John Deere will be marking the 75th anniversary of its Model R tractor at the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show on 9 and 10 November.
The modern 8RX 410 may look a far cry from its 1949 ancestor, but it is the natural successor to the Model R, demonstrating how farm machinery has evolved over the period and will be on display at the Newark Showground event.
A special exhibitor class for original two-cylinder John Deere diesels has been created and will be judged at the show with owners urged to register their entries before the 18 September deadline.
This will include 70, 720, 730, 80, 820 and 830 models.
Introduced in 1949, the Model R tractor marked John Deere’s entry into the production of diesel-powered farm equipment. Today, John Deere is a leading manufacturer of efficient diesel engines for agricultural, industrial, and marine applications.
Between 1949 and 1954 over 21,000 Model R tractors were produced at John Deere’s factory in Waterloo, Iowa. The rugged and dependable 6.8 litre, two-cylinder, 47 hp diesel engine was the forerunner of a range of two-cylinder diesel models famous for exceptional power delivery and fuel economy.
When tested at the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory in 1956, the 720 tractor set the fuel efficiency record of 17.97 horsepower hours per gallon at 100% maximum load, a record not broken until 1983.
From 1960 onwards John Deere tractors were powered by three, four, six or eight-cylinder engines and continue to offer industry-leading fuel efficiency today.
In a recent test by Profi magazine, the 8R 410 eAutoPowr recorded the highest average in-field total fluid efficiency when compared to competitors in the 400hp-class.
While John Deere has committed to offering a wide range of products powered by alternative fuels and renewable energy, diesel engines continue to offer the most convenient, efficient, and environmentally acceptable solution for large agricultural and industrial machines.
The show has been running for more than 20 years and attracts 10,000 visitors to see more than 1,000 exhibits. Go to newarkvintagetractorshow.com for a full list of classes, and to enter online.
