Don Campbell's Workshop

[Don Campbell]

Yes, I thought of that too.
Cub cadet make over - One of my other fun projects last summer was to take this junkyard bound cub cudet and give it a little makeover. It is fun to drive and it goes about 15mph now. I still have to put the headlight lens on.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

Do people contact you before they head to the junkyard? How do you heart about all those machines?

 

[Don Campbell]

Sometimes yes , they contact me and tell me they have a junker with a bad mower deck but still runs good, I give them $100.00 and I can't wait to get it home, ha,ha.
Todays makeover is the $100.00 wheelhorse. My neighbor told me about this one and I told him to hop in my truck and go look at it . One hour later it was in my backyard.
I always jump right on a good running bad mower deck Machine. This engine runs excellent too. Started out just putting taller tires on it and different rear fenders then decided to try to make a grader out of it . But it gave me lots of hours of enjoyment during the process. It is only manual lift on the blade but still a fun outfit to drive around.

 

[cajunscout]

Read through your thread yesterday. I like the way you take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. Love the big wheel conversions you are doing. I may have to ask for some pointers if that's ok. Have some ideas for a few projects later on. Thanks!

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks
Todays make over started as a $100.00 Montgomery Wards sitting in a old shed for several years . Needed a fuse and then I got it running the same day . I always wanted a narrow front old style tractor . This is my worst running engine and it smokes like crazy . But it is one of my favorites because we have a similar tractor on the farm.

 

[Don Campbell]

Here is the $100.00 Simplicity project. I always wanted to build a hot rod tractor for my grandson.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

Needs a larger exhaust. LOL

He's got to be one happy camper.

 

[Don Campbell]

He loves tractors , ha,ha.
Todays repaint project is my first jd 110 . Bought it from a neighbor for $250.00 .
I just had to put oversized tires on it and a big tractor style exhaust stack. Then a mid mount belly blade. This is one of my favorites.

 

[Grizzly Guy]

You are one very talented craftsman Don.I just love the finished projects.I have the space,but don't have the talents to tackle those projects.I can learn a lot from your experience,thats for sure.

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks for the very kind words. I am proof a lot can be built in a tiny one car size workshop and minimum tools . I hope I do encourage many people to try things.
Todays second jd 110 repaint project was $250.00 but came with a pretty nice mower deck and a very solid , straight looking snowblower. I figure the blower has to be worth $100.00 and the deck has to be worth $50.00 so I kinda got the tractor for $100.00 , ha,ha.

 

[Don Campbell]

The third jd 110 repaint I payed the most for at $350.00 . It had all the original parts and the hood had no cracks in it . It was only a few miles from my house too so I bought it . This one will get the snowblower on the front of it. The jd 110 round fenders were childhood memories on the farm . These are some of my favorites.

 

[burleyfarm]

The third jd 110 repaint I payed the most for at $350.00 . It had all the original parts and the hood had no cracks in it . It was only a few miles from my house too so I bought it . This one will get the snowblower on the front of it. The jd 110 round fenders were childhood memories on the farm . These are some of my favorites.

Wish I'd never sold that one Don. Glad it went to you.


Sent from my tractor seat.

 

[Don Campbell]

It is a very nice straight 110.
Five days after I placed the add for the jd 430 I pulled it back out. Windchills below zero for over 2 weeks I decided to wait until the weather gets a little nicer. 22 inches of snow in the last 10 days but I still have not used my new jd 4x4 . We just get a few inches each day and no need yet to get it dirty and salty.

 

[Don Campbell]

Today I will clean the snow off the mini 4x4 articulating tractor and move a little snow around and then I will park it inside the shop out of the weather.

 

[Don Campbell]

Todays picture shows the Waldon 5000 the day it was delivered. Within 10 days I had sanded it all down and repainted it , removed the old bucket and installed the front blade. It is a old machine but my best buy . I use it so many times summer and winter.

 

[Don Campbell]

Todays pics show my tallest project in my little workshop standing over 10 feet tall.
Deb just uploaded 50 pics on you-tube of me building this model and hauling it to Indy to the toy show. Several pics at the end show the real Silver Spade being cut into pieces for scrap. If anyone is interested go to you tube (doncampbellmodels 187 )and that should get you there.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

All I can say is "WOW"!

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks ,
Deb is downloading a actual video this morning showing me moving it around and showing more of the detail if anyone is interested.
Todays pics show another project I built and I came close to building it over a old zero turn mower frame and making it operate with RC . I always thought it would have been cool to make some of my models actually work.

 

[Don Campbell]

I was told a couple days ago that my mini 4x4 articulating JD 9630 tractor is in the next issue of Farm Show. Also I was asked to write up a article with pictures about my Cat V-plow project with the side wing. They said that could possibly make it in the following issue about springtime. A few of my projects have been in Farm Show over the years and it is always fun seeing them in there.

 

[Don Campbell]

Roof shoveling on my garage yesterday brought down plenty of snow in the driveway .
When the snow hits the ground it packs and becomes hard to shovel or snowblow .
But good old wore out Waldon scoops it right up without any problem. I also fired up the Steiner/Deere and scraped down the driveway . The old Steiner started right up sitting outside in the near zero temps. The Waldon also started right up sitting outside.

