John Deere D Speeds

Joel Sanderson · Apr 22, 2019

I got my John Deere D home Saturday! Very happy here. It's a 1946 with electric start. I'm sure I'll be asking many questions about this old girl as I figure her out, but this is my first one:

The Nebraska Test #350 for the D shows the speeds being 3, 4, and 5 1/4 miles per hour. I got a manual today, and it shows the speeds being 2 2/3, 3 2/3 and 4 2/3 miles per hour. Why is it different than the test? The manual refers to Nebraska Test 350 in the front, so it seems like they should agree. Why would they change to slower speeds? I'd think faster would be more useful, though I have to say that really slow reverse is going to be nice!

Does anyone know what speeds the D's came in over the years and when those speeds were available? Were there different options? I know the 730 came with either a standard or high speed transmission, and the 80 had a creeper gear option. Was it similar for the D?

Thanks for any information you have.

Joel

centash · Apr 22, 2019

Tire size would change the speeds, as would engine rpm, that is, rated rpm for pto work vs. a bit higher rpm for draught work. Speeds were refered to as slow, slower and dang slow!
Ben

Sleufoot · Apr 22, 2019

Pryor to 1935 the two speed "D's" the top speed was 3.3 mph after that the three transmissions the top speed was 4.66 mph. That's according to Mr.Thinkers John Deere Almanac.

rusty6 · Apr 22, 2019

Great uncle Jack had a D in the 1930s. A two speed. He referred to it as slow and dam slow. Dad's later styled D had the 3 speed and while I doubt they did a speed test I'm pretty sure 5 mph was considered the top speed. AKA, road gear.

rustred · Apr 22, 2019

the D was one of the longest running tractor productions, about 30 years. pretty sure the D did not have any upgrades in tractor speeds. it was just an old slow running tractor. the W6 would work circles around it. plus it was a chain drive differential like the case D , up to the 930. J.D. D was old school and did not change much , till at the end they had individual brakes.

randy hall · Apr 22, 2019

there were different sprockets to increase the ground speed

Joel Sanderson · Apr 22, 2019

So you could buy it for different ground speed then? Hmmm. I wonder which mine has.

Leroy · Apr 23, 2019

Tractor Supply did sell the gear assembly to change speeds. It was to be usedwith rubber tires to let you travel faster doing field work but then you lost the very low speed for heavy work but using smaller implements changing from steel to rubber you could cover more acres in a day. And some of those implements did a better jom working at the higher speeds.

buickanddeere · Apr 23, 2019

A quick look in the free parts book on the Jd web site would have answered all questions and provided a list of the various sprocket teeth .

IaLeo · Apr 23, 2019

My father working as a hired hand in 1935 plowed with his bosses JD D. He tells of stepping off the low platform once he got the wheels in the furrow to be walking along behind the tractor to keep himself warm.
Leo

IaLeo · Apr 23, 2019

Another JD D story: a farmer rigged a basinet-type box
on his old D to baby-sit a toddler for awhile as he made his tedious rounds plowing. It seemed the throbbing and the warmth lulled the youngster just fine.

Another story was that a short statured man sued John Deere Co. after he was burned? smoking a cigar while starting the D. Would not surprise me as wrenching that flywheel forward getting near the output of the petcock on that side.

I think it was a classic design tractor that was economical to make and run, using Hart-Parrs two cylinder earlier introduction. It was made, as most early tractors, from castings mainly, using the that weight to good advantage.

Leo

Joel Sanderson · Apr 23, 2019

Didn't know there was such a thing. I'll see if I can direct this fruit flavored computer to it somehow.

Joel Sanderson · Apr 23, 2019

My dad used to do that with his 80, back when he was young and a tad wild. He'd put it in the furrow, hop off, get on the bucket tractor, pick stones, and meet the 80 at the other end of
the field in time to pull it out and turn it around for another pass. Sounds nuts, but I've seen him do it. Then one time he looked up, and the old 80 had jumped out of the furrow and was
heading off across the field in its own direction!

I think I'll stay on my tractor.

Leroy · Apr 24, 2019

Tractor was not running anymore by time I knew it but an old neighbor used to do something simular. He had a 1919 LaCRoss Happy Farmer 3 wheel tractor, front wheel in lign with the right rear wheel. 1 speed forward and one reverse. Pulled a Deere 3 bottom plow with it. On a quarter mile long field he would start it down the furrow, get off and get on his 41 B Joun Deere with a sisk and beat the Happy to other end, get off the Deere and turn Happy around anstart it back and keep repeating the operation untill field was done. Those tractors were sold at his estate auction back in 59. The Happy had not ran and set out for years, Muesum bought it and as soon as they found out it did not run they got rid of it and I don't know where it ended up. Those are a very rare tractor but a few years ago I found out about one close to me that they had just had restored and was taking to a few shows. It is not the same one as that family bought it new. Those 2 are the only Happy Farmer tractors I ever saw in my 75 years. And naturaly being a 1919 model it was on steel.

John Deere D · Apr 24, 2019

Take note of pictures........different speeds were available...JD "D" STYLED:

Operators Manual"

Parts Manual:

Bob...Owner of several different colored Tractors:

Several of my Green machines:

IaLeo · Apr 24, 2019

Thanks for the pictures! I think Dreyfus's styling was one of his best efforts. I also liked his work on the R and 80, 820 & 830. Right up with competitor, the Case 500. They LOOK like tractors, lol. Leo

buickanddeere · Apr 25, 2019

. With the 28tooth, some large diameter tires and a generous wide open throttle RPM setting . It would be possible to rattle a D along at 8 MPH in high gear .
Reverse would be awful fast for backing up wagons .

Joel Sanderson · Apr 25, 2019

Bob, thank you, thank you! You answered it. I don't think I'll be changing my sprocket though, by the looks of that diagram, unless I really need to. Don't think I want to pull the axils out.

So it appears the tractor sent to Nebraska to be tested didn't have the standard sprocket. I wonder which one it had and which one would have given 3, 4 and 5 1/4 MPH. (I think those were the speeds they listed anyway.) Those sound like handier speeds than the 2 2/3, 3 2/3 and 4 2/3 MPH that I think my D has in it. So much for raking hay.

You have some nice looking Ds there. Thank you for sharing.

Joel

Joel Sanderson · Apr 25, 2019

Wow. That's just plain zooming! I do like the slow reverse my D has. I think it's 1 3/4 MPH--slowest on the farm I think.

Leroy · Apr 25, 2019

The 3 2/3 speed was standard speed figured for plows at that time, the lower gear was for tough spots. Tractor was never intended for anything except tillage so speeds were made to go with the machinery of that time and the plow speed for plowing was determined by the walking speed of a team of draft horses pulling that plow.

Joel Sanderson · Apr 26, 2019

Thank you, Leroy. We plow in 2nd gear here in Michigan's rock deposit, and we disc in 3rd, so this actually is about right for tilling--just mighty slow going down the road and too slow for turning hay. My dad always stressed never plow faster than 2nd gear or you'll spring the plow. They all have hydraulic auto-resets too.

In about 1980 he was plowing with the 80 and five bottoms right along the property line, and the neighbor was plowing with a big International something-or-other pulling at least ten bottoms and a gear higher. They came around the field together and were side by side, and that modern red tractor blew past my dad. The next round they were together again, so my dad shifted up a gear, and his 80 kept right up with that ugly red monster, putt-putting mightily and the smoke a-blowing! The guy kept looking down at him out of his cab, amazed that that old tractor could do it. After he made his point, my dad slowed back down to rock speed. That's still the best plow on the place, because it hasn't been sprung.

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