Hey everyone. Total noob here in the market for a backhoe/loader for just around the property here. Based on what I can afford, looks like a 1970ish model that might require work will probably be in my future. Given that, I was wondering how available parts in this era would be. I imagine the answer to that might be largely based on the manufacturer/model in question, but I'm not sure. I'm pretty handy and have done my share of 'creative fixes' when parts just haven't been available, but I also realize that sometimes only an identical-type replacement will do so that's what makes me ask. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Older Units Seagull, I have a 1973 Case 580B and have not had any problems getting parts for this backhoe. You will find older backhoes due require a lot of TLC to keep them running. I would stay with the more popular brands Case, Cat, JD etc. They seem to have a good network of dealers and repair staff. Good luck with your purchase. NJ Farmer
Agreed, if your looking at early 70's , I'd stay with Case or Deere. Problem would be finding one of this vintage that ain't slap wore out. There out there...you just gotta find it.
Thanks, NJ and Atco-. I'll keep an eye out for those brands. Can anyone add to that list? I'm not all that familiar with the ones out there.
Well, when your talking early 70's, there ain't a whole lot more to add. The loader/hoe machines of the era were basically Ag tractors made into loader/hoe's. Case, Deere, Ford, International Harvester, and Massey Ferguson are the ones that come to mind, there could be another or two that I'm not thinking of at the moment. We recommend Case and Deere because they have remained relatively unchanged through the years and still support these old machines. Massey, they focus mainly on Ag equip now days. Parts may be available, I just don't know. Ford, they've changed so much through the years I don't know what's available for them anymore. I think they're now part of the Case/New Holland/I-H group??? I guess the point is...look for Deere or Case.
Case is my favorite too, due to the cheap aftermarket parts available for them, and plenty of used parts. Lots of them out there I guess. Try to get the C model or newer. I bought the last new 580B loader cylinder pin in North America, the one with the grease fitting in the end. The parts guy was really excited, he said it was the first time that he had ever seen this note come up on the computer .Phil
Seagull, I have a 1974 Case 680C. There are not many of them around, yet I have been able to get all the parts I have needed for it.I recently purchased a complete set of aftermarket gears and all the associated parts to overhaul the four speed gear box.The aftermarket gears were a lot cheaper than Genuine Case gears.Also two years ago I replaced all of the "o" rings in the backhoe control assembly. They are an unusual o ring,square with a metal reinforcement around them , much like a wheel bearing seal. But the local Case Dealer had them in one week.There is a photo of the backhoe in - Pictures Of Your Backhoe thread.Be prepared to spend some time and money on any old machine. I have , but I get a lot of satisfaction repairing a machines like these to near new condition.I don't think it is any different than restoring an antique car.
From the consensus, sounds like Case & Deere are the top picks, with maybe Cat and JD as runners up. A note about Ford, I actually went to look at a good old 40's throwback Model 9n, 8n or 2N backhoe/loader (I'm not sure which and the guy who was selling didn't know) today. Looked in real good shape and guy said it a ton of work done on it (with paperwork to prove). He said there's a gagillion parts available for these tractors and after searching online here looks like he might be right. I wasn't planning on buying something so 'vintage', but the asking price of 3k has got me wondering....
Cat didn't make TLBs in the 70s. JD is Deere, same company.
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the 8n i had wouldn't handle a 5ft bushhog....i couldn't see how it got handle a loader and a hoe too.....there only around 23hp.... my 580c is a 1979...parts are easy find and has good power for it's age...
Those Fords are exactly what ATCOEQUIP is referring to when he mentioned farm tractors with backhoes on them. I would run as fast as I could to get away from one of them. You would have no end of frustration with the inability to do much with it. The older John Deere and Case T/L/Bs are some of the best buys. They were the first ones with a tractor built for the backhoe and loaders they were building.
A few years ago I bought a Massey 50A for a song. Its a great machine but parts are pretty much unavailable. I had to re-rig the swing cylinder to something thats functional, but not really all that good. I dunno what I'll do if the hydrostat tranny goes out, so its parked most of the time. Maybe I can get it sold before that happens. Dodge the 70's era ** if you can.
I have a Deere 410B , 1983 vintage that I got last year. The JD network is supported pretty well. But even in an 80's era hoe I've found that lots of hard parts are obsolete. You can get most wear parts, but for some stuff I've had to go to bone yards. I think if it were me. I'd look for a Case in that era of hoe. There are a ton of that era's Case hoes around for parts. At least in this area.
Where in NY are you at? I have a 2WD JD 310A you may be interested in
Sorry for the delay. I'm one county up from you in Putnam.
Sorry to keep pestering ya'll, but someone local here has a 1970 Case 530 for sale for a little over $4k. Think I should go check it out? He claims it has no problems.
