First And Only John Dean Tractor

First and only John Dean Tractor TRACTORS Made-It-Myself 17-1-20 "I built it because a friend gave me a garden tractor front-end loader and I didn't have a tractor to use it on," says Dean Fechter, Belvue, Kan., who built what he calls a "John Dean" tractor. It's equipped with an LUC gas engine off an old Deere combine coupled to a 4-speed transmission salvaged from a Stude¡baker 1 1/2-ton truck. The Studebaker transmission is connected to a 4-speed transmission from an old Ford schoolbus. Fechter cut off the gear housing on the engine and made an adapter to bolt the transmission to the engine. The rear axle and differential were taken from a 1954 Chevrolet pickup. Fechter narrowed up the differential and shortened the axle. He built the front axle from 1/4-in. flat iron and used spindles from an old Chevrolet car. He fashioned the tractor's frame from 3/8 by 7 1 fl-in. flat iron and also made a steel frame to mount the loader. He put a home-built 3-pt hitch on back and made his own 5-ft. wide grader blade. "I've used it more than I ever thought I would. Works great for moving snow and dirt. I can also load my welder in the 3-ft. wide bucket and carry it around the farm as needed. I used two transmissions to slow the tractor down. Either 4-speed transmission by itself would have been geared way too fast, especially with the big rear wheels. The two transmissions provide 16 forward speeds - 17 when both transmissions are put in reverse which provides the slowest speed." The 10.00 by 20 in. truck tires at rear are mounted on wheel rims removed from 7.50 by 20 wheels off an old manure spreader. Fechter used a cutting torch to split the wheel rims and welded a band in them to make them wider. The truck tires didn't have much tread so he bolted wheel weights (salvaged from the rear wheels of an old Deere 7700 combine) into the tractor's rear wheels to improve traction.Power steering from Plymouth car. The loader came with hydraulic cylinders and a hydraulic pump that Fechter mounted on the side of the engine. He used tie rods off a big truck to make 3-pt. lift arms. The 3-pt. is raised or lowered by a light implement cylinder. The deck and seat are off an old Allis Chalmers riding mower. Fechter used 12-gauge steel to build the fenders and welded them to the deck. He used 3/16-in. sheet metal to make the grader blade. Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Dean Fechter, 21855 Oregon Trail, Belvue, Kan. 66407 (ph 913 456-7622).

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