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My "New" Cub Cadet 3235

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#21 ·
WrongDoug said:
Here are some more pictures, I tried to get these to compare the size difference between the 3235 and my 1525.
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That's hilarious. Cub and Son of Cub. It's weird how you lose perspective on things like this. I've seen pics of your 1525 in the past and didn't think it was much smaller than my 3240 or XT3 as I haven't had an LT in a long time. I recall my XT3 looking massive next to my WH 266H and my 266H was big compared to my previous MTD LT so I gradually stepped up in size to where my 2 Cubs just seem like regular sized LTs to me.

Sometimes I'll show someone a pic of my GTs and they say "Oh, those are just lawnmowers" and I have to show them how big the XT3 is with me on it. What's funny about your pics is that my 3240 looks small compared to my XT3 due to the big hood on the XT3 but your 3235 looks huge next to your 1525 lol.

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Discussion starter · #22 ·
ejl6658 said:
I predict the 1525 won't be getting much attention in the future.
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That's probably a pretty accurate prediction. The 1525 has been a really great lawn tractor, but it is just that- a lawn tractor. It's not a GT, and it never will be no matter how well I take care of it or how much I work on it. I'll probably keep it around for a little while, but it's not going to get the same spit-shining and meticulous maintenance treatment. Those efforts will go to the 3235.

Steve Urquell said:
That's hilarious. Cub and Son of Cub. It's weird how you lose perspective on things like this. I've seen pics of your 1525 in the past and didn't think it was much smaller than my 3240 or XT3 as I haven't had an LT in a long time. I recall my XT3 looking massive next to my WH 266H and my 266H was big compared to my previous MTD LT so I gradually stepped up in size to where my 2 Cubs just seem like regular sized LTs to me.

Sometimes I'll show someone a pic of my GTs and they say "Oh, those are just lawnmowers" and I have to show them how big the XT3 is with me on it. What's funny about your pics is that my 3240 looks small compared to my XT3 due to the big hood on the XT3 but your 3235 looks huge next to your 1525 lol.

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It is funny. The 1525 has never actually felt cramped (especially compared to some of the other machines I've had) but I'm a not a small person at 6'2" and 240 lbs and I feel like I look ridiculous on it, like an adult on a kid's bike. The 3235 feels giant in comparison. Interestingly, without the deck it's dimensions really aren't that much bigger. It's a lot taller but only 6 inches longer and only a few inches wider. I'd like to see an XT3 parked next to 3235 and the 1525 and get a Cub Cadet Russian nesting doll picture.

I am going to have to modify my shed to store this thing because my 1525 only fits in there by the skin of it's teeth. Currently I've got them both parked on my back porch under the aluminum awning but that's not a permanent solution. I've got a 2 car garage but I've got two cars that need parked in there. So getting the storage space taken care of is probably my next hurdle. It can stay on the back porch until the weather warms up but eventually it needs to be in the shed.

By the way that's a great shot of both of your tractors?
 
#23 ·
You did great! That looks to be well taken care of and is probably one of the best 3k's built.

I think you will be very happy with it, good luck and keep us posted on any repairs.

Spool valves....aren't the cyclops valves the same and a lot cheaper? Search 717-3308a on Ebay and a several come up under $50.
 
#24 ·
Joe, congrats, pretty sure that with the shaft drive, PS, and hydraulics you are never going to want to go back to one without them. That is a nice clean looking machine, will be looking forward to seeing what attachments you get for it.
 
#25 ·
Oaktodd said:
717-3308a
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The spool itself is different. The Cyclops uses a different lift handle so the spool is flat on the top. Won't work w/o a bunch of modification and using the Cyclops handle. 3000 series 717-3452 spool is round and has flats cut into it for a 2 fingered link. And of course our handles are different.

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#26 ·
When you have the tail lights out replace the bulbs with LED versions of of the T10 base bulbs. They last longer, look better, and aren't affected by vibration like incandescent bulbs. They also draw considerably less amperage. I did my headlight bulbs too.

Bill
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
Oaktodd said:
You did great! That looks to be well taken care of and is probably one of the best 3k's built.

