On the 9th and 10th of November at the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show, John Deere will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its Model R tractor.
Introduced in 1949, the tractor marked the company’s entry into diesel-powered farm equipment. Between the launch and 1954, over 21,000 Model R tractors were produced at the Waterloo factory in Iowa.
The two-cylinder power unit, with 6.8-litre displacement and a maximum output of 47hp, was a forerunner for the company’s series of diesel engines.
Tests at the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory in 1956 showed that the 720 tractor set a fuel efficiency record of 17.97 horsepower hours per gallon at maximum load. This record would stay in place until 1983.
From 1960, the company would introduce three, four, six and eight-cylinder engines.
A new class
The organisers of the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show have introduced a special exhibitor class this year for original two-cylinder John Deere diesels.
It will be judged at the event, with 70, 720, 730, 80, 820 and 830 models eligible.
For more information go to www.newarkvintagetractorshow.com