John Deere A
1934 - 1952 Two-Cylinder Letter Series Row-Crop tractor
Series map:
B
A
16.0hp*
38.0hp*
*Estimated engine power for comparison only.
Production Manufacturer John Deere
Row-Crop tractor Built in Waterloo, Iowa, USA Total built 300,000
The John Deere A design was changed in 1939 with the "styled" look. In 1940, with serial number 488000, the engine was increased from 309 ci to 321 ci. In 1941, with serial number 499000, the transmission was changed from four forward speeds to six. The "slant dash" A was produced between 1939 and 1947. It was an A with the electric start option; a special hood piece was used to cover the battery.
Variants AR A-Regular with standard front axle
AO Orchard
AW Adjustable wide-front
AN Single front wheel
AWH High-crop, adjustable wide-front
ANH High-crop, single-front wheel
John Deere A Engines John Deere 5.1L 2-cyl all fuel John Deere 5.3L 2-cyl all fuel John Deere 5.3L 2-cyl gasoline Fuel tank 14 gal53.0 L
18 gal (gas engine)68.1 L
Aux. fuel 1 gal3.8 L
Engine details ...
John Deere A Power Drawbar (claimed) 18 hp (early)13.4 kW
34 hp (late)25.4 kW
Belt (claimed) 24 hp (early)17.9 kW
38 hp (late)28.3 kW
Plows 2 (14-inch)
Drawbar (tested) 26.20 hp19.5 kW
Belt (tested) 29.59 hp22.1 kW
Performance test details ...
Mechanical Two-wheel drive Manual steering Differential mechanical expanding shoe brakes Open operator station with steel pan seat.
Power Take-off (PTO) Rear PTO transmission
Rear PTO Type 540
A Serial Number Location Serial number plate on right side of tractor, near the belt pulley.
A Serial Numbers 1934 410000
1935 412866
1936 424025
1937 442151
1938 466787
1939 477000
1940 488000
1941 499000
1942 510239
1943 520004
1944 524423
1945 542700
1946 555334
1947 569610
1948 587349
1949 611921
1950 640246
1951 666307
1952 682602
Final 703384
FAQ: How to read a serial number table.
Electrical Ground positive
Battery volts 6
References The John Deere Styled "Letter" Series by J.R. Hobbs Instructions for General Purpose Tractor Model A (DIR 205) published in 1938 Tractors 1918-1976 published by John Deere* General-Purpose Tractors published in 1938, by John Deere General-Purpose Tractors published in 1940, by John Deere General Catalog published in 1940, by John Deere *Publication contains known errors.
Page information Copyright 2025 TractorData.com® TractorData is a family-owned small business located in Minnesota that has been providing reference information on tractors since 1999. Peter Easterlund - owner/authorEmail: Peter@TractorData.com Updated on February 26, 2025
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Engine details ...
Transmission details ...
Performance test details ...
John Deere A photos...
Full dimensions and tires ...
