John Deere 400 Restoration Cost and Time

[@jackboot5321]

As far as "investing in projects", I can attest that YES, it costs money to do so. I bought a 1981 JD 314, bad engine, for $400. I re-powered it with an 18 hp Briggs "kit". I added 318 H2 hydraulics. I built several attachments.......loader, forks, various fencing tools.....etc. I've put about $3800 into this project, and I WOULDN'T CHANGE A SINGLE THING. It is worth more to me now than it was to those back in '81. It's the most useful tractor I own. Investing in these older tractors, reviving them, and repurposing options/attachments, in my opinion, is the smartest thing anyone can do.

[@kencarlsonrealty]

I have a 1987 John Deere 420 with 44 loader. Did a complete restore frame off paint and parts. It as all the options JD offered. Also have a 1996 John Deere 455 that I had refurbished. Diesel only had 1238 hours. Looking for a 40 loader for this one. My next project is the John Deere 955 with 70 loader.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

You have yourself a great tractor and a good investment at the same time! They just don‘t build them like that anymore😔 I‘ve seen a diesel JD455 with double the amount of hours on the clock and it was still working flawlessly. Another great tractor you have! The model 70 loader is really nice to have, especially on a JD 955. According to tractor data, the model 70 loader tops the model 52 loader by a few inches in height and break out force. This definitely comes in handy if you need to lift something a bit heavier👍🏽👍🏽 Thanks for sharing your tractors and attachments with me. It‘s great fun to hear from likeminded enthusiasts😃 Regards Andreas

[@markc9400]

Caught your suggestion to view your KZbin channel on one of the John Deere Facebook sites. Awesome series. Glad I found your channel. I wish you had more views. I have 2 John Deere 318's. Passed on a 400 a few years back when I acquired my first 318 that needed a fly ball spacer. Kicking myself now, but I was just getting into John Deere's after Wheel Horse and Cub Cadets. Looking forward to more videos with that Gravely. Be well.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I'm glad you were able to find this video series through the Facebook groups. I posted quite a few series there and many members wanted me to do a full restoration and that is what I did on this project. I'm glad you are enjoying this series and that you share similar interests. The 318 is a wonderful machine and you have two of them, very nice!! The JD400 is a bit special as it was one of John Deere's first "Super garden tractors"...many features are what we see in today's top-of-the-line garden tractors and this beast is more than 40 years old already! You must have a broad range of knowledge when it comes to garden tractors and it's nice to hear that you admire other makes and models too. Many are very specific in this manner...but I believe ever manufacturer had pro's and con's :) The Gravely is basically done, but I need to finish the Snowblower driveshaft. So hopefully I can share a video on that very soon! Thanks for tuning in Mark!! Best regards Andreas

[@javman6022]

The time and money is well worth it. I just finished restoring a 1993 John Deere 320.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Thanks, I agree with you! It's a great way to learn a lot about a garden tractor and another good way to keep more of these amazing tractors alive. I'm happy to hear that you finished up a 320!! That's a nice little unit and especially one that is restored. Thanks for sharing, Regards Andreas

[@unitedsafetytransferllc3421]

Yes, it was totally worth your money that you spent on it. It’s a very beautiful tractor. I’m still having trouble with my John Deere 300 trying to figure out how to properly install the front hydraulic couplers. There seems to be a clip that goes somewhere that hold it to the frame, but I still don’t understand.

[@chaddelong6795]

My dad passed away and left me one of these beautiful tractors 🚜 loved it for years now I wanna restore as I used to catch him buffing the whole thing definitely his favorite mower he’s ever had.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I am sorry for your loss, Chad. He left you a very you a very nice tractor and once you restore it, it will carry a lot of meaning! I wish you great success on your restoration and feel free to ask any questions if needed. Regards Andreas

[@chaddelong6795]

Thanks Andreas means a lot! Wishin you luck on all your projects to come. And remember nothing runs like a Deere 💪🏻

[@kevindouse]

