Trying To Paint My Skid Loader In 24 Hours

I have a green John Deere 331G track loader that I want to paint yellow so I challenged myself to attempt to do it in 24 hours. As usual, the project turned out to be a bit bigger than what I originally thought.

[@samsdoinstuff]

Neil, when I think of why I enjoy watching your videos so much, I wonder... is it because you have such a fantastic work ethic? Is it your attention to detail? Is it your tenacity to see a project through to the end? Is it your love for your family shown by how you always involve them and teach as you go? (that's a big one) Or is it because I'm inspired to be better, myself? You know it's ALL OF THE ABOVE!!! Wow! What an awesome job. Thanks as always for taking the time to share your endeavors. I sincerely appreciate you 🙏 🤠👍

[@fredquinn3919]

I could not agree with you more...nor be more jealous of the perfect way you expressed it!!

[@nicknuggets369]

I really appreciate just the down to earth personality. I dont feel such a heavy brain rot as i do watching other creators

[@sassafrasvalley1939]

Well said! I agree with all three of you!!

[@KingsOutdoorLife]

Well Said!

[@beaushaw]

You should have gotten one of those click on handles that gives you a comfortable trigger and handle on rattle cans.

[@acla6398cell]

Exactly what I was thinking

[@adampittman1624]

I recommend the same thing lol

[@charleskirby9190]

This one thing turned me into the painter I'm not when using spray cans.

[@owentimo]

I’ve tried those before, they never work well for me. Especially when stalling onto the can, I end up breaking the nozzle or inadvertently spraying myself.

[@marcorps114]

@@owentimoso user error? 😂

[@wannabejeeper]

Looks WAY better. Well worth it. I know what you mean about working outside not to mess up the shop. I've got a 3x7 table on 8" castors I can wheel outside in the gravel. Forks with a pallet seem to work well too! Anytime I'm grinding rust I try to go outside. Nasty stuff.

[@elaczi]

Enjoyable video. Thanks, Neil. 🙏😀👍

[@josephcollins4336]

EXCELLENT!! Great family help and good solid entertainment!!

[@br549rdr]

Looks great!! You take pride in your work and it shows. Not to mention you had great help😇

[@BFT88]

Neil, the theme of the video is how awesome you and your wife parented your girls. Those girls are always helping with tedious little tasks, even if it sucks. That comes from good parenting, and grateful children. You can really tell they’re proud to call you dad!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks. That means a lot.

[@Matt-yl9ku]

I was thinking what's he doing changing the colour. But definitely 100% the right decision. The paint job looks ok from my house, and I live over the pond in the UK. Keep up with the good work 👏

[@rickbell3402]

That fact that you put in over 40 hours on this project in one week shows amazing dedication and determination! I think it looks great! Well done, Neil!

[@johnnylindsey5808]

Good job guys and great family time with your girls

[@alexpaul7861]

Nice job! I think the yellow around the lights look real good!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks! I thought so too.

[@markhollick2511]

Great job It looks awesome Thanks for putting this together.

[@jefffinley6569]

Very nice, job well done!!!👍🏻🍀

[@patcarbone1753]

Great job! It’s a machine you work hard. I really like the John Deere yellow!

[@ratmanmurray7137]

Awesome job mate! Not too over the top, not too rough ... nice job! Greetings from Down Under

[@patrickhennessey5221]

Hey Neil you did a great job you take enough care without going overboard.,you got your girls involved.. I really enjoy your videos..

[@jakerittner1694]

That come out heaps good so good you always get the girls to help and they want to help. Always time goes so fast when sanding. Also that sander is called a mouse sander

[@OverlandUnderground]

That came out great. The tone of the grey is super cool.

[@vivianlawrence778]

The paint job is AWESOME 👍Love your channel. Blessings from Carson City NV 💜🪻

[@gabehill1462]

“Progress not perfection” “Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good” Both relevant axioms that applied to this project. Well done, Neal. Always love your videos. Thank you for sharing with us!!

[@digdrivediy]

Really appreciate it!

[@TeleBleet]

Looks good and even if there are some bad spots only you will see it. Everyone else thinks its really great, believe me. Think you went the right route by not going for perfection but also not rushing it.

[@williammills5111]

Great job, nothing to be ashamed of there!

[@OneEyeCustoms]

“It looks really good in the dark” 😂😂 that was funny. Nice job Neil.

