I am a California boy who married an Indiana girl (who grew up tall and grew up right) and we eventually moved to her hometown area which is about 200 miles south west of you. You are my virtual mentor. Your little paradise in a sanctuary of farmland is what I am striving for. I have had some roadblocks along the way, but I am pushing forward to make a home that my wife and daughters can cherish. You are a continual source of ideas and inspiration. Your sensibilities really resonate with me. Thanks for the weekly videos. Sitting down and watching them every Sunday morning is a treasured ritual of mine now.
I am glad that you have the opportunity to experience the joy of a rural life. Here's to hoping that you succeed in making it as fun and rewarding as 70 of my 71 farm spent years have been. (My sentence of one year spent in city life taught me that there is no substitute for country living.) Good luck and keep up the pursuit... it's worth every effort!
As a floridaian, whose lived in IL, and currently living in Orange county California. Much respect to you, and im sure your wife cherishes being back in her hometown making memories with you
Neil, Don’t know how often he tells you, but I suspect your dad is quite proud of you as I know you are of him. Your family history is a thing of beauty and is so Americana. Thanks for the weekly videos. I look forward to them . The crazier the world has gotten the more valuable your videos have become. They reassure me that normalcy and goodness can still be found in America. They’re in Indiana. ❤❤
At first it may seem like a small point but I think the fact that your daughters were going out with their grandfather to celebrate their 13th birthday speaks volumes about their character and your and your wife’s parenting skills. How many 13 year olds would choose to celebrate this significant passage to teenager with their grandfather?You have a family that you can really be proud of. 👍👍
They have been going out for supper to celebrate their birthday with Grandma and Grandpa since they were itty bitty. It doesn't always fall exactly on their birthday but I hope they keep up the tradition. Thanks for mentioning it as we feel it is pretty special too.
Neil i'm sure your grandfather, is looking down and smiling from ear to ear, seeing that you are using his tractor with his great granddaughters Take pride in the fact that your teaching your daughter's right. And now that they're thirteen, enjoy these times because soon they will fly away and leave the nest. Never lose that pride in your children. You and your family are blessed. Thank you for all for that you do on uour videos. Keep up the excellent work.
Neil this has probably been my favorite of any video you’ve made! Tractors can hold so much sentimental value, family history, and good memories. Each time I fire up my Massey 245 my mind goes back to riding it with my Great Uncle as a kid. I also particularly love videos with your dad in them, he’s the kinda person I’d enjoy spending time with. Have a great week!
My first time on a tractor was a month ago. (I'm 49) I bought 15 acres (I named it Whiskey Ridge) (amazing view for miles over a valley) here in Wisconsin last year and was paying everyone to do everything. Your channel motivated me to buy my own tractor and start doing things myself. Bought a 2024 Kubota MX6000 with a loader and backhoe in July. Have since also purchased an 84" box blade, forks, etc. New barndominium is being built this week. Have a 1/5th mile STEEP gravel driveway to maintain, pond to excavate, and limitless other plans. LOVE your channel and seeing your daughters on that old tractor. How cool to have 4 generations all using the same tractor. Bless you and your family and thank-you for the videos. I've learned a ton!
That was pure, proud dad there!!! Your girls have had a great time growing up with a dad like you. There hasn't been any job that you haven't had the girls take part in, once they were old enough to understand what they were doing! That is the essence of being a good dad. You teach them the basics, and then let them learn how to solve problems for themselves. That is what I would have liked to do, but never had kids. Thank you for letting us see what a good dad looks like Neil. You always involve the girls, which I love seeing as they are beautiful copies of their mum, and are going to be very adventurous in the next few years, so watch out... From UK.
Enjoy these times while you can with your girls. My little girl turned 18 in January and moved out yesterday. Like you said in the video, I'm both proud and terrified at the same time. Cherish every moment.
Neil, thanks so much for your videos. I have very, very little connection to farming (though I’ve lived in rural areas much of my life), and I’ve never been all that interested in big equipment, cars, tractors, etc. But somehow, your ability as a storyteller (via RUclips) has sucked me in and I look forward to each episode of your channel. I always learn something, so it has an educational function, but what brings me back is the way you find the story that connects history, tradition, 😢family, the community, and much more. This video is a perfect example. Each Sunday morning my 7yr old son and I watch your videos together - creating our own little tradition. Again, thank you!
I liked your comment here, and likewise I connect with Neil so easily but with no direct connection to the content. DDD is just decency and respect and hard work made real in you tube . Do you know Andrew Camarata’s channel? Addictive for many of the same reasons.
Neil, You are a lucky man. To be able to enjoy your father and children doing manual labor on the farm is a lifetime experience you will all remember. I love hearing the sounds of the old tractor and rattleing of the chains. Reminds me of my younger days. Enjoy it, my friend.
Been watching your channel religiously for a few yrs. We share many of the same interests - equipment, tractors, trucks, DIY. I very rarely leave comments on RUclips. Love every video you make but this one takes the cake. We were born the same yr and I have a 5 yr old girl that has been riding and driving (while on my lap) my compact tractor. You’re great at telling a story, which makes your videos unique. Keep them coming!!!
"I've been listening to that for 70 years." "Oh yeah, I remember. I liked her at the time." "...something you don't want to say in an airport." Give your dad a hug for me.
I remember 60 yrs ago farmin w/dad and grand dad old McCormick tractor pullin stone boat and pickin rocks and running a 3bttm plow Still can hear dad sayin”keep that tire in that furrow “ and “keep lines straight “ lol. Good memories Always enjoy your videos good to see the kids learning the ways of the older gens 😊
Man, this brought back memories of when I completely rebuilt a 3hp Briggs and Stratton engine on a mini trail bike for my daughter when she was like 10 and let her ride it for first time on her birthday. Scared, nervous and happy all at the same time! She's now 29yrs old. I'm going to ask her if she even remembers that. 😅
This was beautiful. 4 generations have now used that tractor. In 1980 I was at a friend of my father’s farm. It was raining & I couldn’t care less, I was driving that Deere and loving every minute of it.
I'm a 62 year old woman and I remember driving our John Deere tractor and cultivating our bean field. I was probably the same age as your girls. Dad said I had more patience than he did doing it and did a better job. I loved that old Johnny Popper! Everyone in the small village in Illinois where I grew up also loved to hear it popping away when we used it. I have great memories of those times, just as your girls will when they get older.
I actually got choked up watching you watch your daughters on the tractor, knowing what that meant to you. Thanks so much for sharing that moment....you really warmed an old man's heart.
I'm a Farmall guy myself, but all the tractors from that era are cool. Great to see you and your dad spending quality time together. Enjoyed the video.
Hey sir! My first time on a tractor was at 13 years old as well! My grandpa flipped land in his retirement. He had bought 40 acres of road frontage. We cut all the cedar logs from it and I got to use the tractor and forks to stack and load the logs. I also got to count and mark them with the red lumber crayon. He broke that into lots and sold it off. Homes were built and families were started. Several of which are still there! That was 22 years ago. My daughter also just turned 13 years old. She also happens to play softball. 🥎 she drove the car through the practice field for the first time 3 weeks. Now she asks each time we go to the field ❤️ thanks so much for giving me a reason to recall these special memories with my grandpa.
I have used a WD45, and a D17. My first time driving a big tractor, and 7 years old, everything is big, was a John Deere B, pulling a hay wagon, following a hay baler run by a Wisconsin air cool engine, a tractor just towed the baler back then, I basically just steered the tractor along side the dropped bales while dad and two other guys picked the drop bales and hand loaded them, talk about labor intensive. Brought back good memories. You now have an invaluable family recorded resource of your dad and your daughters operating the WD, and a recorded family history. Thanks Neil, great video, enjoyed watching, really appreciated it.
