Dave, thanks for the tips! When I arrived to check it over it seemed to be in really good shape. I didnt remember everything you said to look at but most of it, and everything looked good that I checked. The only thing that wasnt tight was the gearbox, but when moving the pulley while holding the shaft the pully might have rotated 1/4" or so at the surface, maybe a bit more, but not quite 1/2". Also there were two spots on the auger that were twisted/dinged up they looked minor/repairable. So I went ahead and got it. I'm at work now, but tomorrow I'll take a closer look at everything and post up some pics. It wasnt a steal I dont think, but dont see em too often and from everything I can tell it was a very solid piece. He was asking 250 I gave him just a bit less.
Now I just need a cab!
...and to get the 129 going
...and/or to get the creeper installed on my 1000
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By Dave Ross (Dross) on Sunday, January 30, 2011 - 03:16 am:
Tristan, Just like everything you'd buy used, be methodical. Check all the moving parts, turn the pulley and look at that shaft, at first your looking to see if the pulley was ever loose on the shaft then your feeling for how smooth that gearbox works, moving the pulley back and forth will give you idea of idea of how much play the gearbox has. I havent done it in a while but if the play lets the outside of that pulley move more than a half inch, I'd be concerned. The tighter the better. Look at the other shaft on the gearbox and the pto shaft. grab each end and try to twist it in oposite direction to feel for worn U-joints or loose splines that connect the two halves together. Move the QT up and down to make sure the splines are at least not froze. Grease here is good, old grease tells you it's been greesed, new greese tells you he did it before you showed up. The shaft that pto shaft is hooked to is expensive so look at it, granted you can't see a lot without taking it apart. look at the tightener, it's alluminum and will show a groove if the chain was allowed to run to loose, The teeth on the small sprocket that shaft drives should be blunt,not sharp. Same with the sprocket thats on the auger. Turn the chute adjuster by hand it should be free. Look at the feet for wear, same with the wear bar underneath. it can be flipped around, has it been? Turn the auger there shouldn't be any side to side play, roll it all the way around, look at it. The flashing can separate from the center paddles, spot welds break. if it hasn't been allowed to go to long it's an easy fix, if it's allowed to go to long it can genrate spider web cracking in the thin flashing. that can be fixed but it's more involved. Thats all I can think of right now. hope you find a good one, hope you get it cheap.
Your gonna be a lot happier with that creeper installed, Hate to say it but this is one job a hydro shines, if you can get it started. <!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>