JD350B purchase (possibly)

[Gunone69]

Hello everyone and thank you for the add to the site. I went and looked at a JD350B this past weekend and had no idea what I was looking at. I do have a mechanical background in aviation but nothing in heavy equipment. I do own a New Holland TC48 tractor that I have replaced the clutch in and done some small repairs on. This 350B is owned by my dad’s friend and is asking 5K for it, I don’t know what it’s worth. Engines has oil in it, hydraulics are full, and it starts right up with no hyd line or cylinder leaks that I can see. Hyd lines look terrible and in my opinion need changing. The unit drives and moves material however I am concerned with the track chain and drive sprockets, chain pins have 1/8” to 1/4” slop and I can see daylight between bushings and pins. Drive sprockets are pointed and some are chipped. Owner swears it has a drive/transmission clutch but the B model didn’t come with one. My concerns are the cost of track repairs and possible clutch replacement compared to actual value and asking price. Yall please advise me on the value verses cost of repairs and is this something that is worth going after or is it scrapyard material.
Thanks
Bryan

[Lavoy]

1/8" is considered 100% worn, so tracks are shot. Sprockets are easier to deal with, they seem more readily available than track groups. If it is a dozer crawler with grouser pads, I have a set of new takeoff tracks and pads.
It should be a reverser crawler, no clutch, you are correct.
Me personally, every hyd hose gets thrown away and replaced. I have had enough hot hyd oil baths in my day that I no longer keep poor looking hoses on anything.
My email is postmaster@jdcrawlers.com if you want to send me some pics, I might be able to give you a better idea.
Lavoy

[Gunone69]

I emailed you some pictures not sure if you can tell anything from them. So “possible purchase” means I think seller is asking to much, $5K is asking price I offered him $3K after seeing condition of tracks, am I close to where I need to be on the overall value and parts/time involved in this deal? Everything runs as it should from what I saw. He turned the offer down and told me to sleep on it and call him back with a different offer. That was four days ago.

[Lavoy]

Got them, replied to your email.
Lavoy

[Kolot]

Think you might be even to high with your offer but not by much, I am new to 350s slso but Im learning fast how expensive under carriage work and parts are. How are track adjusters, seals are cheap but the rods if corroded are about 400 each. Set of chains or rails no pads are like 3k, your labor. Many here will tell you to look at tbe bolts that hold the reverser to the engine, if they're loose and been run loose walk away.
The cross bar that connects the tracks to the dozer, bolts may be loose, sheared off, missing, stripped out and holes egged out. I just fixed mine, for some its a big deal but either way good amount of work and time.