This video brings back so many memories of my grandparents and my first time driving a a tractor which was an Allis. My grandfather has since passed but my grandmother still has an active farm, that someone farms for her since she is 90. And my face lit up when your dad mentioned Butler since that is where she lives. I enjoy seeing a little bit of my childhood in your videos.
My daughter’s are some of the best help I ever had building houses in SC. But to have them run their great grandfather’s tractor would have been over the moon!!!! I can only imagine the pride you are feeling, and scared goes hand in hand with children doing new things!! Can’t hardly wait for the next video!
My dad had an Allis Chalmers B. He used it to plow our garden and folks around our town's gardens. That's initially what I learned to drive on when I was 6 years old. He'd let me drive it to the next garden and he'd follow along in his old 37 International 3/4-ton truck. That's also the first truck I learned on at 8 years old. I eventually got big enough, he'd let me plow for spending money. He eventually sold it to our school district when he got too old to plow. They overhauled it and to the best of my knowledge are still using it to this day to mow the lawns around the district's schools. 'm 75 now and still miss those good old days. Miss my dad even more. Thanks for the videos, Neil. Keep up the good work and God bless.
5 yes old driving 1 st gear Oliver 550 with a trip bucket drive in field with other bigger kids picking rocks remember 50 years latter like it was yesterday. I enjoyed watching your girls getting the experience of disking great memories
Neil, for many of us who live in “the city” now but grew up living this lifestyle, I really appreciate you sharing these stories and memories. I learned to drive in a pasture on an old Ford N tractor and playing in an old MM cab at my grandpas farm with my cousin on Sundays while the adults sat under a shade tree and talked farming and sports. I grew up in northern Iowa and while states are divided by imaginary lines, we all grew up the same way! Thank you for sharing!
My favorite day of the week. I sit down in my lazyboy, sip my coffee, flip on RUclips and look forward to watching another great episode of Dig-Drive-Diy! Thx Neil for sharing your family and producing wonderfully positive content. Now off to do chores, cheers 🍻🇺🇲
Neil, I grew up around my family's dairy farm (~3200 acres). My first time driving a tractor alone was my grandpa's Allis Chalmers B (wide front) and a 5-wheel hay rake. Obviously the farm had a lot bigger and newer equipment I could have used but that was my start - a 6th grader, an Allis Chalmers B, and a hay rake. The farm was sold.. but we kept that tractor. Some things are just worth more than a selling price could bring.
I fondly remember my Uncle pulling my cousins, brother and sisters and me around the farm yard on a toboggan with a tractor very similar to your one , Neil!
I was 6 years old and watching my younger brothers in the truck at the end of the field and my dad came walking up and said I had to pull him out, he was cutting soybeans and was stuck. We had a GB Minneapolis moline wheatland tractor with a hand clutch, so he gave me a quick lesson and I pulled him out. The next year, I started disking by myself. I'm 61 years old now. I love your channel and content.
My uncle, a mechanic by trade and part time farmer by necessity, let me drive his farm tractor on his lap back in the 1960s when I was probably about 5 years old, cutting the tall grass on the slope below his house. I remember it like it was yesterday. Between him and my Dad the electrician I've spent a lifetime gaining all kinds of hands-on skills for building and fixing things for work and hobbies. You can't put a price on getting youngsters fired up about being competent with all sorts of equipment. They grow up to become the people who save the day when times are tough. Good for you, sir. Your channel is a great reminder that in some parts of this country people still live the way I grew up.
Love this video. I spent many hours on our International H mowing when I was young. But my first time driving was on my Grandads John Deere 4020 when I was 9. He got it rolling for me because I couldn’t reach the clutch. He hopped off and met me about 1/2 mile away and hopped back on to stop it. Obviously not the safest thing to do. This video brought back so many great memories of growing up farming. Thank you for that!
Thanks Neil. This is so relatable to me. The first tractor I drove was a WD with the hand clutch. Then my parents bought a small 80 acre farm when I was 14 and we farmed it with a D17 and Farmal Super C. My dad drove truck so on the weekdays after school, I would drive to the farm and plow with a 3 bottom plow, back and forth evening after evening. It took a long time plow and disc, 80 acres a few feet at a time. Good memories though...
BlufftonReiff here. We also had a WD and looked just like yours, but it was restored. When your dad fired it up and put her in gear, it was a flashback to my teenage years. I had forgotten, but now remember that same whine/grinding sound in our transmission. Thanks for the memory! I was always amazed how much torque those giant tires exerted in 1st gear. Thanks Neil!
Wow the girls are 13 already!? Glad to see them discing they won't forget that! My grand father and his dad had ALLIS CHALMERS tractors on their dairy farm. Great grandfather bought a 190 xt new my grandfather's senior year of high school in 1967. My first memory 3 years old on my grandfather new DeutzAllis 31hp. Couple years later we were on the same tractor on the road heading to a field a few miles away. I had a bee sting me inside my eye, mom was freaking out said the white of my eye was hanging out 😂. Now that im in my mid 30s and grandfather is mid 70s we have restored a FEW AC TRACTORS included a B, D17, 170 with canopy and front loader we still have. 180, 190 and our current project is a 1974 AC 200. We have rebuilt the engine and breaks on the 200 and put new tires and went through and replaced or did maintenance on everything mechanical, this winter Lord willing is body work and paint. Grandfather wants to keep the 200 and use it on our pumpkin farm, mainly because of the 190xt his dad bought new. Every kid should grow up like we did, or grow old. These tractors make us a kid at heart ever time we sit on the seat!
I am 69 and grew up on the farm. I know this old equipment. You are the same age as my oldest daughter. Very nice teaching your daughters how to run the equipment. Glad they are willing to try. Really awesome
I know exactly how you feel. I just got my grandfather’s 1952 John Deere B restored. He bought it brand new in 1951. It was used every day on the farm in New Hampshire. Now it enjoys the retired life in Southern California. I was raised around farming and miss it every day. Now that I live in the city it is nice to drive it around from time to time.
That was a nice Sunday morning for me. Great video . I liked the way you captured and articulated the different generations in your family show casing American farming legacy. Thank you
Cali girl here raised in hay and dairy lands. So not really was allowed on the heavy stuff, but did drive the tractor pulling the hay to feed the cows!! You look like you were having a proud dad moment, 4 generations on the same machine brought a tear to my eye!!🙆♀️🙆♀️🙆♀️🙆♀️
4 Generations on the same equipment, love it! I have tools from both grandparents that I cherish ! They are reminders of how my grandfathers put food on the tables to feed my parents
We’ve been watching your channel for a year or so, always enjoy your family friendly content. Truly enjoyed the story of the farm, and watching your proud Dad moment was awesome, thank you for sharing that.
This is the best way to start my Sunday morning. Your content is always meaningful, and heart-felt, showing aspects of life that most people miss. This past year, my father passed away and the admiration that you show to your father brings good memories of time the times in the past I spent with my father. Bringing the girls to learn lessons they will never learn otherwise is what parenting is all about. Thank you for sharing your time with us.
Neil, thank you so much for making this video! My grandfather had a WD (my uncle has it now) and i used to help him on it and i remember when i was really little sitting on that tool box the same way. My grandfather farmed in Hartville Ohio for many years. I remember driving it through the cornrows using that same hand clutch as we pulled a wagon and he picked the corn and filled up the wagon. Just like your dad said he would turn it around at the end of the Rows for me. This video brought back a lot of great memories! He has since passed, but this reminds me of how hard he worked and how great of a man of God he was. Thank you again.