 

[Don Campbell]

Today the Farm Show article arrived in the mail. They did a nice job and two nice pictures in color , COOL !!
Someone e-mailed me today and said one of the jd/Steiner 4x4 tractor videos was posted on the ( farming videos ) sight today. Sweet !

 

[fireeqpsrv]

Awesome and congrats!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[burleyfarm]

Congratulations Don.


Sent from my tractor seat.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

That's an achievement that you can be very proud of.

 

[BeachBoy]

That articulated double wide is so badass!!

 

[Nick Danger]

Don, I clicked on the doncampbellmodels link in your sigline. It's expired.

 

[Bears Fan]

Congratulations! that's awesome

 

[taumac]

Congrats

Have a good one Gerard

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks,
Todays picture shows my two jd 332 tractors and my jd 1050 and a f-725 front mount. This is what I started my little one man lawn care business with. I did lawn care for many years and snow plowing. I designed the vacuum system for the front mount mower before Deere ever made one. I also built a hard cab for the 1050 and I took the loader from another tractor and rebuilt the mounting brackets to fit my jd 1050. I was always puttering .
I bought jd 5400 and built several tools for it , including the front snowblade with wings and the rear blade. The rear blade later became the bucket now being used on the Waldon Loader.

 

[Don Campbell]

Yes, the link has expired, not sure how to remove it. If you google doncampbellmodels photostream you can see many of my past projects.

 

[Don Campbell]

Todays pictures show the type of machine I would like to build with tracks. I have always wanted to build a high track garden tractor with a 30 hp engine with all hydrostatic drive. I would prefer rubber tracks on it also. Many people wonder if I am ever going to build a garden tractor with tracks. Here is what is in my mind for it to look like. It would not be cheap to buy the running gear or to buy the tractor. I have moments I think I should just strip the mini jd 4020 and use it.

 

[Bears Fan]

Wilson is that you?

 

[Don Campbell]

ha,ha,ha.
We all have something in our past that triggers our love for machinery, motorcycles, race cars, atvs, big equipment, etc. Todays picture is my childhood love. I bought this old doodlebug when I was 13 and it was my life. I had so much fun on this corny looking outfit. I puttered with it everyday and it became a little nicer looking but it set a spark in me to always tinker in the workshop my whole life.

 

[LG63]

ha,ha,ha.
We all have something in our past that triggers our love for machinery, motorcycles, race cars, atvs, big equipment, etc. Todays picture is my childhood love. I bought this old doodlebug when I was 13 and it was my life. I had so much fun on this corny looking outfit. I puttered with it everyday and it became a little nicer looking but it set a spark in me to always tinker in the workshop my whole life.

Great story Don. More details on the doodlebug please! Is that a 16hp Briggs? Transmission? Rear end?

 

[Don Campbell]

I bought it from my neighbor for $35.00 and his dad built it, he worked for Ford and he said it had a mustang rear axle , a model t transmission . Not sure what the front axle came off . It had a 12 hp briggs. The bad thing was it was belt driven and would spin the belts. we tried putting double belts on but it kept throwing one of them. Hard to believe something so crude could give so much enjoyment. We even built a plywood cab and a snowblade for it . I used the plow the whole yard with it. Hey, I still do that!! ha,ha,ha.

 

[Don Campbell]

Todays pics show my lineup in the driveway , keep in mind I had a small lawn care business and I had no helpers. I had two trucks and three lawn trailers . I did lawn care and snowplowing for over 15 years and no-one else ever drove one of my tractors. I had too many friends tell me too many horror stories about young kids tearing up their tractors. I could only handle so many account so I picked and chose the best ones and it worked out great summer and winter. I never got rich but I really enjoyed it . Here is the jd 1050 before I built the cab and attached a front loader. I was always puttering building things for the lawn care business.

 

[JoniH]

Just amazing, read through all 26 pages. Wish i had even half the skills you do.

 

[Don Campbell]

Thank you, hope I can give some of you a few ideas for your own little shop projects.
Yesterday I did the first little project in my workshop for a few weeks. Temps have been below zero and highs in the 10's to 20's . It got up to 25 degrees yesterday, yippee !
10 years ago I paid $29.00 each for these push scoop snow shovels. I use them dozens of times every winter for the driveway, and out back and for roof shoveling. But every few years the cutting edge wears thin and the rivets wear off . So yesterday it was time to put a new cutting edge on repair the other one . I put one sharp edge on one for scraping the driveway nice and clean and more of a rounded edge on the other one for less agressive use and for use on the roofs. I checked the prices at the local hardware and see now these same scoop shovels cost $49.00 ea.
It is always a good feeling when you can save a buck in the workshop.

 

[JoniH]

For sure! For a long time i have been dreaming of some kind of tracked vehicle to cruise around in the yard. Something like this:

Last year i almost had my hands on a set of tracks and wheels from a bandwagen, but hesitated for a minute too long, and someone else bought them. Maybe better, keeps me more focused on building the garage..

Keep up the good work!

 

[Don Campbell]

Very Cool Machine !!!!
One thing is for sure , it will not be cheap to make . That is one reason I have not built one so far. Even old used tracks , drive sprockets , bogies , etc. are very expensive
I figure $10,000.00 so that is probably why it is taking me so long to build, ha,ha