Haha that bought back memories. My brother had a bush aircraft operation in a remote village on the Yukon river in Alaska. Roads were all mud, and virtually impassable in summer. So out of the blue, he buys a John Deer 820 with a cab on it . When it showed up on the barge, the villagers were awestruck, and started calling the Big Wheel . We had a big trailer attached to it, and used it year round to haul freight for us . So we would operate it at 30 below zero in winter. We kept a blanket to cover the pony motor and use a heater to keep it warm. The pony motor also circulates its hot water through the main motor. So in cold weather, we would start the pony motor and let it run maybe 20 minutes which would warm the main engine. Then afterwards the main engine would start instantly. People that came to visit the village were always awestruck to see this giant tractor zipping around town. Also was pretty good at pulling wheelies if you popped the clutch in low gear........

Love the sound of the diesel engine starting and the pinging when it stops. Brings back memories of being on my uncle's farm in Iowa during the summers.

Great vid! One thing though, if your gonna run the big engine over with the pony for a while before starting don't have the diesel throttle open or else it will wash the cylinders with fuel

Got a lot of hours in on an 820 working for a farmer while going to college in Bozeman Montana. Cool old tractors

What memories! I was born in 1944 in central Saskatchewan . Wow!,,

Don't start the diesel at half throttle, just off the idle stop is where it should be.

Just want too clear a few things up. Understand you had warmed it up before hand. I,ve owned an 830 for over thirty years now and keeping it. Yes the proper way to start them is as follows. Start the pup using the choke only if needed and warm the pup up. Leave the diesel throttle off or all the way back, this keeps the fuel shutoff. After pup is warmed up pull the decompressor lever all the way back then slowly pull the clutch lever back, first half engages the pinion to the flywheel the second half is the clutch. Motor the diesel till you have oil pressure for 5 to 10 seconds more if you want. Then release the decompressor lever and advance the diesel throttle only till the stop buttom pops in and will start no problem if the engine is good. I was told years ago and still follow this rule as was mentioned in the coments when shutting the diesel down after cooling it for 5 minutes if it was working hard pull the decompressor lever to let the main coast to a stop. Otherwise the pinion is always engaging in one of two spots on the ring gear. Was also told that John Deere never shipped electric starts to Canada because our climate is too cold for the electric start, only pup starts up here from the factory direct. If in cold weather - 10 C then motor the main engine for a minute or so under full compression without fuel to warmup the combustion chamber. If you can start the pup the main will always start with some time depending on the tempature. Proper way. From a greendash 820 - 58 hp-pto to an 820 blackdash - 69 hp -pto, 830 is the same and thats why an 830 was never tested at Nebraska.

Nice tractor. I own a 720D and really like it. A few suggestions for you. 1) the red light should go out when the pony motor builds oil pressure. 2) never crank the big motor over while the compression is released and the throttle lever is forward. Pumping fuel to the big motor with no compression floods the cylinders with diesel fuel. 3) when shutting down, after you pull the throttle back and cut the fuel to the big motor, pull the decompression lever back and let the big motor coast to a stop. This procedure isn't in any manual, but it saves flywheel splines.

This is more complex than a Navy F-14. But actually fascinating. Thanks

Having grown up owning and operating R’s 70-730 and 80-830 series John Deere diesel tractors on a farm in upstate New York, here are the mistakes he made starting it. Never crack the main throttle while cranking with the compression released, never push it much past idle during starting, always let the pony motor run a few minutes both before and after starting the main engine to prevent carbon buildup which will eventually lead to locking it up, and always shut the fuel off to the pony motor and let it run dry before shutting off the ignition. Same goes with all the JD gas and all fuel tractors as it helps prevent most carburetor issues.

Really awesome startup

great video. I have one of these as a model and I keep looking at all the levers wondering want they are for, I have to say just a little more complicated than just turning a key

You are correct and the 820 manual confirms it, release the compression lever and let the big engine turn over a few revolutions then push the throttle forward half way. Unfortunately the pony motor needs a rebuild and is on the week side so I have to throttle up first and release the compression lever after. I have to pull the compression lever back a couple times to keep up the rpms but she eventually fires. It sold any way so the new owner will rebuild the pony. Thanks for the nice comment.

