What's New? -And Old?

A $1,000 loss
By Greg Stephen

How would you feel if I were to tell you that you have just lost $1,000? Some of you might say “AGAIN?” but I wager most of you would not be too pleased. Well, that’s what has just happened to nearly all John Deere collectors. Those of you who have listened to me at one of the past Expos or Gathering of the Green conferences and who managed to not fall asleep while there may remember me harping on this part number, DB1293. I hammered away, telling anyone who would write down that part number to go right home and order that from their local John Deere dealer. To those of you who did or who had already purchased it, congratulations! You did NOT miss out on this tremendous opportunity.
Those of you who do not own one or were not participants in the numerous online discussions about this may be wondering just what’s going on, so I will tell you. DB1293 is/was basically a massive compilation of most of the two cylinder tractor parts catalogs on a single CD. If you have Dad’s 1947 “B,” it’s on there. If you have a spoker “D,” it’s on there. And how about the parts catalog for that pristine 830 electric start? It’s on there. A tremendous selection of two cylinder, and a few other, tractor parts catalogs were all gathered by Deere and converted to CD for use by hobbyists and farmers alike. There were nearly 40 manuals included as the following list shows—let’s take a look.
1) Tractors and engines-A/B/D/GP/W and E engines - dated 1936
2) Model “A” - dated 1940
3) Model “AOS” - dated 1940
4) Model “G” - dated 1940
5) Model “L” - dated 1959
6) Model “LA” - dated 1959
7) Model “LI” - dated 1959
8) Model “R” - dated 1956
9) Model “BR”/“BO” - dated 1940s
10) Model 60 - dated 1962
11) Model 50 - dated 1962
12) Model “H” - dated 1960
13) Model 70 gas - dated 1966
14) Model “B” - dated 1960
15) Model “BO” crawler
16) Model “G” - dated 1959
17) Model 70 diesel - dated 1965
18) Model 320/330 - dated 1963
19) Model 420/430 - dated 1972
20) Model “GP”
21) Model 520/530 - dated 1966
22) Model 620/630 - dated 1966
23) Model 720/730 gas - dated 1965
24) Model 720/730 diesel - dated 1965
25) Model 435-dated 1963
26) Model “D,” styled - dated 1959
27) Model “A,” unstyled - dated 1960
28) Model “A,” styled - dated 1960
29) Model “B,” unstyled - dated 1960
30) Model 80/820/830 - dated 1961
31) Model “M” - dated 1963
32) Model 40 - dated 1963
33) Model “AOS”
34) Model 8020 - dated 1980
35) Model WA-14/WA-17
36) Model 510 - dated 1968
37) Model 710 - dated 1968
38) 1000 RPM PTO
The CD obviously contained an excellent assortment of parts catalogs that would enhance any two cylinder collector’s library. Picture 1 shows the actual CD and case.
DB1293 was supplied in a standard jewel case and the year 1996 can be seen on the insert. The “gear within a gear” logo is continued on the CD itself and the actual contents are viewable with the Adobe Acrobat program. It was designed to run on Windows machines and some Mac users were not able to view the files while others were. I would like you to pay particular attention to the close up photo of the CD (above). Besides the part number and the year, printed along the edge is the following: “Copyright @Deere & Company 1996. All use, disclosure and/or reproduction not specifically authorized by Deere & Company is prohibited.” Remember this; more to come later.
The picture at right shows a bulletin issued by Deere notifying CD users that March 31, 1998 was to be the last day to order the parts CDs at the 1997 introductory price of $60. After this date, the price was to be raised to $75, the price at which it stayed until its discontinuation. As can be seen from this bulletin, two cylinder tractors were not the only machines to have parts catalogs offered on CDs. Check out the list.
Vintage Agricultural Parts Catalog CD-ROMs
• DB1285-Combines
• DB1286-Harvesting and harvesting attachments
• DB1287-Hay and forage
• DB1288-Hay and forage
• DB1289-Planting and seeding
• DB1290-Tillage (plows anyone?)
• DB1291-Tillage
• DB1292-Tractors (Revised 1998) (anyone have a 4020?)
• DB1293-Tractors (subject of this article)
• DB1293-Material handling/other (Revised 1998)

