New Bespoke Post subscribers get 20% off their first box of awesome - go to bespokepost.com/farmcraft20 and enter code FARMCRAFT20 at checkout. Thanks to Bespoke Post for sponsoring! I hope you enjoy the video! Have an awesome weekend everybody, and see you next week!!

Right! Cancel everything I had planned for the next hour…Farm Craft 101 is on!

John, I've watched A LOT of your videos and come to the conclusion that you are just a typical farmer: You can build, fix, or make anything.

I really do appreciate your taking the time to film these various projects. I think it gives us all confidence to maybe step out of our own comfort zone to tackle larger projects at our own homesteads, however large or small they might be! Bravo John, and thank you! ❤

You are amazing. How did you learn to do all the 'stuff' you know. I'm a 77 year old retiree. I couldn't do a tenth of the things you do. Also, your positive, can-do attitude is great. I always look foward to your videos. 👍👍👍👍

I bet your video view retention is thru the roof ... i dunno if its what your doing .. or how you edit it . Or just you yourself .... but it is super easy to watch your videos no matter how long they are from start to finish Theres never a boring moment . Hands down one of the best Channels on youtube

Jon, 36yr old here. I'm amazed how fearless you are when it comes to fixing or rebuilding something. You've inspired me to dig into my motorcycle forks which is something I probably would have never attempted. I found the issue very quickly and had everything working perfectly in a weekend. Thanks for sharing all the work you do.

One more tip, on your first start up do not fully extend / retract any of your cylinders just move them in and out little a few times to get traped air out of the cylinders. You don't want to air lock them as it can be messy to fix.

Your attention to detail of every shot and not skipping any step of the way when filming is why you’re one of my favorite KZfaqrs keep it up.

I am a 60 yr old women. I really love all your videos. This boom series is my favorite so far (even the fire and that repair). You are a true Jack of all trades! Thank you for not only the educational/fun videos, but your creative editing.

75 yo aerospace engineer who has always been a DIY'er before that became a thing. I believe you are the King of DIY. Thank you for sharing.

I'm a Computer Science student city boy but I think this is the best channel on KZfaq.

A former head of the BBC, Lord Reith, said that “the purpose of television is to inform, educate & entertain. You hit the nail right on the head with this vid. Very impressive content. Thank you.

I would love to see an in-depth documentary on how that cylinder was made. Especially how those holes were drilled the entire length of the rod. And how that rod was manufactured to such precision.

I've been watching this channel for quite a while and one thing has always amazed me. No not the number of Johnson jokes that you are able to work in, though I appreciate those. Nor your ability say "hold my beer" by saying I haven't done this before. Not your ability to solve problems and explain them at the same time. Not even your ability to talk to cows (which is near and dear to my heart since my first pet 100+ years ago was a cow.) No, what I wonder is, how the heck do you keep everything family friendly while working an machinery! Great video. Thank you for sharing.

Man of conviction. I would of given up way before we got to the fire. Also love how you got the nemesis pin out. 👍

John, your channel is now easily at the top of my list of favorites. I watched all your content over the last few weeks and got bummed out when I ran out of videos to watch. I got excited today when I got home from work and saw you had a new video up on the boom lift! I quickly made a stiff drink, kicked back, and enjoyed the heck out of watching you work through the challenges and have a little fun with the narration. :) Please don't change a thing about how you present your content and please keep 'em coming. Also, thank you for all the effort you obviously put into your videos to share your projects and challenges with us. Looking forward to the next video and seeing the boom lift ready to rock-n-roll!

NOTE: No seals were injured in the making of this video. Great job John. Determination overcomes the immovable again. That new addition to the workshop is working out well. 😎😎

I’m VERY impressed with your accomplishments on this machine. ONE person refurbishing an entire boom lift by himself. REMARKABLE!!

I love the «well, it’s saturday afternoon and I Can’t get the Tools I actually need» solutions you show. To me, that’s the actual farmcraft of your show. This is my favorite friday night entertainment/education. Thank you!😊

It is not easy to find someone who is not discouraged in the face of difficulties and even laughs at them. excellent teaching.

Thanks for all your patience with the filming, that was for me brilliant 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Think I saw Matt from @dieselcreek weld a bar onto the gland nut once. Thanks for the great content Jon. You're awesome!

this video should be classified as a BBC nature documentary with all those wild seals.

"there's no way i could do a job good enough with the tools that i have" sounds pretty funny after watching you tear down and rebuild a big a$$ cylinder with basic tools, on a bit of wood and furniture dolly's, outside on the driveway. and not to mention: ALONE. nothing but respect.

