This machine was last operated in 2007 . 8v 71 Detroit
looks like a 1000 series with a screaming Detroit engine in her for sure. In 1978 these were the creme of the crop and thought to be the wave of the future. Thier inability to change the controls from arobics front to rear as opposed to hand controls were part of the demise of Insley!What a machine there would be today if only ,......they had moved with the 80's for cryin out loud!
That's a fair size machine,just guessing around the 90-100,000lb range.Not familiar with the Insley's.Did see a more modern looking one with a wedge style cab,but not sure what model back about twenty years ago.Bet it sounds good under load:drinkup Dominion
good lookin' Insley...cotterpin......buddy of mine worked at Insley's in the 70's in Indianapolis he might have help build that machine....where you at in SW Indiana cotterpin?
have a friends that has one that run great still to day
Insley 1500B Here's my old Insley, it's a '78 with a 6-71 turbo, actually pretty quiet for a detroit. still runs A-1. You can't kill these things if you keep em greased and oiled. The 1500 weighs in at 80,000. When I bought this machine, it had sit for 6 years the old guy who owned it had parked it after a complete bottom was installed, (he retired after his knees gave out). the problem now is that the chains are binding ( from sitting ) and will not loosen up even after running it for a year clearing 10 acres. Looks like I will have to push all of the pins out, clean them up and reinstall. No easy task. You actually get used to the controls after a while and it's no big deal to run. By the way, W.C. Sales in Indy has all the parts still available for these.
That is the cab style I remember.Good pics as well.:drinkupWhat is the control set-up like?I think the one I saw was an H-2500,but not sure if I have the model number correct.It to had 8v71 Detroit power. Dominion
I'd love to get an old Insley for the Yard, I had a 875 for quite some time, I wish i had kept it hanging around the yard.
Dominion, the controls are 2 sticks and 4 pedals. Left stick is the swing, right stick is the boom ( with a switch, 2 speed boom, nice when you have a light load) left pedal is the bucket, right pedal is the stick and the 2 in the middle are for travel. Burns calories pretty good, not like the new stuff with the pilot controls but you get used to it soon enough. Insley had a 2500 and a monster 3500 which I have not seen one of yet. My old 1500 had factory ac which was something back in the 70's, they where rugged machines which is why they are still around, the old detroits are another reason why they are still here, pretty hard to kill them too.
Woodboatdave, I can relate to the controls,having started out on an old Poclain RC-200.Same basic set-up as your Insley but the travel was on two levers also.Was planning on converting it to pedal travel but never did.Wish I still had that machine. Dominion:drinkup
Hey woodboat Dave. Where I worked we had a 3500. Was the real deal in it's day. We usede it along shorelines in prep for seawalls. Later it was fixed with a long stick for dregging work and also used it to dig out coffer dams. Was a horse for sure, slow by todays equipment. Also we had a 516 Insley hoe that used 4 pedals on the floor. 2 were fore bucket in-and-out And 2 were for stick in-and-out. One more thing, the 3500 had 3 boom cylinders. There was a cut out switch that would devert all power to the boom for heavy lifts. Other than that it was there for looks!
Insley Hey Insleyboy.. do you have any pics of the 3500?
Wow, I'll have to look at the old pics I have. I'll post em if I have any!
Maybe he did ! W.C. Sales is where we got most of our repair parts too . I'm down here in Vincennes . Work for an Ill Gravel co . , wrenching on their equipment . I imagine this Insley could be bought .
Great thread Cotterpin.I allmost bought a 1500b like Woodboatdave's but it was a size to big for my need at the time.I ended up buying a hy-hoe excavator.It's controls are similar to the Insley.Am I to understand that the insley excavators were made in Indianapolis along with the cranes?I wonder what was the last year they made the excavator?
I wouldn't know that , but I'll bet somebody could tell ya .
Nice Machine cotterpin, I have an old dragline we use to load shale, 48 is as new as it can be from what we can figure, it a K-15, w/ straight 8 Chrysler, 1/2 yard machine w/ 5/8 yard bucket.
