by Jason Hasert
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| New 10 Piece John Deere Historical set: Waterloo Boy, D,G, B, 730, 4020, 4430, 4450, 8400, 9520 |
John Deere was born on February 7, 1804. This famous inventor started a legacy of farm equipment when he started selling his moldboard plow in 1837. Deere & Company has grown to be one of the most recognizable brands in the United States.
To honor the 200th Anniversary of John Deere's birth and his historic life, Deere & Company partnered with Ertl to produce four 1/16 tractors and a 10 piece 1/64 historical set. The 1/64 set honors the legacy of John Deere tractors from 1918-2004.
The 10 piece set is an impressive set of John Deere history. At first glance the collector may think the models are just the same old John Deere tractors in a new box. This months "What is Hot in 64th" takes a closer look at all the extras put into this set. You will see the each tractor has a new look and extra detail that will stand out in your 1/64 collection.
In 1918 John Deere entered the tractor market with the purchase of the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company for $2.1 million. Waterloo had been producing tractors since 1892 and had recent sales success from 1914-1918 with its Waterloo Boy tractor. John Deere kept the Waterloo Boy and launched a tractor dynasty.
The John Deere Waterloo Boy was produced from 1918-1924. The Waterloo Boy was a 25 hp tractor powered by a two-cylinder kerosene engine. The Waterloo Boy was a real worker capable of pulling a 3 bottom John Deere plow. It could plow, disk, harrow, reap and power a thresher.
The Waterloo Boy was first produced by Ertl in 1968 as part of the original seven piece John Deere historical set. In 1989 an updated 1/64 Waterloo Boy was released by Ertl with added paint detail and decals. The Waterloo Boy in the new 200th Birthday set uses the same casting although Ertl has used authentic red/yellow Waterloo Boy decals and the Waterloo Boy image on the fuel tank and rear fenders. Ertl has also painted the rivets of the wheels red.
2004 1/64 John Deere Waterloo Boy
1989 1/64 John Deere Waterloo Boy
New Decal Detail: 2004 model on the left has extra Waterloo decals on rear fenders
John Deere introduced its first in house design in 1924. The two cylinder D produced 30 hp and could pull a three bottom plow. The original model D is known as "unstyled" because it lacked sheet metal. It was a bare bones tractor with an engine and drivers seat. It was not until the late 1930's that tractors started to be designed for comfort and looks.
Ertl first produced a 1/64 replica of the D in 1968 as a part of the original seven piece historical set. The first D casting in 1/64 remained in the Ertl line through 1986. The first D tooling was basic, painted all in green with yellow wheels. The first D model offered a hook hitch. Ertl has re-tooled the D for the new 10 piece set offering improved die-cast detail, paint and for the first time yellow Deere decals. The radiator cap is highlighted in red and the wheel rivets painted in red.
2004 1/64 John Deere D
1970's Historical set John Deere D with hook hitch
The unstyled John Deere G was produced from 1935-1941. It was a three bottom plow tractor. John Deere had intended to call the G the "F". By 1935 the John Deere line included the A, B, C, D tractors and E stationary engine. International Harvester was already using F for its Farmall F-10, 15, 20 tractors so John Deere skipped to G.
Ertl's first G toy was released in 1994. The 2004 G is similar although Ertl has used brighter decals and painted the wheel rivets.
From Left to Right: 1994 John Deere G and 2004 John Deere G
John Deere's styled B was introduced in 1947 and produced through 1952. The B offered a pressed steel frame, electric starting and lights. The B offered 24 hp.
The 1/64 John Deere B is a recent addition to the Ertl line. It offers nice detail and as with the other classics in the Anniversary set the wheel rivets are painted yellow. Hopefully Ertl will continue to paint all of its 1/64 tractors wheel rivets.
New 1/64 Ertl John Deere B
The John Deere 730 was the pinnacle of the John Deere two cylinder tractor line from 1918-1961. John Deere offered the five plow bottom 730 from 1959-1961. It is commonly thought that once the 3010 and 4010 debuted the 730 was retired. The last 730 sold in the U.S. was produced in June 1960 but 730 tractors for the foreign market were produced through March 1961.
The 1/64 730 in the 10 piece set offers improved paint detail. Ertl has made this classic stand out. The 1/64 730 offers improved detailing with a silver striped breather, red fuel cap, yellow painted seat cushion and fender lights.
2004 1/64 John Deere 730
The most legendary of all John Deere tractors is the 4020. John Deere took the tractor world by storm in 1960 with the 4010 and other New Generation 10 series tractors. Since 1924 International Harvester had been the number one tractor producer and seller with its Farmall line. John Deere’s tractor from the 1918 Waterloo Boy through the 1959 730 had been powered two cylinder engines where IH used 4 and 6 cylinder engines. John Deere was always viewed as a good tractor but by the 1950’s farmers were looking for tractors with big engines. John Deere tractors were often referred to as “Johnny Poppers” because of the unique pop pop sound of the two cylinder engine. The John Deere 4010 and others 10 series John Deere tractors ushered in a new era of Deere tractors. In 1960 the 4010 helped John Deere gain the title as the #1 tractor company and it has remained in the top slot for 44 years.
The 4010 was the star of the 10 series and in 1963 John Deere introduced the crown jewel with the 4020. With 91 hp the 4020 became an instant classic. By 1966 the 4020 accounted for 48% of John Deere’s North American sales. The 4020 remained in production through 1972 and its 404-ci engine remained in John Deere tractors through 1978.
