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Inaccuracies in JD toy tractors.

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Matthew Trefz

10-21-2002 16:39:20




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Am I just too nitpicky about the new Ertl JD toys coming out or is there a real inaccuracy here. I noticed that for years Ertl made all their toys with a standard front and rear wheel. No matter what the tractor was it had the same wheels. JD 70's had the same wheels as unstyled A's. I thought it was pretty bad that they couldn't make a tractor with the correct wheels. Well, last year they come out with the 1950 styled JD A. It's perfect. The front and rear wheels are good representations of the wheels of that time. It reminded me of my grandpa's A. Well, they couldn't keep a good thing going. Out comes the new 60 and 620. They both have the same wheels as the 1950 A produced just one year before. Now, I never did own a 60 or a 620 but I know that neither of those tractors had the same wheels as an A at any time. Maybe I'm just too picky about toys but, as detailed as these models are getting these days, you'd think they could put the right wheels on them. That's my two cents. Let me know what you all think. Especially fellow toy collectors and reminiscers. God bless.

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Steven@nd

10-22-2002 06:58:55




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 Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to Matthew Trefz, 10-21-2002 16:39:20  
Now, the thing that really gets me is T-shirts with tractors on them that are grossly inaccurate. I have seen shirts with JD tractors on them that have the flywheel on the wrong side!!! How can someone get that far off?? I think the artists responsible for these pictures and toys need to take a closer look at the real thing before slopping it down on paper!

Steven



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JD70Jim

10-21-2002 21:12:20




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 Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to Matthew Trefz, 10-21-2002 16:39:20  
Incorrect wheels on the shelf model ERTL "70" were not the only defect. That model has a float ride seat. Both the Shelf and Collecter versions have this. If you gave the model the yellow trim and labeled it a 720, you wouldn't have to change anything. In fact ERTL did exactly that, and I have the same model, only as a gas 720 also.

Inaccurate models from ERTL are not the only place this happens. I have a really pretty 20"x24" framed picture of a styled B, with a yellow seat. Have you ever seen lovely pictures of unstyled tractors (sometimes belonging to PROMINANT collectors from Wisconsin who should know better) with that ever present "black ball" model designator?

There is a nice close up picture in one of the infamous motorbooks, of an air cleaner on an A or B and it has both the "United Oil Bath" air cleaner sticker AND also the "Donaldson Oil Bath" air cleaner sticker. That tractor cannot have both types, one sticker is obviuosly WRONG.

While these complaints clearly smack of "Correct Policeitis", I do wish that tractors illustrated in so called collector books would at least show CORRECT decalling and equipment. Lots of people, all wanting their tractor to be "correct" will look at those things and think that is how it should be done. I really don't care how someone decals and equips their own tractor, provided that it is not exhibited as a sterling example of "how it otta look!"

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G-MAN

10-22-2002 10:35:27




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 Re: Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to JD70Jim, 10-21-2002 21:12:20  
My number one pet peeve is yellow seat cushions on tractors that should have black. I realize that it's a matter of personal choice and that yellow cushions are cooler in the summertime, but it still bugs me to no end. Even if yellow cushions were correct, I would still go with the black, as I think they look a lot better and break up the yellow and green paint schemes well. I find it especially funny when a tractor is advertised as restored to original, and even someone who isn't an expert (like me) can't even count all the truly obvious mistakes on both hands, let alone the little things that the correct police can pick out.

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PeteNY

10-22-2002 18:28:26




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 Re: Re: Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to G-MAN, 10-22-2002 10:35:27  
Amen on the Yellow seat, and just as bad are the "big time collectors" with green hubs sticking through those yellow wheels!