Keep in mind seagull that one can put a few grand into a backhoe pretty quick. So $4000 something, can get to $7500 in a hurry which is just about all a very nice 530 diesel is worth in my opinion. Used parts for them are getting harder to find, although many are interchangeable with the 580CK. On the positive side,the price is right, it is a Case, and if it's a diesel, still quite sought after, and easy to work on with no cab too. I personally would be more interested if it were a direct drive model. Phil
Thanks, Phil. It is a diesel and actually this one does have a cab on it. I attached a pic here if you're curious. Hate to sound like a dope by asking, but are aftermarket (or even OEM) parts available for something this old or is used the the only thing left?
I'm not sure just how plentiful the new aftermarkets parts are, certainly alot better than any other make. Most 580B parts are available from Case, I believe, and that machine is from the early 70's. Don't forget that the 530 is a farm tractor too, so that improves your chances considerably. The early 530/580 CK hoes had several weak spots, not that they weren't a great machine. The early blocks had the narrow liners and the G188 block in general as it gets older tends to crack between the liners. Make sure you work it and that it does not blow coolant out the rad. Check the rad to make sure it actually has coolant in it, an old trick to selling a problem. Start the engine up cold, an old trick is to get ér going before the guy comes. The front wheel spindles can get worn bad when the bearings fail. Loader frames are a common weak spot where the cross member joins them near the front. Some add plates everywhere. Check for bad chrome on the cylinder rods, and the hoe dipper when vertical should lift the rear of the machine right off the ground, at a high idle. Check this when the oil is warm if possible. If it's a converter drive I would be careful, one should feel it shift into forward or reverse, especially when hot. Drive it up to a tree and get it to spin the wheels. Another good reason to sell one. Check for a whine in the rear-end, drive it around alot. If the whine is loud, you probably need to do some work there. Brake problems are very common, again it's cash needed to fix this. See if you can find a spot to work it, the best test. Machine actually looks good in the picture. Worth $4000 for parts also Phil
Would the whine in the rear end (if there were to be one) be caused by the rear axle bearings?
Well, went to look at it and within a minute or 2 of it running it burped up a significant amount of coolant, which ran down the left side of it. I didn't see it while it was happening, just the wake afterwards. Guy claimed it just had a water pump replaced and either that (somehow) or a bad rad. cap could be to blame. The rig was being sold by a heavy equip. repair shop. Kudos to you, Phil. Looks like you may have just saved me a costly repair. Too bad, tho. Looked to be a good machine otherwise.
Well I didn't mean to throw cold water on it, it's just to make you aware that there are seldom machines of that age that are a jump in and go type. It sure sounds like the guy is making some excuses. It's been my experience that a whine in the rear end usually is the crown and pinion. The side gear thrust washers, the fiber ones, break and fall out, losing the carrier bearing preload. The crown gear is then not supported properly and starts deteriorating quickly, taking the pinion with it. Later machines, starting with the B or C, used steel washers, but even still, alot of roading tends to wear the carrier bearings and they tend to suffer the same fate without some preventative maintenance. So a loud whine is not good and should be checked out. It's not hard to get the cover off the Case differential. Check the crown for any sideways movement with a pry bar as one of your first checks. Phil
Don't forget about the old Ford machines. Good size for a weekender... 4500 or 420 with 3cyl diesel will dig any hole a 580C will.
Good point, I do have a fondness for the old Fords. The engine was built like a tank and they sound so nice. Phil
I would stay away from a 1970 era machine personally. A 1985 or newer will cost little more and parts are more readily available. Go to JD parts and pretend you need a differential or a planetaty or whatever and you will see the availability is not that great and the prices are high on what is available. ther is not much dealer support for such an old machine so you might as well get a newer less abused easier to get parts for machine. otherwise you will be down more than up. You will put more time and $ than just buying a newer machine. If you work a 40 hr a week job you do not want to spend all your free time and cash fixin her up instead of using her.
Hope you all don't mind me picking your brain again. Someone has a Case (I think) 580E 4X4 extended hoe for sale 'round here for $7500 obo. He says it's an "early 90's" era machine with ~7000 hrs.. Seems like a good price, but I haven't looked at it yet. Anything I should keep an eye out for when I check it out? Out of curiosity, do these kind of machines come with titles or proof of ownership of any sort?
What a GREAT site! Just joined; I just bought a 1977 IH 2500a; none of the electrical works; the fuel tank is a marine tank strapped to the roof, & it's rusted everywhere - But - the gas engine runs well; the hydraulics seem to work & it runs on the road; I was wondering where I was going to get info on this machine & now I think I know! Rene
Ive got a deere 310a not sure about year but do know its one of the later ones. parts for these machines are readily available however they are on the expensive side. one thing ive found out is from deere the hydraulic control valves are very pricey to replace but you can get the same valves brand new from other places alot cheaper. they are also easy to work on and troubleshoot although tech manual helps alot. ive always had good luck outa john deere equipment and all I want but everyone is different so good luck.