Last year Insleys were built I'm surprised they lasted beyond the mid 1980's when all the imported machines starting appearing. The only ones to purchase these must have been the old school contractors. Badger Construction Equipment purchased Insley & moved the factory from Indianapolis to Winona Minnesota in 1986. The last excavator the company produced was a H-3500D in 1996, when Badger decided to discontinue the Innsley product line. These are the only photos I could find of the H-3500B (1978) Dug
I believe they made them up until about 1992 or 93.
Insley Near's an old Insley and a Unit cable hoe.Both were operable,and this guy had all sort's of toys in his yard.
Here are some pictures of my K-15 Insley
Older machines. How do you find older machines like this, close to home?
Pipeliners K15 looks like something I could use to clean up my pond.
Hapec12, You ask about finding machines close to home, we brought this one home from Detroit, see your from Michigan:drinkup
The 3500B we had used 3 boom cylinders one for heavy lift of course. They also had the shives on the counterweight and some clete's on the back of the boom to remove the weights without the use of another machine!
1947 Insely This machine does actually run the biggest thing that i need to find for it is an exhaust manifold it has an old budha motor in it. If any one has any ideas on where to get one please let me know.
Nice !!! Is that a K-15 ? Looks just like my dragline, it has a straight 8 Chrystler in it. Good look'in machine, will have to check with a buddy of mine on the Budha manifold.:drinkup
i do somewhere. we finally had to junk ours couple of years ago. will look for pics
Sadly enough fellers , the old Insley 2000 I posted pics of at start of thread is slated to be scrapped . Last work order I have in file shows a rebuilt 8v71 that I and a co-worker installed in '02 . Probably has less than 200 hrs on it . Rest in piece old girl !
The mighty Insley is no match for the cutting torch . Coming monday for the final chunk a junk . That 8-71 does sound as good ( loud ) as ever though .
Diamond T truck jkossen, What can you tell me about that Diamond T truck in the background of the pictures? Is it for sale? Can you get some close-up pics of it? Thanks!
old cable I really like those machines they have moxie.:thumbsup:spongebob
Insley H-875 Newby, can't post pics but I just bought an Insley H-875. After charging the battery for a while, it fired right off and purred like a kitten. The tracks are a little worn, but I could not see any leaks, other than a can above the pivot. Looks like a return from the cylinders, not sure. It has a homemade rubber seal on the top plate. Any info on this cool digger?
H-875 pics Pics from previous post.
Where you guy's find parts for these old girls? thats gota be tough!
My comments on the '47 Insley. I cannot believe that they did not allow for visibility on the right side of the machine other than running with the door wide open.
I wish I could get my hands on an old machine like that. A couple years ago I had a guy offering to sell his first generation Cat 225, but lately he doesn't want to talk to me (he's kinda weird).
Got a 1971 model myself. Nice old machine that does whatever I need for my personal use. Although, not the fastest in the world. Probably has a Detroit Deisel 4V71. I can run for an hour on less than 2 gallons of fuel if I'm not reving it too high. I have a complete parts manual with drawings that give you all the part numbers. I've seen several manuals for it show up on ebay, so you might try there. Amazingly you can still get just about any part you need for them, either new or used from WC Sales in Aurora, Il 630-264-8014. Ask for Matt. The leak your talking about sounds like the rotary union that supplies the tracks. Mine leaks there also. Looks like there are just some o-rings to replace. Just never did it yet. Good luck with it.
I have a GREAT RUNNING H 3500 B. I would LOVE to sell it.
Looking at a H560B to buy, understand they're good machines.
anyone know where there's an Insley 875 around the New England area? My family had a little more than 20 of them, between the 875s , 2000s 2250s 3000 & 3500s. I'd like to get one to do over and fool around with
The great thing about the Insley's was that they had separate pumps for the different functions. You could travel and swing without starving the pumps. Great for demo when you wanted to smash and bailout. We replaced the Detroit 471 with a 466 engine with very little work since the mounts were identical. Insley 1000 Spare Parts I've got the boom 4 cyclinders and 42" bucket from an Insley 1000 for sale in very good condition if anyone is interested. They were from a parts machine that we bought in the early 90's. Located in Eastern Iowa. [email protected]
You still looking for an experienced excavator? I have two Insleys that need homes: Year/size Item Description Hr./Miles Model Serial # 1980 INSLEY Excavator -new engine 4283 H1500C 7862 48" Bucket for H1500C 1/12 yd. unknown -H/d unknown -H/d 30" 30" Bucket for H1500C 1-1/3 Yd ESCO H/D 1972 INSLEY Excavator w/42" BUCKET 7650 H875 ready to work!
