John Deere 3020, restoration to ruins

Dad bought this John Deere 3020 Diesel tractor almost new around 1970. Used it to farm about 50 acres, keep up pecan trees and feed cattle during winter. That 24 volt starter took away a few years of his life and probably made heaven a bit further. 

Around 2005 I acquired the tractor from my mom, in poor shape but running. The original tricycle front end was replaced with a wide axle, and the entire tractor was overhauled by the same John Deere service manager who went to John Deere school and attended the unveiling of new generation tractors in Dallas in the early 1960’s. He also worked and taught my father-in-law back in those days, he was even the one who offloaded it from the train when it arrived in Moreauville, Louisiana in 1964.

I disassembled it and repainted it with 4 coats of Imron, and kept everything about 95% original. The first picture is about 2015, after using it to build and haul dirt for two houses, cut firewood on my land each year and upkeep a 1000 acre deer lease. It had just moved from central Louisiana to south east Louisiana, our new home. 

From 2015 to September 2025 I had been sanding finding a few parts I wanted to change, put new tires , belts hoses and converted it to 12 volt, had everything better actually than new. The sheet metal and hood had been sanded down to 1000 grit sprayed with original John Deere green Imron, and came out perfect. The tractor itself had completely been sanded and primed down to 400 and waited in my barn for a final wash down and paint job when I got home from my seven day hitch. Incidentally from its overhaul in 2006 to present that old girl had never leaked a drop of anything and hadn’t burnt a drop of oil.  

Three days into my hitch I received a call from a neighbor who had lit a fire and left it unattended, and let me know fire crews were trying to put it out. Took me 3 hours to get home, the last picture is what I saw when I got home. She was still hot and very-very gone. About put me on my knees. All that history, all that work, gone. Irreplaceable!!!

Take care of them if you treasure them, they don’t make ’em like they used to. Gonna look for a 2240 now, but life will never be the same!

Roddy Lacour
Pearl River, Louisiana

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