I think you will be very happy with it, good luck and keep us posted on any repairs.
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Thanks Todd, I'm proud to have it!

PA318Guy said:
Joe, congrats, pretty sure that with the shaft drive, PS, and hydraulics you are never going to want to go back to one without them. That is a nice clean looking machine, will be looking forward to seeing what attachments you get for it.
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Thanks! I agree, if I ever have to get another tractor it better have everything this one has. The snow blower, 3 point hitch and front blade are all attachments I'm interested in. A grass bagger might be nice too for fall leaf pickup.

kawasaki old man - 1132 said:
When you have the tail lights out replace the bulbs with LED versions of of the T10 base bulbs. They last longer, look better, and aren't affected by vibration like incandescent bulbs. They also draw considerably less amperage. I did my headlight bulbs too.

Bill
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Bill, I upgraded my 1525 headlights to LEDs a few years ago and I love them. I was planning on also swapping these bulbs out for LEDs, especially now that you can buy them at any auto parts store.

I thought I'd make a note of some of the observations I've made since I've had the tractor and driven it around a little. I've mentioned some of these before, but I'll list them again so they are all in one place.

1. The toolbox under the seat is a neat little feature I didn't know about. It's a total gimmick but I'm a dork for that kind of stuff.

2. I didn't know the reverse lights were a built-in feature. Again it's a gimmick but I'm a dork.

3. Despite the pedals being in basically the same location as my 1525, I still have to look to make sure I'm hitting the right one. The reverse pedal is in the same place that the forward pedal on my 1525 is, and I keep missing the brake. Eventually I'll get used to it, but I haven't developed the muscle memory yet.

4. The Kohler engine definitely has it's own "feel". This is the first Kohler I've ever owned, everything else I've had has been Kawasaki, Briggs or Tecumseh. I haven't really put any load on it to get a feel for it's power, but it's very evident that it is a larger engine than the Kawasaki in my 1525; 674cc vs 431cc, over 50% bigger. It shakes a little more on startup and shutdown, it runs a little smoother, and it sounds more like a Harley and less like a lawn mower at idle. It does feel like a smoother, more balanced engine, but I would guess that has more to do with it's displacement and less to do with manufacturer. It does seem like a great engine though.

5. This tractor has much better visibility than my 1525. Likely because of the higher seating position and the more steeply raked hood. After 16+ years I've developed a pretty good feel for knowing where the front of the 1525 is, but with the 3235, I can actually see where the front is.

6. This is a bit of an interesting one to me. The exhaust on my 1525 exits in the front of the tractor, under the grille. On the 3235 the exhaust exits on the side. With the 1525 the exhaust tends to blow right over the hood and back into your face which is rather unpleasant. With the the 3235, the exhaust is expelled off to the side and doesn't wind up in your face nearly as much.

The wind chills outside have been absolutely frigid the past few days so I haven't gotten to play with the tractor as much as I've wanted to, but maybe this weekend I'll turn the heater on in the garage and pull it in to continue to check it out.
 
#28 ·
How the Transmission fluid Look and was it changed by the dealership?

BTW Keep these Cub Cadet Bone Yards In Mind as well Cub Cadet Bone Yards & Manuals so are full cub Cadet dealer which You Can get some of the Parts for Your 3000 series That May no Longer Be available from MTD (y)
 
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Discussion starter · #29 ·
Sergeant said:
How the Transmission fluid Look and was it changed by the dealership?

BTW Keep these Cub Cadet Bone Yards In Mind as well Cub Cadet Bone Yards & Manuals so are full cub Cadet dealer which You Can get some of the Parts for Your 3000 series That May no Longer Be available from MTD (y)
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The trans fluid is very clean, and they did replace the hydraulic deck lift cylinder so I would assume they probably did a drain and fill. Thanks for the link, Patton Acres is only maybe a half hour away from me. I also saw someone say that the "50 Years of Cub Cadet" book was worth buying. It's like $10 on eBay and has 100-some pages with all kinds of history and information from the originals all the way up to 2011.
 
#30 ·
Joe I like the little toolbox as well. I keep the wrench I tighten my sleeve hitch lateral bolts down in it as well as my wrench that tightens my hitch float adapter.