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matthew trefz

10-22-2002 19:41:44




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to PeteNY, 10-22-2002 18:28:26  
I wonder about that though. It's probably just a mistake on the previous owners count but my JDR I just bought had a lot of junk on the front hub (including some cracked yellow paing) but after some wire brushing I came to a layer of green. It was the last layer I could find. It's confused the heck out of me. Did they make 'em with green hubs? Just curious. Also, I agree about the black seats but had little choice. A neighborhood farmer friend of mine who I help in tobacco every year was lookin at my tractor (he has a big collection of jd's himself) and just gave me a brand new seat cushion (yellow) out of the blue. I was knocked back by it. God bless those generous people that are still around. God bless.

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Tony M

10-21-2002 19:02:34




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 Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to Matthew Trefz, 10-21-2002 16:39:20  
I too have often wondered why some of the Ertl shelf and collectors edition toys were so grossly inacurate. I have no problem with a regular shelf model being inaccurate, but when you pay extra for a special edition (like the 620 standard), you'd expect it to be a little closer. My solution? Buy the regular toys you like, swap parts or get aftermarket parts from Dakotah Toys and make them as accurate as you like. The right wheels for the 60/620 run about $10.00, and some 14.9-38 tires about $6. The casting flaws I guess you just have to live with, or practice up with a Dremel tool. If anyone has ever ventured into the toy collecting BB's, us vintage style toy collectors are the real minority. one post I saw a while back questioned why Ertl kept making those "klunky" "dumb looking" old Precision toys, when there were so many "cool" modern subjects they could use. The bad part was the wave of people agreeing with this nut. I'm assuming us tractor folks are the reason Ertl and others keep making the good old models, so we need to be happy with what we can get I guess. Now, back to sawing apart my 70 Diesel Precision to add a wide front end!

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Steven M

10-21-2002 18:04:37




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 Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to Matthew Trefz, 10-21-2002 16:39:20  

I know how you feel. I have a 620 standard. a real thing! Ertl made a 1/16 scale 620 standard for there summer farm toy show. I has the paint job of a 620 but it's really a 60 standard. The PTO lever, hydraulic lever and distributor are like a 60. Sure it's not a precision, but for $64.95 it should be right. It looks nice in my toy case, but it should be like my real 620 standard.



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G-MAN

10-21-2002 16:55:59




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 Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to Matthew Trefz, 10-21-2002 16:39:20  
Matthew, I suspect that like pretty much everything else nowdays, it comes down to cost. They're building a toy with the intention of marketing it for a specific price. If a certain component would put the toy out of that price range, they probably won't use it. That's where the Precision Classics and Collectors Edition models come in, for the individuals that demand detail and correctness. Those regular, everyday type toys aren't made for collectors and the correct police. They're made for some kid to take out and play with in the sandbox, or spend a day planting the living room. And 99% of those kids don't give a hill of bean whether their new toy John Deere has all the proper parts or detail. I know I never did when I got new toys. One of my only gripes about Green Magazine is the three or four page article donated every month to some toy or scale model story by Bill Proft. I understand that he is covering JD items for a JD magazine, but I don't really think that that topic warrants a substantial portion of magazine that always seems too short, especially when there are publications dedicated exclusively to farm toys. I don't mean to offend anyone that is heavily into toy and model collecting with that comment, that's just my opinion. I work at a JD dealer, and I get a good deal on toys, so I buy the ones that interest me. I'm not really too concerned about future value, so I generally take them out of the boxes and display them on the shelf. I do save the boxes, however. I know several guys that have Precision Classics that have never been opened. My opinion is that it would be cheaper to simply buy the box, if you can't see what's in it, lol. All of my Precisions are on the shelf where I can take them down, move the parts, and enjoy them in three dimensions, rather than just looking at pictures of them. My two cents.

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Steamer

10-23-2002 14:57:36




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 Re: Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to G-MAN, 10-21-2002 16:55:59  
Hi, all.

If you're into 100% original, don't go look at the photo of my '50 M in the Tractor Town pages. It has a yellow seat. Oh, and a '20 series yellow stripe, with the '20 series font for the 'John Deere', too. I did use the M style font for the M on the grill.....

I'm not a perfectly-original nut on the real thing, much less the models and especially not the toys. My '59 430w has 12v electrics and modern automotive gauges, since the originals happened to be MIA when I bought the thing.