Happy 13th birthday, Ella and Eva! Seeing the girls driving the tractor, coming toward the camera, with the little dust cloud in the back made me think, what a perfect, iconic picture of American farming. Brought a big smile to my face. I don't have a tractor story but when I was 12, my neighbor's friend was visiting my neighbor with his beautiful, 1967 Olds 442 and he let me drive it around the neighborhood. That was a blast that I will never forget!
Neil.. With the smile I see on your face I would say you are a proud dad!! How cool is this old tractor. It reminds me of the one that was on my parents property. Thanks for the memories.
Neil... you are blessed beyond riches! O' how I wish I could have that conversation with my dad. There are so many details of my first drive about which I have memories... but, I know they are incomplete. You see, I don't know his side. And, never will. My dad's first tractor was a Farmall B. He traded a Yorkshire Boar for it when I was about 8. It had been sitting in an old Apple Orchard for several years. The farmer had left it there because he forgot to drain the water before a winter freeze. The result was a hole in the cast iron engine block. I remember plainly the patch he put on it by sandwiching steel plates and gasket sealer coated cork sheets, inside and out. It wasn't pretty but it worked. I spent hours riding the fender as he disked the fields. We also, drug a 1957 Cadillac car hood sled to pick up rocks. A sickle bar mower cut hay and weeds. And, in the Fall, a belt driven Buzz Saw cut limbs and small logs into firewood. At one point, he mounted a homemade manure scoop to the front. That tractor put us into farming! However, all of these tasks were too advanced for me to tackle... until I turned 10. I remember that day as clear as glass. He had just borrowed the neighbor's square baler to bale our 3 fields. Although the fields seemed huge to me, they totaled about 10 acres. I mounted the fender of his new (to us) Farmall H and we drove past the Farmall B on our way to get the baler. As we did, he said, "I'm gonna put you on the B today." I sat in awe at the prospect of driving the tractor, all the way to the neighbors and back. The excitement was accompanied by apprehension. Although I had watched him drive for hours, I really had only fantasized about controlling the beast. Would I be able to do it? I watched, with heightened attention, every move he made. When we got the baler home, we dismounted the H and walked over to the B. It was parked just inside the gate to the first field, with the wheeled hay rake on the back. As I awaited his cue to mount up, he took me on a tour of the tractor. He showed me the alignment of the left edge of the rake and the rear tire, the sightline to keep windrows even and all the controls that I needed to operate. I listened with all that I had in me to absorb what he said. And, then, he told me to mount up. The first command he gave was for me to put the transmission in Neutral. Although I knew no clutch was required when the engine was off, I pressed it anyway, before slipping the shifter. Then, he told me to turn on the switch, pull the choke and give it half throttle. As he gripped the crank handle he asked if I was ready. I shook my head and he gave it a crank. After a few cranks, it sputtered to life. Feeling that vibration and hearing that sound seemed different than it had the countless times before. It held me in a trance. Until my dad hollered at me to shut off the choke. He climbed onto the fender and took, what had been up until that time, my place... as the passenger. Over the next fifteen minutes, I learned more about the mechanics of controlling an iron beast than at any other time in my life. Little things like how to hold the spinner knob on the steering wheel... slowing the throttle to handle the curves... preventing over steering... aiming the bicycle front end to keep the rear wheel aligned with the edge of the previous windrow.... watching forward and back at the same time... smoothing out clutch engagement... kept me intent on what I was doing. My dad rode with me throughout the first field. He calmly talked me through every move. Eventually my confidence grew and I didn't have to seek his approval. You see... my dad seemed to be wearing a bigger grin than I'd seen at any other time when he'd been on a tractor with me. And, that Neil is what ran through my mind while I watched you beam as your young ladies experienced their first "Real Tractor Drive". Precious memories are all that I have left.... Good on you for capturing these. You'll always treasure the time you spent with your dad... and no doubt your daughters will look back at this video someday and say, "I remember that as if it was yesterday!"
@sassafrasvalley1939 Great story Dave! I could picture it perfectly. It's funny how so many of those "firsts" are permanently imprinted for so many of us. It speaks to the significance of the situation for our young selves I think. I knew it was a unique situation to capture the first tractor drive stories of 3 generations in one video and I'm so grateful that the opportunity presented itself. Plus it was actually really helpful to have them discing while I was busy on the skid loader. Thankfully Dad was there to coach as well. I've got some more great footage from that day that will show up in another video most likely but I'm sure it will be playing over and over in my head for many years to come. Thanks so much for sharing your story and following along with ours. Have a great week!
@@digdrivediy my dad lost the tractors in a liquidation sale when I was 21. I was in the Marines during the sale and had no idea who bought them. About 20 years later… a few years after my dad passed… I was at an antique tractor show in our home town. I saw a completely restored B sitting on the Farmall line. I was drawn to it almost magnetically. As I was looking at it, I saw that it had a patch on the engine block that was identical to the one ours had. So, I asked the owner about it… He had received it from his uncle and decided to restore it. He left the patch because it looked like an authentic home made repair… he used the same steel plates and screws. However, he upgraded from cork to rubber gasket sheets. He even had the original owners manual… inside the back page was a listing of all the services and repairs my father had done. I spent several moments filling him in on the history that I knew… and, somewhere in a box of photos is a picture of me standing next to it with its shiny new red paint and decals. So, yeah… I expect that B to out live me. Perhaps I should dig out the photo and clip a copy of this story to it! Maybe someday it’ll show itself to someone in my family again?
@@sassafrasvalley1939 That is fantastic! How wonderful that you found it again. To know that it will live on and that you are part of the story is icing on the cake. I'm glad that the engine block repair was still there as well. Super cool 👍🏻
Warms the heart to see your daughters learning from their grandpa. Kids these days in other places within the US would have their noses in their phones and never talk to their grandparents! Thanks for the video! tc
I did a refresh on a wd45 3 years ago. I finished it in time to give to my son on his first birthday. He's now 4 and he is 4th generation in our family to own it since new in 55. Love watching your videos but this is now my favorite video
First time I let the think she was 7 years old daughter drive my 316. So excited I ran back towards the house so I could shoot a video of her pulling some timbers across the yard. I need to get a wider view. At the same time my wife had happened to walk up into the kitchen window from the laundry room and seen her. Giant scream from the house was caught on camera and then me laughing. Because of your videos I have bound and determined to keep that 316 alive. It made a move from Grand rapids up to traverse City area. It is going to be sitting in storage over the winter
Neil, these are the videos I enjoy most. I first came for the pond videos, but have been a subscriber since. Your corvette video and others highlighting your family are among my favorites. I’m 64, and how I wish I would have made such videos with my late mom and dad; I know my adult children and teenage grandkids would have loved these kind of insights into prior generations. Appreciate everything you do and never miss a Sunday…
I love just how many "Jack's" there are. My husband is named Jack. He grew up on a 360 acre farm in Northern Idaho. I love your channel. Keep the memories coming. Have you heard about that young boy name Jackson who's 8 yrs old and extremely knowledgeable about farming and John Deere Trackers? He has a RUclips/TikTok channel titled "It's a Jackson Thing." Smart kid from Indiana.
That was great. Thanks for sharing. My dad had a small Case 646 with a loader from as early as I can remember. I think I was driving that by the time I was 6. My Grandpa had an Allis Chalmers just like that one but with a loader attachment on the front. I remember driving it for the first time when I was about 13 years old. I felt like the king of the world. The steering wheel would jerk out of your hand if you hit something with those narrow front wheels. Grandpa always said, "it will break your wrist if you try to fight it, so just let it go." I still remember the sound, the smell, and the way it vibrated like it was yesterday. It is like the smell of Grandma's house, one of those things you never forget.
