Diggin it. YES I CAN!

[Hilltop366]

I would mention that even though we have a backhoe I still hire an excavator once in a while.

Last year I hired a 13 ton excavator with a hammer, I did a lot of work demolishing a cement pool but when it came time to break down the walls I would have been forever, the hammer did it in no time ,it took longer to unload and install the hammer and remove and load back on the trailer than it did to do the work.



 

This year I wanted 4 large spruce trees removed that were next to a road, power wires and neighbouring business with a new fence so I hired a 25 ton excavator to knock the trees over, I'm quite confident between the backhoe, tractor with winch and a helper it could have been done but in 12 min the excavator had them all safely on the ground and they have job site insurance as I only have road insurance.

[GRANITEstateMP]

Jeff,

I'd be willing to bet that every time your looking at your projects thinking, man I could use a, hoe, excavator, or a skid steer.  That there is a close to retirement small time dirt worker saying, man I could use a classic car/truck to tool around in vs having a hoe, excavator, and a skid steer.  I don't need all that equipment... just got to figure out a way for you two to meet up

[Jeff]

Thats what im hoping! 8)

[Walnut Beast]

Looking forward to when the thread evolves to Diggin it! You bet I can !!!. Keep after it and making your moves. It will happen!! 

[beenthere]

See a '72 International Loader back hoe on CL near Conover, WI (40-50 mile from Chet) for $5k. 

Just for some reference. See it is running in the pic, and has frozen dirt under buckets front and back. 


 

[trapper]

got a link to it? Intrested

[aigheadish]

@beenthere that is an excellent example of a machine, there are a lot of, out there. If you are willing to deal with old you can find some stuff, and not worry about all the newfangled computer and DEF stuff that loves to cause problems that don't make sense.

[Jeff]

That looks like it would be a good one, but until I get that mustang gone, I gotta just gawk.

[Walnut Beast]

It might look good but it could cost you thousands to fix this and that

[Jeff]

A 5k backhoe and 5k of repairs to make it whole would still be far less than anything I've been seeing. A new midsized rig is 3 times that.

[Magicman]

I agree.  I paid $3800 for "Fat Albert" but I did not buy him to dig, instead I bought him to handle logs.


 Which he did quite well until I got other means.  He cost me a couple of hoses and I fixed the brakes but nothing major.


 And then he moved on to another owner.

I would not be afraid of old iron especially when your initial cost is within reason.

A 2wd unit will not be as versatile but should be much cheaper.

[Les Staley]

Bought a 1977 John Deere 310A in 1994 for $8500.   A refugee from the Wyoming oil fields,  pretty loose in the pins from hard use(abuse?) but functional.   Two wheel drive,  plows snow with chains on drive tires.  No turbo, extendahoe or computer. I don't believe there is even one "sensor" on the tractor anywhere.   but has a cab/heater and lights.  Never had a minutes problem with engine or trans or hydraulic system.  One rear axel housing had to be replaced.  Had a mobile JD mechanic come do it on site. Bought used housing and parts and IIRC was under two K to repair.  Coming up on 30 years of use.  It's been a good investment.  

[aigheadish]

I bought 4 wheel drive and I'm very happy to have it. You can almost always unstick yourself with the hoe side but I've got a project now where I'm filling my barn floor, to levelish, with dirt that most would call mud after the pile got rained on a bit for the past couple weeks. I drove in there to attempt to smash all the dirt down and it was wet enough to just smush around rather than pack, so it'll be a couple more days to let it dry out. I spun tires like crazy as I pushed through about a foot and a half of the muck. The 4x4 held its own so I didn't get stuck but I don't think I'd have a chance with 2 wheel drive, though chains would help. 

For work around the pond and if you are scooping piles of stuff heavy enough to lift the back tires up a bit the 4x4 will help immensely, though you can extend the hoe boom out a bit to get the weight back on the big tires.

I'm a pansy, so 4x4 it was. 

I hope you find something!

[Magicman]

Don't misunderstand, I fully agree about 4wd and my 2wd comment was directed toward cost and availability.  With the front bucket and rear dipper, it's very seldom that a backhoe can not be walked out, especially in Jeff's situation.

