ABANDONED ANTIQUE John Deere M Tractor - Will It RUN AND DRIVE after More Than A Decade? 

Nothing more American than a guy and his small humans bonding over a John deer tractor good job guys your a great daddy Derek. God bless you all.

I laughed out loud at "Bradley, Don't be weird!" Love that the boys are out helping you in the snow. Bonding and building memories!

These tractor revivals are becoming my favorite on the VGG channel.

You and Jess have raised some pretty great kids. These are the experiences they'll look back on when you're in your rocker and they have kids of their own. Be proud

Three dudes fixing a tractor in the snow. Way, way more entertaining than anything on mainstream tv and without all the bs.👌

I love how he talks to his children with respect. Saying please and thank you to your child is a great way to bond and build respect.

I've owned a "51 JD Model M for 23 years here in Vermont. It's hauled logs to my sawmill, built my house, brush hogged fields, plowed snow every winter, dug a pond, hauled five cords of wood every year for heat, chipped brush, dug test wells with a post hole digger, and foundation pier holes, and done a million other things. I still have it on 6 volts positive ground, and it starts faithfully in any weather. It has a pond scoop that I use as a bucket, and a grader blade I use for snow. It is much more nimble and maneuverable in the woods in hill country than a Ford 3000 I also own. My family depends on that tractor, and it has never let us down, ever. It has countless hours on it. I can't imagine how many during its first 50 years before I got it. Split brakes and Canadian chains will climb it right up solid ice out of a stream. No they don't make them like they used to. Oh yeah, as you found you hardly ever have to take to tin off to do any kind of work on it. Nice that you had wheel weights. They used to have wavy rims, so you could reverse them or rotate them to get four different track widths for different row sizes. Fabulous machine. Hang onto yours and treat it good!

I pretty much like all the Vice Grip Garage episodes, but there was something about this episode that just spoke to me. Whether it was snow in Tennessee, the great involvement of the two young sons, or just the sound of that old John Deere two-banger, this one was special.

Derek, your video tonight took me back to being a 10 year old boy in 1960 in Itasca County, Minnesota helping my brother and Pa trying to get the old Farmall tractor to run. I could feel the cold in my fingers and toes and the snow hitting my face. I could smell that old oil and grease warming up on the side of the block. The smoke in my eyes and trying to stand as close to that fire as I could to stay warm enough to help as much as I could. Now at 73 years old and brother at 76 years I feel lucky to relive it with you and your boys. Pa’s been gone for 24 years and the old Farmall was at my brothers until a couple years ago. But tonight I took a little trip back to my youth. God bless you and your family and thank you for the memories.

This must be the most Red Green episode ever with the voice over. Appreciated as always.

When I close my eyes this is the America I picture. Family, hard work & a beautiful winter scenery. I have to give props where props is due Derek. You could have easily pulled this is the garage & worked on it but you didn't. You showed people how things used to be done & that you can fix most things with minimal tools, a little knowledge & some ambition. Keep up the good work.

Thing I liked most about the video, your boys never complained about being out in the cold helping!😊

Man, I love the little bits of voiceover. The sections with it feel like a Red-Green skit without all the duct tape.

Derek,.from.a.64 year old grandmother. You represent what AMERICA is.. You are a true inspiration!!!

My grandad and I rebuilt an H and an M John Deere together years ago. He was so proud of those tractors. We would take them to shows and even drove them across the Mackinaw Bridge once. He passed away 2 years ago and I miss him every single day like crazy. This brought back a lot of good memories. Thanks.

If a guy says 'we gotta build a fire', a guy immediately gives a like and comment, and genuinely enjoys content.

Can I just say Brad wins the MVP on this episode, he braved that snow like a true champion! Keeping the fires going and staying with dad! Also that fire up was great! I didn’t expect that at all! Awesome video as always Derek!

Tagged you in a video Derrick! We have the same year make and model but it's restored! My parents are fans also and your videos have helped us all through a very rough time I explain in the video, and if people reading this can like this comment so Derrick can see it I'd really appreciate it!

