Remote Controlled Deere D Replica

Remote controlled Deere D Replica AG WORLD Ag World 16-6-19 Visitors to the Two-Cylinder Club's Expo III show last summer in Waterloo couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the perfect scale model 1925 John Deere "D" built by Dennis Franz, Newton, Kan. Not only is the tractor a perfect 3/8th scale model of the real thing - every part works, inside and out - it can also be operated by remote control with a hand-held radio control. And the farmer "driving" the tractor rolls his eyes, turns his head, and moves the steering wheel and clutch. "I've built stuff all my life and I figured it would be a pretty good challenge to build. I like challenges," says Franz, who is in the plumbing and heating business. To build the tractor, he completely disassembled a full-size 1925 "D" and reproduced each part in miniature. After 2,500 hours of work, he had a replica that weighed about 254 lbs. and starts and runs on gasoline just like the real thing. The next step was adding remote controls, which took him another 400 hours or so. Franz had to make many of the nuts and bolts from scratch as well as most of the parts for the gasoline engine. The gas tank holds two quarts. "I don't have to fill it because it'll run 6 to 8 hrs. on one quart," he says. The steel-wheeled mini tractor has enough power that it will pull a pickup if the trans-mission is in neutral. Franz isn't hard to find when he takes the tractor to a show. He's the guy with a crowd of people following him as he directs the little tractor around the show grounds with his hand-held radio control. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dennis Franz, Newton, Kansas 67114.

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.