An FFA chapter in Alva, Okla., has earned Machinery Pete’s Pick of the Week by restoring a tractor. After logging more than 2,500 hours, the students were able to bring the 1968 John Deere 4020 back to life. On April 15, the FFA group will sell the tractor via a PurpleWave.com auction.
In a video interview with PurpleWave, one student described the tractor “as about unusable as it could be.” It had numerous issues, such as a cracked cylinder liner, flaking paint, an irreparable cab and flat tires.
During the process of restoring the 4020, the students learned valuable skills such as teamwork, patience and problem-solving. Student Clay Schafer worked on the tractor every day.
“It kind of feels rewarding to see all of the hard work we put into it just to be used,” Schafer says.
His classmate Jaxon Headle was also heavily involved in the project – from the initial teardown to the mechanical restoration and final bodywork.
“Getting to see a second wind for this tractor means a lot; letting it have another chance at being useful again is just really rewarding,” Headle explains.
With the combined efforts of teachers, community members and education, anything is possible, he adds. All sale proceeds will be donated to Alva’s FFA chapter.
A 1972 John Deere 4020 diesel PowerShift, with more than $50,000 spent on a professional restoration, sold for $74,900 on April 11. Machinery Pete’s “co-pick of the week” sold on the second day of the fourth annual Kraft Spring Antique Truck and Tractor Auction Day in Valparaiso, Ind. That’s the second-highest price ever on a John Deere 4020.