Watching this video is like a blast from the past. I can remember the day my father put me on our Farmall A and showed me the ropes. He let me drive alone and drag a small field that would become our garden. He did have to jump on once and show me how to turn it with the brakes as the soil became too loose to steer.. That was over 60 years ago but it will always be one of my proudest moments with my Dad. Your daughters will now have that great memory.
Neil, great video! You’re so lucky to have your Dad around that has it all going on and has the tractor to boot!! I grew up in WNY and learned to drive a Farmall H - bushhogging the fields when I was 10. My parents trusted me just like your Dad did and you with your girls. You’re a good man teaching your daughters like that! They’ll NEVER forget.
Happy birthday, ladies from the UK. How great to see them driving the old tractor. In this day and age, there is too much emphasis on health and safety, and kids growing up cossetted from everyday life. Obviously, we need to keep people safe and free from injury, but basic common sense is all that is needed. I was also driving tractors when I was 13 in New Zealand. I remember once getting the rear wheels stuck in mud and had the front wheels going vertical. The farmer calmly told me to dip the clutch, and all was well.
Love the channel, very similar experience to yours as first time driving a big tractor. 6 years old and was put to operating a 1966 Oliver 1650 with a JD 4 row cultivator cultivating corn on my grandparents dairy. This video brought back so many fond and fun memories. You have passed down a right of passage that your girls will never forget. And hopefully maybe they can continue the same memories and traditions. Thanks so much for all great videos
International Farmall was my first tractor to actually drive by myself. 1979. I must say that has to be one of the best moments to watch on your channel when your daughters drove the AC. So few kids will ever experience anything like that. Your are a good father Neil.
Neil, brother my first ride was my papaws 1977 case backhoe 580c. Loading and hauling creek rock from Knob creek in Bullitt county KY. I’m proud to say I own it now and have goals on restoring it fully. It’s still operating, just want to make him proud of the ownership. I cherish his memory by having it and keeping his memory alive. I appreciate you sharing the emotions from your daughters using your papaws tractor. I pray I get to share that same experience with my future children.
My moment on machinery was prepping baseball diamonds with a garden tractor pulling a drag or a screen. It was a Simplicity but I don't remember the model number. My older siblings did it before me and I just carried on the tradition. At 53, I still love getting my son's ball diamonds 4 decades later. Thanks for the memories, Neil.
My first drive was 1949 Farmall super C. We are a dairy and used it for all sorts of tasks pulling hay wagons, moving hay feeders in pastures, helping with harvest from garden, etc. Unfortunately lost the tractor in barn fire in 2018. Will always love and look fondly on that tractor and the many memories with it. Thanks for sharing.
When your dad started that WD. I remembered my uncle had one and my dad would borrow it to run. The blower for the silo. My dad had Farmalls . We use the WD for the pulley on the side of the tractor to run the belt on that blower. My job each morning was to check the gas in the WD. We used the feel method or a stick. I was 10 years old. Lots of memories. Thanks.
I love old iron, stories of old iron and seeing old iron continuing to be used. Watching the girls continue the legacy warmed my heart. But the continuing theme throughout all your videos is that the true treasure is Jack. You are indeed blessed many times over.
My wife and I just happen to be driving by Saturday evening and I recognized the barn and Louie while you were working the soil. I told her about your cool videos. Thanks.
We had a WD when I was a kid. My dad let me drive it when I was six pulling the hay wagon. That was over 60 years ago. The WD is long gone and dad passed a couple years ago, but I've still got the memories. Thanks.
Often these days it seems that history is something far off in the distance. Disconnected from our roots. The way you brought the story to life and are keeping it going is amazing. These are the memories that persist for generations. Thank you for taking us through your family journey. Your roots are deep and provide so much nutrients for your family and this community.
Love the old stories, so glad to see the girls getting involved in all you do, you could see the proud dad on your face when they drove the tractor, priceless, be well my friend.
Wow! The difference in the way the video started and how it ended were night and day! With the state of the world today, it gave me hope and faith in humanity to see three generations working together and loving one another. I'm 10 years older than you and I lost my dad in 2010. We worked together in the Masonry business and on thousands of other DIY projects as far back as I can remember, and I still miss him every day. Cherish every second you have with your dad, Kara and those girls. We only get one chance in this world and it looks like from your grandfather moving forward you have all been blessed with strong morals and the value of just doing the right thing whether it is the "norm" or not. If you have the strength at the end of your day, hit your knees and thank God for your many blessings. Funny how things work out. I clicked on this channel about 5 years ago while restoring a little John Deere 430 because I caught a video of you using one of your small tractors and I thought I might get some pointers. We have exchanged replies maybe a dozen times. Over the years I have come to feel like a relative and I can't wait for Sunday to see what you have been up to. Keep doing what you are doing!
Another great video, probably one of my favorites so far. Brings back lots of memories helping my dad on projects just like that. Thanks for sharing and bringing us along with!
That was absolutely beyond COOL! Put a smile on my face. I thought it was cool that the tractor was still in your family since new. When you put your girls on it, whole new level. Hopefully someday the next generation will be running it. I was 12 the first time I got to run a big tractor by myself, did garden tractors before that, it was a 1942 International Farmall H. Still remember it like it was yesterday. I'm sure your girls will remember that day for their lives as well.
You should be proud Neil that's a big deal to think you started on that same Allis and now your kids are too. Pretty kool, the ole girl still runs and sounds real good getting the job done it's just amazing how well built these old tractors are so many years later and it's still a very viable piece of equipment and if it could talk it would probably say Thank You for letting me work again in the field!
This might be my favorite video you've made. I got choked up watching your Dad drive the tractor. Then when your help arrived. That was awesome. I remember being put in the seat and started in low gear. Point it at that fence post, and turn when I tell you. Awesome video.
I am a California boy who married an Indiana girl (who grew up tall and grew up right) and we eventually moved to her hometown area which is about 200 miles south west of you. You are my virtual mentor. Your little paradise in a sanctuary of farmland is what I am striving for. I have had some roadblocks along the way, but I am pushing forward to make a home that my wife and daughters can cherish. You are a continual source of ideas and inspiration. Your sensibilities really resonate with me. Thanks for the weekly videos. Sitting down and watching them every Sunday morning is a treasured ritual of mine now.
I am glad that you have the opportunity to experience the joy of a rural life. Here's to hoping that you succeed in making it as fun and rewarding as 70 of my 71 farm spent years have been. (My sentence of one year spent in city life taught me that there is no substitute for country living.) Good luck and keep up the pursuit... it's worth every effort!
On an Indiana farm, on an Indiana night!
As a floridaian, whose lived in IL, and currently living in Orange county California. Much respect to you, and im sure your wife cherishes being back in her hometown making memories with you
Check out Vice Grip Garage. He has products that seal and protect the original paint and patina of old cars.
I got to make the likes 100 and yes your living the dream do it for sure..
Neil,
Don’t know how often he tells you, but I suspect your dad is quite proud of you as I know you are of him.
Your family history is a thing of beauty and is so Americana.
Thanks for the weekly videos. I look forward to them . The crazier the world has gotten the more valuable your videos have become. They reassure me that normalcy and goodness can still be found in America. They’re in Indiana. ❤❤
Really appreciate it. Yes, there is still plenty of normalcy out there, we just only get to see the crazies on TV!
I second this!
Well said! 🇺🇲
Woww
At first it may seem like a small point but I think the fact that your daughters were going out with their grandfather to celebrate their 13th birthday speaks volumes about their character and your and your wife’s parenting skills. How many 13 year olds would choose to celebrate this significant passage to teenager with their grandfather?You have a family that you can really be proud of. 👍👍
I thought the same thing. It made my heart melt.