Recent Agricultural Parts Catalog CD-ROMs (all revised 1998)
• DB1275-Combines
• DB1276-Cotton harvesting
• DB1277-Engines
• DB1278-Hay and forage
• DB1279-Planting and seeding
• DB1280-Tillage
• DB1281-4WD and row-crop tractors
• DB1282-Utility tractors
• DB1283-Material handling/other

Also, a complete Ag Products Master Library was available that contained everything listed above, all 19 CDs for the sum of $1,200. And let’s not forget our brothers in yellow, the industrial line. The following list shows what was available for them.
I don’t have the information at hand as to what each CD contained but the part numbers were DB1300/1301/1302/1303/1304/1305/1306/1307. The Industrial Master Library containing all these CDs was DB1307 and it was priced at $450. Additionally lawn and garden products were covered as well as CDs for all current machines. For example, DB1352 was for the model 566 round baler. All of these CDs as listed above, all of them, are now discontinued. Gone, all gone.
Returning to the DB1293 CD, Deere wasn’t finished with it as 2001 saw an update on DB1293. Featured was a new menu system to allow easier navigation and location of areas of interest. The picture at right shows the latest version of DB1293 and the first and last versions side by side. Very little changed, except the new menu and the year of issue of course. There are a few other items of interest to uncover on this subject. First, imagine how much space 38 parts catalogs would take up. How many times have you gone to look for a parts catalog and it is nowhere to be found? A CD is a great way to store and organize multiple parts catalogs. At the time, I remember collectors being resistant to spending $75 for a parts CD. If you weren’t one of the lucky ones who bought this CD, then you just lost $1,000. The combined cost of these parts catalogs purchased separately is over $1,000! So a $75 investment to net $1,000 worth of catalogs is a great buy! Second, the size of these catalogs varied from a low of 40 pages to a high of 516 pages. The combined total of pages contained in DB1293 is over 6,700! The computed cost per page is miniscule.
For those of you who thought, “Well, I don’t need all those catalogs since I don’t have this tractor or that tractor,” I submit that you couldn’t afford not to have the CD. If you own a 730 diesel and a styled “A” and purchase their respective parts catalogs, then you have just spent on two catalogs what the CD would have cost you.
Factor in the research ability of the catalogs on the CD when you are chasing down a part number and how about if you come home from the auction with two more tractors than you went there to buy? It becomes quickly apparent that this was one of the greatest values ever offered to the collecting community by Deere. My point is not to ridicule or harangue everyone who didn’t buy a CD (well, not COMPLETELY my point!), it’s just to illustrate how we all were asleep at the wheel, so to speak. I talked to Deere about the discontinuation of these parts CDs and the official story is that Deere felt that this program was not supported well enough to justify continuing it. I tend to agree based upon the general reaction I received when I would mention their availability and price. Deere’s current plans are to offer custom CDs to customers that will include only the manuals they are interested in. This service should be operational by the time this article comes out. Parts catalogs are not the only publications Deere had made available; operator’s manuals and service manuals were also included. Deere said that a customer will be able to order from three to five manuals of their choice and Deere will create a CD custom tailored to their desires. For example, if a collector wanted an unstyled model “B” parts catalog and operator’s manual and also wanted a parts catalog and service manual for his model 70 diesel, then he could order a CD with only those catalogs included. This sounds like a great idea although there are a few things to consider that I can think of.
Since this is a custom CD, there will likely be no returning it once it is created. Makes sense as only the person ordering it would want it created in the form it was. Also, there will be no more “deals” on the pricing because although the CD versions may be slightly less expensive than the paper versions, the combined cost of the manual will exceed many times over the cost of the DB1293 CD. At least the information continues to be available to collectors in one form or another.