I really appreciate you converting everything into metric as well. I'm used to pausing and googling what the heck is 40F in celsius or a 40 thousand pound boom lift or whatever, but it's so nice not having to do that.

Your Rube Goldberg engineering skills are phenomenal. $50k is ridiculous, no wonder these are just used up junk at auctions. You're doing incredible work on this entire machine.

What way to spend a hugely entertaining hour … brilliant as ever John … I love the tongue in cheek throwaway lines … “I have no idea!” … “Good grief” .. “Well that was easy!” … and the ‘helpful’ over dubs .. plus the little videos of laughter and of course the SEALS😉🤣 I laugh out loud .. a lot 😂🤣 Keep doing what you’re doing 👍😉 I haven’t laughed so much in ages … “Windy enough?” Then slow motion camera fall 😂

Your videos have given me the confidence to tackle big jobs on my duramax that I have had no prior training or experience with and the confidence alone has been what’s got me through some tough jobs. Thank you John!

HA HAAA! Finally! I have one tool that you don't have. A 48" pipe wrench! I never thought it would happen. Seriously, I love watching you work. It's like you can here me when I'm watching your videos except sometimes you come up with solutions I never thought of. I'm 76 and have spent my life fixing everything. Please keep up the great videos.

I didn’t have time to finish the video today but huge respect for taking this job on yourself.

With as much work you do on round shaped objects like cylinders and axles, make a couple of "V" blocks with stubs for your floor jacks to keep them from sliding off. You can still pad the with leather or plastic to prevent scratching cylinder rods.

After watching a bunch of your videos over the years, I'm now convinced you can fix literally anything by yourself. You have got to be a mechanical genius. So what is your secret? Great video as always.

Good job on that cylinder, that job takes some commitment! Please do a video on your wood boiler; how is it connected to the heating system, how big of an area are you heating, what kind of insulation do you have on that area, how much wood do you use, what does it cost, how often do you load it, do you have electricity heating as a backup, etc... Thanks for all the great content!

Just for future reference...you may be able to find large sockets like the one you needed at a big truck stop...sometimes they have tools available for the driver's to purchase.

Im a 33 year old city dweller from south america, you have my full admiration

Stating the obvious. Another pair of hands is a huge bonus. We rebuilt the cylinders on a 1100 ton hydraulic extrusion press. The side jacks are only about 12 feet long. The barrel is 12 inches in diameter with a 6 inch shaft. Similar process to what you did but involving lift trucks,, cranes, and proper wrenches. Doing it by yourself you have my respect.

Now that was really something, honestly, I’ve never seen anything like that! What a job that was, you’ve made it, what an incredible episode!

I have no idea how those parts go back to where they're supposed to go, but it's fascinating to watch some one else do it. Glad you know what you're doing!!! Lol😂

Good work Jon! You are the example of necessity being the mother of invention. Whatever works but with quality in mind. I really enjoy watching you repair your equipment and actually being there vicariously helping you in my mind. 😁😀

So awesome to see how your never ending perseverance pays off in the end.

How can 1 man take on a job like this and make it look so effortless? CGI I though to myself. But then one step at a time the fog begins to clear, its not effortless of course just sheer determination and know how and one hell of a lot of grit. Your videos are a true gem to watch for any guy or gal that likes to tear something apart and put it back together. Thank you for taking the time to share.

You never disappoint coming up with workaround solutions to perform industrial sized operations!

This has to be one of my favourite videos to watch that you've done. Classic example of how to improvise to get the job done. Beauty! :) Looking forward to seeing you install everything back together next week!

We work with hard chrome plating... and I can tell you that at least half of that 40 something thousands dollar price of the entire cylinder is on the hard chrome process.. so.. be very carefull on the surface of that thing! Cheers and keep the good and hard work 💪

Chuckled every time you said, “So, here’s the setup...” followed by some crazy rope and chain apparatus. 😁

John, you are the boss. My wife and I look forward to your videos with eager anticipation. Now, I am a retired photocopier engineer, and the largest socket I own is 27 mm and was used once 😂. The jobs that you take on would scare the pants off most people, including me. Great videos, my friend. I'm looking forward to the next one.

You're an animal! To do that by yourself is damn impressive. Of course, you do most of these jobs that usually require at least two people by yourself. #inspiration.

Another enthralling video, with amazing logistical problems...which, as always, you overcome, and relish the satisfaction of knowing you did it your way, and not the $50,000 way.

Well Johnson, you can be confident that all the major parts are in good shape. You know and understand the machine and have a baseline for maintenance. Enjoyed the armchair journey. Thank you.

