Hello from Buffalo NY

[larrylew]

So I need some advise on a backhoe for multiple purposes. I have been looking around for years at models and such online. My number on purpose(or excuse) to have one is to remove snow from my driveway. My baby, 02 dodge cummins, is not going to make it much longer. was a daily driver until a couple years ago at which point I took it off the road and put a plow on it and just pushed my snow. 320k miles and engine strong but everything else falling apart around it and not worth my swearing at replacing parts.

Anyway, backhoe for snow removal. We can get 10' of snow a year here easy. 2014 got 7' in one storm, somtimes its a mild winter, but need to be prepared with a huge circle driveway with a small parking lot at the bottom. I have aprox 17 acres and need to do alot of yard work. Alot of dead trees so digging up stumps, moving the logs. Yards at a pitch and want to dig/level for a simple above ground pool , drainage, clear some wooded area, plant privacy pines, the list goes on. I'm 43 and plan to reside here at least 13 years until I can retire. So basically a yard toy.

My back ground is commercial construction worker recently turned into office management, HVAC related. Father was a diesel mechanic and have always worked on my own vechicles. I have a 70s John Deer 3020 that I used for a short time and realised I'm no tractor mechanic, nor do I want to be. Simple things sure but I have no ambition at this point to do much more.

Budget, I would love to stay at 20k for a purchase, meaning transport/taxes ect. I want somthing that will last until I move or die. Seems like something like that is more of the 20-30K? Everting in my area is a POS thats for sure. So I look on Ebay, machinery trader ect. Now I am dealing with the cost of transport. Are texas units better than the northeast? I did call on one and was 2500 to transport. My concern is I am buying blind. When I called texas the saleman said I can hire a mechanic and it would cost me 1K for an evaluation and that money could be better spent. How do people go about this process? I have read have an oil sample taken for analisis? Is it even advisable to buy from overseas?

And finally, what machine would really suit my needs? I feel like backhoe people are like truck people. Fords suck, Chevy rules ect. What I have honestly been considering is a JCB 2cx and most people hate JCB. I do not like thinking small but in reality I do not need big. Alot of the 2cx have 4x4, clam buckets(I like), 4 wheel steering, and AC is a plus. They fit in tight spots which is deffinatly a plus with the 4way steering.

ANY feedback is appreciated!!!

 

[Metalman 55]

How about a Case 580SM 4x4 or similar? We have owned one for about 7 yrs & really like it. Ours was 9 yrs old when we purchased it with around 3000 hrs on it. Still in great shape now. We mounted a quick attach on the front for switching buckets, snow pusher, forks etc., all from the drivers seat & it really is slick.

 

[larrylew]

I will check those out thank you! Did you buy local?

 

[AzIron]

A welcome to the forums larrylew

B before we talk about brands or size at a 20k budget it's going to need a lot of little things and probably a few big things so if your not a tractor mechanic for a machine as simple as a 3020 you wont have much better luck with a backhoe

Ok brands dont matter much unless its terex run away that jcb you mentioned has a lot of moving parts witch is not a good thing for simple repairs

 

[CM1995]

Welcome to the Forums larrylew!

 

[Metalman 55]

I will check those out thank you! Did you buy local?

We are actually right across the Niag River from you in FE, purchased ours about 2 hrs away in Ont..

Question...….do you really need a backhoe? We have one backhoe & several skid steers & they are very good at snow removal too, but not built for the 7' that you got in "Snowvember" of 14! Seems we don't really use our backhoe that much since we starting buying skidsteers. Backhoe is better in really heavy snow though. Attached is our 580SM soon after we purchased it.

 

[larrylew]

Thx Azlron. The 3020 had issues kind of beyond simple maintence. It was gifted from at the time inlaws who used it to cut and bail 5ish acres of hay a year and move dung. I bought the service manual....the wiring was messed with at some point and originally the negative went to the starter as far as i can see but that was all hacked up. A pretty decent hydro fluid dripping from the front axel, which from my understanding meant to pull the front axel to get to. I do know in at least 10 years they never changed the oil. put new gauges on it, plugs wires cap, basic things. Both those items were costly and it had trouble clearing snow. Tires shot ect. So i just let it sit and bought a lot truck, f250 to plow with which lasted 3 years, at which point i transfered the plow to my cummins.