Lol on the Harley Kohler. My 3240 sounds less like one than my XT3. They put a 2.5" exhaust tip on the XT3 and it sounds glorious. I'll try to do a video with them both.

I would check the hydro filter for signs of being changed. When you take off a cylinder you don't lose much oil so it can easily be changed without needing a fluid change. Also the hydro oil doesn't turn dark because there isn't combustion soot like an engine. My 3240s looked pristine but was very neglected.
 
Discussion starter · #31 ·
Steve Urquell said:
Joe I like the little toolbox as well. I keep the wrench I tighten my sleeve hitch lateral bolts down in it as well as my wrench that tightens my hitch float adapter.

Lol on the Harley Kohler. My 3240 sounds less like one than my XT3. They put a 2.5" exhaust tip on the XT3 and it sounds glorious. I'll try to do a video with them both.

I would check the hydro filter for signs of being changed. When you take off a cylinder you don't lose much oil so it can easily be changed without needing a fluid change. Also the hydro oil doesn't turn dark because there isn't combustion soot like an engine. My 3240s looked pristine but was very neglected.
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Yeah the toolbox is nice just to be able to keep a pair of gloves and a leatherman in it. I'd love to hear a sound clip from your XT3.

Good call on the trans fluid. I'll plan on doing a drain and fill and replacing the filter. I'm creating a list of parts to order, I'll add a transmission filter and fluid.
 
#32 ·
WrongDoug said:
Yeah the toolbox is nice just to be able to keep a pair of gloves and a leatherman in it. I'd love to hear a sound clip from your XT3.

Good call on the trans fluid. I'll plan on doing a drain and fill and replacing the filter. I'm creating a list of parts to order, I'll add a transmission filter and fluid.
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Grab you a magnetic plug while you're at it. Both my cast iron rears use this one. Not sure if the aluminum rear does. Maybe check the part numbers on Partstree if you're interested.
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Discussion starter · #33 ·
#34 ·
WrongDoug said:
The trans fluid is very clean, and they did replace the hydraulic deck lift cylinder so I would assume they probably did a drain and fill. Thanks for the link, Patton Acres is only maybe a half hour away from me. I also saw someone say that the "50 Years of Cub Cadet" book was worth buying. It's like $10 on eBay and has 100-some pages with all kinds of history and information from the originals all the way up to 2011.
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Yeah It's decent Book But there is also some misinformation In it as well( especially On some of the development ) I Grew Up Next Door to the Late IH Cub Cadet Test Engineer Donald Stevenson) I can clearly remember the Last series of the Narrow frame Being developed and saw Most of the wide Frame & 82 series development as his Yard was One of the test Yards. Besides the Farm as IH Called It In Burr Ridge, IL .

Don't assume that did a Total fluid change They may have just added to what they Lost on the cylinder change. Because You don't need to drain the system to do a cylinder change. So I would Think about changing fluid anyways Unless You get down there and there is a new filter On the Transmission (y)
 
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#37 ·
WrongDoug said:
Same plug according to PartsTree. I'll grab one.
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Hope you all know it is much cheaper to simply make a magnetic plug than to buy one. Little dab of JB Weld and a super magnet is about a tenth or less of the price.
www.harborfreight.com

Rare Earth Magnets, 10 Pack

Amazing deals on this 10Pk Rare Earth Magnets at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com
 
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Discussion starter · #38 ·
Well I figured I would find some more issues as I got to go over the tractor more closely, and I definitely did find some. Today was finally warmer albeit rainy, so I pulled the tractor around from the back porch into the garage.

My main goal was just to go over the tractor and get more familiar with it, and maybe take a look at that stuck tilt steering wheel mechanism. So I started by pulling off the side panels (the cam locks are a nice feature, much easier than pulling the panels off of my 1525. On the right side (starter side) I noticed a good bit of caked-on oily dirt buildup on the engine that I previously couldn't see. I decided I needed to clean that off so I removed the exhaust shroud and there was quite a bit more under it. This thing definitely has an oil leak, and I'm guessing from the front cover, but it was so caked in grease and dirt it's honestly hard to tell. I pulled the starter off and the two cooling fin shrouds and cleaned as much grease and crap as I could get out. I used a vacuum, degreaser and a brush then blasted it off with a hose. It's much better now but I still think I've got more to clean out. My real concern that it may have been run too hot with all that crap caked on the engine and the damage is already done. Any way to check for that? It still seems to run fine but I'll be keeping a close eye on it regardless. The oil leaks are definitely going to have to be traced down and taken care of.

