hello people who know more then me! this is my first post so lemme know if this topic has been discussed before and i'l check out the other threads. I think I'm in a similar situation as Luckydog so if you'r out there, get in touch, I'd love to hear your thoughts. i'm looking to pick up a tractor/loader/backhoe for homeowner use here in the Hudson Valley New York. I'm in the shawangunk mountains just near minnewaska state park. I've gotta pull out a lot of stumps, move big rocks, spread stone on my driveway and generally get this place in shape. The issue is that I'm basically on a hillside with about a 1/4 mile of driveway that someone said is at about an 8% grade. I rented a kubota U-55 for about 12 days in November to clear for a fruit tree orchard which was great but expensive. that cost me about $2100 and it was nice being on a well taken care of, fairly new machine that could dig and move heavy items. she's a 6 ton machine that didn't mind moving 10-20" oak stumps and my 30" diameter white pine stump. the point is, I'd love to buy an excavator but they're even more $$ and I figured the FEL bucket would be great for moving dirt long distances. my 5 year plan is to do all this heavy grunt work with a big machine and then sell it to buy something smaller, newer and lighter for use around the orchard and general property maintenance and possibly loading/moving smallish logs if I get a mill. not much out of the 30 acres needs tractor attention. it's mostly wooded and we intend to leave it that way, with the exception of maybe a little more clearing for a garage, sheds, maybe a cabin in the future, but I can rent a machine to deal with some of that if I'm on a later timeline.... but it's not a farm, it's a wooded lot on a ridge in the mountains. my main issue is the driveway. the biggest immediate job that confronts me is my driveway. .....it's gravel with ditches on either side. before we bought, previous folks would clear the ditches with an excavator and just empty the bucket on the side of the driveway. so over the years we now have these 5, 7, 10 foot high berms on the sides of the driveway with 10-20" dia oaks growing out of them. I've got to clean all this up because there's no place to plow the snow and if you end up with a wheel in the ditch you can roast the entire side of your vehicle with the roots, rocks and dirt on this berm by the time you get out. I need a big machine to: -help me move logs once I cut down the trees along the banks -move big rocks -dig big stumps -move a bunch of dirt around -open up the mouth of the driveway and create a few turnouts -grade driveway, and spread item/stone/shale/whatever -dig some French drains, swales etc...(could poss use smaller machine for that depending....) -other unforeseen stuff my budget is about 15k and I'm leaning towards a late 80s early 90s John Deere 410, 510 or 710. i'm specifically looking for opinions regarding HP necessary for pulling buckets of rocks up hill, dragging logs up hill and the best transmission style for it. and of course any other helpful info will be much allreciated. i've spent a few hundred hours on excavators and loaders over the years, but I still consider myself a rookie. I was looking at a Ford 555B and read some poor reviews so I passed on it. Since then i've been told that 4 x 4 is a must, at least 100 hp, and that a geared transmission is more stable for climbing. For those reasons and a few others i'm leaning towards the JD machines. I'm sure I'll get as many opinions as there are machines available and I'm looking forward to them. Thanks in advance and hopefully this thread can help anybody else in this situation BEFORE they buy a machine not suited to the tasks. so THANK YOU for making mistakes that I hopefully don't have to make (but will surely make others!!)
ofenback the machine your looking for is out there. Be patient and prepared to visit a lot of equipment. I was in the same situation and was looking for a machine to fit my needs. I visted auctions (where people get caught up in the moment and over pay). Anyway I put the word out that I was looking and a coworker led me to the machine I purchased.I looked at a lot of machines before hand that were rode hard and put away wet. My machine is a 1984 JD 310B. Dont get me wrong it shows its age in appearance and comfort options but it was well maintained and operates strong and solid. Not having much experience I can only offer a few things to consider.Are parts available, is the engine blowby excessive, tightness of joints, condition of tires, the hours (dont be too afraid if maintenace was done as recomended). Also unless you have a way to haul this will be an added exspence.I just changed all my fluids and filters which adds up. Anyways there is a lot of info on the web to review when considering a machine. I feel you wont go wrong with a JD.Definately go with a 4WD if you can, mine is only 2WD which I make work. From your descriptions of I believe a 410 machine would work fine. Good luck and happy hunting.
