# Thoughts on IH 3088



## GOOD HAY (Aug 8, 2010)

We found an IH 3088 for a reasonable price which I think might be a good tractor for haybine and square baling. Has anyone had any experience with these tractors, good or bad. I have operated an 886 back in the '80's that I liked alot. Just not many IH's of this era around in this area.


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

I don't know how much different the 30's are from a 5088 I had a 50 it was OK , I tried to round bale with it , and the reverse fan would raise hell with the windrow if the hay was dry, and it gets costly when the bearing fail in the fan shaft it usually tears up the radiator, it still has the suicide doors , on the cab, but if you ran a 886 then you know what your dealing with


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

Grandpa had a 3288. He got along with it well. Never baled with it. Mainly used for hauling manure, hauling silage wagons, and some tillage.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Never really been around them. But have heard they can get electronic gremlins. Im not sure if the 30's have the sentry system or not. Seems that was their downfall as they aged


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## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

The 30 series does not have the sentry system. They were basically a face lifted 86 series with an electric T/A from what I've read. I've heard they're much more reliable than the 5X88 tractors as far as electronics go.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Orchard pretty much summed it up that they are just a face lifted 86 series. If they had the same transmission as the 5088 and bigger I'd definitely buy one. If you've run an 886 and can handle the way it shifted then you probably won't mind a 3088.

The sentrys in the 88 series are not really a problem in my opinion. You can still buy them at dealers though they are high priced. I know this because one of our 5088s had a sentry bypass harness in it when we bought it. The bypass harness seemed to work ok but it developed a short in it that caused a low battery drain when the tractor was off. I replaced it with an OEM sentry because I've heard bad things about those bypass harnesses. Also Triple R tractors out in Illinois reconditions those IH sentry boxes.


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## GOOD HAY (Aug 8, 2010)

Thanks for the information. I am asking for help because I am not entirely familiar with these models. So, what is the sentry system and what does it do?


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

The sentry is an early computer or some call brain box of the tractor. It controls or monitors the shifting in the tranny. Its only on the 5088, 5288, and 5488. The smaller 88 series don't have the same transmission as the bigger ones so they don't have a sentry. The smaller ones shift similar to the 86 series through linkage.

We've got 4 5088s here and have never had to replace a sentry except recently to replace a sentry bypass harness that was causing problems. That bypass harness was in that tractor when we bought it and from what I've read recently I'd never use a bypass harness again.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

by the way, that is a real sharp looking 3088.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Agree not the trans like 5088 etc . The 3088 replaced the 786 . It will be identical in operation to the 886 you ran but will probably have that IH German " 358 motor". Check this out some people love that motor some hate them . It is a very different engine than the DT360 you ran in the 886. I spent years using those IH German motors . 460/560/826 &Combine 815 don't miss them even though they were bulletproof


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## JeffMNY (Jan 5, 2014)

Please correct me if I am wrong.

I believe the later 886 used the D358 German along with the 786, 826, and 3088. Earlier 886 used D360.

The 560 used the D282 as well as 656, and some 706.

Some 686, (some had D312), 756( not sure on this one, could have been 358) :huh:, and some 706 used the D310

I am not sure on the combine models on what they used for a motor.

Again if incorrect please inform me.

The German motors are a good one, but can be very expensive to fix from what I am told.


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## greenfield (Dec 28, 2011)

have a 756 that has 310 diesel starts well in cold and easy on fuel


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