Vintage Howard Gem Rotavator hasn't run for 15 years.. Will it Start??

A friend gave me this old Howard gem rototiller, It had been left in a shed for 15 years because it was impossible to start. Turns out it had multiple issues.

[@ricktimmons458]

i am no mechanic. love the mrthods you use to fix things. keep posting

[@coplandjason]

Nice to see it running, I spent many hours walking behind my Dad's old rotavator, it was a Howard "Little Gem" - baby of the Gem you have.

[@claudiogadda5344]

I like the way you work through the troubleshooting. By your approach it seems there cannot be anything you cannot fix. It's inspiring to me. Thanks a lot! It's also very nice to see how much fun and emjoimen your boy is having helping you. 😊

[@michaellynskey7124]

Howard were agricultural engineers from Harleston Norfolk UK, Designed and built the Roto spreader for farm yard manure from 1960, Also built the first big baler for hay & straw in the 1970, John Deere from America asked Howard to build them the muck spreader and paint them in the traditional JD green& yellow, Every Howard machine was finished in the traditional bright orange, And they were known for manufacturing extremely quality agricultural machinery.

[@phillbeutel9459]

Howard rotary hoes were australian designed and made mate sorry

[@beakittelscherz5419]

Thanks mate👍nice input!

[@Lordniksidor]

Bought an old masport commercial mower, never had as much guts as I thought it should, finally one of the valve seats popped out so i took the head off and staked the seat back in with a punch. Realised whilst i was turning it over the exhaust never closed, and the intake stayed open most of the time. Ended up taking 0.7mm of the intake and 1.2mm of the exhaust stems with a flap disk upside down on the lawn. Blessing in disguise it breaking on me, goes hard now 👍🏻

[@beakittelscherz5419]

You really tackled every issue with this motor, mate😎👍 Nice educational Video 👌📹

[@DanKoning777]

The only unfortunate thing re: your channel is that I just found it, so I'll be late to all the repair parties like this one-which was great btw. And here, I'm not sure what I enjoyed more-the repairs, or seeing and hearing your son laugh as the smile of genuine joy increased on your face each time he did so. God bless.

[@TechGorilla1987]

Your skills and your ultra-calm demeanor make you one of my ultimate favorite KZbin posters. The way you present your repairs is a style which really pleases me. Thank you, sir!

[@alexanderj.mendez3815]

Yup he a cool 😎 character!!

[@warrenholmar1129]

Well he is a South Islander..... Burt Monroe, John Britten both legends and both from the South, also both very seemingly calm fellas. He is in good company 😁

[@Pavement-Prophets]

Loved this! I had an Aussie mate from Margaret River who is an engineer who would strip everything down and rebuilt just like this. You’ve inspired me. I did my Dads ride on lawn mover a few years ago and feel comfortable with petrol engines not so fond of diesel. Awesome work!

[@garymallard4699]

Your kid laughing at you was hilarious !! Sure was enjoying what Dad was doing !! 👍

[@4sl648]

For a second there I thought we were hearing Martys inner monologue. So adorable.

[@shmackie]

"funny old thing" - that cracked me up. Definitely picking up on dads sayings!

[@Syncop8rNZ]

@@shmackie But was he talking about the machine or Marty? ;-)

[@charlesmcintyre5283]

@@shmackie n

[@faithhealer1008]

🥰🥰🥰

[@TokyoAzzA]

“Basically it’s a two wheel tractor with blades, so it’s going to be a fun machine if I can get it going” … Spoken like a true mad scientist 😂!

[@serhiitaranchuk7348]

Nice mаn

[@markhensley9378]

Runs pretty good for having sat so long

[@TokyoAzzA]

@@markhensley9378 Marty did a fantastic job getting it sorted out as per usual, and it sure does run great now!

[@kennethwhittle9014]

​@@serhiitaranchuk7348aaàààa

[@stefanscrivens3234]

You've made me feel all toasty inside. I love old machines being brought back.