2wd machines are just as good as a 4wd . I have a 580c and I go anywhere with it. in the winter months I put chains on it and move snow with it. When looking at a machine inspect it good. Look for cracks , blowby , play in the pins and bushings. Check everything for leaks. Whats your price range your looking to spend.. A 4wd machine will be a pretty penny but its worth it. Im the guy who inspected luckydogs machine and worked on it to get it in tiptop shape. I wish you the best of luck
Don't worry too much about an excavator, In my opinion for general land use a backhoe is the most versatile machine there is. Besides general digging, the bucket is super useful and a tracked machine would be kind of tedious to turn on to haul two dozen sacks of compost to the new field or carry cinder blocks to the new building site or whatever. In addition, with the rubber tires you can drive on paved roads if you ever want to take it over to your neighbor's house or do a job for someone a mile away. And if you ever think a backhoe tire is expensive, i think tracks cost more... Anyways, I like backhoes as a general purpose machine. Perhaps buy a brand that has a dealer or other good parts outlet and tech support nearby you? I got a deere but should've gotten a cat cuz the only parts and tech support available in this quarter of the country are cat. NY probably has better availability than that, though. Don't get me wrong the deere is good, but parts are difficult to get here. My machine is a '97 and has a torque converter like an automatic transmission and all kinds of electric solenoids. After fixing it a lot it works well, but I wonder how old you'd have to go to find one with a proper clutch transmission and old school linkages and cables you can fix with a hammer and tie wire? Then, for machines that old , are parts available?
I don't think any of your wants are relevant. The most important thing is your budget and the condition of the particular machine you're able to find. Maybe I'd stay away from oddballs, like a Dynahoe, or a 710! but if you know what you're looking at, or have somebody who does, then even an exceptional deal on an oddball might be the best way to go. A good condition 4x4 backhoe is going to be hard to find for $15K, I'm guessing. Who suggested a geared transmission on a backhoe? A torque converter is the ONLY way to go if you ever want to load with the front bucket. The 710 is a straight powershift, avoid it, you want a TC. Most everything else is a torque converter with a reverser and a gear transmission. Don't get one with a clutch and gear transmission with no torque converter. It's nice to be able to walk into a local deere dealer and get parts off the shelf, but that's a pretty small convenience in the scheme of things. Parts are available for everything somewhere. Most likely you're not going to have the dealer doing most of the work on a $15k backhoe, and you're not going to be able to expect it to be up and running all the time either. Being down a few days waiting on mail order parts is not going to make a big difference in the usefullness like it would on a machine that was on a big job and no dealer available, or the part is a week away when the deadline is near.
Hi Delmer, don't want to sidetrack the conversation but I'm curious why you wouldn't want a regular clutch transmission like an old farm tractor? I understand it may be less convenient to drive but I had a lot of trouble with my torque converter and reverser combo which made me fantasize about a cable clutch and big geared transmission. I know it doesn't exist these days but what part am I missing?
its all personal preference
hankTO thanks for the words of encouragement. I feel like it's out there too but certainly i'l need to be patient and learn what to look for. obviously I'd rather walk away 30 times then buy something that dissapoints. I'm not too concerned with the appearance of her just for the sake of appearance. I realize that if it looks beat up, it probably is but I'm not buying it to impress anybody. so we'l see how things shake out in the next few months. 2 questions for you...what engine/HP transmission style does your 310 have? and lastly, do you find you've got plenty of power for hills with full buckets? thanks for the info! be safe
xgiovannix12 thanks for the heads up. so lucky dog is happy with his 580? what do you personally see as the difference between the case machines vs the deere. another, question for you, when cylinder seals begin to fail, where do you draw the line between a "weep" and a "leak". I've seen a few machines with wetness under the hoses and asked about it and gotten the old "ahhh that's nothin, all hoses do that....this thing is solid...blah blah....". and any thoughts you have on hill operation or HP/transmission style would help as well. thanks for your info and opinions.