They have been going out for supper to celebrate their birthday with Grandma and Grandpa since they were itty bitty. It doesn't always fall exactly on their birthday but I hope they keep up the tradition. Thanks for mentioning it as we feel it is pretty special too.
The fourth generation using the same tractor is awesome. What a proud moment.
56 year old man here. I have so much respect for you and your dad. So nice you get to spend so much time with your dad. 😇🙏🏻
That little smile at the end was definitely a proud dad moment
This has to be the BEST channel on RUclips! Always look forward to Sunday mornings and watching DDD.
Wow, thanks!
Neil i'm sure your grandfather, is looking down and smiling from ear to ear, seeing that you are using his tractor with his great granddaughters Take pride in the fact that your teaching your daughter's right. And now that they're thirteen, enjoy these times because soon they will fly away and leave the nest. Never lose that pride in your children.
You and your family are blessed.
Thank you for all for that you do on uour videos. Keep up the excellent work.
Pretty special your dad and girls sharing in the things you enjoy with a part of your family’s history!
We agree!
Neil this has probably been my favorite of any video you’ve made! Tractors can hold so much sentimental value, family history, and good memories. Each time I fire up my Massey 245 my mind goes back to riding it with my Great Uncle as a kid. I also particularly love videos with your dad in them, he’s the kinda person I’d enjoy spending time with. Have a great week!
My first time on a tractor was a month ago. (I'm 49) I bought 15 acres (I named it Whiskey Ridge) (amazing view for miles over a valley) here in Wisconsin last year and was paying everyone to do everything. Your channel motivated me to buy my own tractor and start doing things myself. Bought a 2024 Kubota MX6000 with a loader and backhoe in July. Have since also purchased an 84" box blade, forks, etc. New barndominium is being built this week. Have a 1/5th mile STEEP gravel driveway to maintain, pond to excavate, and limitless other plans. LOVE your channel and seeing your daughters on that old tractor. How cool to have 4 generations all using the same tractor. Bless you and your family and thank-you for the videos. I've learned a ton!
That was pure, proud dad there!!! Your girls have had a great time growing up with a dad like you. There hasn't been any job that you haven't had the girls take part in, once they were old enough to understand what they were doing! That is the essence of being a good dad. You teach them the basics, and then let them learn how to solve problems for themselves. That is what I would have liked to do, but never had kids. Thank you for letting us see what a good dad looks like Neil. You always involve the girls, which I love seeing as they are beautiful copies of their mum, and are going to be very adventurous in the next few years, so watch out... From UK.
Enjoy these times while you can with your girls. My little girl turned 18 in January and moved out yesterday.
Like you said in the video, I'm both proud and terrified at the same time.
Cherish every moment.
Neil, thanks so much for your videos. I have very, very little connection to farming (though I’ve lived in rural areas much of my life), and I’ve never been all that interested in big equipment, cars, tractors, etc. But somehow, your ability as a storyteller (via RUclips) has sucked me in and I look forward to each episode of your channel. I always learn something, so it has an educational function, but what brings me back is the way you find the story that connects history, tradition, 😢family, the community, and much more. This video is a perfect example. Each Sunday morning my 7yr old son and I watch your videos together - creating our own little tradition. Again, thank you!
I liked your comment here, and likewise I connect with Neil so easily but with no direct connection to the content. DDD is just decency and respect and hard work made real in you tube . Do you know Andrew Camarata’s channel? Addictive for many of the same reasons.
@@richryan8904 I’ll check it out! Thanks for the recommendation.
Thanks so much for the kind words.
Neil, You are a lucky man. To be able to enjoy your father and children doing manual labor on the farm is a lifetime experience you will all remember.
I love hearing the sounds of the old tractor and rattleing of the chains. Reminds me of my younger days.
Enjoy it, my friend.
Proud dad moment right there.....I was 8 years old on a Farmall C prior to that my grandfather had me on his horse pulling the fruit wagon in 1966
Been watching your channel religiously for a few yrs. We share many of the same interests - equipment, tractors, trucks, DIY. I very rarely leave comments on RUclips. Love every video you make but this one takes the cake. We were born the same yr and I have a 5 yr old girl that has been riding and driving (while on my lap) my compact tractor. You’re great at telling a story, which makes your videos unique. Keep them coming!!!
"I've been listening to that for 70 years."
"Oh yeah, I remember. I liked her at the time." "...something you don't want to say in an airport." Give your dad a hug for me.
I remember 60 yrs ago farmin w/dad and grand dad old McCormick tractor pullin stone boat and pickin rocks and running a 3bttm plow Still can hear dad sayin”keep that tire in that furrow “ and “keep lines straight “ lol. Good memories Always enjoy your videos good to see the kids learning the ways of the older gens 😊
Man, this brought back memories of when I completely rebuilt a 3hp Briggs and Stratton engine on a mini trail bike for my daughter when she was like 10 and let her ride it for first time on her birthday. Scared, nervous and happy all at the same time! She's now 29yrs old. I'm going to ask her if she even remembers that. 😅
This was beautiful. 4 generations have now used that tractor. In 1980 I was at a friend of my father’s farm.
It was raining & I couldn’t care less, I was driving that Deere and loving every minute of it.
Very cool! Four generations on the same tractor!! You don't see that every day. Proud full circle moment for you I'm sure.
I'm a 62 year old woman and I remember driving our John Deere tractor and cultivating our bean field. I was probably the same age as your girls. Dad said I had more patience than he did doing it and did a better job. I loved that old Johnny Popper! Everyone in the small village in Illinois where I grew up also loved to hear it popping away when we used it. I have great memories of those times, just as your girls will when they get older.
I actually got choked up watching you watch your daughters on the tractor, knowing what that meant to you. Thanks so much for sharing that moment....you really warmed an old man's heart.
It makes me smile to know a new generation is learning the old school ways. You did good.
Terrified and proud. Sums up being a parent. Good job Neil!
It’s hard to believe that your daughters are the 4th generation to operate that farmall. That my friend is a good memory to cherish.
Have a good day.
I love when your dad is on. He’s a wee bit younger than my former farmer electrician dad. 😂. Your love for your family is also amazing.
I'm a Farmall guy myself, but all the tractors from that era are cool. Great to see you and your dad spending quality time together. Enjoyed the video.
Hey sir! My first time on a tractor was at 13 years old as well! My grandpa flipped land in his retirement. He had bought 40 acres of road frontage. We cut all the cedar logs from it and I got to use the tractor and forks to stack and load the logs. I also got to count and mark them with the red lumber crayon. He broke that into lots and sold it off. Homes were built and families were started. Several of which are still there! That was 22 years ago. My daughter also just turned 13 years old. She also happens to play softball. 🥎 she drove the car through the practice field for the first time 3 weeks. Now she asks each time we go to the field ❤️ thanks so much for giving me a reason to recall these special memories with my grandpa.
I have used a WD45, and a D17. My first time driving a big tractor, and 7 years old, everything is big, was a John Deere B, pulling a hay wagon, following a hay baler run by a Wisconsin air cool engine, a tractor just towed the baler back then, I basically just steered the tractor along side the dropped bales while dad and two other guys picked the drop bales and hand loaded them, talk about labor intensive. Brought back good memories. You now have an invaluable family recorded resource of your dad and your daughters operating the WD, and a recorded family history. Thanks Neil, great video, enjoyed watching, really appreciated it.
Thanks so much Terry.
Great video Neal! Loved the family history and your dad is a gem of a man. Would like to see more of him. God bless your family.
Thanks 👍
This video brings back so many memories of my grandparents and my first time driving a a tractor which was an Allis. My grandfather has since passed but my grandmother still has an active farm, that someone farms for her since she is 90. And my face lit up when your dad mentioned Butler since that is where she lives. I enjoy seeing a little bit of my childhood in your videos.
