[grnspot]

Last fall I ran across something on Kansas City CL I'd wanted for 50 years, after drooling over it for about a month, I decided to go buy it;

  

A 1953 40 Standard!

In the mid 1960's my folks bought a farm about 10 miles from home. The farm was on a dirt road & we kept some cattle there, so Dad went to the usual jd dealer looking for an 8N Ford to put a lead hitch on to pull behind the pickup to the new farm. They had two @ $750 & $850, also an MT jd for $150, he bought the MT, made a cart to run the front wheels into to tow. I spent a lot of hours & road miles on that MT & had an itch for an M or 40S. It now belongs to me:  

  

& Chief & Dotties, of course!

After finding the 40, I found a Ford 5' front blade, made my own mounting brackets for it to clean the drive:  

  

  

  

The blade will be painted green when the weather warms up this spring!

 

[johndeereelfman]

Nice tractor Lowell, always love the sound of a two-cylinder. Welcome to the site, and glad to have you aboard! 

 

[Lgtpower]

I never owned a farm tractor, but always liked the look of a John Deere 320, an H, and the John Deere 1010. I see pretty many H's at shows, but not a lot of 320's or 1010's around. Where the 1010's a rare model? If memory serves me correctly, they were produced in 1963 correct? Were they considered a two cylinder, or did they have four cylinder engines? 

 

[grnspot]

The 320 is basically the same tractor as the 40.   jd replaced the 40 with the 420, roughly 20% more HP than the 40.  But had enough call for the smaller size, they came out with the 320!

The 1010 was built from 1960-65 36 HP, 4 cylinder, part of John Deere's "New Generation" series.

 

[grnspot]

It warmed up enough today so that the blue blade;  

 

is now green:    

Five coats of Rustoleum "John Deere Green", last two with hardener.  Hopefully, I'll get it back together tomorrow & put in the back shed for storage until next winter.

 

[Littledeere]

Green is good Lowell maybe I will have one of those bigger Deere someday . I like the looks of those and the little LA's

 

[grnspot]

Put the blade back together this morning, first the pivot bolts:  

Next, the springs:  

Next, the original Ford serial number plate:  

Back in one piece:  

Used the 790 w/300 loader to move it to the back shed for storage until next snow season:  

Slow & easy does it:  

Had to re-hook to get it through the shed door:  

 

[-GR-]

Lowell, the plow turned out great. It's great that you have the 790 and loader to move stuff around with. That plow can't be light. I like that you put hose over the bolt threads.

 

[johndeereelfman]

Looks great Lowell! Glad to see that there isn't anymore of those foreign colors in the shed anymore!

 

[grnspot]

I decided on another attachment for the 40, it's been setting out back for years:  

Dad bought this model 20 3-pt dirt scoop 45-50 years ago at a farm auction.  It was in good shape until my uncle used it on his 4010, he caught something & bent the "H" out of it!  We got it straightened out & re-enforced it (to us, not for looks)!  Yesterday when ordering decals for the 40S,  

  

I decided to cleanup the 20 scoop & ordered period correct decals for it too.  Today I brought it to the shed & cut the re-enforcement's off.  Five 1/8" x 4-1/2" cutting disks later & some grinding:  

I'll need a little body putty in places when I get it cleaned & sanded for painting with jd "Classic Green"!

 

[johndeereelfman]

Looks like a very useful tool Lowell. Can't wait to see how it turns out when finished.

 

[grnspot]

Three coats of jd "Classic Green this morning:  

  

Hope to put it back together in a day or two!

 

[grnspot]

Finished the 20 scoop this morning, hardest part was spreading the "drawbar" enough to fit over the side knobs:  

Decals are on & it's now stored in the back shed until show season:  

  

 

[truck21]

Nice job, that is an item that not many people have around I`m sure.

   Don.

 

[grnspot]

Put the decals on the sheet metal of the 40 today:  

  

 

[johndeereelfman]

That looks good Lowell, Nice Job!

 

[grnspot]

Put the 1-14" plow on the 40 today for a short ditching project:  

  

 

 It needs some cleaning now:  

 

[grnspot]

Finally, I got started on the little 40, taking it apart for a paint job.  

When I took the hood & grille off, I found a nice surprise.  New radiator!  

  

Gas tank's off, oil pan is off for cleaning:  

  I was even able to get the battery tray off without twisting any bolts off!

 

[grnspot]

Gone about as far as I'm going to go on the 40:  

I need to do some wire brushing in some areas yet.  Hope to spray some paint by the end of the week!

 

[grnspot]

Primer on this morning:  

This afternoon, 4 double coats of JD "Classic Green":  

Hope to clean the wheels up tomorrow & give them a coat of JD "Yellow"!