I've been looking for a backhoe and it seems that there are several options but most everything I'm running into has some sort of brake issues. Also it seems like in the under 10K price range it is just a matter of what is going to go wrong. With that said I've seen many Case 580ck , 508B , Ford 555 , 555a. What TLB are easiest / cheapest to get parts for? Where the heck can after market parts be gotten since the dealers are a joke? What TLB have brakes that a mechanically inclined guy replace himself? What TLBs have wet vs. dry brakes? Is there a huge difference between them given a general land clean up use. What is the difference between the different shuttle shifts? Manual / Power reversers / etc? (what ones are least likely to break or are most inexpensive to fix) That is just about a million questions in one, but I'd rather ask now than pay later!!!
The Case 580 series after the B were a modular design with individual components able to be repaired without splitting castings to repair shuttles, and transaxles were very easy to drop for repair. They had external dry hydraulically actuated brakes which were adequate if kept in repair. The loader and hoe were good performers and if maintained properly stayed fairly tight. The E's had the Case/ Cummins engine mfgd by Consolidated Diesel Corp a joint venture by Case and Cummins. While many will have varying opinions, if you use good judgement buying, checking well for leaks and paying attention to front kingpins and wear items such as pins and bushings you can avoid buying problems. Also the hoes up to the E's and even K's are getting affordable for casual users. The above hoes for years set the standard for the industry and were all mfgrs goal to beat. Mel
JD's---310-510 B,C,D, and E---more expensive usually than a Case but IMHO,well worth it.
The old Fords are simple to repair and the engines and drivetrains run forever, but the Cases will work circles around them and for some reason Case parts are cheaper too. My brother-in-law, who usually knows his stuff, (but don't tell him I said so), swears by the old JDs. All my personal experiences have been with Fords and Cases though.