Making my best tractor ever out of many other tractor parts. This is a John Deere 318 that will have a 25 hp Robin engine and will have many great parts from a lot of different tractors.
Loving this series of videos. Im pretty far along myself in the restoration of a 1967 Wheel Horse with a 10 horse Kohler. Started it in 2010 by taking it all apart and then started painting piece parts. Them “life” got in the way and it sat for over 10 years in boxes of parts. Like you, I became determined last winter to get back to it a little at a time. She’s now almost done but for refinishing the hood and seat pan. She even started right up once the engine was back in place. Unfortunately, I decided I should adjust the vales and ended up messing up the timing, so just need ti fix that also. Your videos have me more determined to see it through. Thanks.
I would love to have a foot hydro. I've never really looked into it too. Seriously though to know how tough it might be. Do you have any experience with it?
Never thought I'd be watching tractor vids...or towing and fabrication for that matter! I think it has a lot to do with the personalities of the content creators. Just good people to watch and learn from. Sure wish I'd had teachers like you when I was in school...I might have liked school and been a better student. Anyway, I think you should name the tractor "Brubil".
Thanks so much! I think the best compliment I can receive is something like this where someone that didn't grow up around this stuff is still watching. I really appreciate it and thanks so much for the name suggestion! I'm writing them all down!
I watch those videos as well. BUT, as soon as they bash the commenters I stop. I even block their videos from the suggestion list. A lot of them just act so cocky and know-it-alls. They have to realize those that are watching their videos is going to be a wealth of knowledge. And those that bash or insult the commenters I have no use for. Plus the fact that when people comment and even watch the video they earn more money. In essence it shows their intelligence by bashing. Another thing I do not tolerate is clickbait. Once I find out it's clickbait I never watch their channel again and I block them as well.
This is a fantastic video series your doing 👍 Thank you so much for taking the time to shoot, edit, and share your experiences. Can't wait to see what "Bill" turns out like!
Enjoyed watching this. I buy and part out numerous 300 and 400 series tractors each year. I have alot of parts so if you need anything please don’t hesitate to reach out. Would enjoy being able to contribute in some way.
Great video and the little bit each day is clearly working! I see another fan already suggested Steve Austin! That’s my suggestion too for the new tractor too. I run a shopping mall here in Bristol in the UK, so your dad-trip to your local mall made me smile ! 🇬🇧👋🇺🇸
Great video Neil. Who cares about the audio issues, adds more of a human element to the whole production. My vote for his name is Cassius.- Cassius asks Brutus if Brutus can see his own face; Brutus replies that he cannot. Cassius then declares that Brutus is unable to see what everyone else does, namely, that Brutus is widely respected. Noting that no mirror could reveal Brutus’s worthiness to himself, Cassius offers to serve as a human mirror so that Brutus may discover himself and conceive of himself in new ways.
Great project. FYI on the front rims. You can use whatever rims you want just swap out the bearings for the id that matches your tractor. The od on the bearings is the same. I ran into the same problem when I put 420 front rims on my 314. Also for a name Bill Burr or Bill 2.0
318s will always hold a special spot in my heart me and dad worked on a lot of them over the years. I’ve moved to a x720 and a 1025r but would love to have another nice 318 for the daughter to learn on!
I bought one of the HF moving dollies for < $10.00 - I needed the casters for a toolbox that I received missing a few wheels. For less than the price of a single caster, I got 4 new ones, just had to drill out the rivets. Still working to this day, about 5 years later. I might not go crazy and use them as pallet casters for firewood, but they have high weight ratings.
This is great to see the process of this project. I myself have a collection of Ford LGT 165s and I have my own "Brutus" someday I'd like to just take the best parts off all the tractors and make one main workhorse tractor with all the best parts
"Brill" is coming along nicely. My best friend from high school is into those JD tractors. He's got about 15 or so of them. I do like the bigger ones with the rear lift and all the hydraulics on them. I could see where they would be very handy. Happy New Year my friend.
