This video shows some hay (alfalfa) being hauled with a 1950 John Deere Model G. The model G was the largest row-crop John Deere at the time, with more CI displacement than even the 4020 at 412 (vs 404, but not near the horse power). The G was replaced by the 70, which was replaced by the popular 720 and 730 series of John Deere two-cylinder tractors. The other tractor in the video is a John Deere 4020, which loaded the bales.
Category: Farm
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1st Crop of Alfalfa 2014
This video is about Harvesting the Alfalfa 1st Crop 2014. It goes from cutting the crop with a pull behind John Deere 945 MoCo Windorower (swather), Raking it with an old John Deere 2010 and side-delivery rake (retro, but when you are starting out from scratch, that’s what you have to do), and baling it with a John Deere 4640 and Hesston 4790 large square baler. Hauling with a John Deere 4230 and 1972 4020 with a front-end loader. Some of the video is shot with a Parrot AR.Drone, which, despite its lack in quality, gives some pretty neat shots.
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Drilling with the John Deere 4640
Discing with a John Deere 4230 with a BW disc, and drilling (planting) with a John Deere 4640 and LL-A grain drill. The drill is the device that is used to put the seed into the ground. The harrow and the roller are there to smoothen out the ground and push down rocks, as we live in a rocky area.
There’s also a hawk at the end that kept flying to the next wheel of the wheel line (irrigation pipe) with a mouse that it was trying to eat.
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Calving Season Spring 2014
It’s calving season again. This time of year, the beef cattle have either given birth, or are close to doing so. So far, we’ve had about 8 calves born out of a total of around 35. They are cute little buggers when they are young. Too bad they can’t stay that way…
Hereford cow with her newborn calf -
Pushing Snow with Farm King and JD 4230
This year I purchased a snow blower to help keep the barnyard cleaned out. The snow slides on the side of the barn to the point where it can’t slide anymore (builds up too much). SO, with the snow blower I am able to keep it pushed out better. It also lets me use the warmth of a cab tractor to push snow.
This video is a time lapse that I took with the GoPro. It’s not the greatest video because it got a lot of moisture over the outer housing, and I probably shouldn’t have made it record it so fast… But, it is still kind of cool to watch anyway.
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New Years ride on the John Deere A and 630
Taking the tractors out for a nice winter stroll is a lot of fun–especially when you are able to take more than one out at a time! Here’s a video I shot of the John Deere Model A and Model 630. I was riding the A (same tractor that I restored), so the video mostly shows the 630.
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Feeding Beef Cattle December 2013 GoPro
Here’s a video I recorded with the GoPro mounted to the back of the feed wagon. Sorry about the loud sounds–the GoPro is pretty bad about picking up bangs and such.
Here we’re feeding 3×3 Alfalfa and grain hay bales to a heard of Herefords and Angus. The wagon is being pulled by a John Deere 4020. The cows are mostly Herefords, but the bulls are Black Angus, so it’s starting to get a mixture of both.
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630 Christmas Eve Ride
Enjoying a hobby in old tractors means more than just tinkering and working on them. It means taking them out for a ride! Here’s a video I took while on the 1959 John Deere 630 while going over the dry farm.
Update: I also recorded a video that’s similar, but with the A and 630, on New Years Day.
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Plowing Fall 2013
This fall we plowed up with the John Deere 4230 and JD plough the alfalfa field next to my parents house, as well as some additional acreage. Prior to ploughing, I also sprayed the field to kill off the alfalfa with the John Deere 4020. I also did some disking with the 4020 and BW disk.
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John Deere 630
My grandpa helping us load the 630 
Doing some work on the 630 
I’ve always enjoyed the look of the 20/30 series two-cylinder John Deere tractors. Once upon a time (before I was born), we had a 630 on our farm. I believe they had a loader on it, and used it to load hay with, but I’m not quite certain. Because of this, the 630 has always had a special interest to me.
A quick history on the 630. If you know me, you know I enjoy the John Deere Model A. The A was replaced by the 60, and the 60 was replaced by the 620, and the 620 was replaced by the 630. In other words, the 630 is basically a late-fifties Model A.
I knew I would like to own a 630, I just didn’t think the opportunity would present itself quite as quickly as it did. My dad has a co-worker that was talking about selling a 630, and knowing that I enjoy the two-cylinders, dad mentioned to me that he was selling one. It wasn’t running at the time, and had been sitting for quite a few years.
Of course, I had to jump on the opportunity. Who wouldn’t, right? I ended up purchasing the tractor, and was fortunate that my grandfather was also able to go with me to pick up the tractor. As much as I enjoy spending time with grandpa, it’s even more fun getting an old tractor with him! He also grew up on and spent his entire life on a farm, and as such gives us opportunities to talk about the “good old days” when these tractors were in their prime.
To spare you the boring details, I had to do quite a bit of work on the tractor throughout the summer and fall. I don’t mind a good project though–that’s the best way to learn about a machine and become acquainted with it.
Although the project is not completed, as you can see from the photos and video, the project paid off. I now have a nice 1959 John Deere 630 to enjoy.
Till the next big thing…
