I just visited a local fellow who is selling some case backhoes. Very interesting guy. He's been working with machinery like this most of his life. He has 3 580b backhoes. His needs are shrinking so he needs to sell 2 of them. Two of them he has restored completely. He had them all apart, repainted, new pins and bushings where required. I'm generally wary of a shiny coat of paint hiding a multitude of sins, but in this case (no pun) I feel that he was preparing the machien sfor sale, had them all apart, and decided he may as well repaint them while apart. I'm sure I'd do the same. he did a good job of it too. They look like new machines. Machine 1 has a 4 in 1 bucket and an extendahoe. The hour meter reads 9100 hours, but he doesn't know if it is accurate (it may be more!). He has rebuilt the engine and torque converter. The bucket has had its cutting edges replaced a few times (by him). I didn't see any structural weld repairs on the arms. The only hydraulic leakage I saw was a little around the horizontal pivot of the hoe. Not serious- no dripping that I saw, just some grunge around the area. I wonder if the extra weight of the 4 in 1 and the extendahoe are a bad idea on a 580b? Machine 2 is a bit newer- he said the newest of the 3 machines. 4100 hours on the meter. Cutting edge on bucket looked original and in good shape. No leakage anywhere, but he thinks the left steering ram may be nearing a leak. He said this machine is very tight. It looks as though it has had relatively gentle use. His inital price for either is 12,500, which is way out of line, from what I have seen. I pointed out to him that I've seen several ads for B's between 7500 and 9000. I may be able to talk him into a figure like this. Buying from this guy would have a great advantage of free delivery, and he offered to help me learn how to run it, and show me tips on using and maintenance. The B model has an appeal because of its relative simplicity- mechanical linkages instead of switches and solenoids. However I have gotten opinions that any model case AFTER a B would be more desirable, because they made a major redesign that fixed some shortcomings. So- if I want a 580B, I'll not find a better one, or person to buy from. And the 4 in 1 bucket is appealing for the variety of its uses. I need the machine for personal use around the farm, and variety is very appealing. The question is, do I hold out for a 580C or later, or a Ford or a Deere. He has been trying to sell these for a few months, so the market for B's must be pretty soft. Thanks for all the input on my many posts on this subject!
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