I am thinking about buying a backhoe to use around my place. Actually, I am trying to talk the little woman into allowing me to buy one. Question I have is, how would you prioritize the health of the different parts of a backhoe? I don't mean by specific brand, but just in general. I am anything but a professional mechanic, but I think that I could handle most minor issues, as long as it wasn't the transmission or the bottom end of the engine. BTW, a friend of mine has a 580B that he will sell to me for $6,000. His dad bought it new, and he was the only operator on it. I know that the engine was rebuilt at some point, and it got a new injection pump recently. It has been used very little in the past 10 years. The only known issue is that the brakes need work. Thoughts?
brakes are pretty simple on the older case 580. a shop manual and a little patience and your good togo .. Good machines as well. AS for other stuff to worry cracks in the booms buckets How well its been greased bushing play in the pins tires hoses. Im sure im forgetting some stuff but im sure someone will chime in
Snap it up. Wait, how good a friend? Does he go through trucks and women frequently? OR is your friendship TOO valuable to ruin by constantly asking him questions about his old backhoe. Also, did he buy a better backhoe/excavator? or are you going to be travelling back to do his jobs? Just things to take into consideration. More seriously, a backhoe is complicated enough, and expensive enough that one in running condition from somebody you trust is the best buy you'll ever find.
pay a third party mechanic to come look at it, its cheap insurance to get an outside opinion of what it needs, if you so called friend has an issue with that, then there is something not right..
well said. thats a tough one.
Good advice. Ive inspected machines for a bunch of people. I always end up with the repairs tho lol
If breakes are the issue that means that it has run more than 8000hours. while 10-12 is dead line. It gonna suck you dry. One thing is to concider do you really need it, cause it either helps to save money or it gonna suck money from you.If you are a contractor or got some kind of business that yes, if you just want to **** around then try it we all will be glad to hear from you, for how much you like to sell it. Sorry for my poor English
Thanks for the replies, guys. I knew the old guy who bought it new. Although it has a lot of hours on it (no, I don't know how many), the old dude was pretty miserly, and gentle on his equipment. When I say miserly, I don't mean that he skimped on maintenance, I mean quite the opposite. He wanted his stuff to last as long as possible. His son took over the excavation business, but has his own backhoe and other equipment, so he has no need of that old 580B. It is just sitting in covered storage. I have 40 acres that is mostly as steep as a goat's nose. I also have an old rear-steer Michigan wheel dozer for any really serious pushing or pulling. I would love to get a 4x4 hoe with an extendable dipper, but with my budget, one of those is probably not in my future. BTW, I worked for the son for a while many years ago, and ran a 580C that he had at the time.
If you don't buy it PM me where it is.
I have never had a backhoe before and never have worked on one. A few months ago I bought a 480c for about the same price. Don't know if the engine has ever been tore down but it does have a rebuilt injection pump. Some hoses have been replaced. The brakes didn't work, that was just a 50 cent o-ring in each side plus a lot of PB blaster to loosen up all the linkage and parking brake. When I bought it I noticed a cylinder or two in the back leaking pretty good. The guy I got it from said "just run it, they will stop leaking on their own". Well, instead of stopping they got worse. But having never redone a backhoe hydraulic cylinder before, they turned out not too be bad to do. The kits are only about $30 on ebay, the hardest part is getting the large nut loose that holds the piston in place. To take the gland nut loose you can make your own pin wrench, and taking a hammer and hitting around the od of the cylinder will loosen the gland nut(learned that trick on this board). My backhoe has a lot of hours and has seen a lot of use. A lot of cracks have been welded up on the boom, but all the pivots must have been greased regularly, it doesn't have much play in it. The wiring is pretty much a mess but most of that stuff you don't need to use it. These seem to be common machines and parts seem to be easy to get. I would buy it if I were you.
A stealership about 45 minutes from me has a 710D with 4x4, extend, 4 way front bucket, and 3 buckets for the hoe that I have been lusting over from afar. Any of you jokers got an extra $23,000? Lol Guess I'll buy that right after I hit the lottery.