yes I agree. I have to be able to go across the street so i'l need rubber and i'l also need to be able to put stuff in the bucket and move it to another location...(your compost analogy is spot on). I'm even considering putting forks on the front for logs and possibly pallets of firewood. in addition, seems like x's and skid steers have replaced a bunch of TLB's so I figure I've got a bit ( just a bit) more of an opportunity to find something I can afford. I'm in a fairly good spot for Deere dealers, got a few within 30 miles. Cat's are the **** but I think finding an older cat I can afford will be even more difficult then the already difficult prospect of finding a good 4x4 tlb that hasn't been completely abused. I'm going to need to be very diligent AND get lucky. so based on what your saying, the industry generally moved away from clutched transmissions? my buddy has a 650 Dozer and he was explaining that's what I'd want for my hills. his rationale was that a first gear on a geared transmission is going to be a real low granny gear and it will be lower then the lowest on an automatic tranny, (if I understand correctly..) he commented that an automatic will generally have to work a bit harder and will HEAT up more then a clutched system and the heat is my enemy regarding longevity. anyway, I'm just repeating what I was told, can't offer any experience.. does that make sense to any of you guys out there or is that nonsense? thanks as always!
funny you mention the Dynahoe, my neighbor has one!! it's been sitting in his yard for about 10 years cuz he can't deal with it. even had a guy come sort out the engine, got her up and running, thought I'd use it around here.... he tried to do some simple dirt moving on his land and the tranny completely lost power. so now it continues to sit. and yes, yes, and yes, absolutely....finding something 4x4 in good shape for 15k will be hard...we'l see... I could settle on 2wd, I don't plan on messing around in the snow with it, I really need it for serious landscaping which I ain't doin in the winter. and interesting about the 710, I didn't know it was considered oddball, will lookout. I do have a friend who has some equipment and he's the one I got my info from regarding clutched geared transmissions. as I said in another response, he showed me the setup on his Deere 650 LGP and suggested that's what I want. it's 4 fwd and 4 reverse. is that a TC? obviously there's no loader bucket or steering wheel on a dozer so perhaps trying to do several things at once on a TLB is where the TC comes in but I'm just going on what I've been told and trying to evaluate the info. I guess I need to research a little more in depth the diff between clutched, geared, torque converter and power shift, shuttle shift and the others...(if there are others..) I get the idea with HST, my Honda snowblower has one as did my wife Prius I think. I will most def NOT have the dealer doing MOST anything on this machine as a simple transport will cost me $$$ and I'm quite sure I won't be having all my problems fixed in a single visit. I guess it's wise to expect downtime. (grunt groan) it'l be frustrating at the time I'm sure,...stuff usually goes down when ya need it most, but in my situation having limited funds, I suppose some downtime is the price i pay for not having more $$$ to begin with. I can rationalize that. it's not like i'l be on a big job with a paying customer and a deadline. my problems will most likely be season based annoyances.. e.g. " well, looks like we can't spread item#4 before the snow hits because the backhoe needs a new _____ and we'r gettin a noreaster on tues..". yea, I guess it's wise to expect **** like that. i'l try to be calm when it happens and remember this conversation!! thanks for info Delmer. I'l do my homework on transmission styles and get back to ya.
for me it's about reliability. and a little dose of resale value, but primarily I'm going for the most bulletproof, fewest moving pieces, easiest to fix. I don't care if it takes me 50% longer to move dirt then a dude in a machine with all the bells and whistles.. I ain't gettin paid by the bucket. come to think of it I ain't gettin paid at all!! I guess all I mean is I'm on my own timeline. so even if I'm slow I'd rather spend 2 hrs digging and moving a stump then spend 2 hrs on youtube trying to figure out how to split a machine to replace a part or 2 hrs trying to find a part. I'm interested in an almost military build quality. designed to withstand all kinds of abuse and easy to fix. (not that a F-16 is easy to fix, but you get the idea). I'm only 90 miles from Manhattan but you'd never know it up here. I'm planning on leaving this machine better then I find it, as is my standard M.O., but if something big breaks it might be a while before I can come up with the $ and get it moved to a dealer to repair it. I'm prolly being a little too idealistic I know. but in a perfect world....
