Aussie Ken
Member
Well - this is called "right place right time"
On my 50th birthday - I was at the dealership and went into the parts dept for some parts
A 86 year old gentleman was at the counter looking for a salesman- he wanted to trade a Kubota and Green field lawn tractors and a crawler on a new JD riding lawn mower
The parts man was quizzing him on the crawler - it was a JD -- 450? 350? - he said no a two cylinder 420!!!!
I of course started asking a few questions and told him I was interested in the crawler for myself- he agreed to let me go to his place to check it out.
I went out last Sunday and met him at his farm
we opened the shed door and there it was - a 1956 model John Deere 420 All Fuel Engine with blade in original condition -
It had not ran for 10 years -
we agreed on a AS IS price - I went back Monday night with a battery and gasoline
I installed the battery and put gasoline in the fuel tank
I pulled the start lever and after two spins it started and ran good
We picked it up Tuesday night and I got it home tonight.
I even got the original owners manual dated November 1955!
The paint is that good that I would be committing a crime in the vintage tractor world to repaint something in that condition!!!
I checked the serial number when I got home on Sunday - There were 5386 420 crawlers built in 1956 - but only 50 with the All fuel engine, that started on gasoline and was operated with Kerosene or Diesel fuel -so its kinda rare -
Kinda of ironic I bought one of 50 420 crawlers built in 1956 and found out about it on my 50th birthday -- one heck of a birthday present!!!! Thanks to my wife Janis Gibson!!!
On my 50th birthday - I was at the dealership and went into the parts dept for some parts
A 86 year old gentleman was at the counter looking for a salesman- he wanted to trade a Kubota and Green field lawn tractors and a crawler on a new JD riding lawn mower
The parts man was quizzing him on the crawler - it was a JD -- 450? 350? - he said no a two cylinder 420!!!!
I of course started asking a few questions and told him I was interested in the crawler for myself- he agreed to let me go to his place to check it out.
I went out last Sunday and met him at his farm
we opened the shed door and there it was - a 1956 model John Deere 420 All Fuel Engine with blade in original condition -
It had not ran for 10 years -
we agreed on a AS IS price - I went back Monday night with a battery and gasoline
I installed the battery and put gasoline in the fuel tank
I pulled the start lever and after two spins it started and ran good
We picked it up Tuesday night and I got it home tonight.
I even got the original owners manual dated November 1955!
The paint is that good that I would be committing a crime in the vintage tractor world to repaint something in that condition!!!
I checked the serial number when I got home on Sunday - There were 5386 420 crawlers built in 1956 - but only 50 with the All fuel engine, that started on gasoline and was operated with Kerosene or Diesel fuel -so its kinda rare -
Kinda of ironic I bought one of 50 420 crawlers built in 1956 and found out about it on my 50th birthday -- one heck of a birthday present!!!! Thanks to my wife Janis Gibson!!!