Still contemplating a hoe to help with the footers on my building and other odds and sods- see my post about "4500 gotchas" to see why I am thinking about a hoe. I've seen editorials here about the terramite and I assume CUTs won't CUT it for more than very minor work. Besides, they are quite expensive IMHO. I see a fair number of earlier 580s listed on CL and ebay. Other than that they are a little light, anything reason to stay away from an early one, provided it passes muster on inspection? The older machines (all of them) do not have any ROPS. Is this like buying a car without seat belts, or are there specific circumstances where it is meaningless and specific circumstances where its irresponsible to not have one? Like I said, digging footers and maybe dredging out/expanding a pond that right now I can walk all around in and still see my kneecaps. By the way, AccurateMachine has a great blog on checking out TLBs- I just wish he'd post part II! thanks in advance!
Whf4, The earlier Case hoe's in my opinion are the best buy, not because of quality, but because of parts availability and resale. But the 530CK, 580CK and later 580BCK are getting old like me, and parts, unless new(if available), are getting much harder to find. They are also hard to work on in several areas and the power shuttle(in torque drive models) can be a difficult repair in particular. Most of these have had many repairs done on them already, some patch-ups. Loader frames get welded-up, bent also, leak oil. Differentials can be a weak spot, engine blocks crack with age, front spindle bearings wear quickly. A key point to consider is can I and will I be able to do my own repairs. An extendahoe is a big help when digging or enlarging a pond. There are ex-grave-digging machines out there, only a fortunate few find these. Easy to spend 4 or $5K or more on one of these older models and never get it back when reselling. Best to get the newest machine as cheap as possible, the 580D is still my favorite, although a C will do and a big improvement over the B. If you get an E model, the Cummins engine eliminates the worry over finding an engine block should you need one. Rusted cabs/doors in the E and K models devalue them considerably, making them a good buy for some. Ando has an excellent thread going on his K model restoration. Phil