Now let’s return to what we saw in the CD close up view. Recently, a few of these CDs have begun to show up on Ebay. Again, discussion was fast and furious on some of the online sites regarding these CDs. As I stated there, my personal opinion is that these were most likely bootlegs of an original DB1293. There are a few reasons I came to this conclusion. The descriptive text was always careful to not claim these were original JD CDs, rather they were described as being “copies of original JD parts catalogs.” Never was the original jewel case shown although that would be a tremendously easy matter to duplicate both the insert and the actual artwork on the CD so it would be indistinguishable from the original.
Another telling factor was the selling price. Most were selling for below dealer cost so this would pretty much eliminate them coming from a dealer who was overstocked on them. There were also no John Deere dealers showing inventory on the DB1293 in the entire U.S. with the quantities that were being offered on Ebay. I also e-mailed the seller two or three separate times inquiring as to whether these were original JD CDs as that was the only thing I would be interested in and I didn’t receive a single reply. That’s pretty interesting. The final piece of the puzzle in my mind was when I took a look at the other items he was offering. Nearly all were CD versions of automotive, ATV and other manuals.
It doesn’t take a genius to see what business this guy was in. Now I’m not saying that there hasn’t been and won’t be originals surface that are legitimate. Some of you may not care where or how you end up with a CD but I once again point your attention to the wording on the actual CD. This is a copyrighted item and it reads right on the CD that reproducing the CD without the permission of Deere is prohibited. It can’t be any plainer than that.
Those of you who haven’t dealt with Deere probably don’t know that they retain attorneys whose job it is to police situations like this. I have talked to them in the past over different matters and I know for certain that they are aware of this particular situation. Now I doubt that they will go to Ebay and find out who it was that purchased these CDs, although they could, but they will most likely stop the person from selling any more of them. I’m not a vigilante but anyone who supports people like this by buying something from them is just contributing to the problem. I also suppose the case could be made that illegal copying of items like this could damage the collectibility and ultimate value of such items that are in hobbyists’ collections. It depends on how you look at life, I guess, and it’s certainly food for thought.
Okay, to wrap this up, we now know that most of us missed out on a great deal. Done is done. I wish I had extras so everyone could have one but I don’t. I do think I received the last one or nearly the last one Deere had in inventory a month ago when I had a customer who wanted one. John Deere showed one in stock and I ordered and received it and then it was listed as obsolete.
I do find a few things puzzling about Deere’s stated reasons for dropping this CD program though. Since producing a CD like this is extremely inexpensive, it’s hard to see how it could have been unprofitable to provide. No doubt the profit margins were not what they desired but overall it could not have been a financial drain. Also, Deere apparently pulled the plug on all the CDs at about the same time since they went from being available to being obsolete in the space of a week or two. It seems like they would have just continued to sell them until they were all sold and then discontinue them. I think that it just didn’t make sense to provide $1,000 of catalogs for $75 when they could also be offered on an individual basis and the resulting profits would be much higher. A reasonable compromise might have been to continue to offer the entire library at a special price for those who were interested and also the custom CD program for those who only wanted two or three manuals. Another very interesting development in the world of Deere. Until next time!
Write to Greg Stephen at The Old Tractor Company, Stephen Equipment Company, Box 709, 7460 E. Highway 86, Franktown, CO 80116, call him at 303-663-5246 or e-mail him at greg@theoldtractorcompany.com.