You are an amazing , multi talented , man, wonderful camera, you have the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon , and the mental strength of Samson. Thank you.

Oily sawdust makes great sweeping compound in the shop too.

Feel bad I just found your videos. Your ability to never give up and keep trying is next level.

I owned and operated a restaurant service business for over 20 years and tackled everything....and not just in restaurants. Anything or place that operated on mechanical, electrical or refrigerant was fair game. A busy restaurant owner on Friday night doesn't want to hear, "I can't help you." You figure out something and make it go. I watch a lot of fix-it type videos, which is how I found your site. Many of these guys are so inept, I find myself saying, "What the F--- are you doing, or, WTF are you thinking about ?? I get right into it and frequently say, "why don't you try this or do that," based on my own experiences. I really enjoy your videos - I've watched quite a few now - because our heads run in the same circles. Your thought processes almost exactly mirror my own when working on something and solving glitches as you encounter them. I grin a lot when watching, saying, "yup, yup, you bet, just right," etc., etc. Keep 'em coming, John.

All credit to you, you take on some mammoth tasks, and in the end get things done with a bit of thought and improvisation. That's what impresses me most, that "won't be beat attitude". Well done.👍😏🇬🇧

I will never tire of the seal jokes and that t-shirt reminds me of one I heard many years ago about an "Eskimo" with car trouble and ice on his moustache...

When I do my motorcycle chains, I drop them in a metal bucket with 10-30 motor oil and then I "cook" them in the oil at 180f-200f (80-93c) for about an hour, let them cool in the oil for about 2 hours, then hang them overnight to drip-dry before re-installing them on the motorcycle. I have NO IDEA if this is the proper method, but an ancient harley dude taught me this when I was a teenager and it's just what I've always done.. And I've never had a problem. I can't see letting them soak in the oil for several hours not being sufficient for that kind of heavy-duty chain.

Watching hydraulic cylinders get rebuilt is SO SATISFYING!!

I make my own seal install tools. Start with a rod smaller than the bore. The length of the rod depends on the depth of the seal. Make it long enough so you get hold on to it. Bore 3 small pin size hole in the end in a V pattern so when you install the pins you can form the seal in to a heart shape. The pin holes need to least the the radius of the rod minus the thickness of the seal. You might have to bore 1 closer to the center of the rod if you can not get the seal on the pins to forum the heart shape. My rods are made from wood dowels, plastic, alum.,brass,steel or any other type of scrap. Does not have to be round as long as it fits into the bore and you can drill the V pattern. If using a plastic rod you can using needle nose pliers heat the pins and set them into the V pattern. You can use a piece of PVC, cardboard tube. Fill with JB Weld or any hardening glue and set the pins in before it dries. The glue does not have to fill the whole tube put in some kind of plug ind the rod say 5/8" in place a thin layer of glue on top let it cure then fill to top with glue and place the pins. The pins can be thing the smaller the better as long you de bur the ends we do not want to mar up the seal. On small tools I have used needle bearings I save out of U joints the are well polished. Make different sizes as needed for all size seals place them with your cylinder rebuild tools.🤓

seals on video, bird singing in background. high cuteness familly-friendly saturday afternoon video

Have you ever stopped to count the number of forms of mechanical advantage you make use of? It's really a thing of beauty.

I was shaking my head when the chisel came out! Didn't think you had a chance!!! Proved me wrong!

Hi John, great job. A couple of tips from someone who has spent many hours pulling long cylinders out of fork trucks. .if you have a plasma cutter and some 1/2" plate you can cut out a spanner. Sometimes it better to shock the gland nuts off with a few sharp blows on your spanner. And I used to wrap a very thin sheet of brass shim stock around the seal pack, this helps it over the threads and prevents damaging the seals. Looking forward to seeing how you put it all back together. Love that you include your mistakes...every days a school day 😊

Looking forward to see it fully back together!

Hey John just wanted to thank you for the content you create. Sometimes I feel like an idiot when I spend time making my own tools or struggling to make things work with whatever I have around. Your videos help me see how normal it is and that it's fine to not run off to town to buy stuff every time I might "need" it.

Brother when you got a plasma cutter and a welder, just make your own giant sockets Hell of a journey, thanks for the invite!

I was right there with us. The frustration, anxiety, and the relief. Bang up job. If I could been th a re to help I sure would have.

Fabulous video thankyou. Your intelligence, ingenuity and perseverance are both commendable and an inspiration. We've all experienced difficult bolts nuts and other joys when disassembling our car, trucks etc. but you take it to another level! You should feel proud of what you've achieved by applying some simple old fashioned virtues....keep going.