I am looking for two good drive tumblers(sprockets) for my 875 Any one has a pair, new or used, call me 780 791 7311 email [email protected] Tom
old insley converted to delimber.
hi! unfortunately i have no pictures but let me say that i had a very good time seeing all these pict, thanks a lot for the great thread
Insley machines are very useful in work. They can done lots of work and they can really work for a long hours.
If you are still looking for an 875, I have one as well as a 1000, 1500C and 3500B. All of them run good and are orig owner machines. Call me if you would like more info. 810-560-3984
insleyboy Would you know the overall width of a 1970's older chain drive H875? I bought one on auction, sight unseen and need to move it.
Would it be the one from petrowsky auction?
swalker269 My 875 is 9'11" wide. It's early 70's.
Thanks so much
yes it was one of 2 at the August auction of Eastlick Farm
H1000c Any idea what an Tinsley h1000 c is capable for reach, depth and weight to pick up.
Anybody want an Insley H1000C Excavator ? It's in North Carolina and the opening price is $3500 Auction date is 8/17/16 Iron Planet: http://www.ironplanet.com/for-sale/Excavators-Insley-H1000C-Track-Excavator-North-Carolina/747407?h=5002%2Cl2%7CUSA-NC%2Cmsg%7C17931%2Csm%7C0%2Csort%7Cp+desc%2CisAuc%7Cyes&rr=0.07692&hitprm=&pnLink=yes
Insley H-875 1974 Trying to add a working thumb on our Insley H-875. Does anyone have a idea what the working capacity in tons might be for the excavator. We are thinking in the 40- 50 ton range
I am also looking for information on an Insley H875. i need to know of any weak spots to look for when i inspect one that is for sale in my AO. how much does an 875 weigh? is an H875 a dependable machine? i just want it for my own work around the farm. are they hard to work on?
The weak area is in the turret (house) where it connects to the center pivot mechanism. There is a series of bolts in a circle at about 1 foot from the center. Some can be seen from the undercarriage and the others are impossible to get at. If they are loose or broken off, then their isn't much holding the turret to the rolling chassis. I have one unit with some of the bots are sheared off or broken. Someone fabricated a C mechanism welded to the outer diameter rotating rind so that it slides along the lower ring in an attempt to keep the house from breaking loose from the undercarriage. It seems to work, but is always suspect. This model has the older style under carriage with a open chain drive with sprockets. It is functional and still works ok. The machine has 2 speeds hi and lo. The lever in the cab looks like a hydraulic master cylinder with a lond lever on the right side wall. They are typically froze. The cable down to the transmission can be manually moved and left in the high speed mode 1.5mph Both are very slow. You can not travel and use the hoe at the same time, due to the same controls doing different functions when in the travel or did positions. Our units were built in 1974 200 s/n apart and the cabs and the digging depths are different. The Detroit Diesel is bullet proof. We have not been able to find parts anywhere in the USA. No problem getting parts for the Detroit, and hydraulics. but none available for the INSLEY. I think they weigh in at 23 Tons. You will need a double drop trailer to make clearance during transportation. The units we purchased had set for 10 years and we added a battery, gave it a sniff of either and they were running. We are using one of them on the farm and one is a parts donor. I would think they are worth under $3000 in running shape. Manuals are available on e-bay or JENSALES
Thank You very much!!! that is exactly the info i was looking for. sounds like i will have to pass because the owner wants over 8K for the price.
I used to run both the H560B Insley's & the H875 back when I was young. We were in vacation in NH a while back & I saw this one. Couldn't resist taking a few pictures of her..........brought back a flood of memories!! This one had the 4 pedals on the floor. Anyone remember the 2 rocking pedals that preceded this model? I have seen some of the 875's with the V8 Cummins in them......this one had the 4-71. Looked pretty good for as old as it was.
