John Deere R or McCormick Deering WD 9

Looking into restoring one these tractors which one
is a better..thanks

check on engine parts availablily for the wd-9 first. pistons , sleeves and bearings, if you can find them are VERY expensive. no sure on the R, you'd need to check with the jon deere guys as far as availability. i have a w-9 and and happy with it, but i would like to get a pony start R someday.

I would lean toward the WD 9. I never did like operating hand clutch JD's. Don't think I would care to even own a hand clutcher. But that's just me.

Both are too big to handle much cheap transport to shows. Both are pretty unique. The JD will be found more often in dress clothes but that also depends on where in the country it is. Engine parts, are pricey for either. I would prefer the IH if using it for anything. Jim

The WD-9 or W-9 is about half again as much tractor as the R was. Don't plan on running much with the PTO of an R. Powering the live hydraulic remote was about the extent of it's capability. R is hard to start with the under powered 2 cylinder pony. Every other pony start tractor had the V-4 with about twice the power.
Dad bought an R in December '63 planning on getting an additional 160 acres. Never happened, ended up pulling 3-14's over about 100 of the 120 acres we plowed that spring. Road commissioner bought the R to rototill and drag roads. Tore the pto out running the rototill every year for 3 years, then traded the R for an Oliver 770 diesel. A decent Farmall M could have run that Rototill! The R didn't burn much fuel, also didn'the make much hp, not a maneuverable tractor at all, and Dad put Char-Lynn P/Saturday on ours. We used it about 4-5 weeks in the field. DAD bought it but wouldn'the run it. Was happy to see it go. Can't lug an R, no center main bearing, will break the crankshaft if you lug it.

Neighbor across the road bought a W-9 to help do 320 acres of row crop fieldwork. Before the W-9 he had a Cub Farmall, a 560 gas, a stock 8N and a Funk 6-cylinder 8N. Cub mowed his lawn. Fords took up shed space, 560 did Everything. The W-9 pulled everything the 560 did, maybe not quite as fast, but on less gas.

First, I'll admit I'm a green guy. But trying to be unbiased, I think the survival rate on R's (+80-830) seems greater than WD9- through the 650's.

As below, I'm told WD9 engine parts are hard to find and expensive. R pistons are hard to come by, too, but 730 ones can be used if the block is bored. Richard in Bee who posts here wrote a several series article in Green Magazine about restoring an R, and he did the 730 piston thing, I believe.

I'd vote for the R or 80.

I would defiantly go with the WD-9! I just thought of something----I have 1 for sale.---Tee

Maybe an Oliver 90 or a Case 500 or 600?

820 deere. Common enough to be low buck, has the strengthened pto and the three bearing crank. Starting engine has more power too.

I have an R. Parts weren't too hard to find when I did mine, with the exception of pistons. There was talk 8 or 9 years ago that someone was going to start making them, but I have no idea if that ever happened. My brother has an MD with the same engine as W9 I believe. Engine parts are very spendy.

The R is cool. That said... No way would I want to run that thing all day long. Its a beast of a tractor. Not very agile, no power steering, and a hand clutch. Depends what your end use is I guess....

You could just buy mine.... Lot less work and more floor space for me.

Add my vote for the 500 or 600 Case.

In the early 50's the R was as absolute joy to run all day (12 hrs.) Going over plowed ground, they rode nice and the steering wheel didn't jerk your arm out of socket. We had a WD9 that we called "Thumb Buster", hired help hated to run it. I've had at least one R for over 40 yrs. and have put many, many hrs. on them. As far as the R pony engine, I'll take it any day over the V4's.....hands down. NEVER had any pto issues, and I use it, and the very idea that you can't lug the R engine....
The R in the photo looks really nice!

My understanding is that the local JD dealer back then sold a handful of R's locally. I knew two original R owners and they did not have any real complaints other than the PTO which only was a problem running a PTO driven wire baler. The R's were good at what they were mainly designed to do which was pull. Some people just do not know how to start a load. The early Farmall H and M had weak PTO shifters but our M never had any issues running a PTO driven manure spreader nor silo blower. Some people can break an anvil with a rubber mallet. My vote is if you have the money get the JD 830 but the IH 600/650 is intriguing as well. Round it out with a Case 500 or 900.

