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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe

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Keith Ace Bl

01-07-2006 17:11:27




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I am in the market for a used backhoe for my
restoration of my childhod home. I have 10,ooo or less to spend. My 2 story house is now jacked up
partially on steel and I need enough muscle to dig out the remaining three fieldstone walls. My property is solid bare rock, hilly, and real wet in the lawn areas. This machine has to be my toy for the next 30 years. I am a control electrician and crane mechanic by trade (in a steel shop ) and can weld pretty well, so Im hoping for the perfect fixer upper...but all I read are horror stories for most Mfg..... ..Im sure most of you will say Im dreaming or crazy....I still believe
there is a Mfg that has less problems than most.
Thanks for your ideas. Keith

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jaybird-oh

01-08-2006 17:32:38




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Keith Ace Bleicher, 01-07-2006 17:11:27  
After having three old Case TLB's (310/320/420) an International 300 TLB and a MF 302 TLB ,I got a Ford 4500 diesel which I traded for a gas 4500 with a slight knock in the motor.All this was in the years from 1975 to 1979.In 1980 I tore it down and overhauled it, gave it an all yellow paint job and now 25+ years later and much use it still does whatever I need it to do. The Case 320 was a good one but I'll probably keep this 4500 as long as I have tractors around.

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Keith ACE Bleicher

01-08-2006 06:53:20




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Keith Ace Bleicher, 01-07-2006 17:11:27  
Thank You all for your help. I have looked at
a few machines and am having mixed feelings. The
best looking ones here are the Ford 555. Clean & nice,for 9,500.....but has that TC transmission.
An old 1960"s Case 530 with a cab and almost NO wear & tear ( still has ALL decals too ) , but is 7,500 and a little small I think, plus possibly
start/ electrical/ charge problems. This week I hope to look at an older Ford 4500, and A 1980 Case 680. Tires, hoses, rams, pins, welding and most hyd valves wont be too much trouble for my brain to fix up....I think I worry about muscle & transmissions most. Are ALL newer tractors shuttle shift and torque converter transmissions??? If so I may bee doomed to and old machine. Thanks ...Ace

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Steve Crum

01-08-2006 04:49:19




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Keith Ace Bleicher, 01-07-2006 17:11:27  
I'm kinda partial to the Deere 310A and 410 series. A lot of contractors shunned the 310A as too small or underpowered. Dad and I bought a new 310A in 1979. An area dealer got it in for a large contractor to try. This had all the options. The contractor put 100 hours on it and turned it back in and ordered several 410 backhoes.
We bought this 310A dirt cheap at the time with all new warranties for 27 grand. It now has 2400 hours on it and runs and operates as well as it ever did, I've always done the maintenance of it and until last year Dad and I were the only ones that touched it. I bought it out of Dad's estate in 2001. For the appraised value at that time of $8,700. All I can say is approach this as you would and large dollar purchase, look the machine over as closely as possable, as previously stated try to operate it for a little while and try to get some history on it. One of these can be the handiest tools in the box, or the worst nightmare you ever had. Mine has been the handiest. But then again we didn't have a bunch of trained apes beating it to death either. [IMG]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/crumsteve/77f8575a.jpg[/IMG]

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Actually the real JD-Trac

01-07-2006 22:24:19




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Keith Ace Bleicher, 01-07-2006 17:11:27  
Keith,find a elec.or gas utility company having an auction ,here in NY it would be Niagara Mohawk or National Grid. Most of the utilities had to keep the machines up to snuff and their system usually requires them to replace the piece of equipment after they spend x amount of dollars on it in repairs,I have seen backhoes and other equipment sell for real reasonable prices only because of the fact they did repairs or refurbished the machine which caused them to reach the magic number.Phone or communication companies also. around here they are JD's ,Case 580's and 680's or Ford 555'2

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CLW

01-07-2006 18:38:07




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Keith Ace Bleicher, 01-07-2006 17:11:27  
I agree with those that say it is not the brand but the way it was used. I worked around a lot of crews that used them buring cable. The CAT may have the best hoe. Deere and Case were used a lot. You sure need to get a rock bucket if you work in rock. It sure saves the machine. You will need a dirt bucket for dirt. Rock buckets don't work good in dirt and dirt buckets don't work at all in rock.
CLW

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libertyfarm

01-07-2006 18:14:26




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Keith Ace Bleicher, 01-07-2006 17:11:27  
I just saw this John Deere ad for a 310 for # 9500, if you are anywhere near PA.
http://www.tractorshed.com/cgi-bin/photoads/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=122919&query=retrieval It is listed in the photo ads if the link doesn't work. I got a great deal on a Case 680Ck last year and had to put new hoses on and rebuilt the hydraulic cylinders. It was worth it and it did a lot of work. Needs some work on the power shutttle now, but will be worth it. It all depends on how much you pay and if you can fix it yourself. Old ones wont always have parts availabe and you may have to improvise. You also have to deal with the down time for repairs. Thinks always break at bad times! Good Luck.