It’s so cool to have these videos of your father sharing these stories. I’d give anything to have video of my dad telling stories about his childhood.
My grandfather died in 1945, before I was born in 1950. My uncle took over running the farm. My first memory of the family farm was the AC WD 45.
My daughter’s are some of the
best help I ever
had building houses in SC. But to have them run their great grandfather’s tractor would have been over the moon!!!! I can only imagine the pride you are feeling, and scared goes hand in hand with children doing new things!! Can’t hardly wait for the next video!
My dad had an Allis Chalmers B. He used it to plow our garden and folks around our town's gardens. That's initially what I learned to drive on when I was 6 years old. He'd let me drive it to the next garden and he'd follow along in his old 37 International 3/4-ton truck. That's also the first truck I learned on at 8 years old. I eventually got big enough, he'd let me plow for spending money. He eventually sold it to our school district when he got too old to plow. They overhauled it and to the best of my knowledge are still using it to this day to mow the lawns around the district's schools. 'm 75 now and still miss those good old days. Miss my dad even more. Thanks for the videos, Neil. Keep up the good work and God bless.
5 yes old driving 1 st gear Oliver 550 with a trip bucket drive in field with other bigger kids picking rocks remember 50 years latter like it was yesterday. I enjoyed watching your girls getting the experience of disking great memories
Another Homerun! Can’t tell you how much I look forward to your videos buddy. Thank you so much for continuing to teach us and warm our hearts!
Neil, for many of us who live in “the city” now but grew up living this lifestyle, I really appreciate you sharing these stories and memories. I learned to drive in a pasture on an old Ford N tractor and playing in an old MM cab at my grandpas farm with my cousin on Sundays while the adults sat under a shade tree and talked farming and sports. I grew up in northern Iowa and while states are divided by imaginary lines, we all grew up the same way! Thank you for sharing!
My favorite day of the week. I sit down in my lazyboy, sip my coffee, flip on RUclips and look forward to watching another great episode of Dig-Drive-Diy! Thx Neil for sharing your family and producing wonderfully positive content. Now off to do chores, cheers 🍻🇺🇲
Neil,
I grew up around my family's dairy farm (~3200 acres). My first time driving a tractor alone was my grandpa's Allis Chalmers B (wide front) and a 5-wheel hay rake. Obviously the farm had a lot bigger and newer equipment I could have used but that was my start - a 6th grader, an Allis Chalmers B, and a hay rake.
The farm was sold.. but we kept that tractor. Some things are just worth more than a selling price could bring.
Way to go Ella & Eva! Fantastic, 3 generations driving the tractor!!! Show a lot more of this yard project.
I fondly remember my Uncle pulling my cousins, brother and sisters and me around the farm yard on a toboggan with a tractor very similar to your one , Neil!
I was 6 years old and watching my younger brothers in the truck at the end of the field and my dad came walking up and said I had to pull him out, he was cutting soybeans and was stuck. We had a GB Minneapolis moline wheatland tractor with a hand clutch, so he gave me a quick lesson and I pulled him out. The next year, I started disking by myself. I'm 61 years old now. I love your channel and content.
I love seeing the youngins jump on equipment. It definitely gives me the fizz. Nice job Dad and Grandpa.
I like that phrase. I don't know if Wranglerstar coined that term but I like the "fizz" for sure! :)
My uncle, a mechanic by trade and part time farmer by necessity, let me drive his farm tractor on his lap back in the 1960s when I was probably about 5 years old, cutting the tall grass on the slope below his house. I remember it like it was yesterday. Between him and my Dad the electrician I've spent a lifetime gaining all kinds of hands-on skills for building and fixing things for work and hobbies. You can't put a price on getting youngsters fired up about being competent with all sorts of equipment. They grow up to become the people who save the day when times are tough. Good for you, sir. Your channel is a great reminder that in some parts of this country people still live the way I grew up.
Love this video. I spent many hours on our International H mowing when I was young. But my first time driving was on my Grandads John Deere 4020 when I was 9. He got it rolling for me because I couldn’t reach the clutch. He hopped off and met me about 1/2 mile away and hopped back on to stop it. Obviously not the safest thing to do. This video brought back so many great memories of growing up farming. Thank you for that!
Thanks Neil. This is so relatable to me. The first tractor I drove was a WD with the hand clutch. Then my parents bought a small 80 acre farm when I was 14 and we farmed it with a D17 and Farmal Super C. My dad drove truck so on the weekdays after school, I would drive to the farm and plow with a 3 bottom plow, back and forth evening after evening. It took a long time plow and disc, 80 acres a few feet at a time. Good memories though...
BlufftonReiff here. We also had a WD and looked just like yours, but it was restored. When your dad fired it up and put her in gear, it was a flashback to my teenage years. I had forgotten, but now remember that same whine/grinding sound in our transmission. Thanks for the memory! I was always amazed how much torque those giant tires exerted in 1st gear. Thanks Neil!
This was good to listen to your history from your Dad! Well done sir!
Thanks Aaron
Wow the girls are 13 already!? Glad to see them discing they won't forget that! My grand father and his dad had ALLIS CHALMERS tractors on their dairy farm. Great grandfather bought a 190 xt new my grandfather's senior year of high school in 1967. My first memory 3 years old on my grandfather new DeutzAllis 31hp. Couple years later we were on the same tractor on the road heading to a field a few miles away. I had a bee sting me inside my eye, mom was freaking out said the white of my eye was hanging out 😂. Now that im in my mid 30s and grandfather is mid 70s we have restored a FEW AC TRACTORS included a B, D17, 170 with canopy and front loader we still have. 180, 190 and our current project is a 1974 AC 200. We have rebuilt the engine and breaks on the 200 and put new tires and went through and replaced or did maintenance on everything mechanical, this winter Lord willing is body work and paint. Grandfather wants to keep the 200 and use it on our pumpkin farm, mainly because of the 190xt his dad bought new. Every kid should grow up like we did, or grow old. These tractors make us a kid at heart ever time we sit on the seat!
I am 69 and grew up on the farm. I know this old equipment. You are the same age as my oldest daughter. Very nice teaching your daughters how to run the equipment. Glad they are willing to try. Really awesome
I know exactly how you feel. I just got my grandfather’s 1952 John Deere B restored. He bought it brand new in 1951. It was used every day on the farm in New Hampshire. Now it enjoys the retired life in Southern California. I was raised around farming and miss it every day. Now that I live in the city it is nice to drive it around from time to time.
That was a nice Sunday morning for me. Great video . I liked the way you captured and articulated the different generations in your family show casing American farming legacy. Thank you
Cali girl here raised in hay and dairy lands. So not really was allowed on the heavy stuff, but did drive the tractor pulling the hay to feed the cows!! You look like you were having a proud dad moment, 4 generations on the same machine brought a tear to my eye!!🙆♀️🙆♀️🙆♀️🙆♀️
4 Generations on the same equipment, love it! I have tools from both grandparents that I cherish ! They are reminders of how my grandfathers put food on the tables to feed my parents
Also a testament on how things were built to last back then as well as you took care of your tools.
We’ve been watching your channel for a year or so, always enjoy your family friendly content.
Truly enjoyed the story of the farm, and watching your proud Dad moment was awesome, thank you for sharing that.
This is the best way to start my Sunday morning. Your content is always meaningful, and heart-felt, showing aspects of life that most people miss. This past year, my father passed away and the admiration that you show to your father brings good memories of time the times in the past I spent with my father. Bringing the girls to learn lessons they will never learn otherwise is what parenting is all about.
