Needing advice on this one. Can't make up my mind if I should buy it or not. A friend offered it to me for $2500. It's an R65 4x4 model with 6 way blade and Wisconsin V4 gas engine. Originally had the hoe on the front and a trenching attachment on the back. Owner put the hoe on the back and did a nice job of it. Machine works well except when in 3rd gear a bad bearing noise shows up in the back end. Didn't try 4th. I didn't disengage the PTO and check it, the owner thought that was the source of the noise. I thought it strange that the PTO and trenching drive , would spin faster when the machine is in a higher gear, but maybe this is the way it's suppose to be. What do you think this machine is worth? Phil
neat little machine. is it just front wheel steer? i don't think you could go wrong for $2500. do you have a use for it or just curious?
Thanks for the reply. It is front wheel steer and not that maneuverable, but okay for most jobs. Not sure what I was going to do with it, the backhoe works well with the 2 stick control. I thought it was a good deal . Phil
Hey, I know...paint it and you'll have it sold in like 2 days!
I was thinking of that
How much does he want for the BFG's in that pic.......lol!
BFG's, sorry you lost me there . This recession has got me nervous, and afraid to buy anything including backhoes. I will probably end up buying it because I like it. Phil
Thanks Phil, just a little info on the machine about 3rd gear and the noise would have been great John
He's referring to the stack of wheels and tires in the background of the pic.
Okay, I got it . I don't have the Ditch Witch anymore, sold it last night and the guy took it away on a trailer. I think he's going to use it for installing outdoor furnaces. The noise in the rear turned out to be a dry drive chain. A large double roller chain drives both front and rear axles. We oiled it with #90 gear oil and tightened the idler. Once the seat is lifted off, the trencher, PTO, and wheel drives are exposed. Forgot to take a picture of the neat decal on it, a witch flying over the moon on a shovel. Phil
LoL...someone predicted you would do that!
Hopefully you make a profit. When i buy things i always end up breaking even when i sell it but i guess thats better than a loss.
I don't remember not making a profit on a machine although I've come close to breaking even once or twice. I still get excited going to look at a machine for sale. Here is a C model I'm trying to buy, and an unidentified Ford tractor in the bush nearby. I've never seen a Ford tractor with the distributor mounted where it is. I don't think it's a 2N, 8N, or Ferguson model...not sure. Phil
1952 8n ford best of the n flat head series ,dont die when you go throught a mud hole .but still not much of a tractor to light only made 1 1/2 years ive built a bunch of them over the years
Im making a similar machine right now. My brother down sized to a Bobcat mini ex and a dozer and a trencher. His first trencher was a little Vermeer that he had rented to put the water line into my work. The man that owned it had it go down with him. I t had a little 2 cylinder Italian Diesel that Vermeer didnt suport the parts for. He bought it and anotherone that belonged to a local town. It had a hoe, and blade on front Vibratory plow, But the direct pto drive assembly that disconnects the transmission/ rear implment drive had and creeper had grenaded. It also had a Duetz on it. The Vermeer dealer said it wouldnt inter change but the one with the bad motor had been a one owner operator. I helped him change the motors and fix the hydraulics. He gave me the left overs, So I have a little 4 wheel drivechassis with both mechanical drive and a hydraulic creeper. I also have a 6 way blade, the backhoe that hasthe same frontal mounting plates as the rear vibe unit. I have to find a motor I think I have an industrial Mazda out of an old lift truck that will fit the transmission. Id perfer a diesel but I can use the gasser. I want to build a loaderfor the tractor part to have a mini TLB. I wanted to putthe blade on my Case skid loader, since it has skid shoes to. I may putthe blade on for now and use ittill I can build a loader. I already have a 75 3550 Ford hoe and a 12000 pound min ex and the skid steers. I just want a winter project plus I cant stand to scrap equipment. I thought about putting the hoe on my skidsteer but I think an 1840 Case is too light plus it made to mount up high like the on in the pic. Ill post pics as I go. The creeper drive hydraulics has a through flow motor valve so it wont hurt it le led the chain drive stay ingaged whilst I use it in loader mode. Just as long as the valve is in Neutral. I was gonna take it out but after using a JD110 Backhoe wit hthe hydraulic creeper switch you can use from the backhoe seat I decided to leave it. I did a job this morning where i had my ex which was almost too big and my skid steer and I hadto do alot of clean up work i na tiny area. I thought how handy a little 4x4 TLB could be. It has Dana axles. I may add a locker the the rear axle to.
Catman, thanks for clarifying the model of that Ford. Taylor, you sure have some big plans there, good luck with that project . Small backhoe attachments are a hot item in my area. Everybody seems to be waiting for the Kubotas to come down in price but that may take some time. Backhoes in general seem to be in big demand and prices are coming back up. Phil
Not too big a set of plans lol, Most of the work is already done. I built a back hoe one time for a friend. I helped the build he did all the welding I did the scrounging, ciphering, cussing, cutting and fitting lol. He did the welding and check writing lol. I wished some one would take the Arps hoe I have off my hands lol. Its about 18 foot reach for a large farm tractor. the seat swings withthe boom like anold ** hoe.
For $4,000.....
LoL, well he did say he made a profit on it. Phil fixed up the old I-H loader/hoe, painted it, brought it home...and sold it! I figured he could do the same with this one. He didn't even have to paint this one. Bought it, brought it home, and sold it. I wonder if the engine even got cooled down. :tong
Phil, How do you move the dead machines when you buy them? do you have a trailer with a winch or bring another machine to the location?
I hire a tilt 'n' load, as long as the machine is not over 9' high. They are fast and can winch almost any disabled machine on, also unload the machine at the other end if necessary. Better to pay a little more to get 'er home without being stopped by the feds, and recover the cost later. Phil