JOHN DEERE MODEL R
The change from spark-ignition engines to diesel power made a slow start in the tractor industry, with most of the leading manufacturers waiting until the Fifties before changing to diesel.
Development
The first diesel-powered tractor to achieve some sales success was made in Germany by the Benz company, which later contributed part of the Mercedes-Benz brand name. They built a two-cylinder diesel engine in about 1921 for a small truck, and in 1923 the same type of engine was used in the Benz-Sendling motor plough. Italy’s
