Back When: 1939 John Deere L

10 Sep 2023

“She might be small, but she is surprisingly powerful,” Scott Pliner said of his 1939 John Deere L. The L is one of John Deere’s early tractors designed with acreage owners and truck garden operators in mind.

In June of 2002, a family friend told Scott about the L. Scott’s father, Norm Pliner, remembered using a LI (L Industrial) for mowing along the railroad tracks with a sickle mower when he worked for the railroad.

1939 John Deere L

Scott, a seasoned collector, knew this L model would be a great addition to his collection, so Scott and his dad purchased the John Deere L tractor for $800.

When they got the L home and unloaded, they added air to the tires and fresh gas in the engine and tried to start it…nothing happened. They decided to try pull-starting it by hooking onto it with a chain and another tractor. Within ten feet, the L fired up and both men were excited to hear the little L running.

The restoration took place over the year and a half that followed. The tractor was stripped down to the basic frame and differential. Its front spindles were worn out and required line boring and new bushings in order to tighten up the front end. A used steering assembly was purchased to replace a damaged shaft. A used seat channel casting and spring assembly was purchased to replace the current makeshift seat mount.

The front rims that came with the L were not original for this model of tractor. Scott was able to locate a used set that were correct and a set of original-style tires were available from an Ohio business that specializes in vintage tires.

The Hercules engine was torn down and rebuilt. To Scott and Norm’s surprise, they found this engine model operates without crankshaft seals.

1939 John Deere L The frame had multiple cracks, old welds, and even a few break-through points. Once repaired, the entire frame was sandblasted, primed, and repainted. The fenders required bodywork and straightening and Scott also replaced the missing front chin with side cup and lower engine shield. The lower engine shield required some fabrication since it wasn’t cut out to fit an L with a Hercules engine.

Reassembly is tricky on a newly painted tractor; much patience is required to put everything back together and not scuff the fresh paint. Anyone that has dealt with fresh paint will tell you this can be the most rewarding or heartbreaking time in a restoration since paint will feel dry but takes a long time to cure and completely harden.

Once the tractor was together, the finishing touches of adding decals, a new muffler, and steering wheel set off the restoration.

Hard money in the project was roughly $3,000.