I have 2 young sons and a '47 M in need of puttin' together. This warmed my heart. Thanks Derek!

Imagine if 80%, or even half, of our nation's youth still had two parents like Derek and Jessica.

DANG! A fella just celebrated the start of his 60th trip ‘round the Sun this week and this “adventure” took me right back to bein’ 10 years old again and helping Dad keep things runnin’…

My nomination for the best video of the year...for many reasons. Years ago I had two JD L Models...this brought back wonderful memories. This tractor's quarter miles times are not important. The low speed surging sounds like worn governor fly weight pivots. They were shot on mine..Absolutely yes to more JD videos..

Best revival ever Derek! Bought a smile to my face when you let out the clutch that first time and the old girl jumped forward.

It’s been a rough week. Can’t think of a better thing than catching up on some VGG. A guy is a national treasure.

Smooth transition to narration, rather than feeling the need to panic and explain how audio didn’t work right. You are such a smooth dude. Nothing beats “Bradley stop being weird“, every single dad can relate. Ha ha. Great to see you doing projects with your kids, keep it up. Minneapolis has seen less snow than you guys this year.

"Bradley, don't be weird!" LOL As father of seven and stepfather of 3 more (5 girls, 5 boys), I approve that message.

This is my new favorite video of all time. I almost like the dubbed portions better than live audio. It gives the video a new comedic effect that had me rolling. Also, awesome to see your young men out there with you!

It reminds me of me and my Dad getting his old 8n fired up. Always surprised me it would start. Always did. Thanks for sharing memories made.

The boys deserve credit for hanging with dad helping on this project in less than fun weather. I have driven a few tractors of that size over the years, but never paid attention to see what makes them run.

21:07 - "Bradley, don't be weird." HAHA! I can only imagine...

The memories this video evokes, flood me with joy. The struggles and the reward, can not be duplicated in any other way. Great life lessons, imagine when the boys watch this again, in 30 years.

My grandfather recently passed. He had one of these. He always treated it like it was made of gold. He had all of the attachments for it. I grew up in a small town where half the people on the road were family. He would plow, disc, rake, etc all of our gardens with it. It was a very useful tractor. I'll never forget the sound of the engine. It's a very unique and nostalgic sound for me that's very satisfying to listen to. I would have loved to inherit it, but it was understandably left to his only son (my uncle). Some day I hope to get one of my own for my own garden and other small jobs.

Derek, you brought proud tears to my eyes. You and your boys. True old school family values. It’s missing these days among some. Keep teaching us and your loved ones. An old friend of mine, that past a few years ago told me, spend time on people, not money. You can always make more money, but you never know how much time you have left. Really like that your sons are learning and bonding with you and your wonderful wife.

I love it. "You're like 12 and 16, I don't know... take this sawzall and go be lumberjacks." "Let's build a fire!" Paraphrased, but that's how I grew up in an America I sure miss. Like I miss own dad. You're a national treasure Derek, if only for me remembering my dad, RIP, and the country I was raised in. Also RIP.

Hey Derek! I've been a big fan for 6 or so years, and I appreciate all of the content you've made over that time. Please take it easy and don't burn yourself out for the sake of a bunch of video-hungry internet goers.

I am very impressed with how the boys provided so much help. They are very smart and know what they are doing. Love it!

I grew up on a small potato farm in Northern Maine in the 50's and 60's and old John Deere tractors are all we used. They ranged from 1948 to 1954 and they were real workhorses. As far as I am concerned, they were the best tractors ever built. Warmed my heart watching you and the boys bonding in a snowstorm to get this fine piece of American history up and running. You are an awesome dad Derek, and I am sure the boys will remember this day forever.

Alright!! My wife, 2 boys and I spend our Friday evenings with you and yours, Derek. Thanks for quality wholesome family entertainment.

