I've looked at this backhoe and it is tight and runs great. Only problem is the cab is rusty as it came from Wisconsin and it probably saw some salt. Anyway, the seller got this at auction and painted it up so it looks pretty good but you cant hide the rust through and there are multiple spots were repairs were welded in the cab. Here's some pictures. www.grimlabs.com/case680l this is a dry 680L 1991 with about 7600 hours on it. The rust on the cab is pretty bad (rust through in a few spots). I think this came from Wisconsin maybe a rental but it is tight and runs great!! $14600 is the price. Should I buy this, or pay 6K more for a 580L with half the hours thats on ebay right now?
well the 680 is a big machine you have a 6 cylender vs 4 with the 580 if it just an L them you might be better off with the 680 more power.Then on the other hand what will you be using it for? it might be too big and clumbsy vs the smaller 580 that can get in and out of tighter spots. at least that 680 is 4x4 right?
I have numerous projects including 1)1000ft driveway 2) geothermal 3) pond 4) digout foundation to repair basement wall I'm OK with the size and fuel use but I do intent to sell this after I've completed myprojects (580's have better resale). Also, the damn cab has quite a bit of rust through (just like a car) and it shouldn't bother me but it does I would never buy a car with rust through...You can see it in the picutres of the wheelwells. Other than the rust and the bead of weld in the hoe bottom pin (you can see it in the picture) I'm OK with the business side of the 680L. The brakes even work. Also, it seems like 7600 hours is quite a bit, Yes this is a 4X4 also with extendahoe. IS the price $14600, average/low/ or high???
Sure looks like it was well taken care of in the first pic. 680 case is a horse for sure.We use 590's that have a lot of reach, but old company I was with had several 680's and I recall they blew the 580's at that time right of the jobsite! The price does look a bit high, but if it's tight on all the main pin's and you have brakes, (which was rare on those models), maybe you found a good old well kept machine!
Looks can be decieving. I'm pretty sure the thing was a rusted mess when he got it at auction...there are numerous areas with welded in metal. they cleaned it up and painted it up (you can see in the wheelwell where they painted over rust which will be looking bad very quickly. His shop fixed a few leaks but overall it was in good shape. Anyone want to comment on the weld on the bottom pin in the picture...does that scare anyone? This is an "L" model so I think it has a cummins engine and non-air brakes ??? anyone??? So the price is kinda high, the hours are kinda high, and rust is kinda extensive.....well, I'm thinking I might wait for then next good deal to come along...
The welded pin is usually caused at least I think by a failure to grease or the wrong hardware holding the pin - it's supposed to be able to move some. An I operator I had would try to lock the tab down with a regular bolt and it would soon do the same.
Well your right as far as resale I think 580's would be an easier machine to sell.I almost bought a 680 but the guy was determined to get what he thought his machine was worth so i just kept looking he was probably like you used it to build a small street fro him amd his family .I will give him this it was in very good condition much better than your pics but it was not a 4x4.That was probably used to plow streets and why it's rusted thru so bad. I hate going to auctions and buying painted up machines they just hide the real problems. the hours are not bad i was told over 10K for those engines if not more. The weld on the pin I would wounder why they had to wld is there any more problems with the main pin that suports the hoe? I'm sure some of the case guys will chime in on that never had a problem with mine and the old 580c i had they removed it and put a new bigger pin in before i got it .
I have to buy this today if I'm going to. I'm leaning back towards this as I like the fact that its a 680 instead of a 580. Pricewise, its not too out of line I take it???? Someone told me that its about $200 to $300 per pin to have them redone.
I backed out of the deal....After talking to some local friends, they offered to take me up to an auction that happens every two months and see if we can find something there. Shipping will be cheaper and I hope to get a better value to use up my "car fund" money..LOL I was on the fence on this...that no way to spend money so I took the safe route.
well the 680 is a nice machine but you did the right thing .things happen for a reason so there might be a nicer better machine at the auction just waiting there for you . but things to look out for in my book unless your getting them for next to nothing is machines that have been painted up pretty even the engines and they have a rough inside cab.Stay far away from them unless like I said you get it dirt cheap. because there is a reason they spend the $100 on paint. and it's not to make them nice but hide cracks oil leaks.
IMHO you made the right choice. Your projects do not appear to require a large machine. A 580 Super L will be much easier to resale, which is a major consideration since your going to complete your projects and then resell it. It would appear you could rent as you need and save your money. Now is not a great time to be reselling equipment. A mini ex or skid steer could likely complete your projects for less money.
Thanks for the suggestions...the only thing I dont like about renting is that 1) Since I've never run a backhoe before I'll spend a buch of time learing how to use it and paying rental during this inefficient use. 2) I'll have to plan myprojects and know everything I'm going to do ahead of time in order to get the rental back in a timely manner (I hate pressure). 3) There are a few projects that I may or may not do that wouldn't warrent renting a backhoe but having one would make the job easier (shingle rip off and throwing the old into the bucket to move easily to the rented dumpster. putting up trusses in a pole barn I'll be building and lifting material to the roof. Just seems like "haveing" a backhoe would jue make life easier during this time of construction and remodeling....Plus, how much fun is it to own a backhoe!!! Also, for my driveway I have some trees to push over, dig out and hoped the bigger 680 would work better for that....For my driveway i'm thinking I need to pull off 6 to 8" of top soil and then fill with gravel...would a skid steer be able to do that very well? Pond I'm planning is going to be maybe 75ft in dia....smallish but I figured the 680 would have filled that need nicely?
Well the way things are out there now you should be able to get a nice machine for the money but it might just be more than you want to spend . but i understand the time /pressure thing and if you have one on site you will find other uses for it and or uses that you would normily not use it but will because it's there.
I'm not adverse to getting an older machine but I require it to be in good mechanical condtion. The worst would be to have, whatever I buy, breakdown right away with some $2K bill for repair. I dont really need a cab but is seems like most ebay backhoes have them. Just some glass to break but I guess if your working in the winter it would be really good to have a cab. We'll see what turns up at the auction.
Go with the 580
Back hoes Does it have to be a Case?
I'm actually on hold now for the backhoe. We put off our plans for a year and I used the backhoe money to pay off my house. Now I have to build up again. I could use this time to research other brands. I was just focusing on CASE due to recommendations of friends. Caterpillar was out due to repair costs....I've not looked into Ford or John Deere enough...whats good at the 15 to 20K price point?
New Holland Backhoes For that price you should be able to get a 1998 New Holland 4X4 no cab with 5000 hours. For a little extra you can get a machine with around 2000 Hours but they are hard to find.
I love my case, and payed alot less than that for it... payed 11750 for my 88 580k enclosed ROPS 4x4 with 10' snow pusher and 6000 hrs on it, runs very strong and starts easy in the cold. put 700 in parts some of which cosmetic and oil and filters 2k in paint decals and body work (fender rot) I have a machine that looks really sharp, and runs like a champ. Only down side is i shopped for probably 6 months to find it. Not a long time in my mind and sounds like you have some time on your hands, I would say start shopping now, and see what you find. also you will benifit from it being a soft market rite now. I bought from an individual, wich is a personal choice, being that i'm not afraid to work on the machine myself. I would still say go with a case, they are excelent machines, and parts are readily available, and they simply last well.