Purple Wave Auction announced its support the Alva, Okla., FFA chapter with its 1968 John Deere 4020 tractor restoration project, auctioning the tractor on April 15, 2026, and donating 100 percent of the buyer's premium back to the Alva FFA Chapter.

For Alva FFA, inklings of a tractor restoration project started after the chapter welcomed a new ag teacher and a local farmer donated a John Deere Model B row-crop tractor as a first, but smaller-scale, project. Several students enjoyed working on the Model B so much that they decided to search for a second, more in-depth tractor, and found one from a local farmer: the John Deere 4020.

Jaxon Headlee and Clay Schafer, students and members of the Alva FFA, shared that taking an unusable project and turning it into a working tractor again was rewarding in every way. Headlee was involved with everything from mechanical restoration and initial teardown to bodywork and presentation, while Schafer mainly helped with teardown, body work and prepping parts for paint.

"When we first got it, it was completely inoperable," said Headlee. "It hadn't started since the early 2000s, it was parked due to a cracked cylinder liner and the paint was completely ruined. It was about as unstable as it could be."

Headlee was especially proud of the mechanical aspect of the restoration, reminiscing about childhood memories of watching his grandfather work on mechanical things at Western Equipment and Tri K. Headlee's father is an auto body technician, so he also enjoyed getting to put in place some of the knowledge he's watched his father use in his day-to-day role.

In total, the group of students spent approximately 2,500 man-hours restoring the tractor to working condition. The original cab was in disrepair and had to be completely removed. Finding parts from John Deere or other sources was one of the main obstacles they faced during the rebuild. All in, the restoration cost an estimated $15,000 due to needing a new engine as well.

Schafer said the most important aspect to him was learning from Headlee how to do the bodywork, sanding and all the prep that goes into it. As a freshman, Schafer spent each day helping Headlee prep the tractor. One of the key technical takeaways for Schafer was learning to communicate better.

"It means a lot to me because I learned a lot of new skills on this project, whether it be the body work or just learning about the engine, how it operates," said Schafer. "I liked going home to tell my dad about the things I learned that day and just seeing the smile on his face when I got to tell him.

Bidding for the tractor is scheduled to close on April 15, 2026.

For more information, visit purplewave.com.