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DEEREMEYER1 12-02-2012 10:46:24 71.50.25.139 Report to Moderator	8 or 9 years ago, near as I can remember, which isn't too well anymore, I bought a basket case of a 1948 "G" for $650. No starter, no carburetor, fuel tank mounts butchered, modified and hacked, cheap paint that looked more like old Oliver green, etc. I wanted to fully restore it, but I made myself get it running before tearing it down and had the head work done, the block bored, new pistons, etc. Then I tore it down completely (and I mean completely) and started over. I sand-blasted the frame and pedestal with a little gravity blaster, wire-wheeled the axle housing, primed those pieces etc and reassembled the transmission and rear axle. Lots of late nights and early mornings and long weekends moving it into the shop after work and back out before work. Then it sat for 6 or 7 years, outside for the last 5. Now it looks like I get to start over again. The transmission input shaft won't turn, the shifter won't move, etc etc etc. And that's reason #1546 why I'm an idiot. [Reply]   [No Email]
Tim S 12-02-2012 10:49:08 68.75.23.93 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to DEEREMEYER1, 12-02-2012 10:46:24   Some times we spin backwards on a big project,,Darn it [Reply]  [No Email]
DEEREMEYER1 12-02-2012 11:26:55 71.50.25.139 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to Tim S, 12-02-2012 10:49:08   I guess I always figured that being a professional mechanic and all and being a perfectionist in that my own tractor needed to be absolutely perfect as well or I'd never enjoy it and I'd look like an idiot if it didn't run perfectly regardless of what I was doing with it. And in truth, it did need all the work I did to it - bad axle bearings, bad transmission bearings, etc. And I never intended it to sit that long, so now I guess I pay the price and start over. I should have found some cosmoline or something in a spray can and douched everything inside good with i. Hindsight is 20/20. [Reply]  [No Email]
DEEREMEYER1 12-02-2012 11:22:51 71.50.25.139 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to Tim S, 12-02-2012 10:49:08   I don't really have much interest in it anymore, but I'm going to make myself finish it, and finish it right. I got it running before tearing it apart for exactly that reason - to get a fire lit to get it done and running again. Unfortunately, my budget didn't allow for laying out big wads of cash for all the parts I needed all at once and I didn't have a place to work on it continually. Hopefully the old passion will come back. I'm starting to get a little excited about it again, at least. I've had people ask why I never finished that project or started on others I've had and talked about for years when I'm constantly tearing things apart and putting them back together at work. I tell them it's because I'm constantly tearing things apart and putting them back together at work, lol. You get locked into that hurry up and get it done mentality doing what we do, and when you can't do the same with your own projects it makes you feel like a failure. Or at least it does me. [Reply]  [No Email]
Ray 12-02-2012 12:34:34 74.5.145.85 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to DEEREMEYER1, 12-02-2012 11:22:51   I don't care much to work on stuff anymore.It used to be fun when you could fix a tractor up,sell it,and make a few bucks.Nowdays when you work on one your pretty much guaranteed a loss. [Reply]  [No Email]
Tim S 12-02-2012 14:13:11 68.75.23.93 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to Ray, 12-02-2012 12:34:34   I'm 61 now, and have been repairing Deere's most of my life,,I still enjoy working on them and watching them come together. This last big project the 60C was a lot of fun and made me do a lot of thinking. I'm gonna do a 555 plow and a #5 mower this winter, along with a steady flow of customer repairs, I have been up to my neck in transmissions the last few weeks. [Reply]  [No Email]
DEEREMEYER1 12-02-2012 16:05:57 71.50.25.139 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to Tim S, 12-02-2012 14:13:11   Wow! That is impressive. Very impressive. [Reply]  [No Email]
Thesmoothedeere 12-02-2012 12:28:40 69.171.171.196 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to DEEREMEYER1, 12-02-2012 11:22:51   This hobby is tough sometimes. Not sure i'll do another tractor. It's just alot of money spent that you probably won't get back when you go to sell the tractor ie. bad investment. I'll probably just restore some smaller inplements or something. I still do like to bring things back to life just don't want to go broke doing it. [Reply]  [No Email]
4010 puller 12-02-2012 19:13:20 70.199.103.58 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to Thesmoothedeere, 12-02-2012 12:28:40   Not sure on that. I look at tractors and machinery as an investment. The only tractor ive lost money on is a JD 1020 gas. Everything else ive broke even or made money on. With the way the economy is its better than money in a cd or savings account at the bank. [Reply]  [No Email]
DEEREMEYER1 12-02-2012 16:10:58 71.50.25.139 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to Thesmoothedeere, 12-02-2012 12:28:40   If I restore it I'll probably never sell it. I've considered selling it as-is, since I could probably get my money back out of it. But I've never been one to buy something just to try to sell it at a profit. Especially putting a ton of my own time in something, I'd never make that part of the investment back. I'll probably knock it back apart, put whatever I need to into it and start going back together with it. I've got a 55H 3-14 plow in good original shape that will match it perfectly. If it had been in better shape to start with, I might not have even considered doing much restoration, as I like old stuff in original condition better than "restored to new". I'm starting to get the itch again, and I actually quit working on it when I got burned out on wrenching in general and took a couple years off and only did some minor work for friends. I'm back to turning wrenches again, but with more care not to get carried away and burn myself out on it. Got $100,000 in tools and 20 years of my life invested in this profession and I don't want to give it up altogether. I have considered going back to school to be a machinist or something, though. [Reply]  [No Email]
Thesmoothedeere 12-02-2012 16:16:23 69.171.171.196 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to DEEREMEYER1, 12-02-2012 16:10:58   Where are you located G-man ? Me and Tim are here in ohio . Both of us not to far from columbus . [Reply]  [No Email]
DEEREMEYER1 12-02-2012 19:43:55 71.50.25.139 Report to Moderator	Re: Starting over... in reply to Thesmoothedeere, 12-02-2012 16:16:23   Western Nebraska. The geographic area western, not the town of Western, which for some reason is in EASTERN Nebraska, lol. I've only been to Ohio once a few years ago when I was driving escort for a buddy of mine that does heavy haul. We hauled a big shear out of a machine shop (talk about a place that can do any machine work you can imagine) in Youngstown down to a steel mill in Arkansas. Interesting trip. [Reply]  [No Email]