You Need A Gasoline Engine To Start This Diesel! - 1958 John Deere 720 Diesel 

Beautiful restoration! I spent many years aboard a 720 Diesel (with wide front end) on our Montana cattle ranch. You could either bale hay all day on only 5 gallons of fuel, or run a full tank of fuel through it in a long day with a 16’ disk! The thing could lug like crazy and was an amazing tractor!

I used to swath hay with a 720 when I was a kid in the 80's. Loved the Johnny Popper as we called it. Great restoration!

720 Gas was the 1st of many tractors I operated. None of the others was as enjoyable or as versatile as Old John.

Very nice restoration! I am glad the previous owner was able to drive it before he passed away. And thanks for recognizing the importance of teaching the next generation! 🇺🇸👍🚜

Cant believe that the 4010 and 4020 followed not long after this one. Tractor technology came a long way in a short amount of time.

I cultivated with a 720 diesel one summer. It was very enjoyable.

Awesome job on the best looking classic tractor ever made . And throw in that it’s a two cylinder to boot ... total package right there!!!

He should've demonstrated the pony motor starting it.

Great tractor and a great story behind it . Love that his uncle Charlie got to be the first to drive it . 👍

I remember My Grandfather's Neighbor had one of those. I had never heard or seen one exactly like it. I didn't remember the starting engine, but I imagine it had one. The Family that owned it now have a show every year at the 4th of July here in North Carolina called The Threasers Reunion. People come from all over to see Antique Tractor and Farm Machinery. I always enjoy going. The heat and humidity are a little bit rough at that time of year, but it is still great to see all of that stuff work again. Even back then the Tractor took so much work out of Farming. I am so thankful for Tractors and all of the Great work saving tools over the years. If You don't know about the Threashers Reunion, come to Denton North to and check it out as soon as You can.

I'm eleven and my father owns a 720 aftermarket wide front that he farmed with when he was my age and I plan on restoring it with him but it used to run well and the pony motor as I call it is still there and works and it is invaluable when starting it

That was a great story man letting him drive it. Reminded me of our pastors wife she was sick and couldn't got out of the house but she keep saying I want to go to church. We just have a small church so I told him I feel like God is tilling me we need to go to your house for the Wed. night service so that is what we did. She past away the next Monday morning was so glad we went. We got to have that one last time with her. God bless you'll.

That Deere looks awesome, you did a really nice job with the restoration! Kudos to you!!!

I own a 1958 Case 300 Triple Range Drive tractor.....it came with 2 working hydraulic outlets at the back where your three-point hitch is.....everything works great on the tractor...

he should have shown a few pics how the tractor looked before restoration

My uncle didn't like the 1qt gas tank on the pony motor. He liked to start it and let it run while he had his breakfast. Sometimes it ran out of gas while he was eating.

I do love the sounds of a 2 cylinder Diesel.

I love it! The 720 is my favorite two-cylinder Deere!

The coolant system circulates through both the diesel and the pony so the pony would warm to the diesel for easier starts

really nice old classic john deere diesel tractor must say it sounds like a green beast!!

Really nice looking 720. It is on my list of vintage tractors to buy.

Nice. Brings back memories. Thank you. I had the chance to work with one cutting hay and all that good stuff with it. Yes very strong.

Glad to see your driving it.

My grandfather had one of these and when I was a kid I loved watching him start it with the pup motor. Thought that was the coolest thing ever!

It's a beauty!

Great vid lot of memories ran one just like it in the 70s

The most economical tractor to use for it's time and for the next 26 years.

I operated a 720 Diesel during the summer of 1958.

Yep that's a sweet-looking tractor restore

We still use the 720 for plowing and a few other things. You have to use ear plugs when your plowing.

Thanks for the video great....

What a beautiful family, so glad they shared their tractor with the pony motor but disappointed I didn’t see the starting procedure and hear about any unique probs with attempting to maintain two separate engines. I also wanted to know more about the JD 2 cyl. diesel

spent many hours as a boy on one of these plowing, discing, putting up hay... you could lug it more than any other diesel engine I have ever seen, and it wouldn't die! Huge puffs of black smoke from each compression stroke. You could literally count the strokes! Of course with just 2 cylinders there wasn't a lot to keep track of. Dad sold it when I was about 17. Still ran great, even the pony motor. Although I remember roll starting it most of the time as we always parked it on a hill by the house. The pony motor always seemed to be out of gas and we were always in too much of a rush to find a gas can.... Anybody else remember locking one brake and climbing off and just watch it go round and round? Dumb kids!

Jason, in the beginning of your video you said you pulled a 5 bottom plow. I wouldn't have thought a 720 would handle a 5 bottom. I know the 820 would but I always thought a 4 bottom would load a 720 down pretty good. But, I have been wrong before. Great video.

I know the early 1950's John Deere's (model's 50, 60, 70 and 80) had the same rear wheel adjusting system as this 720.

Nice 720

(Posted by Rick Pickell) I'm no farmer. But they are right. No matter what John Deere equipment they make. Big or small. It all has Cadillac style.

At buckley old engine show here in MI when then steamers need help to get out of a hole they dug its the r's and 820's and 830's job to rescue them with all torque they dont even flinch pulling them out

They say run like a Deere but without a Pony you had to walk

nice tracktor

We had a 730 wide front end a jd and g jd 😁😀

Second only to the 730, but personally I kinda prefer the 720's

I'm an "A" fan, but that is nice

Is there any particular name for these types of tractors that have the two front wheels closely mounted together directly under the radiator Grill?

H turbo: clutch could be changed in 2 hours not 2days. Wimpy 263 cubic in 6 cylinder engine only put out 149 ft lbs of torque while the 376 cu in engine put out 250 ft lbs, and burnt less fuel. That wonderful fast hitch resulted in useless equipment when farmall finally wised up and went to 3 point like everybody else, which John Deere had for years already

Is that Tioga County?

Many people made their living with its use

This is a " black dash " 1958 model 720..NOT a 1953 model. In 1953 they still made the G model...the first 720's came out as 1957 models.The owner should get a two cylinder serial number reference card available through the two cylinder club. db

is that what was called a Jonny Popper?

Not to mention your 560 only had 10 gears as long as the ta worked (about 10 minutes) then it was a 5 speed, jd was 6 speed, assuming the rear end wasnt already laying the field smoking

The Lanz company gave them some help with those

720 John Deere didn't come out until later than 53

I have one of those.

At 1:08 you said it would run with 5 bottoms. 5 bottoms with 58 hp? More like 3 bottoms. Show us a video pulling 5 bottoms and I'll eat these words.

Needing a small engine to start a tractor isn't too rare

My 1957 John deere 720 Diesel is not as good looking as this one.

The Lanz tractors (built in my country Germany) had 60hp with one cylinder. So John Deere was no genius for building a 2 cylinder with 50hp

1:11 720s didn’t come out until 1956

he means two stroke ,i believe

He should've told the narrator it's a 1953 tractor, not 1958.

If I farmed in the mid 1950s and had the choice. I would rather have a farmall 450 diesel or 560 diesel waaaay better design.

1953?

Good tractor, just don't care much for the noise of a diesel engine.

john deere was a genius lol. John Deere died 100 years before this tractor was built lol

I don't hate on John Deere, but two cylinders is not nice!

You could take a 5 bottom plow and go with it.....?.just dont put it in the ground! Has the same 2 function guide lamp work light as all 1958 tractors. Thumbs down for no cold start!

Nothing new ,a pony motor to start the diesel was normal then ,I hated them you had to remember gas all the time