ANNOUNCING
Regional Two-Cylinder® Ambassador Program
Two-Cylinder® is pleased to recognize Club members who have shown their dedication to the vintage John Deere Tractor pastime through shared interests and their willingness to promote the Two-Cylinder® organization. Appointed members will have their contact information (which will include a short biography and photo) listed in each issue.
Ambassadors will have a special cap identifying their position.
Readers who know of someone or would personally like to serve in an Ambassador position, please contact Brenda at 1 319 824-6060.
Eventually we would like to have Ambassadors representing the entire United States, Canada, and foreign countries.
Walter Menegus, Ambassador
Representing the Mid-Atlantic Corridor States (NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, and WV) is Walter Menegus of Belvidere, New Jersey. Walt graduated from Warren County Vocational Technical High School in June 1971; and ended his college career with a BS 1981, Master’s Degree. He has taught (2009–2014) adult student maintenance mechanics, welding, and machine shop. He was also the Warren County Vocational Technical High School Instructor of Vocational & Industrial Education (9-12 and adults), where he taught machine shop, welding, small engine repair, graphic arts, farm equipment repair, and photography (1976–2008). He worked as a toolmaker from 1971–1976; was employed in the layout and welding of horse trailers; and later was employed by a construction company working on heavy equipment, maintenance, and welding. He has lived/worked on their family farm all his life, and has acquired knowledge and practical experience of general farmwork, carpentry, repairs of machinery, and rebuilding of engines. The farm is well equipped with a machine and welding shop. Walt and his wife, Maria, have developed the farm into naturally grown produce: eggs, hay, straw, and corn production. He and his sons buy/sell new and old parts for hard-to-find farm equipment and tractors. Walt has served his community in a wide variety of functions, including Mayor. He is also a lifetime member of the FFA Alumni and the NRA. He can be reached at: 1 908 303-4684.
Chris Proll, Ambassador
Chris Proll, Burlington, Connecticut, is representing the New England States (ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, and RI), as well as being an online ambassador. Chris didn’t grow up on a farm, had family from Maine that did! He always had interest in tractors from about 15 years old; so, after saving up some money, at the age of 18, bought his first tractor, a 1947 Model “M”. The tractor was a mess, but he restored it and still has it today. After finishing the “M”, he found his first “L” Series Tractor and has been collecting John Deere “L” Series Tractors ever since! He found the “L” to be appealing because of all the model variations. He restores them in the winter when he is not busy plowing snow (which is part of his landscaping business, (Diversified Sweeping & Landscaping LLC). Right now the collection is around 22 tractors and 12 of them are “L” Series! Please feel free to contact me at: 1940johndeere@att.net or on Facebook Chris Proll of Burlington CT.
Roy Hofer, Ambassador
Roy Hofer of Canby, Oregon, is representing the Pacific Northwest States (WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, AK). Roy has been using and working on John Deere Two-Cylinder Tractors for as long as he can remember. His great-uncle was a John Deere dealer for 50 years, and Roy spent countless hours with him working on tractors and implements. He learned lots of old tricks and techniques, and is also a graduate of the John Deere Technical School in Walla Walla, Washington. His collection includes everything from an “H” to an “820” and beyond. Today, I am a sales representative for a Phillips 66 distributor, and operate a small family hazelnut farm. I enjoy spending time outside, visiting friends and family. I am single and have a pet cat. I am looking forward to helping anyone with their projects. Please call him at: 1 971 264-4892.
Robbie Collier, Ambassador
Robbie Collier, of Four Oaks, North Carolina, is representing the Southeast Sector (VA, NC, SC, and portions of TN and GA). Robbie’s involvement with John Deere began with his father, who started in the 1950s on the farm with John Deere Two-Cylinder Tractors and combines. In 1963, he was employed at an Ag dealership, working on New Generation Tractors, where he saw the first 4020 delivered to that dealer. Then, in 1966, he began working at an Industrial dealership. It must have been neat to see the first Deeres in the Industrial lineup: four-wheel-driver loaders, motor graders, and excavators (to name a few). He then returned to an Ag dealer as shop manager (foreman) to see the Introduction of the Gen II Tractors. In 1977 Robbie came along. Daddy started his own business in the backyard and Robbie was always in trouble with his Mama being in the shop. Robbie was involved with FFA and VICA and won many awards. He graduated in 1996 from South Johnston High School and went on to Beauford County Community College and completed a two-year Associate Program, also being the top graduate of 1998. He worked a an Ag dealership for about a year and then, with his father’s help, took over the family business.