Ore back, I think you're overthinking this clutch, torque converter, shuttle shift, thing.. I have an 82 JD 410 at home, and a 79 JD 310 at my camp, both machines are built like tanks.. Both are 2wd, this past winter we had a 32" snow storm, I got all my stuff cleared, my buddy calls, he has a 4wd CAT and somehow could not get through a drifted spot on his mile long driveway, he came and borrowed my chains, had his road open in no time... With up to 15K to spend you should be able to find a real nice older 2wd machine.. My 2 cents
yeah I hear that loud and clear. That was my original plan, until it was suggested to me that with my terrain I should really find a four-wheel-drive. And, it was also suggested that the first time I get the machine in stock and I don't have a larger machine to retrieve it with, I'm going to regret not having four-wheel-drive. But from what I'm hearing, a lot of guys have great results with chains on the rear tires… I imagine that helps especially if the tires are worn. additionally, it would seem to me that if you have a working bucket and a working back so you should be able to get yourself out of all but the toughest jams… and yes, I could be overthinking the transmission thing, just trying to suss out what folks have opinions about what... What style transmissions do you have on your 310 and 410?
there are a couple missed words in that last post, but you get the idea.
Both machines have a clutch pedal, have 4 speed transmission with hi/low selector, and shuttle shift (fwd/rev) on the column... In 18 years I've only used 1st gear low, twice, to push over 20" plus trees,,,, it's so low you never use it.. Most of my time on either machine is spent in 3rd gear low..
Absolutely. Four wheel drive is not going to keep you from getting stuck and not going to help you get out, not one bit. It WILL allow you to back out of situations WITHOUT dumping your load, so you can do work that isn't possible with a 2wd, not worth it in your situation. First gear in any backhoe is plenty low for anything that needs to be done. A torque converter behind a diesel engine acts different than a car with an automatic transmission. Going slow and backing are no problem, you don't have to line up a pin usually. The torque converter will hold you back going down any hill as long as the tires don't loose their grip. Your buddy with the dozer should stick to what he knows. Just which model of clutch gear trans backhoe did he suggest??? A dozer can spin the tracks if it stalls, and is more often used like a grader for long pushes than a backhoe is. The wheels and power to weight of a backhoe tend to make it operate at a faster ground speed, it doesn't like to spin the tires. Try to find a front end loader with a dry clutch, like 950, 544, w14 or whatever, you'll have to go back to the 50's. Same with backhoe loaders, I don't know how old you'd have to look to find a clutch machine. Deere (and maybe Case?) made straight powershift backhoes, avoid them. MORE complicated, LESS effective.
If your on steep country a 4wd is a very good thing to have 2 wheel back brakes will not hold you back on a steep hill very well even a little wet and you slide down the hill. I had 2 wheel drives and live on steep property resulting in many scare situations.
my 2wd does good on hills the brakes will lock up my rear wheels making me slide lol
Ofenback the engine is a 219 ci diesel rated at 64 hp. The transmisision is a manual transmision with 8 forward gears and a shuttle shift (automatic) for selecting forward and reverse. As far as pulling a hill with a load not a problem at all in low range but low range speeds are slow. I believe the top speed is around 16 mph and that is in high range 8th gear. All that is fine for me cause I am using the machine for my personal use not to make a living so I am not in a hurry. I hope this helps.
Most backhoes were 2 wheel drive till the 90s meaning most guys didn't want to pay for 4 wheel drive In first gear in any backhoe I have ran has enough power to spin out A 710 is not really an oddball but they are few and far between compared to 310s and a 710 is a powershift lots of moving parts Don't get hung up on horse power in a backhoe it doesn't always relate to power to the ground 310s were not over 90 horse until the late 90s early 2000s and even some of the newest machines are under 80 horse A 310 580 or a 416b series will do fine stay away from cat 416 series 1 and 2 machines cat didn't have a good backhoe till the b series Don't be a fraid of hours I have seen cat case or deere with upwar dad s of 15000 hours with out any real problems if maintained
I would like to add when looking at a machine make sure it has a working block heater. This is usually a common accessory but I have seen machines without.I have an ether system installed on mine but I dont use it unless absolutely necessary. I plug in the block heater and even down in the teens after about an hour it'll fire right up. When you get your machine remeber grease is your friend keep your tank full and use a good additive. I use Fuel Ox. A good friend of mine who owns a construction company (heavy earth moving no residential work) and keeps his equipment in showroom condition recomended it (pricey).
hey fellas here are a few photos to give you a better idea of what I'm up against on my driveway. I gotta move rocks this size drag big trees as seen. thanks for the advice, let me know what ya think.