It’s going to perform well for many years to come i’d say. The time restoring it to this condition has also raised its value substantially. Great job Andreas. i’ll be following along with your rototiller videos as I also have one for this machine and need to get it ready for this season.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I really do hope so! The value on the other hand always fluctuates. Some may prefer original paint with rust others like restorations. My point of view is that if I remove the rust and prep the panels properly for new paint, this tractor (theoretically) has the possibility to last a couple years longer than it did in its original condition. Thank you very much, Kevin! I will try and drag the rototiller into the shop very soon so I can get it stripped and ready for spring/summer! It's always a good thing to maintain attachments and I hope these videos will bring you value. Enjoy your Sunday

[@davidconlin1196]

I found your breakdown very interesting. I have never kept track but I alway knew that clean up and prep was time consuming. I did not think the time ratio between cleaning and prep vs mechanical skills was that great. I really envy your mechanical abilities.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I'm glad you were able to acknowledge the full breakdown. Cleaning and prep work belong to restorations, so they cannot be forgotten. That's exactly why I made this video, so everyone has a full understanding of how long it actually takes. I will have a new setup for cleaning & paint prep very soon. This will most likely cut the time down by two-thirds and I cannot wait to reveal this new technology to everyone! As for the mechanical side of things, I am still learning a lot when it comes to mechanical components, as every sub-assembly involves different tools, parts and products. I hope can portray that to my audience, so we can all learn at the same time. That's fundamentally why I do these types of videos and video series. Best regards

[@jonmyers8046]

The 400 series is my favorite JD lawn tractor. So beautiful and strong. I think it's pointless to put any other engine or make mods to these machines. You did a top notch job restoring this and it looks incredible. Considering you did a full resto, I'd say that the time and money you invested was worth it. You now have a machine that's probably worth a few thousand bucks. At some point you might wish to consider investing in powder coating equipment. The initial investment isn't too bad depending on what you want, but the cost of powder is dirt cheap and you'll have a finish that will outlast ordinary paints. I'm pretty sure that John Deere is using powder from the factory. It's also better for the environment.

[@randybenavente5948]

Fantastic job. Your machine looks awesome! I own a JD 400 that has been out of service for several years. Prior to that it was my workhorse keeping our 4+ acre parcel looking great. This machine has tremendous power. The 60” deck went first, then the steering. I’m a tinkerer not a mechanic and I’ve enjoyed your videos. I’m going to put the restoration of my JD 400 on my list. To be honest I’d prefer to entrust it’s restoration to someone like yourself to get it back to as original as possible. I’m in southern Maryland & if there’s anyone capable of such a restoration I’d be interested in a conversation with you. Regards

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Thank you very much Randy! A lot of time and effort went into this restoration and I believe it will be like a brand new machine from now on. It's a pleasure to know that you have a John Deere 400 as well. Even though they had a shorter production run than other JD garden tractors, they are still come up for sale and many of them are still in good running condition! I'm sorry to hear that your JD400 has had some issues in the past. This tractor is perfect for the size of land you maintain and I understand that you would like to have it working flawlessly. If you have some tools and a little bit of space to work, I believe you can fix the issues that need to be addressed. I appreciate your kind words and it would be a pleasure to be able to work on your John Deere 400! I am not located close to you, as I am around 4000km north west of you in Alberta, Canada. Currently I am working long days with my job and after hours on my projects which I share here on KZbin. This does not make it easy to add another project at the moment, but I might be open to a project like your John Deere 400 in the near future. Best regards Andreas

[@randybenavente5948]

@@WorkshopRebuild Thanks for the response. I do have quite a few tools in my old tobacco barn and now I have some “new” tools in the form of your restoration videos. It’s the knowledge I’m a little short on. Yeah, you’re a little bit too north of me. That’s okay. You’re attention to details is impeccable and your end result shows it. Again great job. Now, I got to go back over all of your videos and get cracking on my JD 400🤙🏾 Regards - Randy B.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

@@randybenavente5948 You're very welcome! It's always good to have an assortment of tools. Many tool-kits nowadays have almost everything you need to fix a John Deere 400. I hope I was able to share as much as possible and if you still have open questions you can always send me an E-Mail. Thank you, the process took quite long, but I'm happy with the outcome! I hope all the videos I uploaded will assist you, but also that you learn a lot during this rebuild/restoration. Best regards Andreas