Very cool build, Neil. My first JD was a 318. I bought a loader for it and loved every minute on it. Now I have a GX335 and 2305, but that 318 was very special to me. What about Buster Boy for a name in the line of naming them starting with B?
Love your videos You seem to have the life we should all strive for every time I watch one of you videos I find myself outside taking somthing apart fixing somthing or starting a new project let us know how you get your family outside to help
I'm actually going to try your approach, trying working everyday on my backyard brush project. I took a little break from posting on Instagram last few months but now with your last two videos trying to do something each day has got me motivated. Keep up the great work!
Bill Jr. When I did my 430 I found a gal that did powder coating very reasonable. I never regretted it. I sprayed the hood since it was fiberglass. I like your front tires. When I did mine, I wanted the R ??? that is a combination industrial/AG tire. They didn't make that size. I even thought seriously about some aggressive ATV tires. That I would do for sure if I did it again. When you were taking thoze wheel weights off it looked like a clown car! I would never have guessed all that was in a wheel! You're in the home stretch now!
Just a small suggestion, you can get an 1100lb overhead electric hoist from HarborFreight for $145. There is a lot of ways to mount it in the shop. You could have installed the engine by yourself with ease. Great video though
Beatrice comes to mind! I know it's slightly more feminine. I had a truck that I did a motor swap on and that's what I named it. She always gave me small troubles, but it always did what I wanted it to do. Great video I enjoy seeing how far your project has come. Keep up the great work Neil! Happy New Year
Paint it Blue and Gold in the Subaru WRC racing colors. An homage to Subaru 555 rally car. Besides it would drive Tim (TTWT) nuts seeing a Deere in Subaru blue.
Great work on the project so far. A great armchair watch here in UK. I'll suggest Bucephalus, the name of Alexander the Great's horse for your new hybrid tractor. Bob in UK
I'd recommend making a set of wheel hubs that allows you to bolt trailer wheels on... that way you can change tires for different conditions or if you get a flat it's easier to repair/replace a tire. Another option is fully converting the front axle spindles to trailer spindles the tapered roller bearings in trailer spindles make a huge difference between the reduced friction and less wear... The easier the front wheels rotate the less likely you'll get stuck and you can use bolt/lug nut on rims. Even if you have ball bearing wheels on the front the trailer hubs and spindles conversion adds more reliability (ball bearings can't handle the side loading) I completely moved away from ball or bushing bearings in any floating hub wheel locations on both tractor steer tires and trailer attachments I use for my garden tractors as the reduced rolling resistance has allowed me to be able to pull heavier weights on rougher terrain while generating the same or less wear on driveline and I go through more mud and snow with only converting the steer spindles and hubs towing a trailer than just the garden tractor with bushed wheels could do by itself. I run a set of loaded rear ag tires year round (80lbs of ballast per tire) and rarely get stuck(if I do get stuck it's usually because I got high centered on a rut or rock.
Nice video, I had a 318 also, bought it cheap and cost me a good chunk of change to keep it running every year. I should have put a new engine in it right away, I think it would have been way reliable. For a gas Onan engine it sounded like an old two stroke Detroit diesel. Best thing was when I upgraded to JD x728. I think you should name your tractor B.O.B. (Is it Bill Or Brutus).
Hi Neil! Oddly enough that once you started this series, I also just started marrying two tractors to become one in my garage. It has definitely proved to take more time than expected because of the engines being different brands. As far as a name for the new Bill and staying with the "B" theme, I think Butch sounds fitting. Like another commenter mentioned, a friend of mine in Garrett Indiana is selling an inflatable spray booth that would work perfect for your project. Happy New year!
Hello Neil, happy new year! Can't wait to see the final result! And about name, maybe Bill it's the perfect name for this tractor! Good luck with the project! P.S. waiting some videos from snow removing after this storm. Here in Romania we have 15° C...no snow yet...