Collectors usually end up with a "prize" that is in less than perfect shape. Often the acquired tractor has seen years of hard use and often less than perfect care. Careful examination of a tractor can sometimes yield a wealth of information. A welded block tells a story of a cold snap that caught the farmer unprepared, a broken casting offers mute testimony to some catastrophe in the distant past and an old worn out blanket strapped to the seat tells us that Mr. Farmer was seeking additional relief in the business end of Mr. Farmer!

Past What's New? -And Old? Articles

• September 1997 | M&W turbocharger kit for 4010 & 4020

To me, the "farmerizing" is always the most interesting. Many times helpful changes in a tractor's design can be traced to suggestions from those who actually use the machine. Field testing and, today, computer aided design can only do so much. Nothing compares to the actual hours and hours of use that the owner will put on that tractor. Farmers are by nature an inventive and resourceful lot so most of us have seen the results of a farmer and a welder! It's usually not good for the upcoming restoration!

The farmer is not the only one who was attempting to make each tractor better or more useful. An entire industry sprang up almost overnight to cater to the needs of the new Ford model "T." In fact, these after market products are so numerous that today there are people who do nothing but collect them!

The same thing happened with tractors. New ideas in wheels, ignition and fuel systems, transmission gears and more were all produced by a multitude of companies, each claiming to offer the farmer some improvement in productivity or comfort. These added items are still commonly found today on an old tractor when a collector drags it into the shop to begin the resurrection process. I have always found these items extremely interesting and am always on the lookout for documentation on who offered them and information on them.

A popular item to seek out today are the aftermarket gas manifolds. These offered quite a boost in horsepower in their day, a fact which today's tractor pullers readily appreciate! It has been common up until recently for a restorer to remove these "non-original" items and put the tractor back to the way it came. I have preached on this before AND will continue to do so. I believe the time is approaching when these non-original items will be highly sought after. The same thing happened with the street rod hobby. Who here doesn't remember "blue-dots," beehive oil filter covers and Offenhauser intakes? Not original by a long shot, but certainly highly collectible today and most are even reproduced!

How many of you either have or know someone who has a model "G" on propane? How many of these same tractors were restored as a propane conversion? Very, very few, I would guess. How many of you have I myself told face to face to think about leaving it as a propane? That's right! Every one of you who made the mistake of telling me you were taking the propane pieces off! To each his own, but I think it is becoming increasingly popular to have a tractor with a little something different that sets it apart from the crowd. This would be an easy way to justify keeping some of those aftermarket pieces on a restored tractor. The one that tripped my trigger this month is shown in the illustrations on this page.

We have a late model "B" that has been used for parts and it has one of these steering wheels on it. I have often wondered what in the world was so special about it. The brochure I am taking this information from explains it. The steering wheel was made by Kosch Manufacturing of Columbus, Nebraska. I am familiar with the Kosch company since for years they made a successful sickle mower. Most manufacturers like this produced many products, this being one example.

The Kosch Steering-Aid, as it was known, was designed to take the shock out of tractor steering systems. Anyone who has driven an older tractor without power steering through or across fresh furrows knows what the "shock" is. The front wheels get pushed one way and then the other by clods, furrows, rocks and even ditches. This sudden turning of the wheels can be quite violent and can even wrench the steering wheel right out of the operator's hands. Those who manage to hang on usually get their hands banged up for their trouble.

Kosch advertised that the Steering-Aid would lessen steering fatigue and would hold the tractor's wheels in any position the operator set them in. Kosch also stated "No more fighting the wheel. Holds the steering wheel positively stationary, regardless of 'kick back' caused by the front wheels striking obstacles or going over rough ground." Sounds good, doesn't it? No more wrestling with the steering wheel to keep the tractor headed where you want it to go. Just what is this miracle? Read below.

"WHAT IS IT? The Kosch Steering-Aid is a steering wheel with an automatic clutching device built into the hub. It replaces your present steering wheel. Contains no hydraulic or electrical mechanism. WHERE CAN IT BE USED? The Kosch Steering-Aid is manufactured for use on all tractors which are tiresome to hold when driving over rough ground or on side hills.

WHAT DOES IT DO? The Kosch Steering-Aid holds the steering gear stationary, no matter how much 'kick-back' the front wheels get from hitting washouts, ruts or shoulders. The Steering-Aid automatically releases as you turn the wheel so that you can steer the same as always-but without shock!"