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JMS/MN

01-07-2006 18:00:36




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Keith Ace Bleicher, 01-07-2006 17:11:27  
I agree with the advice about treatment being more important than model- goes for any machine. Another said 580 Case- yes , very good machine. Had a chance to buy one 2 years ago for 10 grand- very good shape, all new hydraulics, well worth the money. Just wanted to find a good machine for 6 or so- lucky to find a Ford 4500, 1970 machine- went with that rather than newer 555? with the torque converter. TC would be nice for faster moves, but I needed something for farm work, burying rock,etc., and the all-gear transmission without the auto was fine for me- fewer maintenance headaches. Otherwise would have gone with the 580. 555 has a bad rep for TC. Had to rebuild the bucket- farm shop job, rebuild one cylinder, and replace hoses. Good to go now for many years.

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the tractor vet

01-07-2006 17:37:39




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Keith Ace Bleicher, 01-07-2006 17:11:27  
Well then you should have been at the sale today as thay sold a decent John deere410 that would have been just what you wanted and in the price range as it sold for 7800 bucks and in good shape for the age . Now one thing about used industral equipment is that they were bought new to work and make money and they have been work to death and beat and a good machine is few and far between , in my many years of running and working on equipment i have seen somany guy try and do what you are trying to do back a few years ago a guy went with abuddy that knew where this Case 580 B was and it was what he thought wa cheep like i said thought was cheep for 11500 that is not cheep it was around 4 grand over auction price for that machine as they are not much more the a 580 with new style clothes on well they played with it for a bit and bought it when it got to his place he tryed to put it to work and found out that when warmed up that it would not move foward so he started looking for someone to fix it somehow i end up with it and yes i can fix it and i got into the shuttel and found that the foward clutch pack was tore out big time , Ok we need this and that so i go to get the parts and oh wait a min. they don't make them anymore but you can buy the clutchpack assy. for a mear 4700 bucks so i tell the guy and he darn near has a stroke but what do you do so he sayes fix it so i did and i did not goug him but he still ended up with a bill for over 6700 buck so now 6700 plus the 11500 that cheep hoe was not a cheep hoe . So if you want to do this find someone that realy knowes equipment and all the faults and seirously check it out and not for just 10 or 15 min. like and hour or have it brought out for a day even if you have to pay a littel rental that way you do not get hung with a sunkissed LEMMON.

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RodInNS

01-08-2006 18:34:46




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to the tractor vet, 01-07-2006 17:37:39  
Funny you say that about the 580B. A buddy of mine has one, and it's been sitting for close to 10 years with the exact same problem, and with his mentality, he simply won't spend that kind of money to fix it. Doesn't need it anyway, as he's got 3 other hoes around. It's always good to check any old machine over well, and work it for a while to see what's going to act up or leak.

Rod



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T_Bone

01-08-2006 01:12:33




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to the tractor vet, 01-07-2006 17:37:39  
Hi Kieth,

I agree with TV, Jump on the machine and work it for a hour digging a hole. You will then find out if your buying a sound machine.

This lets the machine warm up enough to see if there's any problems.

Remember a backhoe is nothing more than a money pit, much like a motor boat. That's why the people who work them for a living buy new ones and sell them before the dollar nickle and dollar dime starts.

T_Bone

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just 580's

01-07-2006 17:28:27




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Keith Ace Bleicher, 01-07-2006 17:11:27  
Case 580 series C or newer.



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Old Pokey

01-07-2006 17:53:07




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to just 580's, 01-07-2006 17:28:27  
We're very happy with our 580c. I've seen several go in good condition for way less than 10k. Lots of machine for the dollar in my opinion.



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Keith Ace Bleicher

01-08-2006 11:31:57




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Old Pokey, 01-07-2006 17:53:07  
To everyone helping me...Thanks ( Again)
I have been online doing research for over 15
hours, and am gaining dumptruck loads of helpful info. I am also considering tossing in about 2 or 3 grand more, and maybe bypassing ALOT of big repairs. Also I am finding alot of JCB machines
but not alot of info about JCB. Are they worth looking at?? So far everything seems to be pointing me toward Case 580 C thru K. ..... .Ace

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evielboweviel

01-07-2006 17:17:55




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 Re: I NEED RELIABLE ADVICE..Buying a used Backhoe in reply to Keith Ace Bleicher, 01-07-2006 17:11:27  
in your price range it has more to do with how the machine was treated than how it was built
Good luck
Ron



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