Thats a beauty, Derek !! That brought me back to when I had my Tractor. Didnt have a John Deere, but had a 1941 Ford 9N. That thing was a workhorse and helped me clear 4 acres. Love the simplicity and power of those vintage tractors; they were so versatile with the PTO and the 3-point hitch. You can just see the quality and durability from that era !! You always make me smile, but that one brought a tear to my eye as well....very fond memories !! Thank you, Sir !!

This is one of my favorite videos of yours, Derek!!! I have two sons and a JD model M. Parts hard to find, I had to rebuild the starter completely from close-as-it-gets part numbers, and alot of soldering. I have a new tractor now but the old M still starts and I will NEVER sell it.

A Dad spending quality time with his boys. Getting the tractor running was the second best part of the video. ❤

The narration gave this episode a total Red Green vibe…it was awesome! Brought back memories of my grandfather’s 1950 MT.

Hey Derek, this kind of video is right up my street, especially when you include your two lads. I have two 1950's Fergy 20's and bringing them back to life gave me such a buzz. I'm 79 and still rescuing old crap, can't help it! Thanks for sharing and best regards from Ireland

It’s been great to watch your boys grow over the years. Besides being a great mechanic, you’re a role model for other dads. Thanks Derek!

I couldn't wait to read the comments after the episode because it makes me feel like there is a family of us out there who still hold this American feeling in our hearts. The weather just made it feel timeless.

I grew up restoring old Farmall tractors with my grandpa. These tractor revivals definitely hold a special place in my heart, thanks Derek.

I don't know anything about tractors but I really enjoyed watching you guys bring it back to life in the snow, very cool 👍

Watched a bunch of your videos and this is easily my favorite so far. It was great hearing that old tractor come to life and it sure does validate the saying "they don't make 'em like they used to". Keep up the great work.

The first tractor i drove was an international W30 at the age of 13, now i'm 73, still have great memories of plowing, harrowing and pulling a combine harvestor . I'm a country Aussie

A feller sure does love these Friday night uploads. Good barbecue sandwich, a few wobble pops and VGG! Thanks Derek.

First time viewer, here. My grandfather had a John Deere M, except his was a '47. I had so many flashbacks while watching you and your sons get that old boy running again. As soon as I heard the engine turn over and start up, I couldn't stop smiling. You've renewed some great memories of my grandfather and I. Thank you, and congrats on getting the old guy running.

Cool to see you doing this with the boys. Spending time with them and sharing your passion is priceless. I love the revivals, great to see some of our history being brought back to life!

As I am a '52 model myself, it warms my heart to see you keep another one running. I have many personal memories of cold hands and feet, out running parts and tools, helping Dad get something working in snow like this. Every garage needs an old John Deere tractor to make it complete, now you got yours.

That was a fun day with the boys, thanks for inviting us.

It may have been freezing but that truly was a heart-warming video. Bless you guys and keep having fun together!

I love seeing these old machines brought back to life. I would love to see some more videos on this tractor.

When the audio went it had a real Red Green show feel. In a good way though.. hehe. Still so cool to se the boys right in there helping and learning. A guy has to admit... Got a bit misty eyed. My late friend Heral Jensen of Sioux City, Iowa absolutely loved old tractors. He passed a few years back. Never met a guy that lived in town that owned so many. Boy he would have been right in there telling you what you were doing wrong or right and teasing you. He was that guy that would let you struggle until you figured it out. Miss him dearly. There's still a 37 John Deere A unstyled and a 40 something Farmall at the house.. Both run and drive but that spin that big wheel to start it on the John Deere is a mother. Especially for us spoiled guys. Thanks for the great wholesome video and bringing back great memories of my old friend. take care.