Thank you for sharing your time with us.
Neil, thank you so much for making this video! My grandfather had a WD (my uncle has it now) and i used to help him on it and i remember when i was really little sitting on that tool box the same way. My grandfather farmed in Hartville Ohio for many years. I remember driving it through the cornrows using that same hand clutch as we pulled a wagon and he picked the corn and filled up the wagon. Just like your dad said he would turn it around at the end of the Rows for me.
This video brought back a lot of great memories! He has since passed, but this reminds me of how hard he worked and how great of a man of God he was. Thank you again.
Happy 13th birthday, Ella and Eva! Seeing the girls driving the tractor, coming toward the camera, with the little dust cloud in the back made me think, what a perfect, iconic picture of American farming. Brought a big smile to my face. I don't have a tractor story but when I was 12, my neighbor's friend was visiting my neighbor with his beautiful, 1967 Olds 442 and he let me drive it around the neighborhood. That was a blast that I will never forget!
Neil.. With the smile I see on your face I would say you are a proud dad!! How cool is this old tractor. It reminds me of the one that was on my parents property. Thanks for the memories.
Neil... you are blessed beyond riches! O' how I wish I could have that conversation with my dad. There are so many details of my first drive about which I have memories... but, I know they are incomplete. You see, I don't know his side. And, never will.
My dad's first tractor was a Farmall B. He traded a Yorkshire Boar for it when I was about 8. It had been sitting in an old Apple Orchard for several years. The farmer had left it there because he forgot to drain the water before a winter freeze. The result was a hole in the cast iron engine block. I remember plainly the patch he put on it by sandwiching steel plates and gasket sealer coated cork sheets, inside and out. It wasn't pretty but it worked.
I spent hours riding the fender as he disked the fields. We also, drug a 1957 Cadillac car hood sled to pick up rocks. A sickle bar mower cut hay and weeds. And, in the Fall, a belt driven Buzz Saw cut limbs and small logs into firewood. At one point, he mounted a homemade manure scoop to the front. That tractor put us into farming!
However, all of these tasks were too advanced for me to tackle... until I turned 10. I remember that day as clear as glass. He had just borrowed the neighbor's square baler to bale our 3 fields. Although the fields seemed huge to me, they totaled about 10 acres. I mounted the fender of his new (to us) Farmall H and we drove past the Farmall B on our way to get the baler. As we did, he said, "I'm gonna put you on the B today."
I sat in awe at the prospect of driving the tractor, all the way to the neighbors and back. The excitement was accompanied by apprehension. Although I had watched him drive for hours, I really had only fantasized about controlling the beast. Would I be able to do it? I watched, with heightened attention, every move he made.
When we got the baler home, we dismounted the H and walked over to the B. It was parked just inside the gate to the first field, with the wheeled hay rake on the back. As I awaited his cue to mount up, he took me on a tour of the tractor. He showed me the alignment of the left edge of the rake and the rear tire, the sightline to keep windrows even and all the controls that I needed to operate. I listened with all that I had in me to absorb what he said. And, then, he told me to mount up.
The first command he gave was for me to put the transmission in Neutral. Although I knew no clutch was required when the engine was off, I pressed it anyway, before slipping the shifter. Then, he told me to turn on the switch, pull the choke and give it half throttle. As he gripped the crank handle he asked if I was ready. I shook my head and he gave it a crank. After a few cranks, it sputtered to life. Feeling that vibration and hearing that sound seemed different than it had the countless times before. It held me in a trance. Until my dad hollered at me to shut off the choke.
He climbed onto the fender and took, what had been up until that time, my place... as the passenger. Over the next fifteen minutes, I learned more about the mechanics of controlling an iron beast than at any other time in my life. Little things like how to hold the spinner knob on the steering wheel... slowing the throttle to handle the curves... preventing over steering... aiming the bicycle front end to keep the rear wheel aligned with the edge of the previous windrow.... watching forward and back at the same time... smoothing out clutch engagement... kept me intent on what I was doing. My dad rode with me throughout the first field.
He calmly talked me through every move. Eventually my confidence grew and I didn't have to seek his approval. You see... my dad seemed to be wearing a bigger grin than I'd seen at any other time when he'd been on a tractor with me. And, that Neil is what ran through my mind while I watched you beam as your young ladies experienced their first "Real Tractor Drive".
Precious memories are all that I have left.... Good on you for capturing these. You'll always treasure the time you spent with your dad... and no doubt your daughters will look back at this video someday and say, "I remember that as if it was yesterday!"
Awesome story. Precious memories.
@@mchaplinjr Thank you... Neil is the best at bringing back memories of my youth!
@sassafrasvalley1939 Great story Dave! I could picture it perfectly. It's funny how so many of those "firsts" are permanently imprinted for so many of us. It speaks to the significance of the situation for our young selves I think. I knew it was a unique situation to capture the first tractor drive stories of 3 generations in one video and I'm so grateful that the opportunity presented itself. Plus it was actually really helpful to have them discing while I was busy on the skid loader. Thankfully Dad was there to coach as well. I've got some more great footage from that day that will show up in another video most likely but I'm sure it will be playing over and over in my head for many years to come. Thanks so much for sharing your story and following along with ours. Have a great week!
@@digdrivediy my dad lost the tractors in a liquidation sale when I was 21. I was in the Marines during the sale and had no idea who bought them.
About 20 years later… a few years after my dad passed… I was at an antique tractor show in our home town. I saw a completely restored B sitting on the Farmall line. I was drawn to it almost magnetically.
As I was looking at it, I saw that it had a patch on the engine block that was identical to the one ours had. So, I asked the owner about it…
He had received it from his uncle and decided to restore it. He left the patch because it looked like an authentic home made repair… he used the same steel plates and screws. However, he upgraded from cork to rubber gasket sheets.
He even had the original owners manual… inside the back page was a listing of all the services and repairs my father had done.
I spent several moments filling him in on the history that I knew… and, somewhere in a box of photos is a picture of me standing next to it with its shiny new red paint and decals.
So, yeah… I expect that B to out live me. Perhaps I should dig out the photo and clip a copy of this story to it! Maybe someday it’ll show itself to someone in my family again?
@@sassafrasvalley1939 That is fantastic! How wonderful that you found it again. To know that it will live on and that you are part of the story is icing on the cake. I'm glad that the engine block repair was still there as well. Super cool 👍🏻
Warms the heart to see your daughters learning from their grandpa. Kids these days in other places within the US would have their noses in their phones and never talk to their grandparents! Thanks for the video! tc
I did a refresh on a wd45 3 years ago. I finished it in time to give to my son on his first birthday. He's now 4 and he is 4th generation in our family to own it since new in 55. Love watching your videos but this is now my favorite video
I also have one of those small round balers
First time I let the think she was 7 years old daughter drive my 316. So excited I ran back towards the house so I could shoot a video of her pulling some timbers across the yard. I need to get a wider view. At the same time my wife had happened to walk up into the kitchen window from the laundry room and seen her. Giant scream from the house was caught on camera and then me laughing.
Because of your videos I have bound and determined to keep that 316 alive. It made a move from Grand rapids up to traverse City area. It is going to be sitting in storage over the winter
So cool seeing these old AC still working, and especially having your dad around with it. Just a flashback in time, fantastic man.
Neil, these are the videos I enjoy most. I first came for the pond videos, but have been a subscriber since. Your corvette video and others highlighting your family are among my favorites. I’m 64, and how I wish I would have made such videos with my late mom and dad; I know my adult children and teenage grandkids would have loved these kind of insights into prior generations. Appreciate everything you do and never miss a Sunday…
I love just how many "Jack's" there are. My husband is named Jack. He grew up on a 360 acre farm in Northern Idaho. I love your channel. Keep the memories coming. Have you heard about that young boy name Jackson who's 8 yrs old and extremely knowledgeable about farming and John Deere Trackers? He has a RUclips/TikTok channel titled "It's a Jackson Thing." Smart kid from Indiana.