[@petertew1661]

You wouldn't believe my excitement when I saw the photo of you pushing another machine onto the trailer, and as usual you didn't disappoint, well done Marty, and a 30 minute watch was the icing on the cake. 🙏🙏🙏

[@endutubecensorship]

Agreed, I wish I had this luck of finding old equipment 😆

[@Steve.Vaught]

@@endutubecensorship you just have to look. Go for drives and if you find something you like ask if it's for sale. You might be surprised and get it for free because the person just wants it gone. That's what happened to me.

[@endutubecensorship]

@@Steve.Vaught I completely agree, I've got a couple old pieces of equipment that way. It just seems Marty has one heck of a lucky side. I mean, free excavator!?! Common!! 😆

[@richardcole9558]

I spent the odd day or two hanging on behind one of those , I ached in places I didn’t know I had ! Enjoyed that mate 👍

[@PaulsRules]

I watch and have subscribed to your vlogs because I like watching old machines given a second life. Your knowledge on finding exact parts needed amazes me. What makes me annoyed is that most of the equipment you have acquired is because the previous owner just left it where it was because it stopped working. They did not try or were willing to spend the time and money to get it going again. But the other side of the coin you Marty would not have the joy in acquiring such machinery and get it going for a minimal cost. Plus you use them on your lifestyle block. Congrats.

[@edgarburnett2115]

What a joy hearing the youngster's excitement! Good job, Marty!

[@johnhensley7027]

Your calm demeanor sure builds a great deal of confidence in me as to your abilities. I still have nightmares of when my Dad would blow a fuse over something he couldn't fix or yell at me for holding the flashlight incorrectly. 😉

[@christopherhindle1174]

Just found your channel. I am very impressed with your mechanical abilities, skill at making do when new parts are not readily available or expensive, and clarity of explanation as to what the problems are and your solutions.

[@leonanderson4727]

That big heavy Rototiller is just the right size for your yard. I enjoy watching someone go through the motions of restoring a machine that accumulates decades of sedentary deterioration.

[@SteveFilby]

Great machines, they also had a single cylinder diesel, and the earlier ones had a option of a online twin petrol, and some came with iron drive wheels with lugs for traction

[@stevenjohannesen88]

Another great Vlog, love the home made engineered parts, great work, ❤️🦘🦘🦘

[@lottiecooper609]

Not much thought went into the consumers back when they designed this contraption!!! My bad back was crying watching this!!! Thanks for sharing!!! Your boy had me cracking up!!!

[@M.TTT.]

there were many more real men back then compared to now.

[@willtricks9432]

Consumers weren't invented when that was made.

[@oceallaigh1218]

There are multiple new versions of this and they are more or less the same design today as they were when this old girl was first designed

[@oceallaigh1218]

@@TF856 honestly I'm not sure about the company but there's a few others like yanmar that make something very similar, I use one in work (landscaping) and their tough to use but still extremely useful

[@davidknudson6382]

Love how you include the children. They learn so much, and have fun, when learning from dad. Congratulations!

[@ChuckHickl]

Nothing to add here that others haven't already said. You are amazing and your field mechanicing is the best I've see on KZbin.

[@chrisspencer6502]

Marty's no nonsense approach is refreshing in the you tube world no lectures about the good old days no fancy tools or bench trophies

[@IR-nq4qv]

The little guy is a true testament to whom his dad is....,👍👍 "Don't get excited.., Don't get discouraged and learn how to laugh at things that don't always go your way... 21:40 "Funny old thing"..... Marty, the smile on your face says it all... And when you size it all up, he's right, it is a funny old thing Great videos and content as always..... Excellent trouble shooting, diagnostics and field repair.

[@alexanderj.mendez3815]

What I enjoy is when he’s picking up another piece of equipment. You know he’ll have it running and working on his next project.

[@bunny-jayfalwasser4404]

Yeah, brilliant example of good parenting, all summed up with the little fullas statement. Marty T is the man.

[@dustoff1472]

That thing is a haus. Maybe not the best for small gardens, but could certainly be used on a small farm. Enjoying the channel. Tks for sharing.