[Resonator]

The bittersweet day in 2017 I sold my 1980 John Deere 310A, part of the sale $$$$ went as down payment on my Wood-Mizer LT28, which I'm using to build my business. That machine did all the stump removal, trenching, and grading work for my house I live in now and paid for itself a couple times over with the work I did. It also proved to be one heck of a "tree pusher", and I directional felled many trees with it. I "replaced" it with the 4wd Kubota tractor I run now, but have missed the backhoe part many times since I sold it. I easily put $5000 into it when I owned it (tires alone were a couple grand), along with starters, an injection pump, steering knuckles, almost every hose and I don't know how many cans of ether, gallons of hydraulic fluid, and bags of oil dry. :D

[Hilltop366]

It might look good but it could cost you thousands to fix this and that

Thats were big excavators scare me, the cost of one track motor could ruin all the "fun".

[Les Staley]

Resonator, that is my tractor exactly!   Add a little more rust and grease/oil and that's it!  I've never been stuck with the two wheel drive, where I couldn't pull/push/lift completly rear axle and set over on new dirt with the Hoe.   Had a few close calls, but always made it out!  
Tires, well, yeah...hoses?  By the case.. can't count the red diesel or either or motor oil/filters..just the cost of doing business.   Having it available whenever  "I" need it...priceless!   

[Resonator]

Yup, should look similar to yours Les, John Deere changed very little in the 310 line all through the 70's and up until the early 1980's. 410's and 510's were also similar, so searching for interchangeable salvage parts gives you more possibilities. I learned the hard way Deere genuine parts are made of gold (for what they charge) and to look for generic equivalent - "metric" parts to do repairs and save thousands.
That pic was when I sold it, and after I gave it a "Dupont overhaul", $75 a gallon JD paint at least made it look pretty. I got real good at getting unstuck using any and all of the handy hydraulic attachments it had. I also built a 9' steel push blade for the front I used for a parking lot I snow plow. With just under 13,000# of weight, and a set of snow chains, that thing could hook up like a dozer. It also had a crazy amount of digging force, there weren't too many stumps I couldn't dig out (given time to do it). 
One weak point was the front steering knuckles, they would break out over the splines on the king pin. Especially when you hooked a stump digging, which lifted the front, and slammed it down again. I learned later to have a full loader bucket to counterbalance this. Another weak point was the linkage between the stick, the bucket, and the curl ram. If you look close in the pic you'll see where it has had a plate welded on one set, and the other I just replaced with 1 1/4" bar stock with pin holes burned through.

[Hilltop366]

My BIL has a old JD, sometime we compare parts prices  , that is why I stuck with Case 580 series.  I could be wrong but some of those old machines of less common brands seem like orphans and could be hard to get parts for. I also liked the over centre locking boom for driving down the road and loader work. No brand are without their issues, the 580 is known for cracks in the loader arm and frame/ hyd tank and I did have a crown and pinion wear out on a 79 580c after 20 years but it was well worn when we got it.

[Resonator]

That's one good thing with the Case 580's, they built thousands over the years so parts are easier to find and get. Any backhoe you'll want to examine the boom, stick, loader, frame, bucket, etc, for cracks and breaks. Just the nature of the job they take abuse, and some previous "operator" could of broke an anvil with a rubber mallet. :
Backhoe's in general were popular with municipal highway departments or utility companies, so they can come up for sale with high hours, but they were fleet maintained and kept job ready.

[aigheadish]

Yes to the looking for cracks and the like but also beware that a lot of boom arms are cast iron, so may not be easy to weld. 

[barbender]

Some of those old John Deere machines had a cast section for the pivot of the base of the boom. I was told they were nodular iron, I don't know if that was true but if so it makes them more difficult to repair. And yes they did get busted up.

[47sawdust]

I have only owned one backhoe and that was a Ford 555.It was 2wd. Brakes were always good, started and ran like a champ.Good chains on the back and it was good to go.
Some had problems with the torque converter but mine never had a problem.
Wish I still had it.

[Walnut Beast]

Here you go a Case 480 B that will probably be in your price range. Bids open the 23rd

https://www.auctiontime.com/listings/construction-equipment/auctions/online/218799527/case-480b

And if you want to splurge and have a skid combo backhoe
https://www.jcb.com/en-us/products/backhoe-loaders/1cxt

 

[mudfarmer]

Some of those old John Deere machines had a cast section for the pivot of the base of the boom. I was told they were nodular iron, I don't know if that was true but if so it makes them more difficult to repair. And yes they did get busted up.

Yes sir, 210C(?) 4wd, had to split the hoe off in a mud hole in the woods with a farm jack and some blocking, take that cradle-pivot thing out and to the best fab/machine shop around to have him weld and fix it proper after it broke. Then had him make a new plate/bushing for the tractor side bottom pin because when the cradle broke it took the factory stuff out with it. Dad came to help me get it back together and that was sure nice of him and the only good memory of the whole ordeal! I rather wish you hadn't brought it up :D