Derek, I’ve been watching your channel for two years now and by far, the ‘52 John Deere today brought the biggest smile. I love old machines and I think maybe it was the joy that comes with something that was built to last and seeing it running that makes an older guy feel young again. You show with good common sense, some clever thought and solid effort that some things can come to life once again and be made useful. That Deere may be nine years older than me but it has a “young soul” as it were. If only everyone could still be able to do what we did when we were young. Your show with Jessica and Bradley and Bentley demonstrate what America is to me. I admire your up front patriotism, pride in your work, genuine good nature, kindness to others and the strength that comes across in every video. That you shamelessly share your mistakes and failures with all of us brings a grin as we say, “Yup, been there!” and provides a shared confidence to never give up. The inspiration is always there. The first video of yours that I saw was the Buick Riviera. I remember when they were new and seeing one on the street gave us kids goose bumps because it was something special. Over the years, I developed more of a German car fanhood but always a special place for certain American cars. I worked as a teenager at the local Cadillac dealer prepping new cars for delivery. Being 17 years old and having my friends see me occasionally in a brand new ‘78 Caddy was kind of an ego trip, even if I was just taking it to put a gallon of gas in it. But I love the late ‘70’s Cadillacs, especially the original ‘76-‘79 Seville. Very solid with the Olds 350 made it one of the best riding and luxurious cars ever. And to that subject, how hard would it be to take the ‘81 8-6-4 Coupe deVille and retro it with a carburetor, cancel the 8-6-4junk and let Jessica have a real “class” goin’ ta town rig? It is a classic luxury car with the gas mileage to prove it! As young as the odometer says it is, get some Lexol®️ on the seats, bring the paint to a shine, get the motor sorted and enjoy the car!! It’s a gorgeous automobile and has enormous potential. You can even get a slide-in modern radio tuat looks like the original but it gets Sirius XM radio plus all the doo-dads and whatsitz for the modern era. Alan Jackson CD’s would sound great in there and so would Allison Krauss. Best of luck in all your future endeavors. Keep the videos coming and God bless you and your family. Todd in South Carolina

I watch your videos over here in England 🇬🇧 I always love it when you work on old tractors. I have 11 old tractors, I enjoy getting them going with my eldest son. You're a real good dad to your children, it's great seeing you all involved. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us, and looking forward to your next one. (Hopefully more tractors soon) All the best. Peter. 🇬🇧🚜

Favorite parts: “Bradley! Don’t be weird!” and the narration where something went wrong with the sound. Three hardworking Americans! Loved this episode!

An ORDINARY feller would NOT choose a snowy day like that in -5 weather but instead opt for a nice sunny warm day. NOT YOU! What a fun video to watch as you got that old girl running and driving again and making amazing memories with your boys. You're the real deal, pal, and I hope an inspiration to all who watch! Keep it up man! Thanks for all you do! ...dave

Love this video! My dad bought an M after he retired and used it to garden. We had fun working on it together and hoped to use it for several years, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. Small cell lung cancer took him in 2000 and I ended up selling it to a guy that planned to restore it with his son. This past Friday (3/9/24) would have been my dad’s 89 birthday and finding this video today brought back some really good memories. Thanks!

This video warms my heart, looks like so much fun, I'm a snow lover,and the small humans sure look like they're having fun with their Dad❣️ Bless you Derek,for being a exceptional father 😊

Bradley was a Rock for a guy in this one, quite a fine young man you got there and fully winterized to boot.

Hi Derek, thank you thank you thank you for the special invitation into your family life, how you manage your time between all your endeavours, yanking the wrenches, fetching vehicles, driving amazing distances (there massive to me in England) being a husband and above all a fantastic father and dad to your kids. Derek, you sir are a template that all us men should aspire to, to guide and teach our children and others kids how to live, learn and above all love !!! The world lacks so many and more of these few pointers. Love to you all love the content, always Jon from England ( I crave the American Dream) 😊❤

Wonderful video, an alltime favorite, Something about being out in the winter weather, Bentley and Bradely both being so helpful, no whining, just good boys, helpin' their dad, AND it's a John Deere revival! Doesn't get better, keep up the good work.

The Lord bless Derek, Jessica, Bradley, Bailey, and Bentley during these trying times in our nation Peter the Pilgrim

This brings back memories of me, my little brother (now 53?) and my dad. One Sunday morning, we went to the woods with a cast iron skillet, some butter, a few eggs, a couple pounds of bacon, and half a loaf of bread. We made a fire and had the best breakfast ever in the snowy Pennsylvania woods. Thanks for sharing this, Derek. All the best to you, Jessica, and your fellas.