Yes it does look great and ready to dig another day.
I don't miss all that greasing!! Used to be about 2 1/2 tube of grease to grease the whole machine, of which 70% went to the unsealed undercarriage!! Then, remember the thick tar that was recommended to put on the swing gear?
Picking up a 74 h2000 tomorrow. 89k lb beast. Imo i think The design was great and overbuilt, the machine is a 1 owner and was used personally and not even close to being wore out. The type of machine that will last multiple generations. Too bad so many have been scrapped.
How about posting some pictures of it when you get it to share with us Insley admirers?
Us prepping to move her. Took the Counter weight, stick and bucket off to we could get it down in the 60's. Shes a big girl and we had a blast taking her apart. The pins and bushings are new! I couldnt believe it. Previous owner must of had it all done prior to parking it. Thats a big reason in me buying it because the machine work required to bring her bavk up is basically nill. She runs w 8v71. Needs all new hoses and cylinders redone. I plan to get her back in shape and back in the field. Pumps, gear boxes, hoses, 8v71 will all be gone through.
Nice looking old Insley bbxdirt! Post a few pictures of the controls if you can. She is a real brute!
That is a MONSTER!! Good seeing good luck on breaking the old gal down. Someone took good enough care to keep it that way.
well i am back. the owner of the H-875 still wants to sell and at a lower price. can parts still be sourced at WC sales? the model has the four peddles on the floor so could someone explain their function?
One set, I BELIEVE the right side run the bucket, the left for stick travel? Been a LOONG time since I was even CLOSE to one when working.
That's correct RH side pedals were for the bucket & LH side stick control. The earlier Insleys had just rocking pedals that were rocked ahead & back & the two pedal control for each function came a bit later. I ran the H875 a little & the H560B machines more.
Thanks for the info. so to extend the stick you push down one peddle then when you want to retract it you slide your foot over to the other peddle and push it down?
That is correct.
well i am dealin for an H-875. depends on weather the seller and i can come to terms on price.
ok another question. the H-875 i am looking at seems to be in pretty decent shape,no leaks and everything operates as it should. kinda hard to believe a machine made in 71 would still operate. the tracks are almost at max adjustment without moving the drive tumblers. there is allot of adjustment there though. i checked with a salvage yard just to see what the scrap value would be and got a 1800 dollar quote. WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS THING IS WORTH?????? all opinions welcome thanks
Take a few pictures & post if you can. The undercarriage adjustment can be done at both ends I think, if I remember correctly. The one adjustment tightens both the drive chain & the undercarriage & the other one just the undercarriage. Do I have that right?.........it has been a long time for me......45 yrs.!! It is a mechanical screw with a jam nut & they can seize if not kept free. If in decent running condition, I would think $7,500 would be a fair price. BTW, I have a 1971 D6C & a 1972 941 Track loader & both are in good working condition.....no guarantees though!
Engine by itself in decent condition, running is a couple grand, then the hydraulics parts, cylinders, valves pumps, all worth something, a working machine can be well worth what you can determine against similar if not newer other make machines.
yes that is what i am going to do. i want to be fair to the seller but i don't want pay more than i can recover in salvage plus a couple hundred hours of use. i don't think i can get more than 1500 for the engine and about 1700 for the scrap iron. as for the insley parts "who knows",and i really don't want to salvage anyway but if it breaks before i can get some work from it i want to be able to recover some of the cost. now if if if it lasts a few years i will be ok. repair is out of the question"i think".
Make him that offer, $3200 and see what says, can only say no or come back with a counter. That is how I ended up with my $Money$ pit Allis!! Bid low keep the numbers where you are comfortable and walk off if too far out of range. Me personally, if a decent machine and works easy works well for a farm or personal use around $5k to $6K would be a steal for a excavator.
it is amazing how many Insley excavators i found for sale or still running around the country. where do you guys that have insleys get parts??? i just assumed that parts were non existent but there must be someplace supporting the machines left. i know there was a place called W.C. sales but they are no more. did some company buy their inventory or did it just get melted down. how about dismantled machines? i found some from the eighties but very few from the 1970 era.