[@andrewciavatta9663]

You have to remember you did a restoration and it takes a lot of time and money. Doing the right always takes time, if you are in the restoration business you have to keep track of time and money. If it's for pleasure that different. Just remember to buy a comparable 2022 John deer garden tractor it would cost $12,000 + again great job

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Everything you stated is spot on! All restorations take a long time and money is needed to complete the task. Depending on the finish that one would like to achieve, you can spend even more money any time on the small details. I took it as a project as a personal project and did not track my time. Even though this tractor is 45 years old, there is still a lot of interest for them and that‘s another reason why I like them. I would take an old restored tractor over any newer tractor, just due to the classic tractor feeling. New tractor are very efficient and have great power, but like you stated, they sell for a lot of money. I hope to find other tractors in the future that I can bring back to life, just like this JD 400. Thank you for your comments! Cheers

[@glennmckinley3058]

First I want to say I absolutely love your videos. I got to say though your time and costs seem way to low. About time... Trips to the hardware store. Searching on line. reading manuals over and over until it sticks. Trips to the machine shop. Just staring at your machine planning you moves. Troubleshooting systems, backing up because you did something in the wrong order. Getting the tool you can't find or don't have. Making decisions about what passes inspection and what doesn't. Those are just some of the things I can think of right off quick.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hello Glenn! The costs I mentioned in this video are correct, but I did not calculate my time nor my effort. There were many trips and hours that went into this project, but I believe the result is what counts. Even if I would have spent 10 or 100 hours longer on this project, I think I could have been just as satisfied with the end product and with my efforts! Thank you for noticing this and Thank YOU for tuning in to watch this video series! Regards Andreas

[@jorgeposadas1192]

Well prep time is misconstrued, because it's something you're doing for yourself, if you were doing it commercially then it would be, time is of the essence, but most complete rebuilds take from six months to a year on weekends, unless you're off for a month, but since its for yourself, it might even take longer, nice videos big guy, I saw all of this build and I will be watching the rest of them and yes, I subscribed.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I totally agree with you! There is a quote: Good things take time... I do believe this plays a big role when one wants to restore/rebuild a certain vehicle. Patience is another big aspect and I guess it would be great to have things done a bit faster, but it's always nice when a project comes to an end to really site back and enjoy the end-result. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I'm happy to hear you watch all of the previous episodes!! Thank you Jorge, it means a lot. Best regards Andreas

[@kencarlsonrealty]

Worth it.... whats your labor worth... Love the old 400 series

[@WorkshopRebuild]

It‘s worth reviving an old garden tractor like this John Deere 400 for personal use and to keep a collection alive. If I were to sell this tractor, it could be seen as a loss, but it‘s not always about the money when it comes to a project like this. My labor exceeds the value of this tractor and it‘s hard to out a number out there. The base price for anyone working on a project like this in their own shop should calculate $50/h and up. On top of that shop supplies should be calculated at a minimum of 5% after the restoration is completed. In the future I will keep better track of my working hours and the $$$ I put into a project. Thanks for your comment. Regards Andreas

[@dirt3964]

We just got an opportunity to get aJD400

[@WorkshopRebuild]

That‘s awesome! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have😃👍🏼

[@JJ-vj9ly]

Love it. Good deal for what you have. Did you do anything with the steering? Need to do mine.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Thank you JJ! Time and effort surpassed the cost, but it was a huge learning curve for me. I was able to share the steering assembly in Part 12 (link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/haGunXd9mLWHmpI) and there was nothing leaking nor was there any wear or tear. So no, I did not have to do anything to the steering valve or front steering cylinder. I did replace both female steering rod ends on the front cylinder and two male rod ends, but that's it. I picked those up at my local Princess Auto. Best regards

[@jasoncraig3752]

Love it!!!!

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Thank you so much, Jason!