Love seeing all three gens working together
That was great. Thanks for sharing. My dad had a small Case 646 with a loader from as early as I can remember. I think I was driving that by the time I was 6. My Grandpa had an Allis Chalmers just like that one but with a loader attachment on the front. I remember driving it for the first time when I was about 13 years old. I felt like the king of the world. The steering wheel would jerk out of your hand if you hit something with those narrow front wheels. Grandpa always said, "it will break your wrist if you try to fight it, so just let it go." I still remember the sound, the smell, and the way it vibrated like it was yesterday. It is like the smell of Grandma's house, one of those things you never forget.
Watching this video is like a blast from the past. I can remember the day my father put me on our Farmall A and showed me the ropes. He let me drive alone and drag a small field that would become our garden. He did have to jump on once and show me how to turn it with the brakes as the soil became too loose to steer.. That was over 60 years ago but it will always be one of my proudest moments with my Dad. Your daughters will now have that great memory.
Neil, great video! You’re so lucky to have your Dad around that has it all going on and has the tractor to boot!! I grew up in WNY and learned to drive a Farmall H - bushhogging the fields when I was 10. My parents trusted me just like your Dad did and you with your girls. You’re a good man teaching your daughters like that! They’ll NEVER forget.
Happy birthday, ladies from the UK. How great to see them driving the old tractor. In this day and age, there is too much emphasis on health and safety, and kids growing up cossetted from everyday life. Obviously, we need to keep people safe and free from injury, but basic common sense is all that is needed. I was also driving tractors when I was 13 in New Zealand. I remember once getting the rear wheels stuck in mud and had the front wheels going vertical. The farmer calmly told me to dip the clutch, and all was well.
Seeing ur girls drive a tractor bought by their great grandfather pulled at my heart strings. So cool. So much history. Something to cherish forever.
Love the channel, very similar experience to yours as first time driving a big tractor. 6 years old and was put to operating a 1966 Oliver 1650 with a JD 4 row cultivator cultivating corn on my grandparents dairy. This video brought back so many fond and fun memories. You have passed down a right of passage that your girls will never forget. And hopefully maybe they can continue the same memories and traditions. Thanks so much for all great videos
International Farmall was my first tractor to actually drive by myself. 1979. I must say that has to be one of the best moments to watch on your channel when your daughters drove the AC. So few kids will ever experience anything like that. Your are a good father Neil.
Neil, brother my first ride was my papaws 1977 case backhoe 580c. Loading and hauling creek rock from Knob creek in Bullitt county KY. I’m proud to say I own it now and have goals on restoring it fully. It’s still operating, just want to make him proud of the ownership. I cherish his memory by having it and keeping his memory alive. I appreciate you sharing the emotions from your daughters using your papaws tractor. I pray I get to share that same experience with my future children.
Neil, I think you got some dust in my eyes. Kids sure grow up fast. They will remember this moment forever
My moment on machinery was prepping baseball diamonds with a garden tractor pulling a drag or a screen. It was a Simplicity but I don't remember the model number. My older siblings did it before me and I just carried on the tradition. At 53, I still love getting my son's ball diamonds 4 decades later. Thanks for the memories, Neil.
My first drive was 1949 Farmall super C. We are a dairy and used it for all sorts of tasks pulling hay wagons, moving hay feeders in pastures, helping with harvest from garden, etc. Unfortunately lost the tractor in barn fire in 2018. Will always love and look fondly on that tractor and the many memories with it. Thanks for sharing.
When your dad started that WD. I remembered my uncle had one and my dad would borrow it to run. The blower for the silo. My dad had Farmalls . We use the WD for the pulley on the side of the tractor to run the belt on that blower. My job each morning was to check the gas in the WD. We used the feel method or a stick. I was 10 years old. Lots of memories. Thanks.
I love old iron, stories of old iron and seeing old iron continuing to be used. Watching the girls continue the legacy warmed my heart. But the continuing theme throughout all your videos is that the true treasure is Jack. You are indeed blessed many times over.
My wife and I just happen to be driving by Saturday evening and I recognized the barn and Louie while you were working the soil. I told her about your cool videos. Thanks.
Oh cool! I always wonder if there are any people passing by that have seen the videos!
We had a WD when I was a kid. My dad let me drive it when I was six pulling the hay wagon. That was over 60 years ago. The WD is long gone and dad passed a couple years ago, but I've still got the memories. Thanks.
I grew up on my Dads 1952 Allis chalmers CA and still have it. My earliest memories are of that tractor. Love seeing your Allis in action.
Often these days it seems that history is something far off in the distance. Disconnected from our roots. The way you brought the story to life and are keeping it going is amazing. These are the memories that persist for generations. Thank you for taking us through your family journey. Your roots are deep and provide so much nutrients for your family and this community.
Much appreciated.
I drove the same tractor on my grandfather's farm when I was young. I remember using the hand clutch. Brings back memories. I am 78 now.
Love the old stories, so glad to see the girls getting involved in all you do, you could see the proud dad on your face when they drove the tractor, priceless, be well my friend.
Wish my pops was around to have fun with. Thank you for sharing yours.
Love seeing your daughters drive the tractor. Makes me dream about the day I can do that with my two year old daughter.
Great video Neil, does the heart good to see such a great family, from Dad to your girls. Love comes right through the screen!!!!
That’s probably one of your best videos to date. 4 generations of Koch’s running that beauty!
This is what builds fiber in kids. God bless you and your dad
Wow! The difference in the way the video started and how it ended were night and day! With the state of the world today, it gave me hope and faith in humanity to see three generations working together and loving one another. I'm 10 years older than you and I lost my dad in 2010. We worked together in the Masonry business and on thousands of other DIY projects as far back as I can remember, and I still miss him every day. Cherish every second you have with your dad, Kara and those girls. We only get one chance in this world and it looks like from your grandfather moving forward you have all been blessed with strong morals and the value of just doing the right thing whether it is the "norm" or not. If you have the strength at the end of your day, hit your knees and thank God for your many blessings. Funny how things work out. I clicked on this channel about 5 years ago while restoring a little John Deere 430 because I caught a video of you using one of your small tractors and I thought I might get some pointers. We have exchanged replies maybe a dozen times. Over the years I have come to feel like a relative and I can't wait for Sunday to see what you have been up to. Keep doing what you are doing!
Another great video, probably one of my favorites so far. Brings back lots of memories helping my dad on projects just like that. Thanks for sharing and bringing us along with!
That was absolutely beyond COOL! Put a smile on my face. I thought it was cool that the tractor was still in your family since new. When you put your girls on it, whole new level. Hopefully someday the next generation will be running it. I was 12 the first time I got to run a big tractor by myself, did garden tractors before that, it was a 1942 International Farmall H. Still remember it like it was yesterday. I'm sure your girls will remember that day for their lives as well.
You should be proud Neil that's a big deal to think you started on that same Allis and now your kids are too. Pretty kool, the ole girl still runs and sounds real good getting the job done it's just amazing how well built these old tractors are so many years later and it's still a very viable piece of equipment and if it could talk it would probably say Thank You for letting me work again in the field!
This might be my favorite video you've made. I got choked up watching your Dad drive the tractor. Then when your help arrived. That was awesome. I remember being put in the seat and started in low gear. Point it at that fence post, and turn when I tell you. Awesome video.
I love this one. My dad sold all of his tractors years ago and I miss them.