[@bigtrev8xl]

I had a much older Howard Gem, with a British Junior Engine, on iron wheels, and no reverse, ya don't know how lucky you are, having reverse gear 😉😉😉😉👍👍

[@tipton3314]

That reminds me of "the good life" when Tom built his cart with one of those,great work mate

[@jpsimon206]

Your son is adorable! I find working on engines to be so frustrating and I've always admired your calm patience. Now I know your secret, it's impossible to be in a bad mood listening to that tyke giggle away at you. So many kids grow up being cursed at for not holding the flashlight still and hate engine work as a result.

[@GarbageKnight]

my dad had a really old one of these, but it didnt have the transmission, it was right off the engine with a belt. thing would shake your arms off. I loved it.

[@brentgates6363]

Your kid laughing made my day, maybe even my week. I also liked seeing you bring another vintage machine back to life.

[@harryscott6585]

Great video as always, I used to use the exact same rotorvator 30 yrs ago when training in horticulture in England 😊

[@ruaraidhmcdonald-walker9524]

Excellent!!! Such a satisfying repair vid! Good to have you back Marty! The giggles when it almost started was superb!!

[@adamlauina491]

My father in law bought one of these couple of years ago. Still runs. She’s a heavy beast so luckily it’s self propelled. She also kicks like a mule lol

[@playnhrd]

You resurrecting another machine from disuse is always enjoyable. Thank you. When my grandfather was teaching me about crank starting an engine, he instructed me to always crank using my left hand, because in the event of a backfire, the handle of the crack will come back around and hit your open left hand rather than the back of your right hand. Perhaps with smaller motors it is not as critical but on a Diamond T truck, it was important. Thanks again for a wonderful rescue of something old.

[@MartyT]

Good advice, these machines have an anti kickback ratchet on the starter so its not so bad

[@waterbourne9282]

Nice job working your way through all the faults one by one, patiently and determinedly. I learned a lot, thanks.

[@blxtothis]

Hats off to you Marty, a true engineering wizard. I never thought that you’d get that mechanical toe clipper to run.

[@AffordBindEquipment]

great vid! Even though those things are self propelled, they sure give a hard workout...

[@rainercourtney4616]

Your kid laughing at it and saying "silly old thing" was about the most adorable thing I've ever heard.

[@janjooste2991]

On the back of the gearbox is place for crank handle

[@pikricky]

So glad I found your channel Marty,as I mentioned in your Kubota tractor video you take me back to my days as a Mechanic doing exactly what you are doing now,thank you

[@PS-Straya_M8]

LOL that killer sheep having a munch 😁 Another great project Marty and your kid was having fun with the "silly old machine" 😁👍

[@johnperry5102]

your son was cracking us all up every time you tried to start that tractor

[@johnnymelendez4836]

Marty everytime you bring one back to life, I cheer almost as loud as your proud son👍. As always thanks for the knowledge👌🗽🇺🇸

[@josephcooksley3219]

These Machine came out with a range of attachments such as tine harrows , molding boards for potatoes , chain harrows and even a small cambridge roller ... Also a reel mower attachment inplace of the Rotary cultivator , a sickle bar mower Attachment ... also a Hedge trimmer ..with Shearers type flexible for it ... also a three row Weeding coulter bar attached in place of the rotary hoe module ... I had a Bantam version which was smaller but had similar attachments no reverse was always an issue in tight spots or on slopes lol ... The hoe unit was more effective than the Gravely rotary attachment ... but it was a good overall cultivator ... My Dad always wanted to up grade to the Gem but didnt get around to it lol .. I have since got a Gravely got a Gravely with 9kw k301s motor with brush deck and a reel mower head would like a rotary hoe head and snow blower as well probably have make one of those lol ...

[@richardtart4211]

Great video ! Brought back lots of memories as I spent many an hour watching my father use it , we also had a snow plough fitted to it and I was allowed a go 🤣 . As testament to its strength my dad dug up a mortar with it which blew the back guard clean off ! ,my father suffered no injuries and had it back up and running an hour later !

[@juanjesusmarcos1591]

You are a wonderful teacher, l like all your videos,from spain

[@frankgriffin1121]

60 years ago, I bought a Howard Rotavator, it had a hand crank and a lever to de-compress while you cranked it and after a few turns you released the de-compress and it generally started. I used it for 5 or 7 years and did a lot of custom work with it. It really was a good machine.

