The company says “Nothing runs like a Deere,” but it could have added there are “few fans like Deere fans.”
The Upper Canada Two Cylinder Club held its 18th annual show in Drayton over the weekend and organizers expected over 1,500 people to attend.
Club vice president Brian Sharpe said the club started in the United States and there are now numerous regional clubs. And, he said, “They are completely devoted to John Deere.”
Sharpe estimated there would be 1,500 wrist bands sold for the admission over the weekend, and said he had heard the Drayton Mapleton Agricultural Society’s beef dinner on Saturday night was also a sell out.
There was a popular tractor pull on Friday night featuring tractors of all makes, and another one on Saturday night featuring John Deere plus this year’s guest tractor club, Cockshutt.
Sharpe estimated there were 150 to 200 tractors and other pieces of equipment on the site of the Drayton fairgrounds, and all of those were at least 35 years old. And there were dozens of vendors, plenty of food booths, lots of memorabilia displays, plus a memorabilia auction that attracted a large crowd.
“This year is the 50th anniversary of when John Deere went from a two cylinder design to four and six cylinder engines,” Sharpe said, calling it “a new generation of tractors. That’s kind of special for us; a turning point in John Deere history.”
Club members are well versed in their tractor and its company history. Sharpe added, “John Deere is the only major company not merged or taken over. John Deere is 175 years old this year.”
Sharpe knows other tractors, too. He said the old Ford tractor company was taken over by New Holland, Case IH is now owned by Fiat, and David Brown was absorbed by Case in the 1970s.
Member Art Freeman said, “This is the best club in the world.” Many must agree. There are about 300 members of the Upper Canada Two Cylinder Club, and those are counted by addresses. Club members noted there are often two or more members living at an address, because lots of families are involved.
This year’s feature tractor was on display near the entrance to the display area. There were over a dozen John Deere 4020s on display, which Sharpe said is “a very popular tractor. They sold almost 200,000 between 1964 and 1972.” He added the company changed that tractor radically after its 4010 model. “They kept [only] the paint and the tires.”
The club planned to sell a 4020 model that members had customized for the show.
While there are a number of shows in the summer and fall, Sharpe said the board of directors meets three times a year and there are plenty of club events for members, including a fun day and a plow day.
The latter is a big event. Twenty or more members bring their John Deeres to a farm of someone holding 100 to 120 acres, and they plow the entire farm in a single day.
The club also does displays at malls in the area so city people get to meet farmers. They have been in Guelph at Stone Road Mall, Owen Sound and Orangeville, and, “We’re looking at Stratford this year.”
