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Saved From Scrap

5K views 24 replies 21 participants last post by  tracktortag 
#1 ·
Whelp. Tonight I had an adventure.
Saw an ad for a mid-70's Simplicity 3410 on craigslist, in rough shape and not running for $60. Thats basically scrap price. It was an hour and a bit away, but I figured it was worth a look. Got a call back at around 5 in the afternoon, guy said he'd be around that evening if I wanted to come get it. Decided to go for it, thinking it'd still be light enough out to load without too much issue.

Got within .3 miles of his house and my Garmin GPS decided that a service road, which hadn't been used in what looked like 20 odd years, was a legitimate shortcut. The gravel road turned to a dirt path, but I saw I was close so I went for it ... and found a tree blocking the road. Went to back out and my wheels sank into the soft, leafy soil. Stuck. Not havin' many options I called the guy with the Simplicity. Really nice guy, drove over and pulled my trailer out, came back for my car and -he- got stuck. Called a towtruck and he winched the truck and my car out.

By then it was 8:30 and I was a little poorer. Followed the guy over to his house (the "shortcut" my GPS was so keen on was actually a longer route, go figure), looked over the Simplicity, loaded it up in the dark and took it home. Guy said he'd probably have toted it off for scap if someone hadn't come for it.

Got home at 10 and found I'd left the pin for my tilt trailer - fortunately the tractor was tied to the front, its weight kept it down. That would have been fun, have my tilt trailer tilt back on the highway.

So yeah. More fun than I intended on having.
The Simplicity 3410 is in overall rough shape, but the engine is free and everything is there, including the mowing deck. I'll make a go at getting it moving again, worst comes to worst I'll part it out.

Just makes me sad when things like this are abandoned outside and scrap'd, once upon a time it was a fairly expensive, nice garden tractor.


 
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#2 ·
great haul. the best part of a tractor is getting it home
 
#4 ·
Gotta' love a story with a happy ending.
 
#5 ·
I have experienced the rogue GPS in that way also. I just wasn't going up that unpaved road. And I didn't have a trailer. And I didn't have cell coverage at that moment. So I had to back track to a point where I had cell coverage and call for the guy to come lead me into his place. Definitely was the longer route to his house. I got the JC Penney Grass Handler for $50, so it was worth the trip......I guess NC has similar "short cuts" as TN does!
 
#6 ·
GPS= "Gets People Stranded"....I've had a few experiences with them myself--had I not known the area well where I decided to try using a borrowed one,I'd probably still be riding around in the state forest's fire trails..the GPS said it was an "alternate route"...yeah,it was all right,if I hadn't ridden dirt bikes there as a teen, I'd have spent a long time in there going in circles,probably would have ended up stuck too...

Glad you got the tractor after all that,and for a cheap price..hope it will come back to life..it sucks though,when you end up having to go thru this much aggravation to get a "bargain",but at least no one else beat you there..I've had days like yours and by the time I found the sellers place ,they had sold it already...:mad:..almost 100 miles for nothing,in a vehicle that was a risk to take that far too!..
 
#8 ·
Yep the GPS is great But I know my way around here and the one I have is not that old but it has roads on it that are no longer there and haven't been for some time. Some times I'll have it on for the heck of it and it will want me to go one way but I know a better way and the thing will go nuts with up dates and try to get me to go on MUD road to get back to their route. Now if I didn't know better I could get into some real messes :(
 
#9 ·
Mine recently took me through someones driveway in my home area.Luckily I knew the area well and was able to laugh it off without incident.Turns out that the driveway used to be a regularly used road until the area grew and more people moved in.The roads were updated and rerouted to make it easier to get around.I believe the owner got that section of road as partial payment,because he sold another section of his property for the newer route.
 
#12 ·
That's actually less than scrap price I believe.

As far as GPS, My wife had our new at the time GPS set for shortest route one time while we were driving our nearly new Mini Cooper throught the Southern Il countryside and ended up on some fire road in the Shawnee that was 2 ruts between trees and across creeks.
Manage to get back to the hard roads and I told her never again! No more shortest route setting for us.
 
#14 ·
Was nice out today so I went over it. Its actually in better shape than I thought when I picked it up. There's a spot down by the battery that's rusted through and the seat deck is basically gone, but otherwise no major rust. And everything is there, no parts were pirated.
Lots of stuff frozen up, but what I've sprayed with PB Blaster loosened up pretty quick.


In the light of day


Stopper for the seat deck has gone missing, will have to make a new one.


Couple questions


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/windhound/Simplicity/simp_3410_engine1.jpg
The engine... I'm assuming a 10hp Briggs, but darned if I can find a number on it. There's also no Briggs branding on it, just the "Caution" sticker. Also, at somepoint someone lost the welch plug on the carb and replaced it with a can.


Can someone please take a picture of a 3410 dash? The Generator light and what I assume to be the electric lift switch are there, but it looks like its been wired with a push button start (not factory? the key has a 'Start' position)
Was the top cutout an ammeter or hour meter?
Not positive if that's the original dash either, that top right corner screw hole doesn't match up.


So yep. Maybe one day the 3410 will run as well as its younger sibling the 7116

Also, IHSWEDE, yep. Pulled it home with my car, little mustang did fine.
 
#17 ·
Has the same frame as my Homelite T-16. Probably has the same Vickers Hydro Trans also. I have a 7014 S that uses the same frame. Good old tractor, glad you rescued it from the scrapper. Was a good price until your GPS messed you up. Good luck with it.:thThumbsU
 
#21 ·
Looks pretty good for $65. I like that style Simplicity> Good Luck getting her running.

I had the same trouble tracking down a Cozy Cab in upstate New York. Darn thing sent me 45 minutes out of the direction taking every back road imagineable.
 
#23 ·
I'm glad you could save a classic! The new stuff might be more comfortable and ergonomic, but you can't beat the rugged durability of an old school tractor!
 
#24 ·
Gathering parts to play with the engine, the only worry I have atm is that the engine is waay low on oil. There's some in there, but it aint much. Hoping it wasn't run like this, but atleast there doesn't appear to be water in there and its not seized. It does appear to have some compression, really should pick up a gauge.
Guy I got it from said the guy he got it from said it ran, so we'll see on that.

Anyways, as far as gathering parts, I looked at the transmission filter and thought "oh hey, a cartridge filter, this should be cheap." Not so much. Retail appears to be $55 + sh, almost twice what the spin on for my 7116 ran. Anyone know of a substitute? (Partree page, #22)
Thinking about taking it by NAPA and see if they've got anything close.
Same with the $40 itty bitty engine starter belt, 's just crazy.
Did pretty good with the other engine parts on ebay though

Cheers
 
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