Most of the older machines used a lot of generic parts, easier to get easier to repair not like today with Manufacturing trying/forcing to keep in house.
well i guess that makes sense. i figured most of the hydraulic components were off the shelf stuff and the clutch if it has one would be a twin disc. i guess the center hydraulic swivel would probably be repairable by common orings. the only thing left would be the gears in the drive case and some other stuff
I am suspecting you won't find too much not generic on these. Simple seal packages, common to many other styled systems and repairable easier than new stuff.
My INSLEY H560-T is mounted on a CCC 10 wheel truck chassis so it wouldn't have all the same parts as a track machine. But with a little digging, you can find a parts manual for one of the more common machines on Ebay. Mine is a mid-60s model that is slowly coming back to life and working a little easier and better as time goes by.
have you had any progress on the old H2000 profiled here? I'd love to see more of what you did to it.
Hey guys, it's been a while. 560B still running strong with a few mods. Still looking for a couple of track shoes if anyone knows of any. 18" across.
i got a 1978 h1500 up here in manitoba for sale . runs and moves.. 2 new pumps and a new rad
Hey i am might be interested i am in Manitoba call me 204-392-4789
That must be a "non standard" undercarriage on that machine as the 560B's had 24" shoes on them. Any pictures of your machine available?
Insley 1500 was the first excavator I ran, loading pit run for a school job. Thanks for a great thread. I want to say it was 1987? I remember overloading trucks and getting that ass-chewing, and blowing an o-ring repeatedly when I dug to full reach. I got that sorted out, he wanted as deep as I could go and I explained that pulled hard enough on the lines to cause the leak and we agreed to back off just a touch.
Hello all, new member here and it looks as if I’m in the right place, with a lot of knowledge on these old insley’s. I recently got a h-875 with the 4-71 Detroit it starts up perfectly, everything moves as it should (leaks a little hydraulic fluid while it’s moving) except the tracks. They worked as they should when the old girl was parked about 12-15 years ago, but now they don’t even try to move. We had to undo the small, inner, drive chains so the tracks could roll freely to get it loaded on the trailer. Does anyone have any experience with this, or just suggestions on where to start looking to get her rolling again would be greatly appreciated. And thanks ahead of time for taking the time to read this and for any information.
Welcome to HEF. Did you put the chains back on yet? I would see if the small drive gear will turn without the chains on. I have an 875 that I just got this summer, still working the bugs out, but it's getting there. I also have a 580B that I've had for several years. I don't know if you have manuals, but it helps to understand how the systems work and how to troubleshoot. It could be a few different things. I don't know how familiar you are with Insley machines, but the propel (drive) system has three levers. The one on the left of the seat is the forward/ reverse lever, this just drives the transmission (gear box) in one direction or the other. The two on the left side of the seat are the drive engage/ disengage/ brakes. Pushing a lever forward simultaneously disengages the drive gear from the jaw and applies the brake on the corresponding track (left lever- left track). Moving the lever to the rear releases the brake and engages the gear into the jaw. If you already know this my apologies. When working the brake levers, you should hear the engine labor a bit after a few seconds, this will indicate whether the system is getting hydraulic flow. Since you've had it running and operating, I assume there is enough hydraulic fluid in the tank and the pumps are working. If it's not a hydraulic issue, you might have to take off the belly pans and look underneath. There are two hydraulic motors connected to a drive transmission (gear box). Out of the drive transmission there is a gear-and-jaw mechanism along with brake bands that work in concert. If the brakes have been applied the gear and jaw will (should) be disconnected. The drive transmission can still be engaged and turn, but if both brake levers have been activated there is nothing connecting the transmission to the drive gears. There are other possibilities, but this is long enough to get you started. Post what you find out and we'll go from there. Good Luck!
Just a side note. How the hell did you get that on a trailer without it moving on it's own?!? Nice job though!