Yes, when you pull the throttle back it just brings it down to an idle. When you pull out the knob and pull the throttle all the way back it shuts off the fuel supply to the big motor and after a couple revolutions of the motor is shuts off. Pretty cool tractor to operate once you've done it a couple of times. It was sold and picked up and I miss it already. Maybe another one someday in the future.

After seeing this video I want one of these really badly. That's a real machine, everything made today is just a toy

Nice tractor my uncle ownes one just like it its a 820 thats my favorite tractor to run

THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT VIDEO!!!!👍😃

Cat used this tech from 1929 or 1930 up until the early early 1970's I have a d4 with this set up and just sold 2 d7s with the same style setup.

The ability to spin the main engine over freely before a cold start until the oil pressure comes up is a great engineering idea. Most cold start wear can be eliminated if you spin the cold main engine over for about 30 seconds.

That was simple enough, especially for a pony motor start procedure.

Iv got a 70 diesel, i have to kick the starter petal about 50 times before shit happens but its a good tractor, nice vid man!

I volunteer at my local Dirt oval speedway and we've got an old grader, I spend countless hours in it grading the track days before race day all because I love old machinery not to mention I'm only 20, so people just think I'm weird

Never start the big engine at half throttle.

Cool!!!

What a processe

father restored one of these when I was growing up

Great video. I could never figure out what that little knob next to the throttle lever was for. Obviously it's for shutting the diesel down, does it act as a fuel shutoff or something?

I believe if you check the owners manual, it will say not to advance the diesel throttle from the stop position until you have motored the diesel engine a few revolutions under full compression. I don't know why JD says do it that way as oppose to the way you do it, (except that you are pumping fuel into decompressed cylinders). I've seen it done both ways by various diesel owners. Apparently it doesn't cause a lot harm to do it your way. The owners manual also says you can motor the diesel engine "indefinitely" with the engine decompressed in order to pre-warm the diesel engine in cold weather (assuming you can keep the pony running and it doesn't run out of gas). I'll bet those "electric starter guys" can't do that, not for very long anyway.

One real pretty diesel engine WHAT A SOUND!! Mother had 5 brothers they were all dairy farmers 2 brothers owned and ran their own dairy upstate NY one year they had a model R ohhhhhhhhhhhh how I LOVED that beast yours here ....well THANK Y O U for sharing!

Never shut the pony off with ignition cutoff always turn the gas off and let it burn out of the carburetor

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Man after watching this it's a miracle JD didn't go broke.

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Any 2 cyl. J. D. diesel with pony start should be started with throttle in off position or "dead rack" until oil pressure is built up. This prevents any injected fuel into cylinders. Prevents fuel washing cylinders, bad news in cold winter starts.

I own a Volvo BM 650

mine says 820 on the side but it doesnt look like this one at all

I think the pony motor is a lil tired

My 850 works the same, I just happened to have to intake off and turned the key backwards, and happened to also notice the smoke and panicked thinking an electrical fire was about to happen. Lol.

You said the pony motor is 4 cylinder ? Do you know the displacement ? Thanks

Да уж. Буржуйский трактор уже в 1958 году кнопочкой заводился, а наши до последнего - веревочкой - шморгалкой :(

👍👍👍👍👍👍💪💪💪💪👌👌👌

Thats a nice sounding2 stroke motor for the starter. what type of oil does it burn?

No choke for the pony motor?

Jeez, those pony motors run the opposite philosophy of the main diesel, sounds like its revving to 5,000 rpm!

I've always been told after the diesel is started you should shut the gas off on the pony and let it run to burn the gas out of the carburetor

I'd let the pony motor idle for a bit before I rev it up......

Didn't one of them have a v8 pony motor? anyways awesome video!

Thanks. I knew these "existed" LOL, never had anything to do with 'em.

He sounds like an older, less enthusiastic T.J. Miller

I believe that’s a 830 it has a black dash

Where was the April Fools' prank?

it is easier to fly an air plain

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