Always love it when you get these old machines to run. Great show as always.

Excellent video. So wonderful to see a father and sons doing projects together. The John deer tractor brought up to snuff and used on the farm would be phenomenal. God bless you all and God bless America 🇺🇸

Tractor videos are fun and a nice change of pace.

Derek, you have no idea how proud that I am to find your Channel. I have my "mentality hard" days like alot of us... If it wasn't for your 1953 Chevrolet Coupe build, I don't know where I would be now... Thank you for your inspirational videos!

This video is exactly what I needed today. The world may be going crazy, falling apart and doesn't make any sense, but it does make sense in one quiet corner of Tennessee for one father and his two sons working on an old John Deere. Thank you for this!🙂

It usually so hard for me to sit and watch long videos all the way through but your videos always keep me entertained. Seeing that old tractor with life again put a big smile on my face at the end. Hope to see you use it sometime on the farm.

As a former farmer in Minnesota after being raised in rural George..just love all your farm equipment videos. Now find an old 770 or 880 Oliver.

Man, Bentley is a NATURAL born mechanic. Love seeing young guys getting interested in the trades. I'm a 67 year old autobody tech and it's a dying profession. About half of my coworkers are fixing to retire soon.

I love my vintage 9n tractor. Still working strong. We bought our 1939 9n tractor a few years ago and my dad has had a lot of fun learning about redoing worn out stuff on it. He’s 62 and hasn’t been around tractors often. He was a car guy and built hot rods. Got some more land and bought the 9n to use to brushog the field. It works great for pulling around things and the boom lift we got for the 3 point is great for moving engines and transmissions.

The stuff Derek does with one hand.. and with gloves on is simply amazing to me!

This was a pretty emotional video for me. Our family had a small farm in Mississippi and our tractor was a John Deere M. I learned to drive on that thing from the time I could reach the pedals (a great day in my life). We broke up land with it and it had a full set of 1 row cultivator equipment, a planter and fertilizer rig and tail plows. We planted corn, peas, and beans with it. We also cut and raked hay with it using equipment intended for use with a mule or horse modified to pull with the tractor. It is still there at my place waiting on me to get the courage to try to bring it back to life. Our M had a draw bar instead of a 3 point. It also had a pulley drive to run grist mills, sawmills, etc. That was a high end option. Not sure what year it was from, but probably 50 or 51. I dearly love the sound it made and it would carry through the woods for a long way. I remember one time I was doing tillage in dry weather all day long because Daddy told me to make sure I got the whole field ready to plant. I got done a little after dark and when I came up to the house, my Mama stopped me and said "don't you come in the house like that." She made me strip off and hosed me down. I remember the dirt covered the back porch slab. Those tractors were made to work and were pretty reliable. You just needed a points file every spring. Ours was 6V with a generator. I am not ashamed to say that I shed tears when you fired that thing up and heard that beautiful "poppin John" come back to life.

This episode actually brought a tear to my eye. Dad, his young sons, working on an old JD tractor together. Derek, these boys will love you forever!

When I was young, my family used one of these for many years, and of course along the way many "make it work" repairs similar to what you experienced here. What I love about the "poppin' Johnny" was as you mentioned, simplicity. Directly actuated contacts instead of a solenoid. An oil pressure gauge directly on the engine. No fuel pump needed. You'll also find (if it's like ours) no water pump or thermostat! That's why the hoses are so huge for such a small engine: it uses convection to draw water through the engine and radiator. It's been many years; thanks for letting me hear this engine run again.

Enjoyed this video very much. Family working together. Have always had a soft spot for old tractors! Nice job fellas!

One of the best episodes you've done in a long time Derek.... so reminiscent of your original content. 👍

Everybody always says it….I know, I Know, a guy hears it too! People use the saying, “you have great kids!”. And now I’m gonna say it lol, you have great hard working kids! But I have to say, your kids are lucky to have you Derrick as a dad. The lessons, experiences, knowledge, and fun they have with you will be memories for a lifetime! Loved this episode! Your the best!

