The John Deere High-Crop Tractor You Never Knew Existed - 1951 Model "M-V" - South Jersey Special

In this video, we take a closer look at two (well, technically three) consecutive serial number John Deere tractors that were born & bred in my hometown - what I've dubbed the model "MV". Local legend states there were approximately 25 of these tractors built by my long-defunct hometown John Deere dealership - South Jersey Implement Company of Swedesboro, NJ - to cater to the farmers who wanted a one-row, high-clearance tractor that could straddle one row of tall, bushy crops (like tomatoes or squash), or two rows of bedded asparagus.

These "MV"s were designed to compete with the Farmall Super AV high-clearance model - a huge seller in the Swedesboro area, for asparagus and tomato growers who wanted a one-row high-clearance tractor with a narrow footprint (to keep from getting stuck in the sandy and swampy soils). The JD dealer worked with the local machine shop (who, ironically, was also an Allis Chalmers dealer), to give the "M" more ground clearance.

The machine shop extended the front axle knees by removing the inner spindle shafts and lengthening them by 6". They then cut the outer cast iron knees in half, and joined the two halves by sliding a 12" section of pipe over top of them. The 15" front wheels were replaced with 16" pressed steel wheels with 6.00x16 tires. For the rear, they installed 6-bolt "MC" crawler hubs on the axle shafts. The machine shop then built their own 9-bolt hub adapters which bolted directly to the crawler hubs. This allowed them to use the same pressed-steel 34" rear wheels that were used on the MT. The factory drawbar, lift linkages, and associated cultivator mounting hardware were not changed, as far as I can tell. These tractors seem to have been built to order and not all consecutively, as I have found several with serial numbers ranging from early 1947 to very late 1952 production.

These were a very crude build, but supposedly received approval from the Dubuque engineering team. Legend has it that roughly 25 were built in Swedesboro - I have not been able to confirm this, as any documentation from that dealership was lost decades ago. Ultimately, the Farmall high-clearance tractors continued to outsell their Deere counterparts due to the offset engine design, but these early "MV" tractors did pave the way for the sought-after 40V, 420V, and 430V models which are in the hands of collectors throughout the country today - my grandfather even demoed the very first serial number 420V when it was introduced in 1956, and I am fortunate to know the current owner of that tractor who is keeping it safe on his farm in New York.

In the spring of 2024, after much searching around on different farms in the area, I was able to acquire serial numbers 43934 and 43936 in trade for my first Super AV. I spent the last year using 43934 as a parts donor to fix 43936. After discovering a cracked engine block (plus the fact that the front axle and bolster had been welded up so many times it was no longer safe to use), I decided to put the 43936 project on hold while I searched for another engine block to use.

Just a couple weeks later, I received word that another "MV" had surfaced and was for sale on a hobby farm near the Jersey Shore. I looked at the tractor and was thrilled to find that it was serial number 43935, the "missing link". I agreed to purchase it once we got it running and pulled out of the field where it sat. Overall it was in decent shape and the previous owners had certainly taken care of it, but it needs some TLC considering it had sat for 20 years inside. I am currently fixing it up to bring to shows, and will eventually have it restored.