Have been on 580, 590 Case for 25 years....Almost to the point of not wanting to try joysticks on a rubber tire macine ever again. Don't get me wrong that way of operating is fine as well. I was trained on the foot swing Case and love the foot swing case, but based on what I am seeing, They have made the new Cat Backhoes as close to running an Excavator as ever. I Have not had the pleasure to run a cat 416 or so in the past 10 years. Are they as good to operate as they look, because from first glance...it looks like you can be as comfortable as if you were in a 330 excavator?
I grew up on an old ford backhoe with four lever controls and liked it just fine but running the jcb 214 with pilot controls was alot nicer than that or any other backhoe Ive had experience on which includes case and twin stick JD controls.
With ya there Humboltd. Ford 555 I believe was my first backhoe...they also had an international with the same 4 sticks, divided on arm rest's so your legs were free between them! The International is not around any more I don't believe,but those old Ford machine's were the only thing going for a long time while case was strengthening the hold it was about to take! Can't tell you anything about the JCB's though. What was the advantage?
This might just be my died in the wool Deere loyalty talking... but I honestly believe JCB makes the worst TLB on the market. The new Case M series are a beautiful machine, especially when you get their pilot controls. Cat makes a nice tractor yes, but when your used to a case you'll feel heavy, clumsy and the functions are just slow enough you'll feel those hairs turning grey. I am a Deere man, I grew up on a 310-A and thought it was the cats meow. But now I jump in our new G and J series and constantly feel like im dragging the back end everywhere. The attachments hang so low your constantly dragging on something where the Case would have another 2-3ft clearance under the bucket. Case has definately lost its hold since the introduction of the M series to Deere and Cat, but I do believe they are a better overall package. Now if you had the Deere J series cab and loader on the Case tractor... then you'd have yourself a machine. And just to please the Cat guys... stick in those sexy white face VDO gauges.... they are pretty nice.
I'm a case guy I have the 2 stick control but did try out the pilot at the case rodeo and did like it and could get used to it. as far as cat have not run there newer machines did try out a 420D when they first came out it was nice but just used to my case.
Deere is the best for one thing unannounced: the chassis. Best balanced machine on the market
DEFINATELY.. they are a well balanced machine. My biggest dislike is the excavator style boom, it definately has its advantages, but I am a fan of the Case design. I would like to get the chance to spend more seat time in a 310SJ and see what they are really like. Same with a Series 3 M.
Even if your attachments do hang low, with side shift you can fold the backhoe real close to the machine, and have almost no grind what-so-ever.:notworthy
i dont like the 580m's for several reasons, mostly being cheap construction and being a little undersized in many different ways. Fairly nice operating, but only under preferable conditions. JD's have mega power, a super fast loader ( no throwing in the clutch pulling upto trucks), BALANCED, killer brakes, smooth backhoe, tight turning, the list goes on and on. this cat boy wants a deere
I swear by Case but I am starting to like the Deeres better as far as building qaulity. Pilot controls are nice, comfortable, and smooth but I still prefer mechanical controls any day of the week. My advice......Stay far away from any Cat hoe.
I don't like the M's because they're just getting bigger and bigger. It was SOOO annoying using an M on a job a while ago. The older hoes, like way older (70's, 80's) where so nice because the cab wasn't huge, the engine compartment wasn't huge so you could actually see to the side and front of you....I don't know, I guess if you gotta use them then whatever but I personally like the old hoes. That being said, I'm Case then Deere for backhoes.