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My experience looking at a 3416H for sale


jsarro

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This AM I drove an hour to RI to look at a 3416H. I got my first tractor a few weeks ago. I have since contracted a case of tractor fever. The quality of these tractors has drawn me in. A glimpse at the past of American craftsmanship when things were built to last a lifetime. Machines meant to provide years of use. To be fixed but not thrown away. Qualities that are hard to come by now a days. Shortly after getting my 3112V, I began prowling the net for a second tractor. I want to have one in use and one for restoration. The 3416H was not as described by the seller during our 3 or 4 conversations. When I got there the tractor was already running in the driveway with its potty underneath it. It was running really really rough. I was very surprised because the one selling point of this tractor was it was supposed to be mechanically in excellent order. He then demonstrated driving it at full speed FWD it went a mere 1-2 MPH. It struggled along to do this. The deck had been welded. The body was in a lot worse condition than the photos were able to show. The front tires were completely bald. It appeared that it had been stored outside for many yrs with no cover. It came with a parts tractor, but to me these were both parts tractors. You may get one full tractor out of the two. I am not looking for that big of a project right now. I gained a lot of experience through the research I did on this model. Had the trax been as described and in excellent mechanical function, I would have bought them. Part of the fun of these tractors is the adventure of the hunt. Hooking up your trailer. Getting out on the road with your country music, on an expedition. All the while planning to bring back home another work horse that too few people know about. Funny thing is, as bad a shape these tractors were in, I found myself wanting to restore them. I wanted to restore them to a time when they were king. Thanks for every ones help educating me about the intricacies of the many models out there. Have a good memorial day! Next time I'll take pictures even on the ones I don't buy.
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Wow. Surprise and not. Tractor running in driveway - I like to see them cold, then hear the startup, then the warmup, etc. Sellers want to show it running. "here, I'll start it up for you". I freak out - DON'T START IT YET!! It's hard to control that. It also disrupts the process of meeting a new person, getting a feeling for the scene, etc. Zooming in on the target objective eventually. Instead of everything all spinny. Warning - do a reality check. I think it's a good exercise to go see anyway. It's a bit of a war zone that can be very friendly, depends. Sometimes I come home feeling like I need a shower. Other times it's very enjoyable. It's always different. Hard to prescreen. Were there any telltale signs that you missed? Or was the guy a really good con? :D Sometimes people on buying sprees are able to line up several viewings; easier said than done. The good news is that you learned more than you realize throughout this process. Shake it off. Let it ride. Move on. And congrats - you are now a traxtor officionado. You do good work, Jack.dOd That's your protection. You weren't supposed to have that tractor. What's interesting is how the story continues. It's different now. For sure. That one could never be for you. Was it worth $75 for both? each? (who cares?) I doubt your own tractor would have enjoyed it's company either. Thanx for the report. Always good to hear those stories.
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Yup, those have been on CL for quite a while, perhaps I now know why! Sorry it didn't pan out! Sux to drive that far to look at junk for big $. They probably be ok if you were looking for a project and could do a little better on price IMO!
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quote:
Originally posted by MysTiK
Wow. Surprise and not. Tractor running in driveway - I like to see them cold, then hear the startup, then the warmup, etc. I think it's a good exercise to go see anyway. It's a bit of a war zone that can be very friendly, depends. Hard to prescreen. Were there any telltale signs that you missed? Or was the guy a really good con? :D The good news is that you learned more than you realize throughout this process. Shake it off. Let it ride. Move on. And congrats - you are now a traxtor officionado. You do good work, Jack.dOd Was it worth $75 for both? each? (who cares?) I doubt your own tractor would have enjoyed it's company either. Thanx for the report. Always good to hear those stories.
