[kipps]

Another quick comment on the Deere 8010/8020 saga.

This tractor was a hurried attempt to get something big on the market in the late 50's. They purchased every major component of that tractor, and bolted it together in a simple frame. They built 100 of the 8010 tractors. Just a few years later, Deere re-purchased all they could find of those 8010's, did a significant upgrade to a faulty transmission(IIRC), and resold them as 8020's. No new 8020's were built. In recent years, it's come out that Deere only found 99 of the 8010's, and so one 8010 has survived without getting its factory conversion.

As far as I know, this is only a theory on the 8010 introduction. I haven't seen any conclusive statement saying that it's definitely correct. It does make a lot of sense, though. Deere had been working on the New Generation during much of the 1950's. In the late 50's, it was increasingly obvious to outsiders, including the competition, that something big is happening.

The 8010 was unveiled a little ahead of the rest of the new generation, and Deere's competitors breathed a sigh of relief. "So that was what all the hoopla at the Deere plant has been all about." This big new tractor would not be any real competition to their own product lines. As long as Deere didn't introduce any revolutionary new tractors in the 50-70 hp size, all was good.

Shortly after, Deere DID unveil their new 3010 and 4010 tractors, and all was NOT good with the competition!

The 8010 was not a revolutionary tractor, by any stretch. It appeared to be that Deere was just testing the waters with a "put-together" tractor, before committing a lot of resources to building a real Deere 4x4.