BRUCE JOHNSON
Two-Cylinder Club
Technical Council Representative

Bruce Johnson grew up on a farm in northern Illinois. His father farmed as many as 400 acres on nights and weekends, as he also held a full-time job in town. So occasionally there were days that Bruce would be held out of high school in order to get the crops in or out, depending on the season. The farm used all red tractors, except for a ’39 Model “H” and No. 7 Mower which was used for haying. The farm had two JD barge-box wagons with hoists, mounted on #953 Running Gears, which were always pulled together behind a tractor to the grain elevator about ten miles away. A long hydraulic hose was extended to the second wagon so either wagon could be dumped without getting off the tractor seat. This 20-mile round trip was made many days before heading off to school.

After graduating high school in 1970, Bruce attended Kishwaukee College where he received an Associate Degree in Agriculture Mechanics. After graduation, Bruce worked for the John Deere dealer in DeKalb, Illinois, as a mechanic focusing on 3020/4020 Tractors. He was also working at this dealership when the 4430 & SoundGard bodies were introduced. Shortly after Deere & Company introduced their line of snowmobiles, the DeKalb, Illinois, dealership opened a separate Lawn & Garden store where Bruce served as service manager. This dealership elected to race snowmobiles, as many dealers did, and Bruce was the driver of their sled, competing in races in Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Canada.

Bruce went back and taught two night classes at his alma mater in “Small Engines” & “Principals of Ag Power.” This was rewarding experience because the students ranged from 18 to 65 years of age, and were there because of their desire to learn.

Bruce restored his first tractor, an unstyled Model “B”, over 35 years ago. The tractor was given to him by his father, Ralph Johnson, a prominent International Harvester collector and restorer. Since that first unstyled Model “B”, Bruce has built a collection of thirteen different variations of the unstyled Model “B” Series. He has restored many other tractors and has had several examples of his handiwork on display at Two-Cylinder Club Expos, including the first Expo in 1987. Bruce currently works as a Project Engineer for a major food company.