Any full size hoe will do that, it doesn't have to be a "big" hoe. Just get the one that's in good condition and within budget that presents itself to you. Parts availability too.
Nice land!
backhoes are very handy here's a few pics. from when I finished with my gravel pit and decided to clean it up the bank is about 50' high. When I started to when I finished took 3 days .Made a trail to the top to get started. Lots of bolders A couple years later with some growth started. I used all the large boulders around the base.
Theres a Cat 416 that might be worthwhile looking at. Not sure how far from you but its listed on Craigslist Albany. Enter backhoe in the search.
good looking out Hank! I just sent that fella an email so I'll find out what that machine needs. Looks like a halfway decent machine, but I think I've heard some fellas comment about the early 416s… So we'll see. It's about two hours away from me, not ideal, but I could certainly make it work if the deal is right. I went to go look at a case 580 E , Extendahoe, four-wheel-drive the other day and as soon as the guy started it up a steady stream of black liquid started leakin from the undercarriage. The fella said it must be trans fluid from the reverser seal and would have to take it into the shop when they get time. Not exactly a great sign, but otherwise she didn't seem too abused… anybody know if that makes sense...seal in the reverse part of tranny? I would offer him less for it and try to do the work with a friend but it sounds like a big job, that I know nothing about. anyway thanks hank, i really appreciate ya lookin out!
You said the road is about 8% grade. I've owned several mountain properties and having dealt with the issue of steep terrain, know that often the road is routed to avoid the steep areas or wind through them gradually. That said, if your land is generally steeper than the road, you will find 2WD to be very dangerous to operate. Unfortunately, most of the 4WD backhoes are later models than your budget permits. Backhoes are versatile but topheavy. A big old excavator can be very useful and productive, but not cost effective to buy if you have to haul it a great distance only to find out it needs a lot of repairs. As you get further into the development of your property, a skid steer is extremely handy and versatile.
With all those rocks and trees to move around, I think I would try to get a thumb on the bucket as soon as possible. I would say try a adding a grapple on the front bucket, but on a backhoe it's so hard to see the bucket way up front like that. Now a grapple attachment on a skidsteer is a wonderful thing, you can't beat it. And it would do some digging also if you put a tooth bar on the skidsteer bucket. Better at grading too. But you can't dig stumps out with it.
yes indeed. I would love a skid steer and originally I was in the market for one instead of TLB. I worked for a state park nearby and did a ton of bobcat work on trails, in the woods and roads. they are fantastic but I absolutely can't dig stumps with them and that's my first priority.... hence the search for a TLB. believe it or not, my driveway does go basically straight down the slope. there are two turns but not very sharp. I think I could get away with 2wd on the driveway but it seems like a front bucket full of weight really reduces traction of rear tires on uneven terrains and I've got plenty of that....so that's why I'm leaning towards 4wd if I can afford it. here's a TOPO map detail of my property (sort of). red arrow points to my driveway. below is a closer detail of the few turns of the driveway. probably more info then necc but I'm happy to have all these opinions and ideas so at least you can get a better idea of the lay of the land which will help dictate the type of machine best suited and some of the scenarios i'l be faced with. thanks for the advice fellas, be safe out there
yea, i'l try to get a thumb if I can. grapple would be nice but I might save that for my next tlb
I emailed this owner and he emailed back "the cylinder that picks up the rear boom is weak, the rest of the hyd are super strong." not exactly sure if that's something I can fix...I most likely need another big machine to deal with that...
Depending on the boom configuration, you might be able to stretch the boom out on the ground and disassemble it horizontally right there and repack the cylinder.
Not sure of the cat configuration but I've done a few on case hoes.
There were two postings on craigslist there was one near the bottom of the page where he was selling the backhoe and a trailer. Is this the one you are looking at?
hey hank, no. the one I inquired about was in Cossayuna NY and no mention of trailer. just said "cat 416, 4x4, needs tic and tires fair." price 12,500. I'll take a look again. thanks again for the heads up.
billrog and check, you guys make it look and sound easy!! nice pic, you guys must be very popular. I have no problem doing the work....it's the KNOWLEDGE of how to do the work that I don't have...but thanks for another dose of schooling
https://albany.craigslist.org/hvo/d/caterpillar-416/6586993151.html This is the one I am talking about. I dont think its 4wd though.
