1946 John Deere LA Tractor

Deere’s first utility tractor, 1936’s Model Y, had departed with tradition in more than one

way; it used a different company’s engine, and was designed and prototyped at its

newly-acquired Dubuque, Iowa wagon works rather than at the organization's Moline,

Illinois HQ. Notably, said works had previously been home to Velie Motors, a pioneering

car manufacturer with close Deere family ties.

During a brief nine-month production run, only 26 Y’s would be built. Its successor,

1937’s Model 62, would triple that figure, but could still hardly be considered a success.

Deere persisted, and later that same year, finally struck gold with the L series, of which

more than 12,000 had been built by its 1946 sunset.

Most easily identified as an LA derivative by its 24” rear wheels (the L made do with

22-inchers), this 1946 model represents the tail-end of L series production. An LI

industrial variant was produced in yellow, though classic Deere green and yellow was

standard for farm models, and accounts for the majority of production.

Austerity doesn’t normally conjure tools with finely considered aesthetics and thoughtful

ergonomic touches, but the L series offered both in spades. Following on the heels of its

larger A and B series sisters, early L series were “unstyled” but were soon given more

visual appeal by trailblazing industrial designer Henry Dreyfus.

Genuinely beautiful details abound, though the cowling’s pronounced yet flowing, broad,

Art Deco-informed arches are positively striking, particularly when viewed from a rear

three quarter perspective.

Of course, there are no windows or doors to define an “inside”, so instead let’s consider

the operator’s view. A prime example of aforementioned ergonomic improvements, the

left-mounted clutch pedal was designed to follow automobile practice, introducing both

broader familiarity and greater ease of use when compared to the lever-operated item

still common to many tractors of the day.

Human factors showed even greater influence elsewhere; the engine, and indeed the

standard 3-speed Ford-sourced gearbox, torque tube, and rear axle with which it

partially forms a chassis are all offset to the left, affording the operator a largely

unobstructed view to their crops below.

Power comes from a liquid-cooled parallel twin displacing 77ci and utilizing an L-head

layout. Though engineered and built in-house, the 14 hp unit’s vertical layout borrowed

from the Hercules-sourced twins introduced in the Model Y. Prior to this point,

horizontally opposed twins had formed the bedrock of Deere’s tractor line.

Features normally restricted to larger tractors included an adjustable rear tread width

(track), individually-operated rear brakes, electric start, and available belt pulley drive,

all of which the latter are seen here.

The tractor is offered without known history.

Backed by a huge, enthusiastic community of vintage farm equipment devotees, within

whom the single most popular marque is John Deere, this little tractor may open doors

for the uninitiated, and will certainly provide fun and fascination to the new and

experienced alike.

Its modest, roughly 8’x4’ footprint will easily fit in a typical, single garage bay, or even in

a large garden shed, and its roughly one-ton weight makes for a wide range of potential

tow rigs.