I completely agree, I was weird-ed out that he had already started the tractor, he knew I had just driven by to turn around. I thought that was a bad sign right away. It got even worse as I walked up his drive way and heard how awful the tractor sounded. Yes my ears had not deceived me from the bottom of the hill. It sounded just terrible. I have a very good running engine on my 3112V to compare it to. The sound it makes is something of beauty. It's a rumbling deep smooth sound. If he had said motor needs work, I would not have been shocked. He had said over and over again of how he had gone through this tractor top to bottom and mechanically it was awesome. He said many new parts yet they were just taken off the other 74 3416H. It was an eye opener. It was a good experience. I had fun, thanks Graham. I had put the guy through the ringer on the phone several times over the past few weeks trying to decide if I should go down there. I was looking at an hour each way, plus 2 trips to get them both home. Last night I was watching some Youtube videos of the 3416H. It was a beast, and I woke up today psyched that I was going to own and restore one. Red flags were he lowered the price on the phone. Before I even went there the price had dropped from $675.00 to $400. He told me he just bought a 4211 to replace the 3416H. I found that a little surprising. In addition he called me on the phone after I first called him, telling me he was highly motivated and needed the money. By the time I went there I was thinking as though his next mortgage payment depended on this tractor sale. He had his garage doors shut. After there a while I got him to open them up to reveal 4 beautiful motorcycles and a perfect 2004 Mustang GT convertible. Plus a workshop and an array of tools any mechanic would be thrilled to have. In one conversation he told me his job was to maintain the tractors at work. He said he would love to restore this tractor himself, but he did not have the time or the money. I told him how awefull it sounded and how it was supposed to be great. He said last week he used it and it was great, but for some reason today it sounded terrible. He said it probably just needs a quick carb clean, but he told me he had already done that on the phone. He said he would have it running great by the afternoon and to make an offer. I said no matter the price, I am not looking for this big of a project right now. Then he threw out $300. I said I was prepared to pay him $400.00 today if everything was as great as I was told. That figure in my head dropped to about $50.00-$75.00 each, if I was looking for a big project. On the phone I said have you had any lookers, why no buyers? He said a lot of tire kickers out there. I did not drive it, because it was not really driveable. He had all he could do to keep it running, and at full FWD and throttle it barely moved. In his defense, he just called to apologize. He said he just put the points and condenser in it from the parts tractor, and now everything is tip top again. He said he would deliver the tractors or meet me half way and his $300.00 offer would still stand. I don't think he meant any harm. Sorry for the long one, but you asked!sm01:):p
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quote:
Originally posted by ReedS
Yup, those have been on CL for quite a while, perhaps I now know why! Sorry it didn't pan out! Sux to drive that far to look at junk for big $. They probably be ok if you were looking for a project and could do a little better on price IMO!
Thanks Reed, When I was there, I was thinking, now I know why they have not sold, and why he is pursuing the buyer. It was 100 miles round trip. In the future, if I do not know the buyer and I was traveling far, I would have them start it on the phone. I don't know if that would have helped. Your right, if you want a big project, and can get them for parts tractors prices, then you may end up with a nice machine given some heavy work.
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quote:
Originally posted by goatfarmer
Depending on the price, it might have been worth it to get both, How much was he asking?
He was asking $675.00 total for both. The price was at $400.00 after a few phone calls. After I heard it run, he dropped the price to $300. He was still open to negotiating when I left. I felt they should be "you haul away for free" or pay up to $125.00 - $150.00 total for both. Between the poor mechanics and cosmetics they would be a big job. Not impossible, but I would not be able to get to it to make it a work machine for a while given all my other projects at home right now. Another thing that was disappointing was the headlights. He said they all worked on the phone,then it changed to the top 2 bulbs work, then when I got there none of them worked. All in all he was a nice guy.
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A nice guy but a good one to stay away from. Just MHO Some of the worst con men I have known were really nice guys. larry
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Yup, you've been bitten, and it sounds like you're learning the hard lessons quickly ;)
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quote:
Originally posted by AC_B-1Novice
A nice guy but a good one to stay away from. Just MHO Some of the worst con men I have known were really nice guys. larry
Your right too many things did not add up. This is directly from the add. 1974 Simplicity Sovereign 48" Mower Deck 16HP Briggs & Stratton Commercial Engine, Hydrostatic drive. Runs 100%. Many new parts. $675.00 or best offer.
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quote:
Originally posted by Talntedmrgreen
Yup, you've been bitten, and it sounds like you're learning the hard lessons quickly ;)
It is true. No time like the present to get my feet wet!
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quote:
Originally posted by MysTiK
Jack, do we send out the posse?
Graham thanks, the problem was diverted, and my CL and Ebay senses have been sharpened. So we can call back the horses and ask the dogs to stand down! We are good!:)
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OK. but the dogs will be disappointed. they are friendly, just like the excitement. if you get down on one knee, and lower your head, as in 'submissive dog posture', they come and sniff, and then lick you. They like a leader; unless they are alpha. that's different. what am I talking about? :D Thx for answering all the questions for everybody. This has been an enjoyable adventure. Do you have kijiji where you are? up here in Ontariario we have kijiji and craigslist. I never bother with CL. There's never anything there. It's all on kijiji. CL just started using better pix on ads - kijiji has been doing that for years. But I think CL in the States is way more popular. With their old small pix system, it was really hard to see anything. I might look there more now. But really the biggest problem is that some people have no sense of how to post an ad. Stuff like: I have really cool tractor cuts great needs battery. = that's all they say, you are supposed to be a mind reader. o well. The sun will rise again tomorrow.
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quote:
Originally posted by MysTiK
OK. but the dogs will be disappointed. Thx for answering all the questions for everybody. This has been an enjoyable adventure. Do you have kijiji where you are? up here in Ontariario we have kijiji and craigslist. I never bother with CL.
Funny! Your welcome! We don't have kijiji, seems somewhat exclusive to CA. Craigslist is the biggest here in NE USA for the used local market. Ebay is mostly now for items you can't sell locally. The Ebay fees have gotten to be a little high lately. Craigslist can work out if you weed through the ads. Jack
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