Now, although we all know that our beloved John Deeres are the most perfectly designed tractor ever built (!), the fact is that they must have had a problem in this area like other tractors. Kosch built kits for IHC tractors and combines, Ferguson, Ford, Oliver, Minneapolis-Moline, Massey-Harris, Case, Coop, Cockshutt and Allis Chalmers...AND John Deere! Hard as it is to believe, kit number 351 fit the John Deere "A," "B" ('30 to '46-sure wish I could find a '30, '31, '32 or '33 "B"!) and "G" ('39 to '52). Kit number 353 fit the "A" and "B" ('46 to '52). Kit number 354 fit the 50, 60 and 70 and kit number 361 fit the "R." John Deere combines were also covered with kit number 371 for the model 55, serial number 1001 to 12050, and kit number 372 for the later 55s.

These Kosch steering wheels are not difficult to locate. If you study the picture of the wheel itself, you can readily see that it has a very large hub. This was necessary to contain the clutching device that is what the Steering-Aid is all about. The words "Kosch Steering-Aid" were also stamped right in the center of the wheel hub. Two of the three steering wheels pictured in the pamphlet have different spokes, one has straight steel spokes and the other has spokes with a dip built into them. I suppose this varied with application.

I imagine quite a few of you are familiar with these steering wheels and I assume are still in daily use, doing what they were designed to do years ago. As always, I would love to hear of your experiences with the items I write about. Did it work as advertised? Were they rugged and durable? Does anyone have any more information on it? If anything interesting turns up, I will include it in a future column. Until next month!

Stop the presses! After I had finished this column, I was able to contact the Kosch Manufacturing Company. They are still located in Columbus, Nebraska. Gordon Kosch graciously agreed to talk with me regarding the Kosch Company and the Steering-Aid that they manufactured. Gordon related to me that the company began by converting IHC horse drawn sickle mowers to tractor mounted. One thing led to another and soon Kosch was busily manufacturing its own design mower. Today, Kosch continues to built its mower and recently introduced a pitman-less model. Future plans include a hydraulically driven model and even one built especially for today's popular compact tractor market. Surprisingly, Gordon told me that Kosch had built the Steering-Aid up until five years ago. Of course, the product had changed quite a bit since it was originally produced. In the early 1970s, the large center hub that contained the clutch mechanism was downsized and made quite a bit smaller. The majority of the tractor applications had also been discontinued by this time since the tractors the Steering-Aid had been made for were getting older and power steering on the newer tractors had made the Steering-Aid unnecessary. The application of the Steering-Aid was not centered solely on the forklift industry. Apparently the Steering-Aid was in great demand by factories for their forklift fleets. Sadly, even this market was not enough to justify continuing production of the Steering-Aid and when sales continued a slow decline, the decision was made to stop production. And so another innovative productive, after enjoying a successful run, was finished and was retired.

I queried Gordon as to what another Kosch product, mentioned in the pamphlet, was all about. He said that as he understood it, the Kosch Drive-Rite was a device that enabled Ford and Ferguson owners to enjoy a higher speed road gear. The Drive-Rite employed a device that worked through the differential and gained the operator almost twice the transport speed than he had before installing the Drive-Rite. It was also discontinued long ago. I feel I should state here that Gordon Kosch has told me that there are NO parts and NO Kosch steering wheels remaining! I told him I would make sure to impress this upon readers so as to not have him bothered with requests for items he no longer supplies.

It was certainly enjoyable for me to actually be able to talk to someone who was involved with something I was writing about. So often, the items we read about are all essentially lost in the past and no links to them exist today. Gordon Kosch's company continues strong today, providing innovations in the sickle mower and round bale mover markets. Thanks, Gordon!

Greg Stephen is a John Deere dealer in Colorado who specializes in New Old Stock (NOS) and reproduction tractor parts. His articles, which appear on a regular basis, usually focus on parts and accessories. He explains what special parts were available, what was unique about them and why they were needed. He covers everything from turbochargers for 4020s to spoke flywheels for model Ds.

Greg can be reached at Stephen Equipment Co., 7460 E. Highway 86, Franktown, CO 80116; telephone 303-688-3151.