Thank you for the reply, and no I don’t have a manual yet but it’s on the to-do list. And as for loading it, there was more than one bad word said that day! But the short story is, I turned to the side just enough the trailer could squeeze by the bucket and raised the tracks up as high as I could get them, backed the trailer under the tracks(had to fight to keep the little fold down ramps from digging into the dirt the whole way), then after the trailer was somewhat under it we ran a chain across the front to keep it from sliding off, and we put a winch line on the front of it and then spun the machine around to push with the bucket, and between pushing with the bucket and pulling with the winch it surprisingly loaded up the rest of the way very easily. And that’s the short story, there were numerous failed attempts throughout the full 9 hour day of loading 1 machine. And thank you for the suggestions on where to start looking and especially for the info on how to operate the tracks! I assumed that the side sticks were the track operating controls but, I won’t even lie, I was not sure exactly how to use them.
Oh and I had to take the drive chains off so that the tracks could roll freely, to get it loaded.
I reread my post. I mistyped on the levers. The left lever from the seat is forward and reverse, but the levers on the RIGHT (I said left twice before) control the brakes/ engagement. When I got the first Insley, it was very confusing on how the drive worked, but eventually figured it out, so you're not alone in that boat. I later found some manuals for it, which helped in a lot of areas. I was wondering if you were familiar or not - no shame in that. Post again when you have an update or other issues. I have learned quite a bit about these machines over the past few years.
You have a winch on your truck stephen?
I 2nd the idea for the travel / brake lever arrangement. When the drive chains are behind you, shove the LH lever ahead to go forward & pull back for reverse. Of course if you swing around its all opposite. Just forget which direction to engage the brake levers on the RH side with the chains behind you.........my guess is to pull back to apply the brakes?? Seems to me we had to apply the brakes when getting ready to dig so the tracks didn't start turning? Its been over 40 years since I sat in the seat of one of those so things are a bit foggy!! Good ole 4-71 screamer......get out the earplugs so you don't go deaf like me!!
I'm sort of tempted for some reason, please talk me out of it for general farm use (600 c excavator) https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:8254aeda-26ed-4201-a517-938c62f15877 what engine might that be?
Well at least will keep you busy and out of trouble!!
Not sure about that one. I have a 560B and a 875 and they have Detroits: 453, 471. Looks like a Detroit with a turbo. What's your ability and time to work on these? I've had to do work on various sections of mine, but haven't had to rebuild any engines. The 875 with the 471 was seized when I got it, but got it loose and runs great - it had been sitting for 15 years or so when I came across it. One thing of mine (early 70's models), is they are made of real steel. A little up keep goes a long way, I don't think they make them like they used to. It can be worth it if you have digging to do and it's handy to have, but like anything old, they need work. I haven't had any experience with final drives on Insleys. It's got a nice paint job at least. If everything is working well (no hyd leaks, or track issues) it might be worth it. Any issues and that price is high IMHO. Good luck, keep us posted!
Engine......sort of looks like Cummins or Perkins from the one pic...........historically the Insley's were all Detroits, but that must have changed in the later models.??
Could be... I can't quite tell from that picture. I don't know much about the later models. As I said in my earlier post, I haven't had any experience with Insley final drives. Don't know if they're good or not.
No, not really true. In the manuals for my 1968 H875, they showed 2 options for engines. The first one (and probably preferred) is the 471 Detroit, the second one is a Cummins. I've seen late 60s & early 70s machines for sale with Cummins. I think that the Detroit engines were just more popular.
I might have skipped over those details, probably looking for info I needed at the time. Of course no telling what changes previous owners have done also. 50 years or more, most that are still operating have seen a lot! I've repacked a few hydraulic cylinders and most of them have been replaced. It's not often the schematic in the manual matches what I've taken apart. I usually have to mic everything and order seals that way.
That's correct, now that you mention it. I do recall a late 60's H875 that I ran a bit that did have a Cummins in it, V8 I believe & also a 560B from the early 70's that had a V6 Cummins as well. See what age does to ones ability to recall things??
No worries, I forget things all the time! people wonder why I spend the money I do on factory manuals and sales brochures. Information on old iron isn't getting any easier to find.