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

Sun Jul 17 08:24:52 PDT 2005

Cecil,  I'm glad you started this thread.  My only experience with a 555 was 
one that was owned by a contractor I worked for years ago.  It was a DOG but 
it had been worked hard and put up wet many times.  It was used in 
industrial plants in very harsh environments.   Based on that experience I 
had always assumed that 555's were second rate and had never tried another 
one.

I primarily use Case because  the rental company I do business with has Case 
but in the future I won't turn up my nose at a 555.

One accessory I really like on a backhoe is a "thumb" mounted above the 
bucket so that you can hold trash and stuff in the bucket
or use it to pull on roots, etc.

Good luck with your  search.

Charlie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <mmman at netscape.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] O/T Trying to find a good used backhoe

>
> Cecil
> Any backhoe is better than none at all--but since I have owned them for 
> some 35 years, I will put in my nickle.  I am currently the owner of a 
> Case--580 D that we bought a few years ago from a private oil operator 
> with only 1000 hours on it.  I am happy and it is a good machine. I have 
> owned and rented later model case's and they are good machines and 
> operator friendly.  That said, my favorite machines have been Ford/NH.  I 
> had a 5500, then 2 555's and they are work horses. I believe that they 
> have more breakout force on the hoe and with a good operator, they are the 
> fastest trench machine out there.  Here, they are the second most popular 
> machine behind the Case.  The current NH's have one thing that has some of 
> the local oil field contractors complaining about--the fiberglass 
> hood/cowling.  They tend to get beat up with non owner operators.
> I dont care for the Deere's from an operator standpoint.  My son has a 410 
> and a Case 580K and the Case is always used first.  He works down on lake 
> spillways and tight spots and says the JD is not as easy to put in a hole 
> and get back out.  I can't get used to the feel of operating one.  I have 
> rented Cat's a few times and they are great--but the resale here is CAT 
> and inflated IMHO.
> My real dog of a Backhoe loader was a 2586 (I think that was the #) with 
> gas engine.  It used a hydraulic motor to swing the hoe, rather than 
> cylinders and it was gutless.  But at the time, it was my only hoe and 
> better than a sharp stick in the eye.
> Brad and I bought a 780, 4wd, extendahoe for his FIL down at Victoria for 
> $14500 and it was a steel--It is just a heavy machine to move around.
> If I was buying tomorrow, I would look at Ford/NH then Case.  I would try 
> for 4wd and buy extend-a-hoe if there.
> Good luck with the clearing and developing projects.
> Looking forward to Portland.
> Bear
> --- Cecil Monson <cmonson at hvc.rr.com> wrote:
>
> From: Cecil Monson <cmonson at hvc.rr.com>
> Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2005 07:54:59 -0400
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Subject: [AT] O/T Trying to find a good used backhoe
>
> 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
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