Im not opposed to repairs but no pulling axles or motors ect. But i hear what your saying and no, i want somthing that for the most part is reliable.

In the market for a 3020 by chance lol? All i need is its money in scrap.its in my way.

 

[Tinkerer]

Welcome to HEF, larrylew !
Take your time and you will find a decent machine.
Oh, and look at Jake Warners thread asking for help with his JCB oil question.

 

[larrylew]

We are actually right across the Niag River from you in FE, purchased ours about 2 hrs away in Ont..

Question...….do you really need a backhoe? We have one backhoe & several skid steers & they are very good at snow removal too, but not built for the 7' that you got in "Snowvember" of 14! Seems we don't really use our backhoe that much since we starting buying skidsteers. Backhoe is better in really heavy snow though. Attached is our 580SM soon after we purchased it.

Yea, the snow is more a long term use. But i have alot of needs for the hoe at present. That machine you bought looks really clean, and im sure you budget was alot higher than mine. I could spend more but Im so frugal.
And thanx for the advise neighbor!!

 

[larrylew]

Welcome to HEF, larrylew !
Take your time and you will find a decent machine.
Oh, and look at Jake Warners thread asking for help with his JCB oil question.

Will do and thx.

 

[Setteduke]

Larrylew,
Keep your eye on Auction International site. They have backhoes, usually a fleet maintained machine, I got mine, FORD 555D, have had a few problems, but expected with a 96 model. Right now they have a few on auction, also you can take a trip to look at the machine, a lot closer than Texas!

 

[Swetz]

Hey larrylew,
I was recently in the same position you are currently in...looking for a machine. I have a couple of threads on here that I started at the time. And with the help and input from other members I was able to secure a good tractor for $25k.
A couple things that I gleaned from the threads:
1. Do not go by the hours. Members kept telling me a good tractor could be destroyed from lack of service, very quickly. Here is an example that I personally experienced (also in a thread here). I looked at a New Holland B95. I was sure I was going to buy it, although it was a little out of my budget at $30k, but at 1700 hours, how could it be anything but sweet. Well, when I looked at it, everything was broken or worn out. I was amazed! It was as if the original owner did nothing but buy it and use it. Even the motor oil was so low it was barely on the stick.
2. That brings me to the second point. Ask for maintenance records. Because you have worked as a tech in the past, you surely know the value of a good preventative maintenance schedule. This will tell you if the unit was well taken care of, but will also tell you if it was a POS with repeat failures, such as invoices for 3 replacement transmissions (just an example). The B95 I looked at had no such records, and the dealer made no apology for not having them.
3. The third point that I took away from the threads here on the forum is, do not buy without either putting your eyes on the machine, or hiring another person to look it over. For me, I have had some experience working on backhoes in a previous position. So, before I looked at each tractor, I purchased the owners manual and read it. (yes I wasted a couple bucks as I now have a full set of manuals for a B95, and also have an owners manual for a John Deere 310se, as well as the manuals for the New Holland 675E that I did eventually purchase, however, I feel they paid for themselves 10x over in the knowledge I took to look at the individual units. You could just pay someone to look it over, but you will eventually need to understand your machine so that you can maintain it and fix it (so you can save $$). You did mention purchasing from Texas. I too found some cheap deals in Texas, but I decided that I was not going to fly out to inspect a machine, and I really wanted to inspect it. So, I personally narrowed my search to more local area (like ~100 miles of where I live).

Another point that you made is that you kinda wanted to know about brand. This forum is not bad, however, some are very brand loyal. I personally decided to narrow my search to John Deere and New Holland for the access to dealers with very good reputations locally. In the end, I chose the New Holland, and so far, the dealer has really been great, so no regrets there. I would look into your local dealers and talk to some friends with equipment...they will know if the dealer sucks. To me, the dealer part is much more important than the brand of tractor.