Anyway, on the models, I want one of those 420 crawler/dozer ones with the model 62 blade. However, all the ones I've seen are industrial versions: all yellow paint and the high-backed seat.

My 420c is a green one with the standard seat. Other than that, it's the same as the model. Five roller tracks and the 62 blade, etc.

Anybody know if there's an agricultural variation, or do I have to buy an industrial one and get after it with a paint gun? I'd hate to have to do that, and the seat still wouldn't be right (maybe I have to attack it with my milling machine, too?).....

Later!

Stan

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DP

10-21-2002 20:09:29




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 Re: Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to G-MAN, 10-21-2002 16:55:59  
I'm in total agreement G-Man! I've collected toys for quite a few years, and for the most part, they come out of the boxes. We just recently moved, and the discovery was made that the majority of the boxes are ruined. I can't say I'm bothered by it, because I had no intention of ever putting them back. The only exception is a recent purchase of an orginal 620, 4 bottom mounted plow, and flair wagon, all still in there respective boxes, which came from an old dealership, and were put back when they were new. They not only are still in their boxes, but in a storage bag as well. Back in 1982, I was lucky enough to attend a toy show at Freemont Ne. and meet a fellow that was going to build detailed model G's. He had a 1949 G that he was using for his model, and had one he built for an example. His name is Pete Freheit. He was taking orders along with $50.00 deposit. I took his name and phone number, and after giving it some thought put my order in for one. Probably a year went by before I heard from him. There were to be only 500 built, and all numbered. He was wanting to know, (since I was among the first 20 to order one), what number would be my preferance. Having owned a 49 G for about 10 years at that time, I asked if he could put the SN of my G on it. I now have a Freheit G SN G35344. As I understand it, less than 300 of these tractors were actually built. It turned out to be a lot more complated then he had thought. By the way, I don't have the box for it anymore either!

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matthew trefz

10-21-2002 17:47:11




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 Re: Re: inaccuracies in JD toy tractors. in reply to G-MAN, 10-21-2002 16:55:59  
Ya know, you're darn right about that and I never really thought about it. It hasn't been too long since I was the one in that sandbox. I never had too many toy tractors but I treasured each one. I remember my first one was a little blue ford with a cab. It wasn't a great repro but I was two and I loved it. I know it's not worth the plastic it's made of now but it is priceless to me. I never meant to say that I'm offended by Ertl's toys. Even when I was little I wanted toys that looked like my grandad's. Especially since I never was allowed to do much with them. I guess I've always been like that. Like you, I keep all mine setting out to "play" with every now and then. I guess you never grow out of that. I also have a couple of precision things. A b john deere because it was the closest thing to my grandad's JD A. I also bought a 214 T baler since it reminded me of grandad's 14T baler that sits in his old tobacco barn. I understand the cost thing too. Although, they did make a cheap version of the H recently (another tractor my grandad had) and it had the correct wheels. Oh well. I guess I should have wrote a post about old farm toy memories. Since, I guess, I really don't care that much about the accuracy. Maybe I will. I'll bet that would get some great talk. I know I have lots of great memories. I never liked carpet farming. I had a little patch of dirt between two old trees where a hammock used to be. I actually had my dad (and he did this for me) till up that spot every year. Right there in the front yard for everyone to see. I would stomp the dirt down, then take my toy plow and disc and set to work. Later on, I even got a glue gun, some card board, and some dow rods and made some of my own toys. It was great fun. I still make those toys, although my dirt days are a few years slid by. I play with my big toys now. Ha ha. Thanks G-man for gettin my priorities back in line and for bringin back some great memories. By the way. A little thing I told my nephew once about my restored tractor and my nice toy tractors (he's only 6) "If you can't play with 'em, what good are they. They're no fun if you just look at 'em." Now of course, I don't let him play with the precision. But that one's just a tad to expensive for him. Thanks again. God bless.

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