This is LI, serial number 51308, which makes it a 1945 model. Do you notice anything strange about its frame? It is a thick tube frame, which was phased out (for the LI) in 1941!
The tractor also has the early unstyled L type wheels, and according to the original owner's son, came from the factory in green paint! It is a very unique LI!
There are some possible explainations for the strange parts and paint...
- The tractor was built during World War Two, and Deere was building tractors with whatever materials it could find. The frame is a normal L frame-it could have been substituted to save material. One other person said that few LIs got the solid frame, anyway.
- The wheels may have been taken from a parted out L-this was a cheap way to get good rubber on a tractor. The current owner also recieved a Hercules engine with the LI-this type of enigine was used on early Ls with the "spoked" wheels.
- There are three layers of paint on the tractor. The lowest is industrial yellow, covered by a layer of green-which has a full set of decals, and no grease underneath. The third layer is the usual dirty paint job with cheap paint that is often applied to a tractor by its owner to keep it protected.
- What does this mean? It may mean that the tractor was originaly painted yellow at the factory-but for some reason an "agricultural" version was needed, so the factory or dealer painted it green, and sold it, leading to the memory of a green tractor.
The owner of the tractor supplied pretty much all these theories, and it makes sense to me. Thanks for the help!
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The frame and tag
View of the wheels
The tag
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