Thanks all for your help and feedback regarding my backhoe search- today was the day! I had a trucker come and pick up a "new to me" Case 1988 580K "Phase I". It's a 4x4 Extend-a-Hoe with 7222 hours on the (working) meter. Very well maintained, but has "character". After further inspection, some of the issues I thought may be a problem were not- great news. It started well without ether in 40's F weather well with a single battery. Turns out the fuel gage DOES work, etc. I'm going to have a lower radiator hose heater put in, and a few issues looked at including a brake fluid leak. Overall very happy with the price of $12,000 we settled on (solid machine, newer rear tires, no hydraulic leaks, etc). The old guy I bought it from arranged to have it moved over the mounains for $400- less than half what I was quoted from another company. Has a 12" bucket on the back, and the seller is going to include a 24"-er as well. This will be a lot of fun on my 31 acres!
Congratulations... I hope your fun continues as you learn. It's been fun for me learning & fixing my machine
good luck had my 87 for years very few problems just change the oils when recommended
good luck with it i just love mine easy to work on, brake leak on mine was in the steel tubing along the frame
Congra'ts = picked up a 1990 580K last month.....
Keep an eye out for loose lug bolts on the rear wheels. The K used bolts instead of lug nuts and I had some bolts come loose once. It ruined the wheel and the bolts so I changed all the bolts over to studs with nuts. Problem solved. Good luck, I can't imagine owning land without a backhoe.
Well, I drove the Case 580K 6 miles on the road from the shop to the cabin and all went well. I had my mechanic look it over, and it pretty much just needed some fluids topped up, etc. I drove over a variety of surfaces including pavement, mud, snow, and ice. I was amazed at how well the 580K does in 4x4! Pulled out some stumps (WOW, that's fun) and started construction on a pistol shooting range for fun. I'm loving this thing! It's GREAT. Here's a picture of me fueling up in town: ...and arriving at the cabin: I spent a while digging with the 16" bucket on the backhoe, but also have a 24" bucket as you can see in the picture. Some little things to fix, but having a lot of fun.