Restoring a 50 Year Old John Deere 25B Planter to use on our Farm

Today we'll be restoring an old John Deere Planter to use on our farm. This implement is a game changer for the future of planting. There are no limits on how large of an area we'll be able to plant. There were around 20 hours of hands on work and another 10 off camera running down parts, buying paint, etc. It was a challenging restore due to the amount of rust and lack of availability to parts. Thank you for watching and enjoy!

[@terrylee7331]

Nice one of the best yet. Thanks

[@bigdaddylou9467]

Wow that looks great now!

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks Bigdaddylou

[@DustyRusty81]

something satisfying watching old machines restored, can't wait to see the corn you just planted

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks Dusty! It was a fun little restore job. That corn will be plowed up as it was just a test and will affect the growth of the corn I am planting in a few weeks.

[@eastarr3634]

Looking good.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks 👍

[@vampgoyle]

Never underestimate the power of a little elbow grease. It is always gratifying to bring an old piece of equipment back to life, and it will equal a lot less work for you this year. Great job hero!

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thank you Goyle!

[@flipflop4235]

Nice job.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks!

[@garypaxton9985]

Good work

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks

[@pamelaadame6420]

That is fabulous! It is nice to see someone repairing old equipment and using it rather than just buying new.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks Pamela! Farm equipment should last for many years if taken care of. My father still has a tractor in running condition that his father used when he was a child. That was almost 80 years ago!

[@badbri2317]

Hawks do love them some squirrel 😁 pretty sure it's their favorite prey

[@GrandOutdoors]

Looks like they are doing a fine job then. The only birds I can remember seeing, other than the hawks, are buzzards and crows. Hawks may be cutting down on that population too!

[@ALPHASHEPHERD1]

Nice piece of equipment you got there sir

[@mikeschneider4728]

Great job! The Spartan Farm: Where old machinery goes to feel young again.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks Mike!

[@kimwilson8096]

Careful the crude might be holding it all together! I have faith you will get'er shining in no time!

[@lordoskatat2811]

Anything for you brother, within my power....yeah use vinegar for rust and use diesel for paint and grease, when using vinegar sit overnight and you can use a little steel wool and make sure rinse with water and dry good......will make it shine where there was rust :)

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks. Yeah I was using diesel fuel to take off all the old hardened grease. The sprockets and chains were covered in it.

[@flyman6746]

This is a project that my Dad and I would do as I grew up of a farm. "Nothing Run's like a Deer"

[@usmctanker7729]

Those projects are fun to do. in 70s there should be enough steel material on most of the parts to last for over a hundred years of operations. I had a 1956 chevy 6400 conventional cab semi truck . I enjoyed starting to restore it since it had been sitting unused from 1970-1985. I hand cranked engine till i broke it loose restored quite a few body parts ,took saddle gas tanks off restored them they were over 1200lbs because they were thick steel & dual in one single unit.The dual rims& tires were very heavy almost 250lbs each. I got it running & operational & used it to haul home 2 1969 international pickup trucks & made one pretty good shape which was my first truck for when i was legal to drive at 16. I had been working on both for a few years since i was 12 or 13 yrs old. The things that farm boys do at a young age. I still did my regular farm dutes on top of thing. I still baled hay & drove combines when it came time to harvest corn/wheat etc. I enjoyed those days restoring things. I wish you luck i am sure there will be more than 1 part you cant get from john deere & have to fabricate yourself.

[@ronaldschultz1189]

I think you are doing a great job. It is frustrating while you work on it but it is really satisfying to get it working again.

[@xRomeo999]

Love your videos. I grew up helping my family on their farm. These brings back memories. 👍💯😪🤧

[@nicholasd8294]

that john deer 25b is pretty badass classic

[@hartleyhomesteadmichigan6041]

Nice work!

[@kevinflinner9185]

Thank you and congratulations for 1 year of this channel and all of the awesome content.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thank you very much Kevin for your support this past year!

[@amirvora1198]

For me this channel is very educational and inspiring. And your other channel is full entertainment.

[@laststeak9468]

I was watching your 7DTD videos and heard you talk about this channel on your playlist so I’m like let me check this out. You just provide great content all around! Had to sub here as well catching up on all the vids you are a true gem.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@karrane879]

Awesome job Spartan!!!! It came out looking great :)

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks a bunch!

[@dogfacemarc7784]

It is so nice to watch to take an old piece of equipment and make it work again. You have that old school spirit and I love it. Keep it going. Nice that you got it working for what you need now. I never doubted. A piece of art, a Van-Spartan. The fertilizer hopper does save money when you get large. Used/NIB parts online or fabrication in your future. I agree with the idea on the stream of a multi-welder. They have nice mig, tig, arc combos, some inexpensive. "It looks easy"... yea right, concrete work is never easy, except on 7DTD. By the way this comment was made after the stream, so I behaved myself. Another nice video, thank you for sharing.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thank you Mark! It was fun taking this old rusty piece of equipment and making it not only look new but server its purpose again! I'll be looking into a welder sometime in the near future. I helped my father as a child do all his own concrete slabs where his multiple shop now stand. It isn't easy by any means but definitely doable!