Oftenback I started with mostly trial and error before there were forms now I'm able to gain knowledge from those here who actually know something and are willing to share. Sure helps make things easier.
I have redone 4 of the cylinders on my case backhoe. It's not that bad, I never take the cylinder completely off, just take the one end loose and pull it apart with the hand winch on my little pickup. The hardest part is getting that large nut loose that holds the piston to the rod. I could not get the nut loose on the boom cylinder, so I took the rod and the piston down to a local truck shop and they put their 1 inch impact on it and it broke loose. I get the cylinder packing kits off ebay for around $30 for the whole kit.
hey fellas, thanks for bearing with me on all this. I've got a lead on a 580 K, which I think is from about 88 or 89. It appears to be a phase 1 machine as it's got yellow fenders and the gearshift is on the floor. It seems to have had a fairly cushy life, used at a garden center for loading mulch. one owner. It's got plenty of rust around the cab and the glass, but everything is intact and it's in fairly good shape as far as I can tell. A few spots rusted through under the wheel wells, but the chassis and rims seem good. The one issue is that the passenger side stabilizer ram is leaking considerably. as a result, the machine is was very low on fluid when I went to look at it. the engine oil looked good, and what little hyd fluid was there looked clear, but it was very low on the dipstick. almost non-existant. this machine has been their spare for years so i can see how this would happen, just sitting, leaking. So I have a few questions.. 1. could anyone to help me identify the exact spec of this machine with the serial number? The serial number is JJG0007288. 2. how difficult is it to replace the cylinder and repack everything on a stabilizer? And should I do the other one at the same time, with hoses and a seal kit, or should I just do them one at a time as needed? 3. then, should I be concerned about possible damage to the hydraulic pump if the machine has been low on fluid for any length of time? 4. based on my previous post, looking for a machine for a rocky hillside does anyone have any specific thoughts on the 580 K for this? thanks so much fellas! Really appreciate all the help.
What do you need the exact spec for? I wouldn't even know what that meant... Franklin described the process well enough. There can be problems, like needing a new rod if the stablilizer got gouged, maybe gland too, but being a case you should be able to order them reasonably enough. You'll want a 1" import or 3/4 domestic socket set which will set you back min $200 at HF. I wouldn't be overly concerned about the hydraulic pump. Definitely bring a bucket and fill it up to test. Take an oil sample after working it and send it in (cat SOS, about $10 including the bottle, postage and testing the last time I bought them) if you're worried. Sounds like a creampuff, seriously. The rust isn't going to affect the stuff that matters on a backhoe much at all. A lot of these saw lots of salt which is worse, but makes for a cheap way to get an otherwise good shape machine. Actually, you might want to investigate a little more to see if it was salt vs mulch and dirt that rusted it out. I wouldn't think mulch would be that bad, 30 years of not getting washed will rust a lot though.
right, ok delmer thanks. good info on pump and ram replacement, i'l ask about the salt, never even thought about that. i guess i was just interested in using the serial # to determine year and phase #. i know the k series had a changeover year where they went to a different (italian?) transmission, wet brakes and perhaps a few other things....and i know there are some folks who consider the older styler transmission a bit more bullet proof and definetely easier to service then the one from series III.
I had a 580K I sold with 15,000 hrs. on it and never had a mins. trouble with the wet breaks or transmission ran good and never burned a drop of oil but I did put a rear seal in the engine.
I have a 580K series 1 but mine is 4wd. They all rust around the cab glass and wheel wells in New England. You can hope for the best with 2wd and chains but on a hill I like 4wd with chains front and back in the winter. What dipstick did you check for the hydraulic fluid? That may have been the shuttle. I don't think my K has a dipstick for the hydraulic fluid - just a sight glass. The hydraulic tank is inside the frame which has a history of cracking. The fuel tank is inside the frame on the opposite side and is also prone to cracking if abused. Yours may be OK if it's a creampuff. Sounds like a fair price esp. if it's in good shape.
