John Deere 60 Specs ( 1952-1956 )
Overview
The John Deere 60 is a row-crop farm tractor manufactured between 1952 and 1956 in Waterloo, Iowa, featuring a 5.3L two-cylinder horizontal engine. It was produced in five variants including high-crop and orchard models, utilizing a six-speed unsynchronized gear transmission and a two-wheel drive system. Performance testing recorded a maximum of 41.18 belt horsepower and 37.68 drawbar horsepower in the LP gas configuration.
Ideal Applications
Tested Power Output:
Nebraska Tractor Test 513 documented a maximum drawbar pull of 5,352 lbs and a maximum belt power of 41.18 hp for the LP gas engine variant.
Transmission and Mechanical Drive:
The tractor is configured with a two-wheel drive system and an unsynchronized gear transmission providing six forward gears and one reverse gear.
Implement and Accessory Interface:
The unit is equipped with a 540 RPM rear PTO, a John Deere 800 hitch, and a 12.8-inch diameter belt pulley with a rated speed of 3270 ft/min.
Production
| Description | Row-Crop tractor / Built in Waterloo, Iowa, USA / Original price was $2,500 in 1956 / Five variants of the John Deere model 60 were made. The basic 60, the standard 60S, the high-seat standard 60S6 (in 1955 and 1956 only), the orchard model 60-O, and the high-crop 60H with 32-inch clearance. |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | John Deere |
| Total built | 57,166 |
Engine
| Air cleaner | oil bath / oil bath / oil bath |
|---|---|
| Bore/Stroke | 5.50x6.75 inches (140 x 171 mm) / 5.50x6.75 inches (140 x 171 mm) / 5.50x6.75 inches (140 x 171 mm) |
| Compression | 6:1 / 4.7:1 / 7.3:1 |
| Coolant capacity | 33 qts (31.2 L) |
| Description | John Deere / gasoline / 2-cylinder / liquid-cooled / John Deere / all-fuel / 2-cylinder / liquid-cooled / John Deere / LP gas / 2-cylinder / liquid-cooled |
| Displacement | 321 ci (5.3 L) / 321 ci (5.3 L) / 321 ci (5.3 L) |
| Firing order | 1-2 / 1-2 / 1-2 |
| Fuel system | duplex carburetor |
| Oil capacity | 8 qts (7.6 L) |
| Point gap | 0.022 inches (0.559 mm) |
| Rated RPM | 975 / 975 / 975 |
| Sparkplug gap | 0.030 inches (0.762 mm) |
| Starter | electric / electric / electric |
| Starter volts | 12 / 12 / 12 |
| Engine type | John Deere 5.3L 2-cyl gasoline / John Deere 5.3L 2-cyl all-fuel / John Deere 5.3L 2-cyl LP gas |
| Engine type | John Deere 5.3L 2-cyl gasoline / John Deere 5.3L 2-cyl all-fuel / John Deere 5.3L 2-cyl LP gas |
| Belt (claimed) | 41.57 hp (gas) (31.0 kW) |
| Belt (tested) | 41.18 hp (30.7 kW) |
| Drawbar (claimed) | 36.94 hp (gas) (27.5 kW) |
| Drawbar (tested) | 37.68 hp (28.1 kW) |
| Plows | 3 (14-inch) |
Transmission
| Clutch | dry disc |
|---|---|
| Gears | 6 forward and 1 reverse |
| Transmission | John Deere |
| Transmission type | 6-speed unsynchronized gear |
| Type | unsynchronized gear |
Mechanical
| Cab | Open operator station with foam padded seat. |
|---|---|
| Description | Differential mechanical expanding shoe brakes |
| Drive type | Two-wheel drive |
| Steering | manual |
Capacity
| Aux. fuel | 1 gal (3.8 L) |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 20.5 gal (77.6 L) |
| Hydraulic system | 1.5 gal (5.7 L) |
Hydraulics
| Capacity | 1.5 gal (5.7 L) |
|---|---|
| Pressure | 930 psi (64.1 bar) |
| Pump flow | 8.9 gpm (33.7 lpm) |
| Type | open center |
| Valves | 1 |
Hitch
| Type | John Deere 800 |
|---|
PTO
| Rear PTO | transmission |
|---|---|
| Rear PTO Type | 540 (1.375) |
Electrical
| Batteries | 2 |
|---|---|
| Battery volts | 6 |
| Ground | positive |
Dimensions & Tires