Collectors have long wanted a 1/64 4020 and in 2001 Ertl answered with a 4 piece 4000 series set including a 4020. The 2001 4020 replica offered a roll bar and a large breather. Roll over protection was first available on the 4020 in 1966. The 2001 4020 was an instant hit with collectors, although with all good new pieces there are always requests for variations. The 4020 is best known as an open station model and collectors wondered why Ertl offered the 4020 with just a roll bar rather than canopy ROPS. The new 2004 200th Birthday 4020 is in classic form with fenders and offers a smaller breather on the hood.
Left to Right: 2001 John Deere 4020 and 2004 John Deere 4020
In 1973 John Deere surprised the tractor market with its Generation II Sound-Gard body and cab. The Sound-Gard cab became a strong selling point and for the first time more than half of John Deere's new tractors were sold with cabs. The 4430 with its 130 hp engine was the most popular model in the 30 series. With farmers' increasing power demands in the 1970s, it was the natural successor to the most popular tractor of the time, the 4020.
The Sound-Gard tractor first made its appearance in the Ertl line in 1973. Read Doug Harke's August 2004 "Variations" for the full story of the first 1/64 Sound-Gard. Ertl has produced several Sound-Gard toys in 1/64 over the years. The best effort came in 2003 with the introduction of the new 1/64 Sound-Gard tooling. A three piece set was offered with a 4430, 4440 and 4450. The 200th Birthday set includes a 4430. The 200th 4430 offers large balloon style front tires which which would have been a deluxe feature in 1973. Ertl also painted the wheel rivets and points yellow where the shelf edition 4430 have green ends. The 200th 4020 also has soft rubber tires front and back where the shelf edition 4020 has hard plastic tires.
Back to Front: 2003 John Deere 4430 and 2004 John Deere 4430
Left to Right: 2003 John Deere 4430 and 2004 John Deere 4430
In late 1982, John Deere announced its largest new model line up in the company's history. This was the 50 series with ten new 2wd tractors and three new 4wds. The 4450 the third generation successor of the 4430 was still a farmer favorite. Rated at 140 hp the 4450 offered a new 15 speed Power-Shift transmission or a standard Quad-Range shift.
The new 1/64 4450 debuted in 2003 along with the 4430. The Ertl 4450 offers a deluxe step package for entry to the cab. The 200th 4450 has banded duals with soft rubber tires. The shelf-edition has row crop duals and hard plastic tires.
Left to Right: 2003 John Deere 4450 and 2004 John Deere 4450
The introduction of the largest two-wheel drive tractors in John Deere's history offered twenty-first century technology in 1994. Everything about the 8000 series was new: the CommandView cab replaced the Sound-Gard with new visibility, CommandARM controls and instrumentation, allowing the driver to control the tractor with the touch of a finger, all new 7.6 and 8.1 litre engines. The 225 hp 8400 was the largest in the range and was the first John Deere to only be available with MFWD. The 8400 matched the 225 hp 1975 8630 4wd. In 19 years John Deere had improved its 2wd technology to work as hard as a 4wd tractor.
Ertl did not introduce the 8000 series in 1/64 until 1996. John Deere updated the 8000 series in 1996 and to indicate a series change replaced the original 8000 series black and yellow stripe decal with a bold yellow decal. The 200th Anniversary set offers the 1994 introduction 8400 with the black and yellow stripe decal. Collectors have wanted this tractor in 1/64 for 10 years. The wheel rivets are painted yellow and all of the tires are soft rubber.
2004 200th Anniversary John Deere 8400 with original 8000 series style decals
1996 John Deere 8400 by Ertl
The 200th Anniversary set rounds out with the ultimate in John Deere power and technology. The John Deere 9520 4wd was introduced in August of 2001 and offers 450 hp. An available 18-speed Automatic PowerShift Transmission helps put this incredible power to the ground. Add popular options like GreenStar AutoTrac hands-free assisted steering for unmatched productivity.
Collectors have waited three years for the 1/64 9520 and now it is here. Ertl released a 1/64 9420 in September 2001 and farm toy fans immediately asked where is the 9520? Bill Walters Ertl's Farm Toy Product Manager told ToyTractorShow.com that Ertl had something special planned for the 9520. The answer is the 200th Anniversary set. A tractor like the 9520 best represents the advancements John Deere has made with tractors in its 86 year tractor history. The 9520 can pull implements up to 60ft wide and with GreenStar it can drive itself across the field. Ertl's 200th 9520 is the first 1/64 4wd to offer a gps receiver. The 1/64 9520 has a GreenStar beacon on the front of the cab roof and offers large duals that are made of soft rubber.
New John Deere 9520 with GreenStar AutoTrac Beacon
Original 1/64 John Deere 9400
Ertl gets an A+ from this author on the 200th Anniversary Set. When this set was announced last December I thought here is another historical set grouping all the old castings together. Boy was I wrong. Ertl has made each and every model in the 10 piece unique to the set. The set honors John Deere's legacy and is the modern match to the original 1968 John Deere 1/64 Ertl historical set.
The new set includes:
Waterloo Boy
Unstyled D
Unstyled G
Styled B
730
4020
4430
4450
8400
9520
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