One of my favorite things is getting an old tractor running. Love seeing Derik work on old iron!

I love this. We love this. My wife is a VP, high healed, fancy pants, high society girl but she loves you, your adventures and your family. You can be proud. Please show us more on the Johnny Popper! A full shiny restoration would be great. Thanks to you and thanks to your wonderful family. The snow and the fire were great.

This brought tears to my eyes. Working on the "G" with my dad, who is deceased now. Video was an absolute gem. Thank you Derek!!

So many things about this video I like to mention: Snow, tractors, kids learning, old school 'heat'em up', cold,wet gloves, making what ya need, hell, you hit all my heart strings. Nice job boys ;)

I know a lot of fellers won't understand the reference of which I speak, I love the throwback to "Adventures with Bill" It works! Derek, if you read this, I wouldn't mind if you fit it in to some of you're restoration videos. It really brought back Red Green for me. Don't know if you meant to do it but I certainly recognized the bit. Proud to have you in Tennessee with a lot of Northern influences. I'm also glad to see a dad being a good dad, like my dad was. We did what you do (without RU-vid) He taught me so much about cars before he died, but I know he would have loved you too. He IS a Marine, and would have been appreciative about how you honor folks who serve. I miss the shop, I miss my dad, I miss working on cars. You bring everything back. Keep doing what you do and I personally will support what you do every chance I get. If a feller ever needs help around Clarksville TN, give me a shout

I have a 1947 Allis Chalmers. It’s really hard to crank. Every 2 years needed or not. Love you working with your boys

I was really glad, pleased, encouraged and more with the way Bradley hung in to the end to help rescue this tractor. Great job! God bless you and the whole Bieri family

Made my night Derek! Love watching you and the boys work together. Have some cold snacks and jerky on me.

Worked on a Dairy Farm mid 50's. Somerset, Uk. We had a Row Crop model with flywheel and magnito. Had to talk my boss into getting it moving. Similar situation. It was great fun to drive and proved itself useful after having been out of action for some years at that time. Wonder if she is still around? You stirred up some memories for me. How I enjoyed this!

Thats the sort of day a man used to have on the farm sometimes. Thoroughly enjoyed reflecting on some of the similar things I've done and sitting through your experience with your sons Bradley and Bentley. Wholesome growing up days! Happy your carb was in functioning condition. That JD in top gear is a riot mate! Amazing experience bringing it home. Great job running the block heater young man. Both you chaps have a genuine attitude to getting the job done. Good workers!

ahh, good, old-style vice grip, forget your 10,000 dollar motors, this is pure gold...

There’s something just right about a tractor revival in the middle of a freak snow storm. Great job!

I love that you and your son have a good time together. I worked so much when my son was young that we grew apart and it wasn’t until he was about 30 years old that we found we really did have the same interests. Cars,boats,motorcycles,guns, bolts,wires,ect. I’m glad we finally found each other but sometimes it makes me sad to think of all the time I just wasted.

I spent years messing with old Ford trucks out in the snow in Indiana with my dad and brother , moved to Louisiana & haven’t seen “ so cold it’s quiet” in decades . I could tell that you guys were all pushing through. I nearly jumped out of my seat when that thing started ! I’ve been watching you for years now, and this episode nearly brought tears to my eyes ! Thanks for this.

As someone who has faced the nightmare of bad lavaliere sound capture on more than one occasion, this Shaw Brother's re-dub is the absolute peak of VGG endearing. Just a brilliant episode. Thank you.

I learned to drive on a "N" model Ford in 1960 when I was 9 years old. A little later I worked on my uncle's farm where he had an "A" & "B" JD tractors. Got to love the old simple machines. You are having a great time with your boys, I don't know who is having the better time, you, them, or us watching. Keep up your quality time with your family, you can never get it back if you miss it.