Robbie likes history, whether it is John Deere related or anything else. He likes to study different ways to repair all kinds of things. His family has been doing repair work on John Deere products for many years and love to help people in need. Robbie does admit however, that even though they have been in this business for along time, they keep an open mind when it comes to learning new skills. He concentrates mainly on New Generation and Gen II equipment in the Ag line, but they also have experience with the logging industry (skidders, forklifts, and 4-wheel-drive loaders), and earthmoving equipment (early excavator backhoes, dozers, and crawler/loaders). He also collects equipment from a 1929 Model “D” up through a 4430 in the Ag line; 1010 Crawlers, a 450-C Crawler with 690 Excavator, 544 Loader, 440-A and 540-B Skidders, and an early 500-A Backhoe. Robbie and his family attended Expo 25 in 2015 and brought their 301-A (orange with red wheels) from Miami, Florida.
Robbie also farms a small amount of hay, corn, and beans. He enjoys meeting people and visiting about the old machines. He has a lot going on most of the time, so if you don’t reach him, he’ll be sure to get back to you when he can. You may call him at 1 919 868-6616.
Doug Beaty, Ambassador
Doug Beaty of Gobles, Michigan is representing the East North Central Midwest States (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI). Doug has been a John Deere fan for as long as he can remember. His dad also used John Deere Tractors and equipment on a corporation-owned farm comprising of 2800 acres that grew spearmint, peppermint, corn, and potatoes. He remembers seeing two-cylinder “A” and “B” Tractors on the farm, but he was raised on 2010s, a 3010, a 2510, and two 4020s. His uncles and grandfather also worked on the farm.
Doug currently does not own any tractors, but would someday like to purchase a “730” Diesel. His collecting interests include John Deere Toys: mostly 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, current offerings, and Two-Cylinder Club tractors. He also likes to collect literature, Pocket Ledgers, some belt buckles, hats, and, of course, Two-Cylinder Club 1:16 scale replicas.
Doug works on a large grain farm which grows corn and soybeans. He has also worked at different John Deere dealerships in the Parts and Service departments and hopes to return to a dealership someday. Please Email him at: dougbeaty69@yahoo.com.
Doug is currently writing a column in Two-Cylinder entitled “Tractor Talk — Shrunken Down.” He is critiquing and showcasing Two-Cylinder Club tractor replicas and older ERTL toys.
Ken Nicklas, Ambassador
Peter Sands from Australia nominated Ken Nicklas as serve our “Downunder” Ambassador! After visiting with Ken on the phone, it became very clear that he is a dedicated professional who is knowledgeable about John Deere products and has a genuine interest in promoting the hobby. He is also a long-time subscriber to Two-Cylinder (since the early 1990s) and has a great time visiting with others. He has an extreme passion for John Deere, two-cylinder tractors, New Generation Tractors, and related equipment.
Ken is originally from Tavistock, Ontario, Canada, where he grew up on a dairy farm. The local sawmill owned a 1957 Model “820” that the owner had purchased brand new to use in his custom farming and sawmill business. He remembers sitting on the owner’s lap as a young boy and starting the V4 cranking engine, while the owner would start the “big engine” (as he called it). Ken always loved hearing the sound of that tractor sawing logs. His uncle farmed next door, and he remembers hearing the amplified sound of the exhaust of the tractor which was connected to a pipe through the roof of the sawmill shed. When the owner of the sawmills health declined, an auction was held in 1980, and all the items were sold. Ken wished so bad that his dad would buy the “820”, but that didn’t happen.
In 1992, Ken purchased a 1958 black-dash Model “820” from a man in Ontario who was bringing them in from Manitoba to sell. He still has the tractor, as well as five other two-cylinders: a 1928 “D”, a 1950 “D”, a 1957 “620”, a 1957 “720” gas Standard, and a 1958 “720” Diesel Standard; plus, two (2) 110 round fender Lawn & Garden Tractors in the shed in Ontario. One of the 110s has a Danco loader attached from new. Ken has owned approximately 20 two-cylinder tractors over the years and well as over 100 pieces of farm equipment.