[@conservativecrusader80]

Having a gt with the capability of a jd 400 completely gone through and looking great for $900 US (I'm in Indiana) is an incredible deal. I'm not sure where your at but around me that 400 would sell for $3500-3800 all day long.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I agree, a full rebuild for that price cannot be matched. It's great when one can do the work and enjoy the tractor once everything works like it should. I'm here in central Alberta and prices for these machines are fairly high! Garden Tractors in this condition will range anywhere from $4000 - 6000 CAD. They don't build them like this anymore and that is exactly why I like to give them some extra love! Regards -Andreas

[@blainewrzosek5302]

Andreas, I'm currently also rebuilding a 400. Just finished getting the engine back together and cleaning up the steering box. The hydraulic valve needs some attention as a couple of the spools are stuck so moving there next. Just wondering where you purchased the o-rings for the hydraulic valve as the prices you mentioned don't reflect the prices from John Deere dealership. I'm in northern Alberta so likely have same purchase options as you did. If you purchased jobber products can you share the sizes of the o-rings required? Thanks Blaine

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hi Blaine! It‘s nice to hear that you‘re rebuilding a JD400 too. I bet once it‘s done you‘ll love it😃 I have a separate video about the main hydraulic valve block and I think you just left a comment under it. I have some links in the description of my videos, and if you‘re viewing on a mobile phone, you must click the „more“ button right beneath the video. This will allow you to read the description I wrote, but also the links I share. I will reply to your email, regarding the 3D Print and I will send you some links for seals, in case you don‘t find them in the description. Thanks for reaching out to me and viewing my video series! Regards Andreas

[@justanothertractor4847]

A lot of work but worth it.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

There were numerous hours of work that went into the base frame and panel work, but I really hope this tractor will be in operation for many more years. Thanks again Adnan!

[@hunter7476]

By the way that Kohler is much better than anything you could replace it with also if you buy a new engine you’ll have to make it work by drilling holes brackets plates and making things fit wich is cost and timely so always best to rebuild engine if possible

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I agree with you on that! It's not always easy to revive an old engine, but with a little bit of effort everything is possible. That's exactly why I like to rebuild original engines, because there is no custom work that has to be done and all components line up the way they should! That doesn't mean I would not tackle a project with modifications or customizations. I might just have something up my sleeves for a future video...

[@martybeaudry5747]

nice

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Thank you Marty, I appreciate it. Regards Andreas

[@donnietrowell9134]

where did you find taillights at thanks

[@WorkshopRebuild]

These were purchased at my local Princess Auto

[@Ree33ee]

Just purchased a 1982 400 yesterday! Do you have a suggestion on where to get parts besides eBay? I won’t go as far as you but I want to fix several things.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

That's so cool! I would search for parts on Facebook Marketplace and maybe if you're lucky enough you can find a parts machine. It might be cheaper than just buying separate parts. I hope this helps with your repairs.

[@georgejones6374]

thats a good price for a mower. I have a 400 with mower deck and tiller. Any idea what is worth before a rebuild and after a rebuild??

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I agree! This was a complete tractor to start off with and that keeps the price of this restoration to a bare minimum. If you have a JD400 with a mower deck and tiller you have a really nice package!! The 3 point hitch and PTO kit are probably the most expensive accessories you have on your tractor. I would say your tractor is worth $2500-$4000 any day of the year. I would factor in the overall condition in this price and the amount of hours. For a rebuilt JD400 with mower deck and tiller I wouldn't sell it for less than $4000. This is my personal opinion only...others will probably think this is very high, but I can't see anyone buying a rebuilt tractor for less than this. I hope this helps you decide what you'd like to do with your tractor. Best regards Andreas

[@georgejones6374]

@@WorkshopRebuild I don't have it in me to rebuild the 1 I have. Would really like to see it go to someone who would rebuild it. Just don't know what its worth.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I fully understand! This restoration process does take quite a bit of time, but in the end I think it's totally worth it. If you have a good working JD400, then there is no need to do a restoration. Maybe this is something you can do in a couple months or years. -Andreas

[@williamriley2528]

You got a Brand New John Deere 430 there... You should replace the hr meter... You should get another 2,000 hours out of the old girl...!

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Yes, this tractor runs and feels brand new! I had that on my mind actually, great suggestion. I'll take good care of this John Deere for sure. Thanks for tuning in William, I appreciate it. -Andreas