Well now you know, and so do we! Glad to see you moving in the right direction. Looking forward to next week...

John, I admire your farmers ingenuity and creativity for solving such puzzles, very nice work! When I was rebuilding diesel pumps for my uncle, we used STP oil treatment to coat the seals (insert related photo) so they wouldn't be damaged and make insertion easier, even if I was working on my Johnson.

Another awesome video You give us other DIY people more Confidence thank you

Hi Mrs. Jon 👋 Summer... I'm English so it's mandatory that I complain about the weather no matter what. Looking forward to seeing it all back in one piece 🙂

You are a problem solver. I was wondering how you were going to even deal with a cylinder that long and turns out it was just a handful of jacks, dollies, a come along and some chains - amazing! I also appreciate the extra time you took to show how you installed that seal that didn't film very well (with the 'kidney' shape trick). I don't know what you paid for all the seals and parts, and a few gallons of rust remover etc, but I bet it was a lot less than $50k! Amazing stuff to watch.

Great job! Tenacity is a quality sorely missing in a lot of society today.

being st. Patrick's day take a drink every time he says seal

In transmission building we use a lube glue for installing outer seals. It lubes as you install it and turns into a sticky adhesive as it dries over time. To stop the seal from spinning. Just need to clean the seal with solvent afterwards. It's made by the same people that make thread lock. Transmission assembly lube also helps with installing parts so you don't cut seals when assembling.

When I repacked cylinders I would put the seals in warm water to make them easy to install .

Good job... You are the poster child for buying the correct tools to do a jobs...

Wow! All I can say is: You're a braver man than I am. I would not have tackled that big cylinder. Kudos! Fantastic video and I learned a lot! Thanks, Jon! Lee

Almost as good as MacGyver! (The real one not the reboot) This really is great, both sides of my family were farmers/mechanics so watching this just overwhelms me with nostalgia. I can smell the oil, grease, solder, and wood shavings clear as day. Thank you for bringing back happy memories!😄 Also yes at 58:22!😁

Amazing how all of this works thanks to a few humble rubber seals. Loving the videos as always

It's nice when companies build things to be serviced. How that was put together is a thing of beauty in a sense. Now we need John Deere to learn from them.

I watched the whole video, it brought back memories if me helping my dad fix equipment in the farm shop.

Good job. I too have always been undaunted by seemingly insurmountable tasks. Jumping in and trying is far better than standing by and playing it safe.

Tip for removing cylinder gland nut! Weld a piece of flat bar or tubing to the side of the gland nut. This will allow a good solid spot to hit with a hammer and get it to spin. Just grind it back off after!

As always your content is top notch thanks for taking us along for the ride!

53:00 to clean the inside of the boom a rotating pipe cleaner like a jetter head would be perfect for that.

Great job and video! “ man you just don’t quit “ very enjoyable! As always thanks for sharing! 👌👍

I've commented before on another channel that I think us viewers, or at leat most of us, become friends with the presenter. To them struggling way into the night to get the job done, well, in a sense we are there with them. Keep the kind comments rolling in folks, we may well help more than we realise.

Forklift mechanic here, easiest way to measure chains is under tension and use a FB chain gauge, tells you your percentage in 2 seconds 👍🏻

Man that was a huge job for one person, deserves a like.

I will probably never own a boom lift, nor will I need to rebuild it as you have but it is good to know that like many things, with patience and mechanical aptitude, you can accomplish tasks like this.

Wow John, How do I say, Man that was really so awesome. I love following along with your projects, super interesting always. It gives all us fraady cats the confidence that we too can handle projects. I have done so many projects and just like you what you first try turns into plan B, then C, then finally after maybe a few cuss words, you finally make it happen. Ya have to try different things when what you first try doesn't work. Thank you for going thru all the filming pains to bring this to us. Very very interesting!!! Jay from Pa.

Well done Jon ,exactly the way any farmer would have rebuilt it ,we should have our own service book , page 1 would read IMPROVISE, IMPROVISE, IMPROVISE and if that doesn’t work IMPROVISE SOME MORE, page 2 would read ,the end Cheers from Aus

Always loved rebuilding cylinders when I worked at JCB. Hydraulics are just plain fun!

Really do appreciate you filming this.

Just want to add, when measuring chains do so around the rollers. That's where they stretch the most.

yes to the consolidated jlg boom lift repair keep up the good work

I think that rod would have started as a piece of hollow tube in which they ran 3 pipes down the core and welded them at the ends. Curtis from CEE channel has a video showing repairs on a smaller cylinder that was built in this manner.

I’m also nearing my eighties. Am in awe of your work ethic. Go man go.