In 1837, John Deere revolutionized farming with the introduction of a steel plow.
The company grew and today its distinctive green and yellow tractors are the most recognizable brand.
One of those tractors, the John Deere 50, is the 37th annual Drayton Farm Show’s collectible toy tractor. This year the collectible will feature the addition of a flare box wagon.
In 1952, with wartime restrictions lifted, the tractor market became highly competitive. The John Deere company decided to abandon its tractor letter system of identification for a number system.
The Model B tractor, a one-bottom plow tractor, provided a daily output similar to six to eight horses. This tractor suited large farm operations that required a tractor that could handle smaller tasks on the farm. Smaller farms still using horse power were introduced to a small inexpensive tractor.
The Model B tractor became the John Deere 50 after the introduction of the numbering system. Produced from 1952 to 1956, this row crop tractor featured a number of advancements, including duplex carburetion, live Powr-Trol hydraulics and a fully independent PTO.
With a wheelbase of 90 inches (228 cm) this 4×2, 2WD manual steering tractor offered an open operator station with a padded seat and all fuel options. Manufactured in Waterloo, Iowa, 32,574 tractors costing $2,011 were produced.
In 1957, the John Deere 50 became the John Deere 520. Similar in looks, the 520 had the addition of a yellow strip along the bonnet and the side of the radiator. Horsepower also increased along with driver comfort.
In celebration of the Drayton Kinsmen’s 50th anniversary and the 37th annual Drayton Farm Show, the collectible toy tractor and flare box wagon have been modified. Minor custom painting produced a red stick shift and black stack on the tractor.
Drayton Kinsmen Chad Bridge said, “A load of straw was added to the back of the wagon. No worries, the straw is fastened onto cardboard and sticky sprayed in place, so there is no mess.”
The customizing continued with a set of five separate stickers placed on each tractor and the model is contained in a custom Kinsmen Farm Show tractor box.
Tractor collectors can pick up a customized John Deere 50 tractor and flare box wagon at the Drayton Kinsmen Farm Show booth.
