JD 60. Should I even consider this?

UncleCarl

Member
Okay folks, I need an honest opinion here. I recently ran across a John Deere 60 that's sitting in a guys driveway. I've always wanted to buy and tinker with an old two cylinder so I'm constantly looking. But I've never owned one. I'm mechanically savvy, but don't want to bite off more than I can chew if I didn't have to. Anyway, I asked the guy about it and he said his brother used to own it. It ran when his brother got it and he used it for several years. then his brother 'rebuilt' the starter and it hasn't ran since. (unknown if related). So this guy got it from his brother. Long story short, between him and his brother, it's been sitting in the open for about 10+ years total (mid Missouri).

He says when he got it, he tried pulling it several feet in gear, but the motor wouldn't turn. He didn't try a lot so unknown how bad it is. He's had it in the yard but never had time to fiddle with it. So it's locked up apparently but unknown how bad. The back tires would need to be replaced (they're pretty crappy only one has air) but fronts are okay. Is there a chance a guy could get this running with a lot of patience and letting some diesel or break-free sit in the cylinders a while? I'm sure it will need more as far as tune up, etc, but what's the chance I could get it going without having to tear into it? He told me he'd sell it to me for salvage value around $200.

What, if anything could/should a guy consider before doing this? Thanks
 
ROFL!!! Yeah, you're probably right. I'm sure I'd be much happier with one running and one for parts. But for now I don't even have one!
 
I would have to agree with buy it for parts and look for a tractor of like vintage that is running!!! Much easier to start with a tractor that actually runs than to go through everything only to find a cracked head - block - bad transmission - or something so very odd that no one out there has one!!
 
well at scrap value its hard to go wrong. be smart on how and what you buy to parts, worst case you learn a lot more about one on the cheap so if you buy a better one you have some experience under your belt. for a couple hundred why not, ive wasted more money in less time and had less to show for it haha
 
Depends on whether you are wanting to buy a " 6 month challenge" or if you want to " have fun" for 6 months on a running JD 60. You probably will end up salvaging it. I'm very SURE they have already exhausted all avenues of getting it running before offering it for $ 200. Nothing you can do that they haven't already. If they have drug it around on pavement and popped the clutch trying to free it up it probably already has bent rods.
 
If I had the $$ I would by it in a heart beat. I would then check to make sure the cylinder where not full of water and if dry I would jack the front end up about 18 inches and fill the cylinders with ATF and let ti sit a week or so then pull the plugs back out and use a 12 volt battery and see if it would free up using short fast taps of the starter.

Freed up a good many of them by doing that and out of over 25 only one or 2 did not free up
 
Hmm. Okay, thanks for the inputs Old. If I remember right you gave me advice on my Dad old AC model C that wouldn't run.
 
Could be I have been on Y-T for over a decade now so can not remember who or what all I have help people with over those years.
 
I think that you are salvaging tractors too quickly here, Theat is because they are so easy to get.
Do you have pictures? The guy might be honest and he may not have put a lot of effort into it. Those are so easy to work on that you can at least remove spark plug and check with a stetoscope.

Even if it is rusted bad, then you can dig into the entire tractor, and you can properly restore the engine by boring it and putting new pistons.
Then you will have done something great. You will need time and more money than $200, but let say that a really nice 60 is worth $3000m so you have some room to play with if your time is worth $0.
 
From what the guy told me he hasn't put
any effort into it since he got it from
his brother. And from what he related his
brother didn't do anything! So more than
likely all buy it and start fiddling with
it. I just hope it's not going to be too
big of a job.
 
Buy yourself a running 60 and you will better off. For $200 buy this one and part it out on Ebay carb, generator, 3 point hitch and more. then sell the rest for scrap. That's my 2 pennies.
 
Restored a basketcase $620 and rebuilt head was $500, he's kidding himself on fixing up the tractor....my friend put $6000 into the 620 and I wouldn't have done it....worked on it on his nickle....he could have bought a good tractor at the time for around $4500 and the model 60 is one of the most produced of the number series....
 
For only $200 I don't see how you could go wrong ? Sure make something for you to mess around with ! You don't need to waste any money on tires right away. I've drove them around with flat tires, on bare rims and even just the cast centers before for testing purposes.
 
A Short story: bought a 60 in 2008 that had set for 10 yrs and was stuck, made sure the valves we free, put atf in the cylinders, waited a week then put a bar on the flywheel. It popped loose, been running since without doing anything to engine. Yep for 200 you can make money parting it out, but have to laugh at all these suggestions that you have to dump buckets of cash in one. Sure if you want expo quality, but there are lots of good tractors out there not like that. You dont even know what you have yet enginewise... so buy it and tinker like you said. There are also good used tires out there to be had, aint gotta have new ones unless your just one of those types. If it turns out to be really bad in the engine then you can part it out if you wish and make some money.
 
for200 id buy it.then take starter off to see if that's causeing motor not to turn.if sheet metal is good its worth more than 200.
 

To me it's buy no matter what for 200.00, whether I would attempt to bring it back life
is another question. It's a prime candidate to create one good tractor from 2. As I say this
I am still resurrecting a 1944 John Deere from the rubble & it's taken me 5 years??
 
$200 is a good deal. Get it home and look it over and based on what you find, then make a decision on whether is something you want to tackle to get running or not. You may pleasantly surprised. But suppose it has a pretty major defect and you don't want to invest the money needed into it and you find another 60 that is rough but in running order. Now your $200 investment is a source of cheap parts for your other tractor plus, since you are just getting into two cylinders, you have a tractor to practice and make mistakes on before working on your good one. Got something you don't know how it comes apart? Practice on the salvage one. You may wind up saving your $200 by learning what not to do on the salvage one.
 
Hmm. Very good perspective NoDakInMN! I totally agree. The more I see people's postings here, the more I'm encouraged to just 'take a
chance' and see what happens. What the hell can I screw up anyway? LOL. Thanks.
 

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