Propane was plentiful after World War II. Refining capacity had exploded to meet the U.S. military’s appetite for cheap fuel. Defense contracts abruptly ended when Japan and Germany surrendered. And in the peaceful vacuum that followed, its production shifted toward agricultural uses. Liquid propane-driven tractors rapidly flooded the market.
Enter John Deere’s versatile LP tractor, with its iconic round pressure tank integrated into an aggressive hood design.
“It’s not unusual to see a propane-powered tractor at an antique farm equipment show these days. They made them, I think, for more than 20 years,” said farm broadcaster Max Armstrong about Shannon City, Iowa, farmer Doug Campbell’s John Deere 60 LP, which is this week’s tractor shed selection. Doug’s father and mother, Donald and Ethel, purchased the tractor in 1955. “Doug’s mom and dad passed away about 10 years ago. Two years later, the family restored it in their memory.”
Propane popularity
At the time, propane was treated almost as a waste byproduct of petroleum refining. It could be bought for pennies on the dollar. But while economics drove liquid propane fuel adoption throughout the agricultural sector as a cheap alternative to traditional fuels, it also boasted a higher octane rating, letting engines run at elevated compression ratios to maximize the power stroke.
Produced from 1952 to 1956 in John Deere’s Waterloo, Iowa, plant, the 60 LP modernized the popular Model A with both gasoline and liquid propane factory options, outputting about 40 hp. As a midsized workhorse with newly refined PTO, the tractor was used in row crops throughout the growing season — for tillage, planting and cultivating, and harvest. It pulled manure spreaders and utility wagons and ran grain augers and buzz saws. The 60 LP’s distinct engine note popped across many American farm fields.
“They were plentiful in the Southern Plains and in the southwest U.S. near the oil and natural gas production, but this one was delivered in Iowa,” Armstrong said.
Around the mid-1970s, liquid propane tractors lost their foothold due to evolving economics and advancing technology. Businesses discovered they could use it to create plastics and other consumer goods. When its cost outweighed its benefits, John Deere and other major equipment manufacturers discontinued their LP lines.
Another fuel affected
There’s a similar evolution happening today. The Iran War and shipping paralysis bottlenecked at the Strait of Hormuz is sending diesel costs soaring. Meanwhile, advancements in alternative fuels like biodiesel and electric tractors are advancing at a rapid pace.
Undoubtedly, there were many naysayers in times past driving negative sentiment about liquid propane’s benefit in the agricultural industry. But its economic benefits, for a time, pushed it into prominence. Adaptation follows economics. And in today’s uncertain environment, rising diesel costs will probably push more stable fuel sources into popularity across all industries, including agriculture.
“LP gas was a good tractor fuel in its time. It lost in the competition to diesel because of convenience and cost. If the diesel prices stay where they are, well, who knows?” Armstrong said.
Have a story to tell or a machine to share? Email Max at themaxarmstrong@gmail.com.