[AT] Diamonds in the rough?

[Mike Sloane]

H. L. Staples wrote:
>  
> The three point MF backhoe arrangement is not nearly as strong as the Case
> frame mounted unit.
I agree, although the MF backhoe is actually mounted to the loader 
frame, not the three point. There are two lower arms than come back from 
the loader frame and two upper arms that are hinged and have very long 
bolts that secure the two to the four mounting pins on the backhoe. I 
would say that the MF might be good for maintaining ditches but not any 
kind of serious digging in hard soil.

> Looks can be deceiving but the Case appears to be the
> best bet. If the lady turned down $500.00 for the MF, no telling what it
> would take to make the purchase.
Yes, the Case looks a little ratty, but it is almost all there, and is 
definitely a "construction" machine, not an ag/utility tractor with a 
backhoe stuck on it. I didn't mention that the tach and whatever gauge 
was next to it are completely missing, but the smaller gauges are all 
there - amps, fuel, oil pressure, and coolant temp. The only other thing 
I noticed was that the steering wheel could be turned almost a full turn 
before any noticeable effect at the ground. It just looked like 
everything was a little sloppy - not any one component - tie rod ends, 
steering knuckles, steering box, etc. The steering box is pretty well 
buried under the radiator and sheet metal, so I don't think I would want 
to have to work on it. The steering shaft universal joints, however, 
were very tight. The owner doesn't know where the key is, so Kirk is 
going to have to "hot wire" the "ignition" switch. I assume that the 
key, like most construction tractors, is a Case universal.

Mike

>  
> lll
>  
>  
> On 9/21/2007 10:13:50 AM, Mike Sloane (mikesloane at verizon.net) wrote: >
> Yesterday was interesting, if uneventful. > > After a county government
> meeting, I met my friend Kirk to look at a > tractor. He is recovering from
> a torn Achilles tendon and limping pretty > badly with a hefty boot/brace,
> but he > can't sit still. So he is looking > for more old tractors to buy
> and fix up (note that he buys them, but he > never seems to get around to
> fixing them). > > The tractor is a Massey Ferguson 202 or 2002 (I am not
> sure which, and > it isn't > clear from looking at the tractor). This is an
> early 60s > machine with a somewhat integrated loader and detachable backhoe
>  The > backhoe is sitting in a field by itself and appears to be whole but
> not > exactly ready for work. The biggest problem appears to be the crowd >
> piston whose rod is rusted beyond saving. It also uses what looks like a >
> huge hydraulic motor for swinging the boom, unlike every other backhoe I >
> have ever seen that uses two opposed cylinders for swing. That is the > big
> unknown. On the plus side, there doesn't appear to be much wear and > tear
> that I could see - nobody used to to break rocks - no cracks, no > welds. It
> also has a spare large "muck" bucket. > > The tractor had been pushed back
> into the woods on the other side of the > property and appears to have had a
> plastic tarp over it until recently. > It has a 4 cyl gas engine, presumably
> a Continental like the one used on > most similar MF tractors. While the
> tractor is mostly all there, it is > pretty tired. The tach has about 3500
> hours on it, but the generator > that had a tach drive has been replaced by
> a GM alternator some time in > the distant past, so the tractor could have
> 7000 hours on it for all I > know. The engine does turn easily when I pulled
> on the fan, and I could > feel compression. The transmission appears to be a
> three speed with > Hi-Lo and a shutt
> H. L. Staples
> McLoud, Oklahoma
> USA
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