[@troyrunyan249]

It is beautiful paint job, looks great! What a project, totally worth it and great content for a video!

[@carlwebinar1571]

Great job Neil, it looks fantastic.

[@bobidstein9107]

Watching as a painting contractor, and I smiled brightly as you didn't skip over the significance of sanding and priming. The prior finish coat and new finish coats are engineered to repel. Skip sand/priming and you're wasting time and money as well as guaranteed failure. Sanding gives something the grab, priming brings adhesion. Looks awesome!

[@brucehobbs1734]

Great Dad, got those daughters involved. They’re not on electronic devices. Makes my heart warm.

[@jaysonprice2484]

Excellent work! She looks fantastic. Way better than the green

[@tylerknoll8135]

You did a incredible job noisily if you never made videos about your skid steer before this and only showed it off now everyone would think that it came out of the factory with the yellow pant👍

[@evovento]

Neil , that turned out so good! Always make it your own. I figured you'd do this at some point. Rented a skid streer this week to do some work around my place in Seattle. Got about 3/4 acre, but tore out 125 50lbs blocks from raised garden. But in 18ft by 100 gravel parking and pad for a new 12×16 shed for my John Deere 110 to get it out of my shop.

[@leolarocque-h4e]

Neil Love the video on your painting Skid Loader .very good job with your Girls .love it .

[@DonDomel]

Another epic video❤ watching during my holidays on an 🇭🇷 Croatia porch, so relax to my mind watching another hard working man😊 cheers mate🎉

[@dougvazquez6571]

I think you put a "just right" amount of effort into the project. It looks better than most auction paint jobs for sure. I did.a similar rattle can project on a 200 HP outboard once. I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out. It made a huge difference once back on the transom of the boat. I sold it a couple years later and I am sure the paint job helped sell it, and for a decent price. Good video, again.😄

[@benecloz]

Looks Awesome Neil!!!!

[@Kanamit.]

*That is awe-inspiring work. And your daughters will remember this when they have their own children.*

[@kodypemberton]

Looks great Neil!!

[@PurpleCollarLife]

That was a major project! It turned out great. I enjoy that your daughters are always willing to help with the projects- and that you make time to watch movies and go golfing. Great work/life balance.

[@IAOCCChaps]

Perfect prep... big job and GREAT job!!

[@aboomer420]

Another youtuber I like has a catchphrase "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good" and I think this is a good example of that. Good work!

[@ccarterrun]

Who cares about the little flaws- it looks great. Nice work! It looks so much better than the green!

[@brucemitchell5637]

That looks really good, Neil! All of that preparation really paid off!

[@heavyequipmech2263]

Hey Neil, you can get eraser wheels for quicker removal of decals and stickers. It removes most of the adhesive as well. They are round rubber wheels with an arbor on them and you can use them in a drill. They are supposed to be used at low rpm’s and roll the sticker right off. Hope this helps. The skidder turned out great!

[@coolhandluke423]

I really like the yellow accents around the lights. I also admire that you care about the looks of machines. Shows that you take pride in them.

[@jrbpit1]

Nice! Looks great. You are so right on the paralysis of perfection. Some might say it’s ready for the auction!!

[@video80634]

Many years ago I did paint and body work for a living. Just my two cents. The difference between a can a spray paint and the paint you mix using a catalyst is durability. If you spill a solvent or fuel on the spray can paint, chances are it won't hold up. It could even lift the paint. The catalyzed paint virtually makes it indestructible to chemical spills for the most part. Of course I'm referring to automotive paint, so I don't know if implement dealers sell that type. But your project is looking great regardless.

[@mcd5082]

Man that was satisfying to watch the decals at the end! Nice work Neil!

[@rdyardie]

I agree with the handles that clip on the spray cans. Thank you for sharing this project with us. . . . you did good. 😊

[@cuinthemeantime2]

you are absolutely amazing in all that you do an it looks perfect to me! Always enjoy when the kiddos are part of a project as well! Blessings to you and your family!

[@ChiefsFan62]

Looks great! Much better than the green. I like the yellow behind the lights, too. Seems like things always take longer than you expect them to take. Nice of the girls to help and shave a little time off for you!

[@jeffPATS22]

Fantastic job. Love the transformation.Well worth it just for the visual. Plus you’re adding protection. Besides yellow looks a lot better.