I replaced my cylinders one at a time as they leaked. Once you get to the point of repairing that cylinder, we can walk you through it. Like I said, the hardest part is getting that piston nut loose. I ended up re-bolting my vise down, then my bench to the wall, then putting metal on it to re-enforce the bench, just so I could hold the rod assembly good enough to take the nut loose with a 3/4 breaker bar and a 5 ft cheater pipe. If there is a large truck shop near you, you might want to just plan on going there each time to get them loose. In my manual, I believe it said the factory torque on these is 750ftlbs, and I have also found locktite on some of the threads.
I hope so, I think I'm going to try to make a move on this if it looks good to my mechanic when we go check her again. the dipstick I checked was on the pass side of engine compartment, long tube heading back towards cab. I have a lame picture of it,..it's just sticking out of the left frame of this phono is that the shuttle or hyd? the sight glass is completely empty. no visible fluid. so that's pretty lame right off the bat.
holy crap! locktite and 750 ftlbs of torque?! that is a recipe for a truck shop visit. hopefully, if this works out, we'l take it directly to my mechanics shop and he and I can deal with getting this thing apart with his equipment and changing out whatever other hoses and other bits that need attention.
as an aside, I posted a totally different question regarding multiple owners / operators for the 580 in a different post. just curious if anyone has experience with something like that. HeavyEquipmentForums thanks
Oil filter hasn't been changed since 2013? hmmm. 750 ft/lb is nothing, it will take much more to break it loose. That's 150# on a 5' pipe, dead weight, not jumping on it. I wouldn't touch the sharing deal, way too many things to go wrong, there's much better ways to save a couple grand. They're going to imply it's your fault if anything breaks, and it will. And they're going to expect you to do the work cause they helped YOU out.
That's the shuttle dipstick. Don't worry if the hydraulic is a little low - it's a big tank. If it needs a pail or two - that's another story. The oil change interval is concerning. Delmer is right on with sharing equipment - bad idea. I wouldn't even loan a piece of equipment to any but a chosen few. If someone doesn't have one, chances are they don't know how to properly care for it, either. If it's a friend, I'll do it for free because I know it won't get damaged in the process. If someone wants to play with a machine they should rent one.
yeah I wasn't thrilled to see the date on that oil filter either. However, the engine oil was clean and full. This is the guy's back up machine. It's his second machine, since he bought a newer 580 about 10 years ago. So, I don't think this thing has many hours on it since 2013. I still would've liked to have seen the filter changed more recently but if the condition of the oil is any indication then maybe it's not so bad…? I guess that's good news about the shuttle fluid, and that I checked the wrong dipstick. hopefully the hyd fluid is not low. What are the consequences of running a machine with low shuttle fluid? bad for clutches? I'll do a little bit more research today so I can be clear on checking the right spots. thanks for the help fellas! and yea, nobody likes this idea of sharing ownership! I guess I kind of expected that… But glad to have my suspicions confirmed. stay tuned....
I have found out you can torture these machines pretty bad and they still run ok. My 480c has a shuttle just like that, when it was cold outside (below about 40F) it didn't want to move very well till it warmed up. So I drained the shuttle, pulled the cast pan off and cleaned it out and the pickup. Did a lot of research on the type of oil, and ended up putting tractor supply universal fluid in it. It took 8 quarts so I just bought two 1 gallon jugs and filled it up. It works very good now. I ran it for a big project for about a year, and after that I decided to change the oil in the engine. The oil would not drain out. I poked up through the hole and the oil would run out and then stop again. I finally got the oil out and then went ahead and pulled the oil pan, since I could feel something loose in there. Come to find out the loose thing was the oil pump pickup, and it is made to hinge like that. I also found about a inch of crud in the bottom of the pan, old oil and junk that had turned to a rubber like stuff. Cleaned it all out, put it back together with new oil and filter, and it still runs like it always did. I think these things are hard to kill.
If you have a lot of hillside work a 2wd machine will be scary at times.My one logging road starts at the edge of one of my fields but is downhill. When it is frosty,frozen or wet,I need to put it in 4wd to help go down so I do not slide especially if I have stuff in the bucket and my ag tires are almost at 100%.
Not to hijack this thread but it is interesting reading. I am in the same boat of had rented machines in the past but with all the little jobs I have it will be better to buy one. I am hoping to find an open station machine with just the rops since mine would be used in the woods also.