[@oldfarmer9004]

Honestly I like how you make it work for you. That’s a piece of equipment you’re going to be able to count on for years to come. You could use the framework to put a liquid fertilizer dispenser on it to side dress. Use a little 12 volt pump or something. Rather than wrestle with the old boxes. I tried one similar but for use behind a lawn tractor. I had to come up with a way to make the packing wheel turn the mechanism. It came off a 4 row unit and was driven by the wheels of the planter itself.

[@genechronister7085]

Nice

[@koppertopkop]

Cool cool

[@johnpodniesinski9068]

Next set of videos will be the Grand Spartan Restorations!

[@bilbobuggy]

You need some more spartan stickers...you might check with some of the john deer clubs on facebook .they are usually really freindly and helpful and they would know where to find parts and what parts will interchange.

[@GrandOutdoors]

I will check it out. Thanks Bilbo

[@lordoskatat2811]

Hey brother, gettin some nice machines going on.....for all the smaller pieces that can fit in a bucket that are rusted put them in vinegar not gasoline....let them sit over night will only require some very light brushing to clean them then hit with some oil

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks for the info!

[@bryanreagan7099]

GS, great video, you are a renaissance man for sure. You tackle these projects and I thank you for sharing them with us. You bring pride and craftmanship to light in restoring old equipment and sharing with us elements of farming culture many have no experience with. You also share your heritage with us. I can hear the respect and reverence when you talk about your father and the folks who teach you the old ways (thinking of the sugar cane here). I cant thank you enough. Now, lets get a Grand Spartan logo on that seed spreader. I am thinking right on the yellow seed hopper would be good. Be well, blessings on you and your family.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thank you for the kind words and support Bryan!

[@maniac8255]

Great work on the restoration sir ! You should think about buying a hot water pressure washer to help you keeping your tools nice and pretty (or at least getting rid of the rust and grease).

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks Maniac. I might look into one of those some day.

[@mdvlmangetmedieval2626]

As you started taking it apart my first thought was "Man, I hope he took very detailed pictures before he started.".....according to your comments...you didn't?? oh noes! At least you can get some of it from the video.

[@GrandOutdoors]

It only took about 30 minutes to get it all back together with no pictures needed. Mostly large parts on this piece.

[@hugehappygrin]

Paint it teal. Make it a Teal Deere.

[@eaglerider1826]

I can tell that this year your harvest will be bountiful , because @22:25 you showed us your green thumb . Glad to see the spreader was in your hands instead of rusting away to nothing .

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thank you Eagle Rider!

[@bigal1093]

You're gonna need a bigger shed to store all your toys :)

[@seanbreeden]

That was an amazing transformation. Great work!!

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@SherryNoyes100]

Thank you for showing us! Awesome video as always. Really cool seeing things like this. Always learning something new!

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thank you Mary!

[@Isinofre]

I love all the cuts with the pounding and grinding... sounds like music! Beautiful editing and the shop is looking very nice even with your tools for current project laid out. I like how it's set up. The planter looks amazing! Hawks and owls do love small rodents, after all, but the lack of other birds is very strange. Off to play Darkness Falls!

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thank you Isinofre!

[@Bobbyc5045]

I have a 25B they are great planters I use the fertilizer bins and insecticide boxes

[@bigmacd1244]

very cool the way that it all came together nice job sg

[@natashaorizetti5587]

Auger your favorite toy lol

[@DonGPierson]

Nice job on the restoration. Looks Great and will save lots of back strain!

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks 👍

[@chicoelvin9637]

Bigger building 🏫 time, and keep up the awesome work gs.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thank you Anna!

[@arthurdewith7608]

To bad the fertilizer application is rusted out this saves on fertilizer costs and gives u that extra boost corn needs it does not always rain when u need it

[@GrandOutdoors]

I'll eventually restore that piece as well. For now I've just been fertilizing by hand.

[@loganjhunter]

Just looking at those fertilizer hoppers... if you've got a tech highschool nearby with a metal fab department maybe your can get them to recreate those for cheap money. I know way back in the day when I was doing it that it wasn't uncommon for people to get work done there. I still have my old squirrel proof bird feeder (complete with prime and paint job by the auto body shop) hanging up outside.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Think I might take some metal and weld those back up myself some day. Problem would be the augers inside the hoppers. If those are bad then it won't be worth the restore. They are no longer available and would be a booger to fabricate. It would simply be too expensive for what they are worth. I have a fertilizer spreader that works fine for my needs out here.

[@seang1195]

Great motivation to get out and get some work done! Curious to what length and brand trailer that is. I'm in the market for one to move my tractor, implement, and atv around.

[@GrandOutdoors]

Thanks Sean. I don't know much about the trailer other than it is 16'. It came as a package when I bought the tractor. Pretty sure some local company built it. It has been a good trailer this past year and easy to pull.

[@thomassunderland5728]

Do you have any extra plates I could buy

[@brandonthrelkeld3636]

U know we’re I can get the disc openers

[@bilbobuggy]

Sounded like logan gathering resources on 7days.

[@dogfacemarc7784]

Not nice to post a link at the beginning of a Darkness Falls live stream.

[@thomassunderland5728]

I got 25 B planter i need okra ,field pea,

[@albertfisher8867]

take your time do it right

[@GrandOutdoors]

This was almost 2 weeks of footage slammed into 30 minutes. I did about all I could do with the tools I have to work with. I'd like to purchase a two stage compressor at some point in order to use my sandblaster on stuff like this. I'm sure in the future I'll take this apart, blast it, and repaint it. Until then this will have to do in order to have it ready for planting season.