Many tractors were sold in the years following World War II and Wick stayed busy working on John Deere two-cylinder tractors at Dillon's dealership. The 3-point hitch became a standard feature during the 1950s. Live hydraulics and power steering were introduced with the 50, 60, and 70 series tractors in 1953. Wick worked for Dillon until 1960.

In 1961 Wick bought out Dillon's dealership and operated it until 1965. The first tractor he sold was a John Deere 2010 to his cousin. The second tractor he sold was a John Deere 1010. John Deere introduced the popular 4010 tractor in 1961 and the 4020 in 1964. Wick grew tired of the financial pressures of operating his own dealership and closed it down in 1965. He sold his dealership's assets at an auction and worked on tractors in his home shop. He also sold cars at a Chevrolet car dealership in Maysville, Kentucky owned by Alvin Cummins.

From 1966 to 1987 Wick worked at Hughes Farm Equipment in Robertson County, Kentucky. These were busy years as John Deere became the number one tractor manufacturer.

From 1988 to April 1995 Wick worked at R & N (Fred Rose and Doug Norsworthy) Equipment in Flemingsburg, Kentucky.

In April 1995 R & N Equipment changed ownership and was renamed Greenhill Equipment. Some of Wick's recent work at Greenhill Equipment is illustrated below.

Question: What changes and innovations in John Deere products have you witnessed?

Wick: I think John Deere's biggest change was when they changed from two-cylinder tractors to four- and six-cylinder tractors around 1960. Following this change, John Deere gradually took over the position as America's top tractor manufacturer from International. Prior to 1960 many people favored International, Ford, and Massey four-cylinder tractors to John Deere's two-cylinder tractors. They favored the smooth running four-cylinder tractors over the popping and uneven running John Deere two-cylinder tractors. They would buy John Deere implements and International tractors.

Another big change occurred in 1992 when John Deere went from the 55 Series to new tractors which incorporated more semiconductor technology than had previously been used. They introduced new hydraulic systems, new engines, and did away with many of the mechanical linkages and went to onboard computers, relays, switches, and push buttons.

John Deere 4010 - This was John Deere's first six-cylinder tractor.

Question: When did John Deere introduce diesel tractors?

Wick: The first John Deere diesel tractor was the Model R. The R was introduced in 1949 and used a gasoline engine to start the diesel engine. The gasoline engine used the same cooling and oil systems as the diesel and was called a pony motor. The R was a large, heavy tractor and was popular on large farms because it had enough power to pull large implements and used less fuel than a gas engine. The R was a cumbersome tractor with a wide front axle but it was a powerhouse. Its diesel engine had two cylinders.

The 1020, 2020, 3020, and 3010 were the first John Deere diesel tractors to become popular in this area of Kentucky. The 3010 was introduced in 1961, the 3020 in 1964, and the 1020 and 2020 in 1965.

Question: What are your favorite and least-favorite John Deere tractor models?

Wick: My favorite model is the 4020. John Deere made this tractor from 1964 to 1972. It has a powerful six-cylinder engine, a roomy and comfortable operator station, and is a pleasure to operate. This tractor is largely responsible for John Deere moving ahead of International and becoming America's number one tractor manufacturer. My least-favorite model is the 2010, which was manufactured from 1961 to 1965. I don't like the hydraulic system on the 2010. John Deere started using o-rings in place of some gaskets during the early 1960s and many of the early o-rings leaked and had to be replaced.

Question: When did John Deere start making lawn tractors?

Wick: After International had the Cadet lawnmower out for a year or two, John Deere saw there was a market for lawn tractors. They started making lawn tractors around 1960 or 1961. The first models were the 110 (10 horsepower) and 112 (12 horsepower).

Wick serviced this 110 mower in March 2001.

Question: Discuss John Deere's early combines and hay balers.

Wick: We first sold the 12A combine and later the 25 and 30. These were all pull-type combines. The 12A had an engine that powered the combine while a tractor pulled it. The 25 and 30 were powered from the tractor PTO shaft.

John Deere 55 Combine - The model 55 self-propelled combine was manufactured from 1954 to 1969. It had a 70 horsepower engine and a 55 to 65 bushel grain bin. It used headers ranging in width from 12' to 15'. This combine sold for about $10,000.

Around 1955 John Deere produced their first twine-tie baler - the 14T. This was a good baler and many of them were sold. After making the 14T for several years, John Deere introduced the 24T baler and after that the 336, 338, and 328. These are all basically the same baler except that later models have a wider pickup and run at higher RPMs.