[AT] JD 620

Tue Jul 1 14:04:10 PDT 2014

Nice photo Dean.   That wooden tractor backed up to the elevator looks
almost like you were competing in a tractor pull.  (I guess you call that an
elevator?)   The JD looks pretty big to me, you could fool me into thinking
it's a 620.  I bet you a Pepsi that Dean VP can tell us!
I have an old picture of me in front of my fathers service station when I 
was about
3 or 4 wearing bib overalls and holding a grease rag in my hand.  I'd give 
anything
if I had a photo of me with my dad doing something on the farm but none 
exist.
I know you are proud of that one with your brother.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Dean Vinson
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 7:17 AM
To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group'
Subject: Re: [AT] JD 620

Yes, the "thousands" vs. "hundreds" of hours was just my mistake when I was
writing up the email.  Might be an Air Force flashback since I'm used to
seeing airframe lives and major-overhaul intervals and such described in
thousands of hours.   I guess I'd better get to work with that rotary mower
if I want this tractor to live up to the hype now... :)

As long as I'm posting pictures I thought this one would be fun too:
http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/me_and_Doug_520.jpg

That's me and my older brother, 50 years ago.   The proportions of the
tractor in the background make me think it's a 520 rather than 620, but I
still am getting a huge kick out of it.  Wish I still had that little wooden
tractor.

Dean Vinson
Saint Paris, Ohio

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of charlie hill
Sent: Tuesday, July 1, 2014 6:05 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] JD 620

Hi Dean,  I believe what you are saying about the hours must be right.
As I was reading Dean V's  description of the tractors I kept thinking that
I've never seen a tractor that nice with that amount of time on the clock.
I've seen some 14,000  hour tractors that were completely worn out.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Dean VP
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2014 11:54 PM
To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group'
Subject: Re: [AT] JD 620

Dean V.

Excellent photo's. I don't have time to comment in depth right now but I
have to comment on the hours.
I suspect the Hour Meter is not being read correctly. First of all it should

be a AA6572-R Speed Hour
Meter which is screened on the face of the meter right above the pin of the
needle and also take note
of rotating number dials.  Starting from the left there are four hour dials
up to a maximum of 9999
hours. The next dial to the right is 0.1 of hours.  Therefore I suspect the
25,000 hours s/b 2500
hours and the 19,000 hours s/b 1900 hours for a total of 4400 hours which is

consistent with the wear
you have observed on the tractor. A 620 with 44,000 hours would have had to
have been overhauled at
the very minimum 6 times and probably much more. Any tractor with 44,000
hours on it would be
completely worn out and not look anything like it shows in the picture.
4400 hours would be
considered fairly low hours on a 50 plus year old tractor.  And that is what

shows in the pictures.

I get back to more comments later. Really nice looking tractor.

Dean VP
Snohomish, WA

They say necessity is the mother of invention.
Don't know who the father is, probably remorse.
Red Green

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
Dean Vinson
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2014 7:19 PM
To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group'
Subject: Re: [AT] JD 620

Okay, now this was just a heck of a nice evening.   Sunny, not too humid,
good conversation with some nice folks I had not previously met, and I ended
up with another tractor and a bunch of stuff to go with it.

http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/620_left_20140630.jpg
http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/620_lf_20140630.jpg
http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/620_right_20140630.jpg
http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/620_rr_20140630.jpg
http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/620_lr_20140630.jpg

The 620 is serial number 6219452, which puts it two-thirds of the way
through 1958 production according to the serial number range in Dean VP's
excellent earlier email.   The check I wrote tonight makes me the tractor's
second owner.  The first owner is 88 and moving a little slowly these days,
having recently recovered from a broken hip, and can no longer climb up on
the tractor--so is rather reluctantly letting it go.   He told me this 620
was the last one sold new from the John Deere dealer in New Carlisle, Ohio,
in 1958, and it's been on his farm about four miles from my place ever
since.  It was his main tractor for only a few years, bumping down to #2
when he bought a 4010 diesel.

I took with me Dean VP's list of things to check on, and found the
following:
- No fenders, front rockshaft, or external air cleaner.
- No automatic fuel shutoff in the fuel line, and the fellow didn't remember
there ever being one there although he couldn't say for sure.
- No cracks, welds, or oil or water leaks that I could see.
- No play to speak of in radiator fan; maybe 3/8" movement at the end of the
blades.
- Complete 3-point with original top link and sway blocks.   Lift arms
picked right up and held my weight without seeping down after I shut the
tractor off.
- Live PTO and single two-way Power-Trol hydraulic outlets.
- New batteries, in the original dual six-volt configuration.
- Float Ride seat seems pretty comfortable, certainly not all collapsed and
hard.
- Few and minor dings in the grill screen and sheet metal.  Paint is not
original but not new.  Front tires are okay, rear tires are excellent.
- All the gauges work.  Original owner said the hour meter broke at 25,000
hours and he had it replaced right away, and the "new" one still works and
reads about 19,000 hours so he says 44,000 total is pretty accurate.
- He said he had it overhauled by the John Deere dealer (same one he bought
it from) for about $3000 ten or twelve years ago when he retired from
farming, and it's been only very lightly used since.   Most recent duty was
powering his Winco pto-driven trailer-mounted generator when commercial
power went out in a storm.
- Starts right up and sounds good.

In addition to the tractor, he was selling a heavy-duty John Deere rear
blade, a 3-point Woods rotary mower, a 3-point sprayer, and the
previously-mentioned Winco generator.   All looked to be in excellent
condition.   By way of example, the Woods mower and the sprayer are both in
the barn, each under custom-fit dust covers.   (I didn't know there were
dust covers for brush hogs).   The rear blade is in the garage next to the
Winco generator, which was hooked to the 620 when I got there.  The 620 has
seen a few nights outside in its lifetime, but only a few.   I didn't think
to ask the fellow about the stuff wrapped around the ends of the rear axles,
but now that I look at the pictures I think it's likely packed with a bit of
grease to keep the axle ends from rusting.

As it happens, I've been actively looking for a brush hog and planning to
buy a rear blade, and I'd been reading up on Winco generators since my place
is already wired with a transfer switch.   I wasn't planning to buy a
sprayer but got caught up in the excitement.  (Dammit).   Anyway, it'll all
be coming home with me over the next few days, and barring rain this weekend
I'll be easing into some mowing along the farm lanes.   Wahoo!

Dean Vinson
Saint Paris, Ohio

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