Better you than me! I could do half of that job, tear it all apart. I don't think I could ever get it put back together though! Happy New Year to you and your family. 😁👨🚒
Been waiting for this series! Even if I’m not a Deere guy. I built my dream GT in 2020 as a covid project starting with a Case 446 and a 2 cylinder Perkins diesel and finished it off with a demonstrator paint job complete with gold decals. Wife thought I was nuts but it turned out awesome. It’s already got some bumps and scrapes but that’s ok as I told myself it wasn’t going to be a garage princess. It plows,tills , mowes, power brushes, and grinds grain as an acreage tractor should. Looking forward to the rest of the series!
Great video and Happy New Year! I'm in the middle of an articulated Allis Chalmers build from two 70s/80s Era garden tractors, and am particularly pleased to see your current project. My parts tractor waited patiently for three years in the corner of my shop before finally getting used... Not to get long winded in the comments, but here's a thought for your build- you can plumb the hydraulic spool and cylinder from the unused tractor into the power beyond port of the twin spool. This will allow you to separate the 3 point lift cylinder from the front attachment hydraulics (dedicated lift and tilt). If you don't have the power beyond port, you can plumb the current return line into the supply side of the additional spool, since the sundstrand u is an open circuit (I'm currently running this setup). Glad to hear you're looking to experiment with paint colors, but that seems like a risky maneuver in Hoosier country, eh?!? Perhaps Allis Orange would get the neighbors talking?..
I love your articulated Allis concept! I always wanted to build an articulated John Deere. I even had the parts for it. I actually do have this one plumbed off the second spool to the back of the tractor to run my hydraulics. It works great and I've been doing it that way for quite a few years. That's one thing I didn't like about the 316 is it only had a single spool and the three-point hitch was always trying to go up and down when I ran the greater box.
You got it one piece at a time. And it took a little time. And now you got a john deere tractor with some neat style.. A new Versje to that old johnny cash song
I’m 28 and I agree on the shop dolly being the greatest tool ever! They are awesome for tractor attachments, race at motors, and I even made a set of race car stands out of them
Here’s a link to his latest video explaining it… there are several more in his Driveway Playlist ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1al_XPPnkVE.html
Great video Neil, I really need to do your everyday thing with my 140 project and get it done. I thought the whole video came out fine, but it seem to be cutting out at the end right around when it sounded like you weren't going to paint it green, that must have been a video/sound glitch😯😯😂😂 I think before a name could be had, we may have to see the final project. Looking forward to the rest of this project.
Constructionl yellow is in the future is my bet. Got to spend time with the kids while you can. Mine are grown up and it's days like those that make a difference.
Neil, do you live in New Jersey? I live in Pa and I got the impression that you were here in PA but looking at the terrain and how the sun falls ....I could be totally wrong. I am working on a Bobcat walk behind that I just found for a great price. The Kawasaki 14 horsepower engine blew up and the former owner bought a Briggs replacement and bolted it to the mower but never put the manifolds on so water got in everything and rusted the cylinder. Its is going to turn out fantastic . I started a small engine repair biz after becoming disillusioned with big Pharma . I got fed up with being a chemical engineer...lol That is one heck of a tractor my friend.
Happy new year to you and your family I’m really enjoying this rework on your tractors. I’m voting to go with Wild Bill for the tractor as the bones are bill but it’s got a wild heart transplant
I believe that this is one of your best if not the best videos you've done I've watched it several times. My family has 3 318's, 2 repowered one vanguard 23hp,one 20hp honda, grandson is original p218 onan. Can't wait to see the next video. Thank you.
Bill + Brutus = Bocephus like Hank jr!!!! Man Neil, that Subaru engine is a really neat swap for sure. before the Onan in my 316 gave up the ghost i was gonna run 12" Economy Power King wheels on the front with 5 lug trailer hubs so i could use the heavier weights on the front wheels👍 . i replaced the 316 with a red International 782, i love this tractor. anywho, ive seen a JD 300 series painted Allis Chalmers orange, it looked pretty cool, even though i own JDs im not a big fan of green and yellow lol
