350C I'm thinking buying...

440 iron popper · Post by **440 iron popper** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 12:34 pm

Oh my... Nice 350C near my house. Diesel, 6 way blade, winch, recent tracks. He's asking 14K. I might consider selling one of my 440 and get this newer machine.

For those who know this model well, is there particular things to check? A kind of checklist for a GO or NO GO! I like crawlers and fixing them but I don't want another money pit...

Thanks a lot

CatD8RII · Post by **CatD8RII** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 6:17 pm

I'm not 100% convinced that any old crawler is capable of NOT being an money pit

Anyways a few quick things to look at would be the crossbars. Pay close attention to where they attach to the track frames, and the condition of the bars themselves. The rear one sits in a saddle per say and may show wear, while the front one is bolted with bushings. Theres been a few posts on here about it im sure.
Also check the side frames, look for cracks and tightness, and where they bolt to the steering clutch housings and to the front of the reverser,
Also check the reverser to transmission case mounting. Theres 2 bolts on the bottom and 2 studs on top, they can be a big problem if they come loose and are run
I'm sure some others will chime in, but you can at least get started with that much!

440 iron popper · Post by **440 iron popper** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:57 pm

Thanks CATD8RII.

I'll take a look at these details. So if there are issues with these things, you would avoid buying it? Or lower the price and working on it later...

Crawlers... They could be nice looking from the outside and total wreck inside... I learned that during the past 2 years! This bigger and newer machine would do more job on the land than the 440 for shure. I'll go have a good look tomorrow.

Scottyb · Post by **Scottyb** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:43 am

That sounds like a nice crawler. Buy it.

I really like the winch on my 350b.

You can go to work with it right away. The last one I bought was the best one I ever bought and my Favourite so far!

Scott

CatD8RII · Post by **CatD8RII** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:08 am

The crossbar issues are repairable with a moderate ammount of work and welding. The loosness on the other members is a different animal. It really depends if the machine was run loose or not. If it was run long enough it can end up cracking or damaging the cases, which aren't so easy to fix.

Paul Koski · Post by **Paul Koski** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:27 pm

How much are you asking for the 440? Any pictures?

Paul

pkoski@jamadots.com

440 iron popper · Post by **440 iron popper** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:02 pm

Well I went back there. I took the serial number: 329465. According to the FAQ here it is a 1979. It is very good looking but with the -25 this morning and the snow around it I didn't checked it as much as I wanted. I noticed some Pin Boss wear on both chains. It doesn't look that bad to me... I talked to the guy there. Actually it is a small machinery shop. Same owner for 15 years (his father). He used it in the woods. Could the pin boss wear be the result of side hill operation or always on uneven terrain? or maybe very used bottom rollers? I'll go back and take a picture tomorrow so I can show this to you. The guy would let me check it more in details on monday in the shop and of course try it, the winch and all that. Maybe I'll change my name here for 350CIronPopper!

440 iron popper · Post by **440 iron popper** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:30 pm

Paul Koski wrote:How much are you asking for the 440? Any pictures?

Paul

pkoski@jamadots.com

Hi Paul,

I have a post about this one on the show and tell (bull2). It was really bad shape internally and made me say a lot of bad words. But I've been through the whole drive train with my friend (Retired John Deere mecanic). We started from the reverser bypass shaft to the drawbar! I got it running and enjoyed every feet traveled!! But I'm not finished with it. I need a New Engine clutch, ring gear,new gauges and wiring when spring comes back. I have all the parts on hand. Engine is strong, good oil pressure checked with a calibrated gauge. If I don't buy the 350C it's gonna be my working crawler this summer. Otherwise I'll send you a PM. Located in eastern Canada.

440 iron popper · Post by **440 iron popper** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:08 am

I took a couple of pics of the machine. The wear on the chain is it something to worry about in this case? Thank you!

Post by **Lavoy** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:21 am

For the flanges to be hitting the pin bosses, I would assume the rollers are worn. Even on a hill side, if the rollers are good, the flange shouldn't be high enough to hit.
Rollers are not the end of the world, just can be a pain to put on. You can kind of see the first and last rollers to get an idea of how thick they still are.
Lavoy

jtrichard · Post by **jtrichard** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 12:41 pm

looks like the pins and bushings will need to be turned in the near future..... i agree with lavoy on the rollers...it could be a few rollers or all of them you'll just have to check them out ....remember its a crawler and the under carriage is like the tires on your truck it wears out its just a hole lot more money

440 iron popper · Post by **440 iron popper** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:56 am

About the rollers, they will be hard to check with those rock guards on... Maybe like you say Lavoy with the first and last, once it's out of the snow.

For the suggestions of CatD8R about looking at the cases and the frame I was thinking about bringing a mechanic bed and roll under if possible. But it has those plates under on all the lenght! Just removing that for a check is a big job!!

I looked at many posts about this model on here and there were a lot about the series confusion. Strait,B,C,D. So I went back there this morning and removed the seat as suggested by JWB. I saw that the lever was linked to a piston and the steering case. I guess one for steering and one for the brake?

I downloaded the operator manual also to see how this thing work compared to the 440. 18$. That's worth it. I think I'm really interested but i'm on the brake a little... I REALLY don't want to break down after 1h and go through drive drain like my 2 440. I just want to push and pull stuff

CatD8RII · Post by **CatD8RII** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 11:42 am

The transmission to reverser case joint should be somewhat visible looking in from the side. Just follow the case back from the filter (which you can see in one of your pics). You can see the bottom 2 bolts this way. If you want to see the top, you need to remove the floor plates (where your feet sit). Which isnt that big of a deal. To see the rollers you can push down with the blade to lift the front of the machine off the ground. Obviously, don't go under the machine unless you block it up, but you can still get a good visual on the rollers flanges.

Willyr · Post by **Willyr** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 6:59 pm

For that kind of money I would look for something else. That or see if they will let you have it for 5-6k. Pretty rough looking in my book. It does have nice paint, a winch and ROP's. But that is the only good things I see.

DBCSteve · Post by **DBCSteve** » Mon Jan 28, 2013 4:33 pm

No reaction to the comments from others, but if you really need to push dirt a 450 will get more work done. I fixed up a 350B only to find that it did not have enough power for my needs. The 450 series are more appropriate to my needs, and not much more costly to buy in my area. Of course you need to be familiar with model features and quirks before looking, and get a good mechanic to join you when you look. At least I did, and it really helped.

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