| Height (exhaust) | 84.1 inches (213 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height (hood) | 65.6 inches (166 cm) |
| Length | 139 inches (353 cm) |
| Rear axle | 3.125 inch diameter (79 mm) |
| Rear tread | 56 to 88 inches (142 to 223 cm) |
| Wheelbase | 90 inches (228 cm) |
| Width | 86.625 inches (220 cm) |
| Front tire | 6.00-16 |
| Rear tire | 11-38 |
| Weight | 5300 to 5800 pounds |
| Wheelbase | 90 inches (228 cm) |
| Ag front | 6.00-16 / 7.50-16 |
| Ag rear | 11-38 / 12-38 |
60 Serial Number Location
| Description | Right side of tractor. Either on top of frame, below the distributor or in front of the belt pulley. |
|---|
60 Serial Numbers
| 1952 | 6000001 |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 6007694 |
| 1954 | 6027995 |
| 1955 | 6042500 |
| 1956 | 6057650 |
| Description | FAQ: How to read a serial number table. |
Belt Pulley
| Diameter | 12.8 inches (32 cm) |
|---|---|
| RPM | 975 |
| Speed | 3270 ft/min (996.70 meters/min) |
| Width | 7.4 inches (18 cm) |
John Deere 60 Weight
| Ballasted | 7400 lbs (3356 kg) |
|---|---|
| Operating | 5800 lbs (2630 kg) |
| Shipping | 5300 lbs (2404 kg) |
John Deere 60 attachments
| Description | front-end loader |
|---|
Nebraska Tractor Test 472
| Belt fuel use (max) | 3.8 gal/hour (14.4 l/hour) |
|---|---|
| Belt power (max) | 40.24 hp (30.0 kW) |
| Description | Gasoline 6-speed 2WDMay 26 - June 2, 1952Link: Nebraska Tractor Test 472 file / Drawbar performance / Gear 4 used for power test. / Gear 2 used for pull test. |
| Max power | 35.18 hp (26.2 kW) |
| Max pull | 4,372 lbs (1983 kg) |
Nebraska Tractor Test 490
| Belt fuel use (max) | 3.2 gal/hour (12.1 l/hour) |
|---|---|
| Belt power (max) | 32.48 hp (24.2 kW) |
| Description | Tractor fuel 6-speed 2WDApril 15 - 21, 1953Link: Nebraska Tractor Test 490 file / Drawbar performance / Gear 4 used for power test. / Gear 1 used for pull test. |
| Max power | 29.17 hp (21.8 kW) |
| Max pull | 4,499 lbs (2040 kg) |
Nebraska Tractor Test 513
| Belt fuel use (max) | 4.7 gal/hour (17.8 l/hour) |
|---|---|
| Belt power (max) | 41.18 hp (30.7 kW) |
| Description | LP gas 6-speed 2WDNovember 6 - 12, 1953Link: Nebraska Tractor Test 513 file / Drawbar performance / Gear 3 used for power test. / Gear 2 used for pull test. |
| Max power | 37.68 hp (28.1 kW) |
| Max pull | 5,352 lbs (2427 kg) |
References
| Description | The First Numbered Series of John Deere Tractors published in 2004, by Hain Publishing / Highlights of the new John Deere 50 and 60 Tractors published in 1952 / Operator's Manual 60 Tractors (OM-R2034) published in 1952 / Tractors 1918-1976 published by John Deere* / 50 & 60 General-Purpose Tractors published in 1952, by John Deere / General-Purpose Tractors published in 1953, by John Deere / *Publication contains known errors. |
|---|
Speeds
| Description | With 11-38 rear tires. |
|---|
Tractor Tests
| Description | NTTL 472: gasoline 6-speed 2WD / NTTL 490: tractor fuel 6-speed 2WD / NTTL 513: LP gas 6-speed 2WD |
|---|
Variants
| 60 | row-crop |
|---|---|
| 60 Hi-Crop | high-clearance |
| 60O | orchard |
| 60S | standard-tread |
Nebraska Tractor Test Results
Test #490
Test Date:
April 15 to April 21, 1953
Location:
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
This section is compiled from original Nebraska Tractor Test PDFs using AI-assisted extraction and human review. For full verification, download the source PDF above. Differences between reports, incomplete source data, and occasional extraction or data entry mistakes can occur.
No PTO performance data available.