Over the weekend I bought not one, but two Case 580B backhoes. Whichever I don't keep, my brother will buy. Many thanks to all whos gave advice on this forum. One has a simple bucket and hoe, and the other has the 4in1 bucket, extendahoe, new rear tires, and rebuilt engine. Both machines are in great condition- they have been frame-up restored and painted. They have been totally gone over by the very experienced seller, having pins and bushings replaces as needed, ram packing, etc. The simpler hoe is newer and has about half the hours of the 4in1 machine. The seller really thinks I should keep the simpler machine, primarily because of its lighter weight, and because it is less complicated, I'll be able to handle it better. (He doesn't understand why a guy that writes software all day wants a backhoe....). He kept saying "so, you have never run a backhoe??". I'm not worried about the extra complexity, except it is 3 more rams that could leak. He and another fellow gave me a couple days of lessons, and I've gotten the hang of it pretty well already and pulled some stumps and done some minor grading. Except getting stuck in the mud, it went well. I was able to lever myself out with the front bucket. I also have done the bit where you lift the rear with the hoe, and pivot the hoe, to reposition the tractor. A bit scary at first, but I can do it now. One area where I will be working a lot is a low lying forest that got flooded recently, so the ground is quite soft still. I plan to erect a couple buildings there. I've had trouble with both of these machines getting stuck in the mud. Even with new tires, it is easy to loose traction. This will dry out over the summer, I hope! However, we do have muddy conditions a fair amount and he thinks I'll have less trouble with the lighter machine. I really see the value of 4wd now, but no way I could afford one of those. But since I have a sawmill, and for other reasons, I really like that 4in1. The extra 6' on the hoe is handy too, as I can see myself doing digging in tight spaces, and doing things like lifting trusses for a building, etc. I already did some soil moving in a place where the extra reach was very handy. So- should I go for the features or the lighter weight? I think the 4in1 will be really great for moving small logs and general cleanup, but maybe some forks on a regular bucket will do the job just as well.
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