The dairy herd was sold in 2003 and a barn was built for laying hens to get into the egg business. Since the eggs were a low-labour intensity job, Ken went looking for a part-time job at the local John Deere dealer. He ended up with a full-time truck driver’s job four days later. He used this position to get his foot in the door of the workshop. He was put on as a mechanic in August 2008, signed up as an apprentice in 2009, and went back to school at the age of 43. The farm was sold in 2009, and he moved to a nearby property. He finished the apprenticeship and received his farm equipment licence. Due to a clearing auction when the farm was sold, most of Ken’s John Deere collection was sold at that time.
In 2013, he and his wife, Janis, emigrated to Australia. They did this for several reasons: the desire to work abroad, coupled with the winter weather in Ontario and the difficulty this weather causes in the repair of tractors and equipment. Ken came here as a Visa holder, sponsored by Chesterfield Australia, a fourteen-store John Deere dealer group that covers the southern part of the state of Queensland, and a large portion of the state of New South Wales.
Originally they settled in the town of Goondiwindi, Queensland, a lovely country town 215 miles inland from Brisbane. The dealership there is mainly large farming equipment, 8000 and 9000 Series Tractors, combines, and cotton pickers. The area is comprised mainly with wheat and chick pea growing, but cotton was established there in the 1970s and also covers a lot of acres.
After 18 months in Goondiwindi, he transferred to a shop in an area closer to the Pacific ocean, Beaudesert, Queensland. Ken enjoyed living out in Goondiwindi, but it was a very remote location, and they decided to move to an area closer to amenities. The dealership he is at now is a livestock area: horses, dairy, and beef cattle. The equipment here is predominately 5000 and 6000 Series Tractors, planting equipment, and hay equipment.
Ken has established a collection of vintage John Deeres in Australia. He collected a 1968 5020 Standard; a1964 3020 Row-Crop, Power Shift; and a 1960 “830” while in Goondiwindi. He has since added a 1937 “D”, two (2) 1957 “420” all-fuel Standard Tractors, a 1956 all-green “420” all-fuel Crawler, a 1965 3020 Standard, and a 1969 4020 Side Console with standard wheel and fender equipment.
He restored a 1954 John Deere Model “R” (top photo) while living at Goondiwindi for one of their customers. Ken has also restored a 1925 Spoker “D”, a 1946 “BR” and a 1947 “GM” for Peter Sands. He is in the process of restoring another Spoker “D”, 140 serial numbers apart from Peter’s “D”, a 1960 “730”, and a 1960 “830”.
Ken has started a business, Maple Heights Tractor Repairs. The name ties in their Canadian heritage with the view they have from their property of the McPherson Mountain Range that borders Queensland and New South Wales. His main business is the restoration of vintage John Deere Tractors, and the importation of new and used parts for the models he is repairing and for others in Australia that need parts. He has become one of the “go-to” guys for technical advice and parts supply in Australia. Since September of 2017, he has been writing a monthly column (under the name of Aussie Ken) for another magazine which covers his adventures in Australia. Email Ken at: kenanicklas@gmail.com.
Chad McKay, Ambassador
Representing the State of Ohio is Chad McKay, who, along with his wife, Amanda, and their Scottish terrier, Delco, reside in southwestern Ohio. Currently, Chad is a professor of Agricultural Sciences at a small private four-year college in southern Ohio. He has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, a Masters of Science in Agricultural Business Economics, and is finishing up a Doctorate of Education concentrating in Higher Educational Administration. Agriculture has been a part of Chad’s life from an early age. While he did not grow up on a farm, both of his grandparents had farms and ended up marrying into a family that operates an over 3000-acre grain farm.
Chad’s passion for antique tractors began at a young age. While his family did not own a two-cylinder tractor until the early 2000s, Chad and his wife now own four John Deere Tractors of their own and care for their families’ 14 antique tractors that include Allis-Chalmers, Farmall, Ford, Minneapolis-Moline, and now John Deere Tractors.
Over the years, Chad has restored five antique tractors. Gaining experience from those around him, Chad’s hands-on learning approach to restoring tractors has translated into his ability to share his skills with others like others did with him. He is always up for discussing projects and talking about the evolution of farm machinery. Chad can best be contacted via Email at: cwmckay@yahoo.com.
