bigboreG

Member
What is the longest tractor or implement project you have ever had? I have a tractor I have had torn down for 7 years, and here and there i work at it. It really gave me troubles, so i walked away from it for two years and since then have rebuilt ten others. Now i feel like finishing it, but cant recall where i put everything. Its a 1954 model 70 that was a feedyard tractor for 35+ years, the previous owner would load the feed wagon with it, then hook up and feed with it also. Scwartz wide front and a Farmhand F 11 loader, along with 4 sets of wheel weights. It was 20 below zero the day of the sale, and when they got to the 70, she fired right up. Even though it was ugly as sin, i wanted it. Well i got it for $1200, which i thought was cheap. Looking back, i should have kept on walking because she is WORE OUT! I have never seen so many parts on a tractor wore as bad as this one is. And the engine oil came out in chunks, the trans oil looked worse than my sons dirtiest diaper, and the air cleaner was packed so full of hay and dirt it took a week of soaking to get the crap out. It had two broken rings and a cracked flywheel, a chunk missing from the rear of engine block. The hood and grills were destroyed and the tires were black, round and held air. What a gem. Well its roughly half finished now, and the ambition has came back. I feel bad for abandoning the old girl, she deserves a better life than what she had. I am looking for pictures, if i can find some i will post later. Please share your stories about projects such as this!
 
I tend to stay with a tractor project till it's done, un-like some home projects that have been over 20 years in waiting :^)(My wife reminds me of this from time to time) The 60C project was about 3 years in the planning/design and parts procuring,,and 1 1/2 years in the building,,this is the longest project I have had..so far
 
Um...we wont go there! I have alot of home projects on the back burner. One day i will come home and the carpenters will be here and i wont have a leg to stand on lol.
 
not a tractor project but had a jeep with a bad engine. I found a different engine but spent several months with it apart finding the right stuff to put it in, bellhousing, motor mounts etc. I walked by it now and then and thought about it and finally put it together. Sometimes just takes some thought and time to mull things over.
 
I have been working on my MH44 for going on 10 years now.

I added WF, 3 pt, mechanical restoration, painting. I am now adding electronic fuel injection, with power steering to follow.

I will never get done, it is my toy tractor.
 
I have a 41 B in the shop. I started working on it in 2000. The key worded is started. Have all NOS or rebuilt parts to finish. One of these days I'll got back to it.
 
I have been working on an early unstlyed G for the last 3 years off and on. It is for my son but he takes awhile to come up with the correct parts for it sometimes. I did get it running last week finally but have a lot to do on it yet. Only thing I didn't unbolt on it was the frame to the crankcase. All new bearings an seals with rebuilt motor.
 
My two brothers and I finally got our Avery thresher finished last summer after working on it three summers. We took it to four shows in the area and threshed. We were pretty happy with our work, it didn't have any problems. We plan to use it again this summer.
 
Started a 1936 B JD in 1993 kicked it out of the shop unfinished in 2010, so I could do some other restorations. Time to put it back and finish but looks like I will have to start all over, it is stuck again!
 
My 4320 was in pieces in two different sheds for two years. Has its own room in the back shop, worked on it as time from field work and need it now jobs allowed. Looks awesome today and is even called on to work now and then.
 
I really like this topic.. Dont have any that have been over a couple ears or so but have a lot in my head i want to do. My problem is i find a good deal or something i just have to have and bring it home and start on it when i still have 3 more to work on. Right now we have 4 in the garage. A g pulling tractor that we have been working on all winter. Its almost done and will be painted here in the next few weeks, the wife took ownership of a 1945 b that i bought to part out we've been re-doing it for about a year. Motor is done and its primed ready to paint.. Once these are done I have a GW to finish had some transmission issues just needs finished putting everything back in and painted. Last one in there is a 3010/4010 pulling tractor.. After the three 2 cylinders get done it will fill back up have a 420crawler that needs gone through and adjusted, and then our 70 diesel was done about 25 years ago needs some love... I also have my eye on an unstyled g locally and wife wants an unstyled a... Needless to say its an addictive hobby i cant kick but could be a lot worse and blowing money on something else... At least are kids have an idea of what was actually used back in the day.
a107338.jpg
 
Your right Jim there is lots of worse things to spend money on! Your shop looks like mine did before i did some serious housecleaning. Wont take long and it will be back that way.
 
my first one,a 37 model A,i didn't know anything about deere's(then)i went way overboard,i rebabet'd the main's & rod's new clutch dog's & driver,went through the head,new valve's shutters,plow draw bar,new firestone's all around round spoke's all around,n.o.s.45 over m7w pistons.........15,000 plus what i paid for it,second tractor a B,i had about 2500 in overhaul!!
 
My brother and I tore down Dads 47 BR when my brother was 17 and I was 11. I finished up the job in 2002 so Dad could drive it at the International Plowing Match in 2002.I was 41 years old that year so you do the math. That tractor waited very patiently to be finished but it turned out well. It was certainly worth it to see Dad at the wheel again. (he died in 2010). My "to do" list currently includes a 430W that needs a lot of everything and a 420C that needs even more. (retirement projects??? I had better live a long time) I am really working on a 49 D that is getting a complete restoration...I have only been at it for 3 months so its moving "fast".The day job and those 80 ewes keep getting in the way!!
 
Working on a 1928 John Deere D that I purchased in 2000 seized but complete except for an oil bath air cleaner from a combine that was bolted to the side of the hood!
I tore it apart in 2002 -finally got the engine machine work done in July 2011 -bore bored and sleeved to standard -finally started reassembly, December 2012 - check on former post - sleeve ended 1/2" from bottom of bore -oil ring travels with piston to the bottom of the bore, therefore the oil ring jammed on assembly -moved the oil ring up to the fourth compression ring groove on March 15th, drilled 3/16" holes, 2 inches apart all the way around the groove, die ground grooves inside the piston on the bottom side at the oil ring groove step to allow oil away from piston, have to order lead washers for head tomorrow, then we can proceed.My Father is 87, has recovered from a stroke, I want to get this project done so he can see it run, he didn't think we would ever get it all back together.

Ken
 
I recall reading that post Ken. That was quite a deal, i know of someone else who ran into that problem. Hope everything turned out good! Its great to see all the responses on this topic, makes me feel a little better about mine! :)
 
I started collecting JD around 1993 -equipment mainly first, a lot of items were $100-$400, my father said a few times to me -"why are you buying this old stuff, you are not going to use it?" -my response has always been -" I could smoke, gamble, or drink excessively, and the money would be gone for good, I can always re-sell the items and get my money back -everyone needs a hobby"
Ken
 
Tractor tinkering,buying,selling,collecting ,and restoring are the only incureable diseases that are fun and have a happy ending that is priceless.
 
Couldn"t have said it better, it"s definitely a disease, Larry do you ship stuff or hauler out east often you always have tries and rims advertised and I need a set.
 
John Deere Jim,We seem to send tires all over.Sometimes we get them on tractor loads and sometimes they are sent thru freight companys that the buyer sends.We try not to be in the tire business but I buy several nice tractors that have duals and most buyers dont want them on the tractors under 140H.P.as they are using larger MFD,track,or big 4 wheelers.I am surprised how fast they sell but I know they are cheap compared to everyone else but dont need them sitting around.
 

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