A couple of closing thoughts. If your gut tells you to walk away, walk away! I really wanted that B95, but it was trashed and over my budget, so, as hard as it was, I walked away, and boy am I glad! Also, do more research on the size machine you want. You do not seem set on the size. I went big because in North East PA, we have an abundance of really big and heavy rocks that I will need to move. Honestly, as far as the brand goes, I dont think any of them make junk if you stay with the major Case, Cat, John Deere, New Holland machines. I would stay away from the odd ball ones, especially if they do not have a local dealer. Finally, I have seen some members on here grumble about parts availability on old machines from the 70s and early 80s. For me, that is something to consider, especially if you intend to keep the machine another 20+ years.

OK, I am done...Good Luck!

 

[edgephoto]

I am far from an expert as I got my first machine last fall. I needed something to prepare a 15 acre piece of heavily wooded land for a house and barn. I wanted 4WD and something I could get parts for. I limited my search to Deere, Case and Cat. The nearest JCB dealer is 2 1/2 hours away.

I ended up buying a 1989 Cat 426. I bought one that was a little rougher than I wanted but the price was so good I decided I could put the money in her and be ahead of the game. I would say just like buying any used vehicle make sure everything works. I can tell you this, parts for a Cat are pretty available. I have not run into any parts I can't get from the dealer. The only exception is some serial number specific stuff like parts for the cabin. Even some of those parts are available just not all.

 

[larrylew]

Thx all. The search is still on, might take a while!

 

[Setteduke]

Larrylew. There are a few machines that you could look at in western New York. Lockport, Olean and Tonawanda area.

 

[larrylew]

So....I was looking alot and ended up buying one. Had it for a few weeks. I went way over budget, but from what I see I think if/when I sell it I will make my money back if not more. I got an 09 JCB 4cx and the thing is a beast. I did do the acutions international thing, so municipality machine with all records and only 600 hrs. So one thing I just noticed is that when sitting for a couple days the backhoe boom and extenda hoe come down and set the bucket onto the ground. There is a boom lock I don't have engaged. Is this a leak or is that why the lock is there? Everything on it seems to function perrfect otherwise and I don't see any noticeable leaks.

I feel like I should go through it and grease everything and change oils as the records show its been a couple years, but it is low hours so I'm thinking its not a horriable thing.

 

[aighead]

Congrats @larrylew , those machines look slick.

My 2004 NH lb75b drifts some as well. I likely have a few small leaks but I think the drift is fairly normal, not ideal but I think it's something a lot of us deal with. On mine I set the boom lock but then extend the bucket so it's at least point down and not collecting water, same with the loader side. You should definitely grease and oil changes are rarely a bad idea. Look to the lubrication forums for some good input on greases and grease guns and if you don't know expect the first time greasing to take you a couple hours, between grease gun priming frustration, finding all the grease points, and trying to keep yourself somewhat clean. Luckily after you do it a few times it becomes much more manageable and I think most machines suggest greasing every 10 or so hours. I don't grease mine that often but I'm typically working for an hour here or there, and I'm not too far off of that.

Oh yeah, solar battery tender! Get one, especially if you don't use it but every couple days/weeks! I just spent about 400 bucks on batteries alone!

 

[Tinkerer]

Unless the backhoe has a mechanical lock it will slowly settle to the ground.
Almost all boom cylinders with that much weight on them will drift down over a period of time.

 

[JBrady]

Good points brought up here already. As far as buying equipment in other parts of the country; I think you have the right frame of mind. I am in Oklahoma and looked for a long time for a backhoe and a skid steer in my part of the country. I found that there was much better selection and pricing if I looked in the Northeast part of the country. The bobcat came from PA. I paid asking price and he shipped it here for no additional cost. Backhoe came from East Coast and got it here for $2000. If you buy from out of state and have it trucked to you, you won't pay taxes on the sales, although tax man will still get his, usually in property tax. The biggest issue I had was rust from the NE. A 10 year old bobcat in Texas or OK will still have really good paint unless it has just been thrashed or worked on a feed lot or similiar. My backhoe arrived with much less rust than I was prepared for, the skid steer was just the opposite.

 

[csthompson12]

Congrats on the purchase... I look on AI quite a bit and I think I saw that JCB. Looked super nice. Those units with the equal size front tires must work great when using the loader and in snow.

I have a 2006 JCB and have rebuilt a few cylinders due to leakdown.. it’s hard to believe yours would need seals with the low hrs on it. I did 3 or 4 cylinders and each one had a bad piston seal. Not a bad job to do.