Pic

i found a john deere b like mine with round spoke front wheels and flat spoke rear.

saw it at the Dalton, MN show.

first time i saw the spokes welded on like that. he must stripped then clamp bolts also as he has long bolts right through the wedge.

Fronts look like cut offs also.

This one, along with mine, I believe was of 8 1943 sent to North Dakota on steel wheels, so both sets would be cutoffs.

Old neighbor had a '39 B. It came original with steel wheels, which they cut off and replaced with rubber for the war effort in '43....

I'm guessing more than 8 were shipped to ND in 1943.

(quoted from post at 18:40:54 11/30/22) I'm guessing more than 8 were shipped to ND in 1943.

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I meant in this shipment to that dealership.

the fronts not cut offs, they are french and hecht wheels. found on pretty much every tractor and all kinds of machinery back then.

Those are original steel wheels cut down

that's pretty cool if shipped to the same dealership. How far apart are the serial numbers? We have an A here, 648122, that my grandfather
bought new. A friend about 15 miles away has 648123. His has been in the same family since new as well. They were sold from different
dealerships, however. We are guessing they rode the same rail flatcar out of Waterloo, though.

It's kind of hard to say. Unless a guy has
personal information dating back to the
time the tractor was new. Not saying that
you don't on yours. Just stating the fact
that wheels could of been swapped somewhere
along the line, (IF) a guy does not know.

How could rear mis-matched cut offs
possibly end up on a tractor? Rear rims may
of rusted out because of calcium filled
tires. A look for replacements at the
salvage yard that are cheaper than new,
then occurs. Only thing found in the
salvage yard that are not likewise rusted
out, is a pair of cut offs. Owner of the
tractor at that time, just wants to get
back to good rims, and doesn't mind that
the good ones he found are cut offs. Again,
not saying this happened to yours. Just
stating the possibility of how it can
happen, if you don't have factual
information of how it was when new. And now
the story line back to the factory must be
traced back on 2 tractors, instead of just
the one. Which also leans in your favor by
chance, being one serial number apart.

What's the chances of this happening on 2
tractors just one serial number apart? I
agree with ya, not very good. It almost
entails that they both came from factory
that way. Cutting off steel and welding on
rims was likely the only tampering, and no
wheel swapping.

People did different things when it came to
rubber conversions. Some people ordered
thier tractor new with rubber fronts and
steel rears. Some people bought factory
rubber fronts for replacements, and didn't
splurge on the back and cut those off, only
replacing the rim. Some people bought
factory rubber wheel replacements for all
the way around. Some people may have done
thier conversions at different times. First
the fronts, and then the rears several
years down the road. Of course, none of
this explains your cut off fronts. Only
explains how different things can happen.

Anyways, this is interesting. I only chimed
in, because most of the time you can't just
assume things when it comes to wheels.
Perhaps in your case, you can. LOL. Because
it sure looks like it.

Your more than likely right. But not likely all at the same time. I believe a rail flat car held 8 though. Who knows how many cars were on the same train. Could of just been 1 car load on that train. Could of been a whole train of flat cars. But, no matter how many flat cars on the train, kind of brings you right back to 8 tractors per flat car. Shipment was likely 8, or an increment of 8 when it came to flat cars on the train.

Even though the train was loaded that way, doesn't mean it was unloaded that way. The train likely made town stops. And however many tractors that dealership there got, were unloaded. Whether that be 1, 3, or 5. And the train likely just went on. They maybe just un-hooked the flat car in a siding if the dealership was getting 8, or if that dealership was getting the remainder of whatever number was left on a flat car. Another local would pick up the empty flat car later.

Sorry. After re-reading thread, I realized it was another poster that talked about 2 tractors being one serial number apart. Scratch what I said about yours being one serial number apart. I think you get what I was saying anyhow.

(quoted from post at 08:55:05 12/01/22) Sorry. After re-reading thread, I realized it was another poster that talked about 2 tractors being one serial number apart. Scratch what I said about yours being one serial number apart. I think you get what I was saying anyhow.

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No hard feelings. None of this is solid fact, it is just my belief. I'm only 14 and the serial of the tractor in pic has left me, so I don't know if there consecutive are not. :?

Good to hear from a 14 year old on here.
That probably don't happen much.

I was about 14 when I started a tractor
fixer upper project. I've had the fever
ever since. I learned alot from it, and
even applied it to real life. Worked as a
mechanic for a profession for 4 and 1/2
years. Then went on to other things. Gained
alot of mechanical knowledge. And it all
started from working on a tractor as a
teen.
I probably would of stayed into mechanics
alot longer than I did. But I wasn't fond
of the newer stuff being all computerized
and loaded with electrical stuff. That, and
I was working on autos and didn't care for
the cab forward design on just about
everything.