor to complete his product lineup. His competitors, such as International Harvester, Case, and Massey-Harris, already offered tractors to their customers. John Deere's dealers pressured him to enter the tractor market, as they feared losing their plow sales to other brands.²

John Deere agreed to develop a tractor, and after several attempts, he acquired the Waterloo Gas Engine Company in 1918, which had been making tractors since 1892. The Waterloo Boy tractor became the first tractor that John Deere marketed under its own name. It was a two-cylinder kerosene-powered tractor that could pull a three-bottom plow. It sold well, but it was soon surpassed by more advanced models from other manufacturers. ¹²

The New Generation of Power.

John Deere realized that he needed to innovate and improve his tractor design to stay ahead of the competition. He hired engineers and researchers to develop new models and features that would revolutionize farming once again. In 1923, he introduced the Model D, which was the first tractor that bore the John Deere name on its radiator. It was a reliable and durable tractor that remained in production until 1953. ¹³

In 1935, he introduced his first tractor built exclusively for industrial use, the Model DI. It was designed for road building, logging, mining, and other heavy-duty applications. It had a four-cylinder engine that produced 44 horsepower and a power take-off that could drive various attachments. ¹⁴

In 1960, he unveiled his most radical innovation yet: the New Generation of Power. This was a series of four- and six-cylinder tractors that replaced the old two-cylinder models. They had more power, more speed, more comfort, and more versatility than ever before. They also had a new color scheme: green and yellow instead of green and red. Some of the most popular models in this series were the 1010, 2010, 3010, 4010, and 5010. ¹⁵

The Modern Era.

John Deere continued to innovate and expand its tractor range in the following decades, introducing new technologies and features that improved performance, efficiency, safety, and comfort. Some of these included:

• The Generation II tractors in 1972, which had Sound-Gard cabs that reduced noise and vibration for the operator.
• The Iron Horses in 1978, which had power shift transmissions that allowed shifting without using a clutch.
• The 50 Series in 1981, which had microprocessor-based controls that monitored engine functions and fuel consumption.
• The 60 Series in 1988, which had electronic fuel injection systems that increased power and reduced emissions.
• The 7000 Series in 1992, which had full-time mechanical front-wheel drive that improved traction and stability.
• The 8000 Series in 1994, which had Power Boost technology that increased engine output by up to 10% when needed.
• The 9000 Series in 1996, which had four-wheel drive articulated tractors that could produce up to 425 horsepower.
• The 6000 and 7000 Series in 1997, which had PowerQuad transmissions that offered four power shift speeds in each range.
• The 5000 Series in 1998, which had compact utility tractors that were ideal for small farms and landscaping.
• The 9000T Series in 1999, which had rubber tracks instead of wheels that reduced soil compaction and increased flotation. ¹ 

The Future of Farming.

John Deere is not only a leader in the tractor business, but also a leader in the Agricultural technology business. The company has been developing and offering solutions that help farmers optimize their operations, increase their productivity, and protect the environment. Some of these include:

• The GreenStar system, introduced in 1996, which was the first fully integrated yield-mapping package for combines.
• The AutoTrac system, introduced in 2002, which was the first commercially available automatic steering system for tractors.
• The iTEC Pro system, introduced in 2008, which was the first system that could automate tractor functions such as headland turns and implement control.
• The JDLink system, introduced in 2009, which was the first system that could remotely monitor and manage tractor performance and location via satellite or cellular communication.
• The FarmSight system, introduced in 2011, which was the first system that could integrate machine optimization, logistics optimization, and agronomic decision support into a comprehensive farm management solution. ¹ 

John Deere is committed to providing farmers with the best tractors and Technology that can help them feed the world. With a history of innovation and excellence that spans over a century, John Deere is a name that farmers can trust and rely on.

Source:

(1) John Deere History | Tractor History | John Deere US. https://www.deere.com/en/our-company/history/.

(2) 100+ years of John Deere tractors | Successful Farming. https://www.agriculture.com/machinery/tractors/100-years-of-john-deere-tractors.

(3) List of John Deere tractors - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_John_Deere_tractors.

(4) John Deere History: A Timeline of How We Got Here. https://blog.machinefinder.com/29921/john-deere-history.

(5) These tractors show 150 years of farming history. https://americanhistory.si.edu/tractor.

Image Attribution: Acroterion, John Deere 8320R tractor MD1, CC BY-SA 4.0

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