[@nickwallace2383]

Neil, it turned out really good plus it's a piece of Heavy Machinery it's going to get a few scratches and dings. I would clean up the undercarriage a spray bomb the Final drives, rollers, and track frame also! Just my two cents! 🇺🇸

[@garagestory]

Neil, thank you for making these videos! I know it takes a lot of time. Your channel is one of the few channels we watch as a family. Your videos are like art! The way you tell stories and find stories in everything, well, it's an inspiration to me. The video we just posted on our channel a few days ago was inspired by the video you put out last week. The cutting from past to present to tell a story while you are still working on something related. Thank you! P.S. the paint job looks great!! I want to paint my backhoe someday, but I don't know if I want to spend 40+ hours doing it...

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks a lot for the kind words. I'll have to jump over and check out your video 😉

[@garagestory]

@@digdrivediy That would be cool! I’d love to have your feedback. I can’t wait to see what you have for tomorrow’s video!

[@matthewgross6958]

OMG your phrase about perfection hits me many times when it comes to the prep and execution of a project.

[@davidcheever8175]

Great Job! Now it looks like a John Deere. That was big project and the prep time is the always the hardest part and takes the longest. But it pays off in the end. The girls did a great job helping out. Love the channel. San Diego, California

[@techienerd5451]

What I love about you is your never half-ass anything. When you start a project, you do it right and you finish what you start. That's a very good quality in a person. Amazing job! It looks brand new!

[@Kingston100LC]

Looks great! The accents around the lights are awesome!

[@rogerr1296]

Like in my woodworking, when I look at a finished project, all I see is the imperfections that absolutely no one else will see unless I point them out. 😂 Great job.

[@digdrivediy]

Right. I so understand!

[@dewanes3180]

Looks great!!! Now ya need to John Deere your mailbox.

[@littlejason99]

The devil is always in the details! I find that it's always best to just double any numbers I come up with because there's usually so much you don't plan for doing a quick back of the napkin calculations... Both time and cost.. lol. The outcome looks great though, so much better than just painting over harnesses and hoses and everything. Paint prep takes time, but it makes such a difference, especially when you look back at that work years from now.

[@joshuasmith5837]

Love the new John Deere 335p and you nailed it with the accent! Looks beautiful and of course nothing runs like a Deere 🦌

[@realone7616]

You did great job! Glad you didn't rush through it because it looks great.

[@danacurlee8900]

Neil, you did a fantastic job. That 331G looks great. I love the yellow lights on the front of the roof.

[@thistledownwoodcraft3426]

Just right, great job. I have learned, make the estimate and then whatever it is, time, money, materials and tools, double it. I has yet to fail me in over 30 years since I figured that out.

[@tyshaver108]

I was in the coatings industry for ten years and I can tell you know what you're doing. Cutting corners where its acceptable but taking the time with the tedious details that make it work out great in the end!!

[@nicabla9435]

Perfection prevents progress 💯💯💯

[@ponypwr]

Looks like a totally different machine! Saved $4k in labor and added at least that much in value! Details matter, great work as always!

[@TimothysTractors]

After having painted a few JD garden tractors myself (always rattle cans) and also recently my truck (bedliner), I can really appreciate the thorough job you did here! It's a lot more fun watching someone else sand and mask/prep than it is doing it yourself! Nice job!

[@dizzystick9]

I love how you take pride in your equipment, it says a lot about a person, and the accent yellow around the upper lights was a good call. It all came out awesome!

[@MDavis44]

Wow that looks amazing! Great video as always. Thanks, Neil!

[@DawgGoneOutside]

Fantastic work!!

[@joebacarella2829]

Neil, those spray handles that snap on the can sure helps with the dead spray finger, it looks fantastic, I hated that green myself. Hey, it`s a skid steer, it only has to look good from 10 feet away, and it sure does that, cleaning the glass and the final decals added the finishing touch, no more green monster, thanks for taking us along, it looks great, well worth the time, be well my friend.

[@digdrivediy]

Appreciate it Joe! I'm glad you noticed that I cleaned the glass too! :)

[@terryrogers1025]

Nice job, looks great. I have over the years doubled what I figured it take to do a project, i usually came out somewhere close to double, the as my age and experience increased I went to the thinking of “ it takes what it takes to get the job accomplished properly, now I meet my deadline perfectly every time. Once again, great job, thanks for the video, enjoyed watching.

