Any thoughts on virtues or faults of a CASE 310 (later model) or an Allis HD3? Are they both about as strong in the lifting department. How would they compare digging wise to a 4x4 tractor such as a Deere 2355?
Have you decided on which one your going to get? You are going to get one right? lol
I'm just looking around for the next farm toy. The 175 whetted my appetite for crawlers but what would really be useful is a backhoe. A crawler loader with a backhoe on the back would be ideal but all the ones I've seen are out of the price range I want to be in. I looked at an IH 500C CLB 2 weeks ago at an auction that sold for $3300 but it need all undercarriage, a complete RH steering clutch and was only running on 2 of the 3 cylinders. I looked at the HD3 about a month ago. It has all new undercarriage, a pretty well built FOPS, good steering and brakes and a set of forks for the good. The engine was hard to start and smoked pretty bad, the bucket is toast all the loader linkages are worn severely and while it has a winch on the back, all the controls are missing, for the bad. This weekend I'm going to look at the 310. It's gas and was owned by a funeral home for 25 years. It doesn't look trashed in the pictures but seeing and driving it will tell the story. It's also $3500 vs $4500 for the Allis. There is also a CASE 580C near me that could be had for $5500 but has a broken loader arm, no brakes and the engine smokes. I'm pretty sure if I get the small crawler that I can find a backhoe attachment for a couple thou and build the mounts to put it on. I'm a small engine/tractor mechanic by day and do a fair amount of fabrication/welding at home so there are a lot of possibilities.
If your like me, half the fun is looking for the treasure. Will be interesting to hear what kind of shape the 310 is in.
I had a Case 310G which was the last of the 310 series. Mine was the second last of the g series and was very similar to the 350 that came after it. The very last of the G series is exactly the same as the 350 but without the power shuttle for forward and reverse. If the one you are looking at is Gas, my guess is it is a pretty early one. Mine had a twin ram 4in1 bucket and tyne bar on the rear. It had the 188D case diesel motor. The 310G is a well balanced and reliable machine, but is by no means super robust. The steering is achieved by band brakes on drums that have planetary gears that slow down one track and speed up the other. Very good for pushing/digging on turns, but not real great for tight work as pivot turns cannot be done. I think that unless you want a machine that size a 450 is a better bet. The trans is pretty much indestructible, and you have two speeds on each track for power turns, as well clutch/brake turning. Early 450s share the same 188D motor but weigh around 3ton more. Hope that helps. Baz
Funny you should mention 350's. I made a tentative deal on one today that looks like it will do what I need. It's a 1973 with a 4 in one and a ROPS. The shuttle shift is very appealing and for farm use, the differential steering should be fine. I have to get it hauled 6 hours but I have a couple of quotes that are reasonable. If I get it all worked out, I'll be sure to post pictures. I'd love to have a 450 but I did want to try a machine that I could haul locally with my dually. I don't have enough Gross weight to get through the weigh stations or a USDOT# for crossing state lines so I'm not even thinking about going to get this machine.
The 350 is a great little machine. They have lifetime rollers and idlers unlike the early 310s that had to be greased every day. The hydro leveling works well to keep the bucket in the same plane as you lift and lower it but it is more things to leak. Hydraulics are a little faster than the 450 and are good for precision work. There is a pretty good chance you will break a steering band at some stage, but they are reasonably easy to replace. The brakes are pretty useless for stopping or even holding on a grade. Motor and trans wise they are pretty solid and push reasonably for a machine this size. You should be happy as long as power lust don't get ya!
That sounds encouraging. I drive an old Isuzu pickup and I had a Mercedes 240Td for a long time so that should tell you something about my need for power
350 arrived yesterday. Both sides of the frame are cracked at the rear and have been welded before and the brakes need adjusting. The clam seems to be binding under load and won't shut tight around a large object. It runs great though and overall is about what I expected for what I paid. The guy that hauled it was great. If anyone needs anything up to about 15K hauled in the northeast or mid atlantic, I'll be glad to give you his name.
Looks like I spoke too soon. I washed the mud out of the tracks and see that some of the bushings are missing. That's interesting because the rails aren't really worn down and the grousers look fairly new. It also explains why the LH track was/is so tight. So, I'm in the market for some chains. Also, the LH sprocket is rubbing on the lower roller so I need to figure what is out of alignment there. This is what makes a project a project, I guess.
Glad you got your toy. I take it the cracks were a surprise. Hope that didn't dampen the excitement too much. Sounds like the 350 is going to keep you busy for awhile.