They say ..." Go big or go home"...with that in mind, the most powerful tractor on rubber tested at Nebraska in that era was the MH 55...coming in at just under 70 corrected hp, held the title from 1951 to 1956 or thereabouts. Ben

Wow! The criticism and praise flows freely for both. I have many hours running both of these and if they were of about equal purchase price, I would have a hard time deciding which to buy. I like both very much. Many of the criticism points for either one are totally false and without fact. Check the spec sheets.

NY986 - Please explain your comment about people not knowing how to start a Load?

Actually the R was easy to start loads like plow, disk, etc with, Just put it in a gear about one or two gears slower than the Super M-TA would run in, ease the clutch forward until completely engaged, push throttle wide open to 975 max RPM and drop the plow or disk in the ground and let the noise hammer your ears till they bleed.

Dad bought the matching 4-14 Deere plow for the R. Pulled it two days plowing 40 acres of sod. Ended up running 2nd gear and having to downshift to low on a couple hills. Rest of the plowing was done with IH #8 3-14 behind the R. At least I could run in 3rd gear.

Neighbor across the fence had a pony start 730D. Any start of the day, first or 50th, the pony only ever got to about half speed and the diesel engine was running. The 2 cyl pony on the R would barely turn the big engine over if it was less than 30-35 degrees. Start easing the clutch into engagement at full throttle and it would pull down till it sputtered and died. The R was short a gear from the 80/820/830, 5 speeds vs 6. Not sure what happened to our R after the Township traded it for the 770 Oliver, but I know I don'the miss it. My ears ring 24-7-365 thanks to that danged thing! First day I ran it disking stalks 4-5 hours my ears rang for 5 hours afterwards. I'm sure that has everything to do with why I can't stand to listen to 2 cylinder tractors run.

I'd run the Super M-TA some the year before plowing, disking, but Dad was adamant about the R being MY tractor. Not sure who was happier when the R went down the road, Him or Me.

sure would like to know more about the w9 engine in the MD frame. sure could be done just wondering about the rearend holding up?

Check what prices restored units are selling at. More and more collections are being liquidated and prices of some 1950's tractors are dropping. You might be able to buy both tractors already restored for about the same as it would cost to fix up just one.

Mostly setting throttle against implement depth. Also, for most tractors it is best to set a tillage implement in the ground while some forward motion is taking place. As far as I am concerned it is the best way to have an even headland with a semi-mount plow. I've had compliments made for some fields I plowed where the finished result was so even it was not easy to tell where the round ended and the headland started. Obviously, the headland sticks out more in clay than sandy loam in the best of jobs. For PTO loads it is always best to start at somewheres near 1/3 throttle and then accelerate such as with a rear unload beater type manure spreader. Guys who would start the old style PTO shifter H or M at full throttle while under load seemed to have more breakage issues. Just my observations. Back to tillage I remember a neighbor years ago telling me the only way to start a round was stop , drop the implement, release the clutch while the engine was maybe a third of full throttle, and then accelerate to full throttle. While riding with him aboard his Case crab steer he tried to demonstrate this and the Case stalled out on him. I did not bust his chops about it.


As far as the R's go I can only tell you what was told to me and this was by guys who were not so JD that their dinner plates had the JD leaping deer on them. I am not going to dispute that a large cube 2 cylinder diesel does not have a bark to it. The one guy did pull 4 X 14's in hard ground so there is that. I don't know what he had for rear tires or ballast. I do know what a difference radial tires make with our own tractors. Also, the guy who broke a R PTO shaft was running a JD 346 baler which no doubt the tractor drive line was not meant for. Probably works OK if not loaded heavily but start ramming the hay to it and ........................ I am glad we bought our 347 versus the 346 as the drive shaft is much heavier (class V ?) on the 347.


If you want smooth operation out of a standard from that era I have seen a couple Case 900's and they do impress. Actually, the best tractor we had for starting a load from low throttle was one that we had a lot of trouble with and get sent away after 5 years. Dad found himself a deal and if the dealer had done his part maybe that tractor would have made a much better impression on us.

the WD9 is about 50 h.p. while the SUPER WD9 is about 65 h.p. and is twice the tractor. it will will work circles around the R. the super wd9 will also out work the 560. i would look for the super wd9 , as the straight w9 is more of a loafer. used them both.