[@danhumphrey7310]

You fixed it! “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good!” Love the videos

[@hollandduck79]

Hello from the Netherlands Koch Family . looks good Neil that new paint color. but you forgot one thing in my opinion : the outside of your bucket . I hope you still have some of the color of the lift arms or otherwise just black and that you just quickly and easily spray the visible surfaces of the loader bucket in a color then it looks better as a whole now the loader bucket really breaks off the rest of the machine thanks for the video Neil , Mrs.Koch and the Girls . Kind regards, Hollandduck

[@digdrivediy]

That's not a bad idea! Thanks so much Hollandduck! Good to hear from you!

[@ProjectsWithPat]

neil looks perfect! it makes it look like a new machine. I too have painted mine and it cleaned it up so much. Great job.

[@goptools]

Hi Neil. The skid loader looks awesome! Way nicer than the green it was. You are probably the only one who will notice any imperfections.

[@TartinArmy]

Great Job Sir

[@cycle_path]

I enjoyed your documentation of the labor of love. The details you’re taking you will enjoy every time you look at it and for years to come

[@watkinstreefarm6880]

Looks like a different machine. Job well done. Have a great week!!

[@tjlouis]

Excellent job Neil. Really enjoyed this video 🇮🇪 It looks proper at last!

[@bhinton5309]

Im so glad you got rid that green. It looks great! Finally looks like a proper skid steer

[@hillustration]

You made it look newer and got rid of a lot of rust. I think it was well worth the effort. Nice job. I appreciate people who take good care of their equipment.

[@JamesPhieffer]

Looks terrific. It may not be "perfect", but I daresay your job puts most of us to shame. Enjoy the fruits of your labour. A great video.

[@alittleofthisandalittleofthat]

Beautiful family. Glad to see you take the time for golf and movies and including the girls with your project. ❤️👍 💐

[@Scagman615]

That looks like a brand new machine. Excellent work.

[@craigwilcoxen1536]

I like it. I have that same obsession to detail things I buy used to bring back to what it looked like when it was new. I feel your pain and enjoy the rewards on a completed task.

[@dubberkm7200]

I loved when you said it looks good in the dark. Honestly it does look good. I like the yellow up by the lights. You should look into the handles that snap onto the spray cans, really helps with the hand fatigue.

[@jls15]

I can understand wanting it to be perfect but for something that’s going to get some wear and tear, you did a great job!

[@surindermediratta4970]

It’s amazing how packages without your name or address arrives at your home. 😂 Love your videos!

[@briangardner4266]

Well done, Neil! It looks a million times better! For only $400 and 42 hours of work, it looks great. I can’t imagine how much it world have cost to have it done professionally…

[@islandman5802]

Great work Neil!! It looks awesome and you spent far more time on the details than the average person would. Keep up the great videos!

[@TinManKustoms]

Nice job looks good. I find that painting equipment can be a painful process but it's so satisfying to see it shine like a diamond. And it shows customers that you care about your equipment

[@robertmccall8666]

Worth allot more now ... Looks well maintained and clean now

[@rianhall9911]

Great Job!

[@DeanM915]

Wow that came out amazing! You sir are dedicated to doing great work. I love my Sunday mornings relaxing with my coffee watching you work hard! Makes me feel accomplished 😆!

[@richardmain8059]

Good afternoon, it looks pretty good from here the amount of detailing efforts were well balanced on top of the magic of remembering where all the parts big and small go during reassembly. Along with remembering where all the fastener washers and screws go, resulting in no spare parts left over. The new Decals were the Cherry on the Cake. The overall results should uptick your “I did a Good Job” smile factor as you tackle future jobs. 😀👍👍👍

[@digdrivediy]

I do smile a bit more when looking at it now! :)

[@randybelcher6693]

Man it looks freaking awesome! Really turned out good! Probably raised the value of it a few thousand bucks too!

[@greggkiest1069]

Love it. Great balance between perfect and done. 👍🏼

[@stevenprice5394]

Neil!! Holy cow that looks great!! I admire your patience!! Great job!!

[@BretteCaldwell]

That turned out really well! Now time for the F-750 Enjoyed the video, you’ve inspired me to repaint my grandfathers truck.