Hi, I am new here - I am mostly on the skidsteer site- any way I was thinking of getting a John Deere 510 backhoe/ loader- the owner says its from the late 70s to the mid 80s I know nothing about this machine and was wondering what this forum thinks of it? The owner says it runs fine with no issues. He has not used this for a while, he says he had two of them and he sold one off to a neighbor and this one hase been sitting. I have a toolbox he wants to trade the machine for out right. I do own a bobcat with many attachments so I have knowledge about hydraulics etc. I just wanted to know if this machine is junk or if its a good one,whats its worth, etc. what should I look for? This machine has a built in roll cage I think he called it "ropps" . I cannot personally inspect it because it is way upstate ny, I am about 7 hours away on long island.I have seen one picture of it. it looks ok with alot of rust on the top of the cab near the roof, front and rear tires could be replaced, the motor looks good from what I can see. I think he is going to deliver it because if we do the deal he has to pick up the toolbox which is very very large. Any input and advice would be very helpfull. Thanks...Chris
I have owned a 1981 410. Should look similar to the 510 but probably quite different in many mechanical ways. I believe that machine is quite strong for its time. In those times Deere made 310s, 410s and 510s and maybe 710s but I'm not sure. I also think it will be quite slow in most hydraulic functions compared to even a 1990 backhoe. My 410 was extremely loud inside the cab. I assume the 510 will be the same as the cab is built right on top of the drivetrain with no rubber-mounts. The only thing I am sure off is any machine that old that's been sitting for a few years will require lots of TLC and probably a good chunk of cash to keep it running properly. I spoke to an owner of and old 510 like this just last month. He said it's as strong as an ox one day and can't lift a darn thing the next day. He said he was unable to determine the problem. He just parks it when its weak and tries it out the next day with hopes is back to normal for a while. Good luck with your new to you Deere if you do get it.
Thanks Deon, I found out the machine has been sitting since the fall- and it has 2156 hours on it.I asked him how much can this machine lift? He said it can lift a precast ring with no problem. The owner assures me there is nothing wrong with the machine. I would like to think so since he is going to travel at least 7 hours to deliver it. Do you know how to decode the serial number? I tried on line and got no where. The number is TCO510D387955. I was looking to find out what year this machine was. If you or some body else could help me that would be great. Thanks again for your help...Chris
theman, That is extremely low hrs. That many hour can be put on a machine in 1 year and its around 30 years old. Keep in mind that the meter starts back at 0 after 9,999 hrs. I sat in a 1999 310E two months ago that read 3,300 hrs. Seller assure me it was correct. As an owner of a very similar machine I could easily confirm it had at lease 13,300 hrs. It is possible that the hrs are correct but not likely. But that said, if the machine is good even with much more hrs, it may be a good deal for your trade. You should be able to call the serial number in to a Deer dealer to get the info your looking for. Also worth notting is that some of the parts will no longer be available. Unlike Case, Deere tends to not supply all parts for older machines. Cylinder seals, o-rings and bearing etc. will always be available from aftermarket sources but drivetrain and other model specific parts may only be available as used parts.
Hi Deon, thanks for the info-the owner had two of these loaders- he claims that he did not need them because he updated all of his machinery a while ago- he says he uses this machine in his yard for moving stuff around. He is in the excavation business. He seems like an old timer- he said he would go down to the yard either today or tomorrow and start it up. I hope its as good as he claims it is. I guess if its a dud I can always scrap it. Ha Ha. I know my box is worth way more than this machine but it is considered a "white elephant" its funny how the tool companies will sell it to you real fast but wont take it on a trade because of its size. Thanks again...Chris
Yeah, hard to say without knowing the history. I have a 410 of the same vintage that looks ratty and is very loose but I have no regrets about buying it. It seems that all of the expensive internal stuff is factory fresh.
As far as figuring out the year, take the SN you have, TCO510D387955, to a JD dealer and they are able to look up the month and year it was manufactured. Well that is if the counter help knows where to look in the JD software. It took about 30 seconds for my local dealer to look it up. I've heard those old hour meters were not very reliable and would be swapped out (often times more than once), so one is better off not paying much attention to that info rather the overall condition of everything else. Here is the spec sheet of the 510 "square" rops/erops. http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/construction/non_current_products/backhoes/510.pdf Square referring to the shape of the cab vs the rounded and newer 510/b/c/d. Square: http://ers.deere.com/FileServlet?fileName=/www/ersjvm2/ersapp/docs/photos/0/6/7/675067org.jpg Round: http://www.carrollequipment.com/2012%20Equipment/7199%20John%20Deere%20510B.JPG
Where did you find your serial number at??? We are in the process of purchasing a 510 JD backhoe/loader and can not find the serial number!! Can you help me?
Hi, the owner gave me the number. Sorry I did not buy the machine -found out it was not as described