Hi. New member on the forum I just bought this my2000 Fermec 965 backhoe. Haven´t done any work with it yet. Does anyone have any experience with these, good or bad? Would like to hear any pointers on what to look out for.
Flyer, I picked up a 99' 960 recently. Haven't really used it yet so I can't give any advice. The previous owner said the thing was a beast. Able to move quite a bit of dirt and snow. He also said it was virtually impossible to get stuck (we all know anything can get stuck). I was able to locate the US service manual supplier. Let me know if you need contact info. I haven't yet begun to look for a parts supplier yet.
I believe Volvo has taken them over so they should be your parts source.
Looks like the old International 3800 I had once. It only had rear wheel steer, so it was very awkward in tight places but was very comfortable to ride on. Phil
i belive those joysticks on them are elecrtic people said that they are not good i havnt used one my self though
Iceflyer the hell with the backhoe let me see more pictures of that lovely Landie please and some of her details.
Thanks guy´s for all the replies. Just tonight I was able to make room in my friends workshop for the Fermec and am starting to check the machine properly out. Seems the 4wheel steer tends to get stuck sometimes in "Crab" drive when I start her up. Have to check some sensors as well as change fluids and filters. Haha... yeahh now we are talking. It´s a 2002 Landrover Defender 130 modified with 37" tires & 2" lift. It also has a 1.1t HIAB crane in the bed. I absolutely love this truck. I use it a lot for heavy offroading hauling parts and stuff for various jobs as well as using the 4x4 for fun also and to haul my snowscooter and dirt bikes. It has proven to be really dependable and not given me any real trouble. I´m sometimes asked how much I want for it but I reply that it´s not for sale for all the money in the world :drinkup
Hi Phil It´s got 4 wheel steering and when everything works it´s got excellent turning radius. It´s very easy to manuever in tight places. Yes it´s all "fly by wire" electro joysticks. Really weird to use but I guess I´ll get used to it! It´s like there is no feel to to it compared to the old hydrocontrols on my old JCB3c. But of course the there is a world of difference in power bettwen the two. The Fermec can lift itself in idle by the backhoe (9000kg) and the ´ol JCB hmm.. well it just can´t lift itself.
I take it you haven't done any fiddling with it?Has it still got the cat in? what transferbox you got fitted? Is the hiab powered by electric pump or off the back of the X-box?
Not much, I removed the cat & the EGR. It´s got the standard LT-230 transfer box. The HIAB crane is powered by electric pump since I use it a lot indors to lift stuff in the workshop and aircraft hangars. It´s easier since I´m not doing any repetitive lifting over many hours, to have it electrically powered and be able to shut down the engine while indoors.
I just learned today something interesting. I already knew that Fermec was founded by ** (Massey Ferguson) employees who bought the production off **. And the name "FERMEC" is actually short for "Ferguson Mechanics"! Good tidbit to know if someone wants to be the center of attention in the next company party or could also be used as a pick-up line:drinkup Let me know if it works :cool2
No poly bush kit fitted yet? when you get a chance check your rear drive hubs and half shafts,LR in their wisdom never allowed for the outermost splines to be lubricated so the wear like the bejasus may be exacerbated by the big boots.
Let us no haw you get on with the joysticks if you can get used to them and what they are really like cheers. the digger is in good shape for the age just got a couple of spots of rust on the loader arm was it used on the council to load salt?
Stock. No no polybush kit yet. The original bushings will last me about 20 more years and then I´ll change :tong No I have never checked the splines. I´ll just run ´em till they break. Some guy´s here install some hardened axles from Australia. Volvobl. I was playing around a bit today with the joysticks and I´m actually getting very accustomed to them. It´s actually possible to be very precise using them. I must say I´m very happy now with these electrojoysticks. They take about an hour getting used too but I don´t think I´ll ever be happy going back! It´s a bit weird with all the safety systems. Like when nobody is in the seat nothing works and when you turn the seat you have to reset the pump´s . But it makes sense. It´s really easy to come in contact with the joysticks getting in and out of the seat so it´s really good they are disabled while no one is sitting in the operators seat. Overall I´m very happy with the Fermec. I got the unit from a finance company that had reposessed it for a good price. It´s seems the previous owner did maintain the unit until the last day. I have found various evidence of recent repairs done. I don´t think its been used to load salt. It been operated by a general contractor however he may have used it for snow removal and thyere is a lot of salt on the streets here in winter so that may explains the rust. I will however in the next day´s clean the rust and repaint so it´ll look much nicer.
Im very happy that youve got used to the fly by wire joysticks a fermec is very good machine you dont see many of them around here but driven a lot 860 s andthe old massey 50 and 60 hx. A lot of guys say that the fermec is a lot better machine than after terex took them over. My volvo bl71 has got servo joysticks like an excavator and same thing when you turn the seat arond the oil cuts off but you can still use the levers when the seat is fully turned forward. Like yourself i dont see me going back to the sticks theres something about the control on this.
Hello Iceflyer. Ellingsen/Norway here. I have same machine like you F 965. But I have some serious problem with mine. From time to time the hydraulic stops. It seems like the control circuit for hydro control is dead. Do you have or know any drawings for electro for these machine type. Best r Pette Ellingsen
Hi Pette. Sorry I don´t have any electrical schematics. I have had problems with the pressure sensor under the seat. Also make sure the seat is fully locked in forward or aft position when engaging hydraulic pumps. I am actually thinking of bypassing the seat pressure sensor. It´s just unnecessary trouble.
Hello, have any of you been able to sort this problem? My hydraulics are very shaky. Sometimes they dont work at all. It seems to happen mostly when the machine warms up, about 30 min - 1hr of running then it starts and gets really bad. In the video you can see how it is. https://youtube.com/shorts/SmBSIod6S_4?feature=share
Hi, how would you go about bypassing that sensor? is it just a straight contact sensor? could you do the same with the wheel position sensors?