I've been shopping around for a backhoe/loader. Most of my time and experience has been around later model Case units but Cats and Deere's always seemed to be in the same class. I've been watching for 580SuperM's and the like as a machine I'd like to get. Recently I've noticed a couple Terex backhoe loaders available locally. They seem to be very reasonably priced. Why do they seem so affordable for a unit a couple few years old and under 1000hrs for cheap. Of course they are a few horsepower down, generally less machine, but the savings appear substantial. I looked at one the other day. I Immediately noticed it has a lot less forging and seems to be made up of welded plate, but otherwise with full options what's missing that brings the price down? Am I not in the same ballpark? Apples Oranges? Is it durability? Is the money made back on parts? What gives?
i have been wondering the same thing, looks like a well built machine to me.
It's the market speaking, your comment about welded instead of cast parts is probably part of it. Take a look at some that have 3000+ hours on them and start looking for the welded cracks on it. That will tell you a lot. The parts cost thing, I was told that Case was selling machines a lot cheaper than Ford, JD, or Cat. They were making it up on the parts sales. Units in service is what the factory people call it, lots of them out there, lots of parts and service to sell. A new Ford was about 20% more than a Case, but the parts were a lot cheaper, like in half, on some of the wear items I checked. Other thing is local dealer. If you have to trailer it a 100 miles to get it fixed, that tends to drive down the resale. My local Ford dealer will work on about anything if they're slow in the shop. But when it was busy, I only saw Ford iron in there. They can make time and money on the Fords, but a Terex, they won't have the manuals, special tools, experience to know the weak points. If you're just a homeowner, it might be worth the risk. Guys that depend on it for a job, not so much. Check out parts prices and availability, if everything is "we can order it, be in two weeks", you might not want to deal with that......