[@pegknife]

Which engine /BJ/JAP or Howard twin ?

[@doulasscott3845]

You do a great job of explaining what to do to get any motor running keep up the great work!

[@SabretoothBarnacle]

We had one of these on the farm when growing up - happy memories...good for trimming your toe nails :D This was also the Good's mode of transport in the 1970's sitcom The Good Life.

[@MartyT]

Found it right near the end -kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3endKCthNSaack might have to make one, the kids would love it

[@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy]

@@MartyT Everyone loves Felicity Kendal but the reality of this contraption is it'll take off your limbs in an instant for any small mistake.

[@Ragnar8504]

@@MartyT My aunt and uncle had one of them, built in eastern Germany, with a two-stroke engine, an ET081. They used it to cultivate the gardens around their house, growing potatoes and some other stuff they were allowed to sell. After the wall came down the market for home-grown veg collapsed and they put the ET into storage. Around ten years later we got it out and were allowed to race it around the massive courtyard. Definitely fun!

[@Don.Challenger]

This opens at the eight minute mark when your vehicle heads out on a well deserved night on the town: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3endKCthNSaack The Good Life: Series 3 Episode 3 (Part 3 of 3) Note the road tax and insurance is additional to petrol and oil.

[@chrishunt1042]

Unbelievable how this thing took quite alot to get goin but that petrol tractor under the tarp in the forest fired straight up and drove itself out. I flippin love these videos mate, keep em coming - thanks

[@cadcad4974]

Marty, I enjoy watching you resurrect old equipment including diesel/petrol engines, welding, or making your tools for the job at hand. Your calm demeanor while diagnosing problems, possible needed repairs, and explaining what & why certain repairs are needed is excellent! 🙂

[@Aengus42]

Had one of these when I was a council gardener. I quickly learned to adjust for yhe depth you want and give it time to burrow. Newbies would haul it about trying to straighten it up as the tines would catch a firmer bit of soil or roots on one side or the other. But the secret was to point it in the general direction you wanted to go and then relax, let it buck and weave. It would always average out in the end. If you tried to keep it straight it'd absolutely knacker you out in 30 minutes flat! It was a kind of zen, zoned out, relaxed at the shoulders, chilled amble behind the beast letting it do all the work... "Ommm...."

[@alasdairvincent6248]

This machine brings back memories. There was a Howard Gem in use where I used to work many years ago. An absolute beast of a machine which could fairly break up the soil . It made cultivation a lot easier. A great video.

[@patrickkelly7085]

and your ankles

[@wayne1959]

hey mate..the old girl ran excellent with that bit of tlc..we had one in the 70's that had a briggs engine from memory..I seem to recall it had a work creeper gear that sort of held the forward motion back against the force of the rotors..I was only a lad but could manage her ok on my pops garden.

[@ServitorSkull]

He pressure washes! YAY. Great stuff as always!

[@RGPepler]

Well done not your everyday refurbishment. nice to see the old stuff brought back from retirement I enjoyed that and many of your other very much. From Northern Thailand thank you.

[@LordMuck]

I've recently bought the bigger twin cylinder version of this Marty from a Kiwi over here in the UK ! I've sent the mag off for rebuild so just waiting on that to come back.

[@MartyT]

Nice, that will have some torque

[@msprincegt]

And the twin sounds great

[@barbannco]

love your videos..... great to watch old and unwanted machines get back to working condition.

[@robknights7205]

I have one of those , probably 50 years old and has a JAP single engine .A fire breathing dragon !!

[@42lookc]

That crank build was absolutely brilliant! Great job! And stellar troubleshooting as well! Very satisfying to watch you do your thing.

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

People from New Zealand are so chill regardless of anything. The world could be ending and all they'd say is "we had a good run"

[@dprcontracting6299]

Yeah no point in getting too excited about anything, it's too tiring 😀

[@richarddecoster4464]

Seeing the family involved in your projects great content. It's nice to hear a little back story these pieces you come across. Kohler engines very durable

[@russellkitson4518]

A bit of advice my dear old dad told me about hand cranking engines, from his experience with tractors and cars, was never to wrap your thumb round the starting handle but keep it on the same side as your fingers because if the engine kicks back your thumb will be in the way, resulting in a broken thumb. Either that or convert to an electric start LOL. Thanks for another great video. Keep them coming.

