The July/August 2022 issue of Antique Power magazine is available in our gift shop and will be available in subscriber mailboxes and on newsstands soon. This issue features Jack Purinton’s beautifully restored 1969 John Deere Model 2520 Hi-Crop diesel. text by Madison Nickel • photos by Brad Bowling

A Hi-Crop Showpiece

A 1969 John Deere Model 2520 Hi-Crop diesel quickly became one of Jack Purinton’s favorite tractors.

When compared with other types of specialty tractors, high-crop versions are among the rarest. Initially used for crops that required extra clearance, this technology has been replaced by high clearance sprayers and chemical applications that have lessened the need for late-season cultivation. Today, high-crop tractors make for some of the most eye-catching showpieces. Their height often seems monstrous next to low-lying row crops and wheatland specials. Jack Purinton’s John Deere & Co. Model 2520 Hi-Crop diesel is a tractor that turns heads.

Purinton’s collection in Lamar, Missouri, contains about 150 tractors that he acquired “one trade at a time,” he said. Having been a John Deere dealer in Lamar for 63 years, he knows this brand and has had plenty of opportunity for trades. He tells many visitors to his private museum that 50 of his tractors are better than when they left the factory, 50 need a little detailing, and another 50 need some attention to get running again.

Purinton worked in the parts department of the Barton County Implement Co. that his father Jack Sr. started in April 1956. Jack Jr. bought the business and established other stores at Lockwood, Nevada, and Joplin, Missouri. His son Mark still works in sales at the Lamar location. A passion for helping farmers make the most out of their land and developing strong relationships within the community led to a very successful enterprise. In February 2019, the Purintons sold the expanded network, known as Legacy Farm & Lawn, to Heritage Tractor Inc.

Purinton, however, is far from finished with tractors. While his father liked to restore and collect hand start models, Purinton likes newer, electric start models. He houses over 50 of them in a building that used to be an old car dealership, only 30 steps from the original Barton County Implement Co. His friend Bob Pyle looks after the museum and helps Purinton work on his collection that includes tractors, implements, toys, and other memorabilia. A Waterloo Boy Model N and the first John Deere Model 4020 with powershift are among the collection’s more rare and treasured pieces. Recently, Purinton bought a 4020 with factory Power Front-Wheel Drive, a model that he had sought for almost a decade.

To read more about the John Deere Hi-Crop pick up a copy of the July/August 2022 issue of Antique Power magazine!

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July/August 2022 Antique Power

A Hi-Crop Showpiece

A 1969 John Deere Model 2520 Hi-Crop diesel quickly became one of Jack Purinton’s favorite tractors.

Other articles in this issue include:

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