The shiny John Deere 40 tractor parked alongside other stately tractors of the past at a tractor field day plays second fiddle to no other. It has a proud heritage all its own, and it’s not just because it is a famous John Deere “two-lunger” of the 1950s.

Kathy Burton of West Lafayette, Ind., owns the tractor. Kathy and her husband, Dave, have several tractors in their collection. This one was once owned by the famous Orville Redenbacher, in partnership with Carl Hartman, and used in their popcorn nursery.

RICH HERITAGE: This tractor once did field work that led to development of Orville Redenbacher popcorn.

It’s a 1953, Model 40 standard tractor. The Burtons displayed it at Bill and Jason Hedrick’s annual tractor field day in June 2020. Located near Battle Ground, Ind., the Hedricks own more than 100 tractors themselves, and invite friends and neighbors to bring in their favorite tractors for the one-day show. Even COVID-19 didn’t stop it. Altogether, some 180 tractors were on display on the farm that day.

Look closely at this John Deere 40 standard and you can see a resemblance to the predecessor it replaced — the John Deere M. You can also see signs of what was to come after the 40 — the John Deere 430.

According to tractordata.com, the John Deere 40 standard claimed 16.7 horsepower on the drawbar but produced 21.7 in the Nebraska Tractor Tests. Its belt pulley horsepower tested at 24.25.

John Deere produced 18,000 models of various styles of the 40 from 1953 through 1955 at the factory in Dubuque, Iowa. In 1954, you could have purchased a new model 40 standard for its $1,500 list price.