[@graemezimmer604]

A lot of those engines had an "anti-kick-back" ratchet arrangement so It couldn't bite you...

[@MartyT]

Good advice, but as Graeme has mentioned this one has anti kickback ratchet

[@bryanewing5058]

Good work Marty! Also, your sons laugh is contagious. Good kid! Congrats! God bless.

[@fenwelder2474]

what a fantastic skill to have . well done.

[@evilbrat5376]

A little bit of time and cleaning, trouble shooting some rough spots and a twenty buck carb - -your all set. Good job once again. Thanks for the ride.

[@chrisfairbrother9197]

Well done on getting it going. My Dad had several of these when I was young. With hard ground, lower the depth gauge (in front of the gear selector) to limit the depth of cut initially. Your machine looks similar apart from the engine. The starting handle you made should swivel like you made it and rest into the two upstands on the guard after starting. My Dads ones had a very small petrol compartment on the front of the fuel tank, started on petrol and then switch the fuel to the main tank using paraffin once warmed up. The blades were called tines if you need to look for new ones.

[@davidsoldiron]

Love the little one in the video. First time I had seen a Howard was on the old television series Good Life from the U.K.. It was labeled as Good Neighbors here in the States. Glad you had good luck in making the old girl go!

[@silasmarner7586]

Beautifully, elegantly executed in a logical manner.. It was a lot of work but you did it all great!

[@davidsnyder2000]

Way late commenting but Marty makes some great videos. One heck of a mechanic 👍 I’m amazed how any problems he comes across, he has a fix/solution. Lots of knowledge. Love the young lad laughing, when Marty was trying to get the motor to fire. He got me laughing lol😄 cracks me up

[@VintageTexas59]

Beast of a machine Marty, you will have more muscles after making a garden with that thing. Remember seeing one similar with swivel wheels on the rear and snow plow attachment in the front many years ago + a small standing platform on a hitch attachment also with wheels so you could stand and drive it like a garden tractor. This was back in the 70's over in Sweden.

[@dontrufit7889]

That was a nice video, Very good machine and hearing your family happy and laughing was very enjoyable, Thankyou for sharing this with us

[@JackBWatkins]

Did not know Marty had such an extensive machine shop. Loved how it starts like an old Ford Marty T. Next week Marty T builds an automatic irrigation system using free power and water. You don’t expect our favorite man of leisure and Gentlemen Farmer to water by hand. Oh and the kids will weed and harvest, until he can modify a combine down to a one meter track.

[@gregbeaver5244]

Marty you have the best restoration channels on KZbin. There are others but none I enjoy watching more ..

[@aLarryHamilton]

Great job! I'm always impressed by the condition of machine you can get running! My parents had what I thought was a large rototiller, but that thing looks like it's at least 2x as long. This was in the mid to late 1970's & early 80's. I'm in the USA. Don't recall what make or model, but it was a Briggs & Stratton Engine, as are most such engines in US. If you had all the blades you would have much better results. Unless it is an active garden, or you cover the grass/weeds with cardboard or plastic for several days/a couple of weeks, it takes 2 or 3 passes just to break it up. I usually do about 4 passes to ensure I've broken up grass. It tills much easier to cover with cardboard for several days, or over winter.

[@neildriedger637]

ABSOLUTE AWESOME VIDEO MARTY....HAD A GOOD LAUGH WHEN YOU SAID " THAT MUFFLER HAS SEEN BETTER DAYS " KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!!👍🙏🇨🇦🇺🇸😂🤣😂🤣

[@johnboyd6139]

You are a damn good mechanic! I really enjoy watching you bring these old machines back to life all the way over here in Arkansas.

[@Bigbirdlittledog]

Hoping with the jazzy holiday you can keep us going with some great videos. Cheers Marty

[@chairmankim9628]

Your videos are very enjoyable to watch.

