good? taking a leap: will be buying 3135 170hrs $2800

[CJ-8_Jim]

good? taking a leap: will be buying 3235 170hrs $2800

Will be buying in 3 hrs before the other buyer shows up - let me know your thoughts

I can check posts from the road.

Thanks for understanding and all the past advice,
Jim

 

[JTKub]

Sounds like a good deal if it's clean/complete. That's a ~$6K setup if bought new.

Joel

 

[scoutcub]

Jim;
Did you get it?
I've owned several 3000 series and am quite partial to them. The 3235 is at the top of the series, and if it's a true 170 hours thats a very fair price. You can add more hydraulic valves to the existing valve and have a power angle blade, or the monster 45" 2 stage blower. The power steering will spoil you, and the differential rear lock is very handy. Depending on what year it is, you have either the 23 or 25 HP Kohler Command, an excellent engine.
Let us know!

 

[CJ-8_Jim]

First, Thank you to everyone for letting me freely demonstrate my how much of a newbie I am on this and earlier posts and also for replying with thoughtful posts.

My wife and I are moving from a condo to 1.3 acres in 10 days... despite that time pressure, we "hemmed-and-hawed" on the seller's lawn for close to two hours into the night wrestling with the decision and calling everyone we knew who had a lawn tractor (including my brother-in-law who just got certified as a Case-IH mechanic on farming equipment).

In the end, we bought it... he had another guy coming tomorrow so he wouldn't budge on price. I figured a top of the line Craftsman garden tractor with Chicago tax is $2800 also, but it's less stout. So I went with this.

It's a 2004 3235 with 184 hours... the father who passed away had two tractors up in Wisconsin... This past spring the son brought it down to Chicago and has been using it for about 25 hrs seeing if it useful to him in his landscaping business.

Exterior:
- Headlight lens: Listed this first because it's the worst item (which if I'm right, is not such a bad thing).
Looks like someone bumped into something and dented the grill and cracked the headlight lens... dirt and leaves collecting behind the lens. It's held on with a sheet metal screw.

It would be nice to find a replacement lens/lamp assembly.

Exterior otherwise just dirty... no surface rust.

Deck:
- Roller surface seems rough... not sure if this is normal or if the deck has been driven over gravel.
- underside is just dirty... no caked-on grass despite the top of the deck which loaded with clippings and dirt among the belts. That's got to be tough on the belts.

Powertrain:
- Trans fluid: clear and smells good
- Oil: it's oil... seems fine
- Driveshaft... seems tight... only a very little rotational play and I determined that little play is not coming from slip joint.
- Forward & Reverse: Need to push pedal down maybe 1/3 of the way before it engages. Doesn't "grab" and whiplash you like the garden tractors my wife drove as a kid on the farm in the 1980s.

I'm guessing this is just a design improvement over the past 20+ years? Reverse is like this even more so than forward... my BIL Case-IH mechanic says his 2007 CC2500 is the same way in reverse.

Concerns/Next steps:
- I need a manual.
- I don't think it's been greased since leaving the factory 184 hours ago. Need a manual to figure out what is where.
- Pick up some backup belts (need a manual)
- change the oil (need a manual)
- sharpen the blades

Thank you again to everyone on the board.
Jim

 

[scoutcub]

Jim;

Congrats, ya did great!
You got a $6000+ machine for 1/2 price with less than 200 hours, and only 5 years old. It's a top of the line garden tractor that you can do a lot of different work with and it'll last you a long time.

manual; go to CC website, left side hit manuals......type in serial # and model # off your tractor. (right side frame) print your owners manual for free. I have some cheat codes if you don't have the serial sticker on the tractor.

headlight; common problem....the 2-piece was susceptible to damage and separating, allowing dirt to enter the lens. I've replaced several of them. Get on Ebay, item #290317941459. 65 bucks is better than your local dealer will charge. (or you can try to get them to match it-i doubt it) And this is the newer 1-piece model.

forward & reverse - partly designed this way - so when released the tractor will stop in its tracks. theres also been several threads regarding modifying or adjusting the pedals to make it go faster in reverse, more speed forward, etc. Clean and Spray them thoroughly to see if theres any improvement.

Good luck and welcome to the club!

 

[diesel_nut]

Great deal.

 

[bwmarine]

I have purchased many parts from these guys Cub Cadet Parts the turn around is quick and they are very helpful. They have actually drop shipped a part which they did not have direct from cc... congrats on the tractor!

 

[Bob_Bainbridge]

I have a 2004 3235 also and still have the original 2-PTO and mower deck belts with no sign of wear yet with 250+ hours. The headlight is a weak point on this tractor, especially when you mow into low tree branches and brush like I do. I picked up a new headlight assembly on eBay for $54 and Monday the outer lens and inner refector fell off. At least this time I didn't run it over with the deck. I'll have to screw it on somehow. You didn't say what deck you have but the 54 inch deck seems to accumulate a lot of grass but doesn't seem to hurt anything. The deck is very good at not building up underneath, which is good since it weighs 260 pounds and isn't fun to remove & replace. The grease fittings on the two front deck wheel spindles were recessed and almost impossible to get my grease gun on. I replaced them with fittings that protrude farther.
The original deck rollers were wooden and get chewed up and worn. I replaced the 2 outer rear rollers and the front roller and they are made of plastic but are $15 apiece.

Bob B.