1938 B With Steel Wheels

I purchased a 1938 B tractor (7749), with steel wheels on the back and cast F&H with rubber on the front.  I bought it because it had steel wheels and was the first year of B production.  I have read as much as I can find about the 1938 B tractor.  I have seen on this forum several statements that the 1939 B was not offered on steel.  Let me pose a couple of scenarios.  Farmer John was 52 in 1938 and needed a new tractor.  The B was just released and was inexpensive enough for him to consider buying it.  He visited his local dealer and was told that the B was only offered on rubber.  John's only experience was tractors on steel wheels.  He was suspecious of rubber tires and thought that the rubber tires would damage the soil.  He also knew that steel wheels would be less expensive than rubber.  He told the dealer that he wanted steel wheels on his new B.  Would the dealer pass up a sale if he had the ability to put steel on John's new tractor?  Maybe Farmer John purchased the B on rubber in 1938, but after 6 or 7 years of hard farming he wore out the tires or had an unrepairable failure of one of the rear tires.  He went to his dealer and tried to buy new rubber tires.  It was 1945 and the war was on.  The dealer told him that rubber was not available but he could sell him steel rear wheels.  John bought the rear steel wheels and put old car tires on the front rims (my 1938 has car tires on the front) in order to keep farming.  I plan to restore my tractor to the original 1938 design, as much as possible, but the rear steel wheels are going to stay.  They just look too cool.

Thanks,

Bob

Bob

Bob