[@paulw9584]

Great, this was one of the best step by step repairs you have done. It helps me a lot to watch this and apply it to my own repairs, thanks

[@abhinavkumar1102]

Good job brother Marty👍👍I'm watching you from an remote village of india... and today also we are using this type of silencer ....😀😀

[@STRIKINGLIGHTING1]

Marty, the bar that goes down behind the rotor blades should be lifted up while you operate the machine and put a bit more weight on the handles so the blades go down a bit deeper. Also they used to have a set of wheels to hook on the back so one could ride on it. I used to operate one at work, that had a hitch so you could tow other bits of kit around behind...

[@ginggur17]

I never ever tire of watching how you solve issues. Top marks Marty. 🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍🤜🤛🇬🇧

[@DCEPIPHONE]

A glass of red wine and a Marty T video is a good start to Level 4. Good stuff Marty!

[@djunknown...]

When your son said *funny old thing* that made me laugh! If there is a zombie apocalypse can I please come and live with you.

[@timothyhart7173]

Just stumbled onto this video enjoyed every second of it it's good to see a machine saved from the scrapper!

[@MattKrogmeier]

I thought my grandparent's old Troy Bilt was a beast...that thing is HUGE!

[@nealwright5630]

My father had one about this size when I was a kid. It had attachments, including a sickle mower. But it was too fast for it to run properly, probably needed a belt to a different pully. It was definitely a beast!

[@josephlwallssr6166]

Thank you, Marty for doing the whole, break down for us!It was really cool , how you manufactured, your own hand crank, to turn the Rottweiler over!Good job, on the retread of the sparkplug ,hole! I remember years ago, turning over my garden, with the rottertiller,I used to enjoy ,the heck, out of that! Thank you for sharing, your video, s.Each video , is a surprise !😀👍

[@GraemeWilliams]

Wow! This took me back - I remember my late dad being given one of these in the 70's, in a similar state and spending a lot of time tinkering to get it running again. Ours had the hand crank but was missing the pull start - or maybe it never had it. It was a bare bones model without tyres.

[@pyroplim6967]

We had a Howard dragon on the council parks department which lived up to its name .It had a habit of trying to break your arm starting it and would push you backwards through hedges if you were not alert enough on the clutch.I understand the Howard company were based in australia and england .Their tractor mounted rotovators and barrel type muckspreaders were very popular here in the day. I love your vids Marty your so chilled out in your way of working which is great after a bad day.

[@Jc2260]

Man, a lot of people will skip right past this video, but it sure is a powerful lesson in problem-solving. Imagine the progress that could be made on all sorts of issues in the world if we just applied some of the logic and strategy that Marty does as he evaluates and fixes these machines. Really impressive.

[@jamespayne8781]

Good job. Very entertaining. Looks like someone’s going to be digging up a stump in the near future.

[@dolvaran]

I haven't seen something like that since the war in Bosnia. Many farmers used them to pull their trailers of cabbages or potatoes to market. Amazing sight!

[@peterwhelan6144]

Must be very satisfying when they start - well done Marty you are very talented

[@markgreen394]

marty the best thing about that vid was listening to that baby laugh, well done mate cheers

[@jpsimon206]

Very cool trick on the thread repair. I have never thought to put grease on the interior. I would have thought that it would mix with the loctite as you spin the insert in. That is an excellent trip to put in the mental toolbox, thanks!

[@MartyT]

Yes you have to be careful to wipe off any excess grease and not let it get to the insert thread

[@RadioWerwolf]

Actually you do not need the manual in your phone. Valve clearances and other information are already provided at the bottom of the Kohler engine tag as "in 010 ex 010". Good work as always. After sitting so long, it is still in a quite good shape. And loved the improvised crank handle.

[@rodcurrieclassics8102]

Yeah. it all comes back to me..I built a house about 30 years ago and when finished I need to rotovate half an acre of neglected garden. The phrase I used at the time was it was like fighting with an enraged drunk wrestler. Eventually you get better at it but its bloody graft.

[@damianartega6122]

Ahhh I've missed these type of videos from you!!! Love it