Seagull, Re the 580E 4x4 for $7500. Sounds like a good deal. I've heard of many south of the border. I think this machine is the best of the earlier models. Many E's and K's in the snow belt suffer from rusty cabs which can seriously devalue them. I think the K was worse for it. More moving parts on a 4 wheel drive but the resale value is much higher. No inherent weak spots on the E that I'm aware of. A few years ago this machine would fetch $18K here in Ontario if it were in very good condition. An E though, can get run down and neglected same as the others but a good machine to sink money in. If you have a bad door and cannot rebuild it, these can cost big $ to replace. Most heavy equipment has no title and the only protection one really has, that I'm aware of, is to do a lien check at the land registry office, based on the owners full name and also the serial #. Here is a pic of a friend's rough 580E. Phil
Many thanks, Phil, for replying again. You're the best. I ended up taking a chance and bought the thing. $7500 plus $250 to deliver it 20 miles away. Tho I tried acting like I knew what I was doing in front of this guy, I was pretty much at his mercy regarding what serious problems it has. The cab (including the floor) on this one is actually in pretty good shape. That's actually a bit surprising since a lot of glass around it is missing. Concerning the door, the left side latch does have some sort of issue which prevents it from locking shut. Haven't really had a chance to take a look to see what's up there yet. The 4wd apparently has some kinda problem also. I asked the seller to spin the front wheels for me under power, but he said something wasn't connected (or maybe busted, I dunno) so he couldn't. With the motor off and the 2 front wheels off the ground, I spun the right wheel by hand and noticed the other turn in the opposite direction, so I'm guessing that means the front diff. is at least OK. Wish me luck getting this tug going. I've got a a grand total of ZERO hours experience running one of these (took me 15mins just figure out how to get the engine to crank!). I'm at home working on cars and light duty trucks, but I feel like I'm a 5 years old kid when I sit in this thing and try to get it to go. Might be a good idea investing in an owner's (as well as a service) manual, I imagine. On that topic, are the ones selling the .pdf manuals on ebay and whatnot legit? A $10 manual on CD vs. the usual hundreds of $ for the printed one seems too good to be true.
seagull369 did anyone ever answer this question, in another post or pm? I sure would like to know how good those pdf's are for manuals on my 580C.
Nope. No one ever did, grumpy, so I just took a chance and bought one. It all worked out, tho. Received it in just a few days. If you're curious the seller I bought it from is named "atinels." I just checked ebay and he's got ones for 580 C's too. The manuals he sells are about $15 (incl. shipping), which seem to be a couple bucks more than some others but between his decent rating, manuals which are bookmarked (which is is actually a big help since these things are usually over 1000 pages), and having an ad that was actually legible made the choice a no brainer. If you want, I could mail you out a copy of mine (at over 546MB it's probably a little big to email you), but so you know it only says it covers the SE model only. I'm sure there's probably enough similarity to make it worth you're while, tho. PM me your address if you're interested. Good luck.
Thank you for the information and offer seagull369, just wanted feedback if anybody else found those e-bay manuals of any use. And which seller, I have ordered mine $20.00 is not bad for the potential savings of thousands. Grumpy
Good luck with the 580E and a 4x4 at that, for $7500, great. I haven't been following this thread. I would consider that machine a very good investment. Your operators manual will be a great help initially. I've got the 580D manual on CD and it's okay, pictures aren't the best but certainly cheap enough. Phil
Does anybody know if the loader on a Case 530 is interchangeable with a 580B? Any other parts shared between these two models?
Congrats on the 580E. Several of the guys doing residential work around here had them. They were/are good machines. The 4500 and 555 Fords were good machines that still have good parts support. Not sure about the models in between.
Sorry to Pop in on another thread, but we can't start a new thread because we just registered. Looking for a hydraulic pump for a Case D530. Do you have any suggestions? Your responses to others seem like you know all. LOL Thanks in advance for your help. This pump mounts on the front of the tractor.
look on ebay.....i'v seen them on there...
Sorry to go of topic but i have seen people comment on a "brushhog". What is a brushhog?
That refers to a Pig that lives in the bushes.
Brush hog is a rotary mower or cutter used to cut tall grass, brush, small trees, pretty much anything you can get under one. Bushhog is a popular brand and just like kleenex tissues or Band-aid bandages the brand name is the common name.
Ah OK so that would make it either a razorback or a slasher over hear in my world. Thanks Mick
broken tractor .com has best price on pumps i have seen