And just to **** me off, two of the bolts on the right side snapped. One only goes into a bracket but the other threads into the cylinder head. Doh! Gonna have to take care of those too.

Also I think I found the issue with the leaking gas "cap". I don't think it's the cap at all, I think it's the filler neck part of the fuel tank. It looks warped, maybe from someone resting the weight of a gas can on it during refilling. I can't think of how else that would happen.

Anyways not the exactly the stuff I was hoping to see, but nothing that can't be fixed. And I didn't even take a look at the tilt steering mechanism.

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#39 ·
WrongDoug said:
Well I figured I would find some more issues as I got to go over the tractor more closely, and I definitely did find some. Today was finally warmer albeit rainy, so I pulled the tractor around from the back porch into the garage.

My main goal was just to go over the tractor and get more familiar with it, and maybe take a look at that stuck tilt steering wheel mechanism. So I started by pulling off the side panels (the cam locks are a nice feature, much easier than pulling the panels off of my 1525. On the right side (starter side) I noticed a good bit of caked-on oily dirt buildup on the engine that I previously couldn't see. I decided I needed to clean that off so I removed the exhaust shroud and there was quite a bit more under it. This thing definitely has an oil leak, and I'm guessing from the front cover, but it was so caked in grease and dirt it's honestly hard to tell. I pulled the starter off and the two cooling fin shrouds and cleaned as much grease and crap as I could get out. I used a vacuum, degreaser and a brush then blasted it off with a hose. It's much better now but I still think I've got more to clean out. My real concern that it may have been run too hot with all that crap caked on the engine and the damage is already done. Any way to check for that? It still seems to run fine but I'll be keeping a close eye on it regardless. The oil leaks are definitely going to have to be traced down and taken care of.

And just to **** me off, two of the bolts on the right side snapped. One only goes into a bracket but the other threads into the cylinder head. Doh! Gonna have to take care of those too.

Also I think I found the issue with the leaking gas "cap". I don't think it's the cap at all, I think it's the filler neck part of the fuel tank. It looks warped, maybe from someone resting the weight of a gas can on it during refilling. I can't think of how else that would happen.

Anyways not the exactly the stuff I was hoping to see, but nothing that can't be fixed. And I didn't even take a look at the tilt steering mechanism.

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I've bought and resold after refurbing a bunch of 3000 series. Now that you've cleaned the engine you can hopefully find where the oil leak is. Sometimes dusting the engine lightly with baby power will lead you to the oil leak. Not uncommon for a tractor that age to have the engine gummed up. You may want to pull the four torx head bolts on the seat rails, remove the seat assembly and see if the tranny is all gummed up with dirt and debris. Do you feel you got the cylinder jugs pretty clean? If not you may want to pull the engine so you can remove the flywheel shroud and flywheel. Gets pretty nasty back there with accumulate dust as well. I have broken those same small bolts on the cylinder jugs. Was able to get the old ones out and there is room to tap a size larger if need be. No sure what happened to the gas tank fill port.
 
#40 ·
Joe, while it might be a little concerning to you, the build up of dirt and oil residue is probably not that big a deal. If the cylinder and head fins were that loaded, overheating would be more troubling. Looks like you did a good job at what you cleaned up. Did the dealership put full synthetic oil in at the oil change? If not change to it, it is simply much better lubricant and in an air cooled motor it is it's life blood. Also there is an oil cooler available for Kohler engines, you remove the oil filter and the threaded nipple(internal hex) then the oil cooler goes in place with a new threaded nipple and the oil filter goes on that. Two hoses run to the right with the heat exchanger, you drill a few holes in the flywheel/fan shroud for forced air flow. Kohler engines have some cylinder head problems, mainly valve guide issues.
Hang in there, it will be a long time lawn mowing buddy.

Bill
 
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