[AT] O/T Trying to find a good used backhoe

[Cecil Monson]

	I'm in the market for a good used backhoe and went up
north of the Catskill Mountains two days ago to look at a Case
580-E that looked pretty good in the photo. I figured for a
price of $14K, this could be a good machine but was wrong. It
looked to me as though it had been rode hard and put away wet
a few too many times. If there was a pin or bushing on the hoe
that wasn't worn right out, I couldn't find it. Even the main
pivot pin for the boom had the nut welded on to hold it in
place. Oh well, keep on looking, I guess. The left side door
had been mangled and was tied closed with a piece of rope.
It had a 4 in 1 bucket on it but the bottom pan had a piece
of steel tack welded on the bottom to close a hole that was
worn right thru it. I liked the shuttle drive and the gimbel
controls and the engine started and sounded great but there
were too many problems to consider this one.

	I'm not too sure of what brand I want either. I have
more time in the seat of a 580K than any other so I tend to
look for them. I see a lot of JD 310 machines for sale as well
as some 410 and 510 JDs. Also here and there Ford and JD 555
backhoes.

	I wondered if any of you who use backhoes in your
work have any comments on any of these. Any problems that go
with any particular brand or size. I need this machine for
about a year to pull some large stumps, move a couple rock
piles and also move a dozen or so large rocks, build a driveway,
dig a septic system as well as bring in my utilities underground
from the road to the house. It will have to do most of the
landscaping also except for some grading my dozer can do. Lots
of logs to handle too with over 40 full cords of hardwood in log
length stuff waiting for me and the saw. I figure with the cost
of weekly rental between $1400 and $1800 a week, I'm better off to
buy, use it for a year and if I'm careful with it and want to sell
it after I am done, I can get most or all of my money back.

	Any comments would be appreciated.

Cecil