Roman Lampe, Ambassador
Representing the State of Iowa is Roman Lampe Jr. and is known by his friends as “Butch.” He lives in rural Dubuque, Iowa, and is retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He said that, “At 71 years old, I’ve pretty much have been around two-cylinder tractors my entire life.”
Roman’s Dad and Mom, along with the rest of the family, moved onto grandfather Lampe’s farm when he retired in 1954. A 1936 Model “A” and a 1942 Model “B” were already there when they moved in, and his dad wanting something a little more modern, bought a brand-new Model “60” which was built in May of 1953, but was still on the dealer’s lot. That’s when Roman’s dad decided to make the purchase of his “first” brand-new John Deere Tractor.
The following summer when Roman was seven years old, his father plopped him in the driver’s seat, with a hay rack and steel-wheeled hay loader attached, and off they went, in first gear, making hay. His dad was close enough so he could jump off the wagon and pull the clutch, if the need arose. He then, literally, grew up on the “60”.
His dad decided to give up farming in 1971 (he also worked at John Deere in Dubuque). Roman was fresh out of the Army, married a year, and was expecting their first baby. In January of 1971, the farm was sold along with the tractors and machinery. Roman really wanted the “60” but could not afford it, so instead bought the 1936 “A” (which was not even running the day of the sale) for a sum of $45.00.
Roman has had many two-cylinder tractors since then. In 2011, the children of the man who had purchased his dad’s “60” at the sale contacted Roman to let him know their father had passed away, and wanted to see if Roman would be interested in buying it. Needless to say, it didn’t take him long to say “yes,” on buying his dad’s “60” back after 40 years. He was very excited to be that fortunate, even though the tractor looked pretty sad, not looking like it had ever had been stored inside. Believe it or not, he was able to get the “60” to run with some coaxing, and plans on doing a complete restoration in the near future. He loves the sound of it running and would like it to be his phone’s “ringtone.”
Presently, Roman still has six two-cylinder tractors: a 1939 “G”, a 1946 “B”, a 1947 “AN”, and three “60s”. The “60” was the newest tractor his dad ever had, so Roman never got into the New Generation era. Two of his tractors have been to Two-Cylinder Expos: a 1939 Model “G” and a 1947 “AN”.
Most of Roman’s tractors were shipped to local dealers. Interestingly the “AN” was shipped to Grundy Center, Iowa, home of Two-Cylinder magazine. He has been a member of Two-Cylinder for 30 years and has missed only two of the Expos. Roman and his wife will celebrate 49 years of marriage this May, have one son, and two beautiful grandchildren, now both in college. If anyone has questions or wants to visit, please feel free to call his phone anytime at: 1 563 543-8786.
David Sall, Ambassador
David Sall of Winger, Minnesota, is representing the North-Central States, (Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota). Dave graduated from Great Falls High School in 1996 in Great Falls, Montana, and furthered his education at the Anaconda Job Corps in Anaconda, Montana, in the Welding Program. He has worked as a farmer, crane operator, millwright, welder, and machinist for the past 30+ years. He grew up on a wheat and barley farm in central Montana, and then moved to the family farm in northwest Minnesota in 2000 where his John Deere Two-Cylinder Tractor collection really took off. He became involved in buying, collecting, and restoring his own tractors, as well as restoring tractors for other people. From his first tractor, a 1941 Model “A”, to the latest purchase of a 1945 Model “BR”, his tractor collection now consists of 25 two-cylinder tractors (styled and unstyled): “A”, “B”, “G”, “H”, “D”, and “R”; three John Deere Model “E” Stationary Engines; ten Plows; 12 Power Sickle Mowers; and a John Deere Threshing Machine. Everyday he helps people online with questions on the “Lettered” Series tractors to assist them in their own restorations. The phone is always on and he is always willing to take calls to help people with their own tractor restorations or overhauls, or if they are looking for parts resources. David’s position is: “It’s always nice to hear from a collector who’s just getting started.” He feels there is always an easier way — that’s safe and efficient — in accomplishing a task that he has learned in his 30+ years of collecting and restoring John Deere Two-Cylinder Tractors, that he can pass along to others.
Please feel free to call him with any of your questions on the “Lettered” Series Two-Cylinder Tractors or Stationary engines. You can reach David at: 1 218 902-0179.