Corruption by the Sea
Member
Hello All,
I appreciate the existence of this site and all the people who are on here. Over the past 3 years I have been studying and reading everything I can about backhoe loaders because I want one and because I have some sort of sickness in that I want to learning everything I can about, well, everything.
I was lucky to study Mechanical engineering when young and then I wound up working in varied jobs: mechanical engineering computer aided design in the early years, then commercial kitchen equipment repair, home construction (electrical, plumbing, structural carpentry, drywall, masonry, etc), automotive and motorcycle mechanic, domestic appliance repair, manager of a prefabricated cement products business, project manager for business intelligence, amongst other things. I've lived in a few countries (out of curiosity, not necessity). I was born and raised on the east coast of the USA and love many old British cars, specifically TR2 to TR6 models. I have a 1968 TR250 and a 1969 TR6, the latter of which I've owned since 1982.
In person I'm so direct that people find me terse. Mechanical engineers seem to have a sense of directness and honesty so strong that it overrides other traits like sensitivity. I fall into that category but try to be aware of it.
So, heavy machinery stuff: I started looking for a backhoe 3 years ago knowing that the first years would be a learning exxperience. Unfortunately, the prices have doubled in the past 1.5 years so I missed out on any good deals.
For the past many years I have been living in the Canary Islands, on one of the smaller islands. Most people here don't maintain their vehicules or machinery; it isn't part of the culture. Sadly, they use them until they are effectively useless and then they try to sell them or just let them rot.
The models I've previously looked at have been JCB 3CX and 4CX, Fiat 7B, FAI-Komatsu WB93R, Komatsu WB97S, Case 580SLE and 695, Caterpillar 428 and 434, New Holland NH95, and others. Most have had significant problems. And whenever I've actually come to a verbal agreement with a seller to buy a machine they then either stop communicating with me or come back and say they've sold it to someone else. It has happened too many times for it to be a coincidence. The culture here, sadly, is the worst part of living in the luxury of the sun.
I like fixing things but there are no quality heavy equipment machine shops here on island. They simply don't exist. So buying an old wreck has additional challenges.
I've read many posts here and I humbly feel thankful for everyone's interest and attempt to help others. I wish I'd have more to offer initially. But hopefully that might change once I find a machine. I do know how to do reasearch online and I'm pretty good at it (research was part of one one my jobs).
Right now there are two very different machines on the table. A Massey Ferguson 50HX without papers without serial number plate, in very worn out condition, which the seller has agreed to sell me (but I don't trust anything until it has actually occurred). Before looking at it I was told that it was old but in very good condition. From what I've seen on this forum, no one here would ever say it is in good condition, let alone in very good condition. I went and saw it and it had no battery. The battery cables were badly attached to the battery terminals. I took the battery out of my car. The engine oil was just below the LOW mark and blacker than I've ever seen. The seller said that he didn't change it, just added new oil when it was low (that it was his way of "changing the oil"). The engine started relatively quickly on my 55AH car battery, wiht some initial smoke, continuing smoke, and even more smoke more under any load. But it is a Perkins 4.236, so parts are available and "easy" to do. Zero brakes (later found out that they brake master cylinders weren't even installed - so much for very good condition). It went into gear both forward and back but I was too afraid to move it more than a 1/2 meter. There were children playing on the other side of a chain-link fence benind the machine and a large object in front. So, no testing the converter. I tried to lift the loader but the pump cavitated and moaned. Dangerously low hydraulic fluid. I stopped. I don't like those noises. I know what cavitation can do to the surfaces of metal. So, no testing the hydraulic pump when hot under load like people have told me. The biggest cylinder on the hoe, to the boom, wouldn't push the hoe down to dig. Everything else worke on the hoe. Best case scenario is that it is due to the low hydraulic fluid level. Worst case it is the distributor valves. Oh, and did I mention that, in my opinion, it'll need 1000€ or more in hoses immediately? The seller said that he would fix the brakes, the leak to the diesel fuel tank (which I didn't know about nor had he mentioned previously), the hyraulic tank leak (he also failed to mention that before I traveled to see it), and that he gave his word that he wouldn't sell it to anyone else until I returned (another inter-island trip with more money spent). I've heard that before; I'm not holding my breath.
The other machine is diametrically opposed to the first. A friend of mine who recently passed away from a cancer directly related to cigarette smoking had a Caterpillar 434E second version. It was bought as a left-over model after the F came out. It has 3500 hours on it and is in as close to perfect condition that a used machine can be. It has been sitting 1 year. I've gone a few times to start it for the wife, so that things get moved around. Besides me, he was the only other person I know here who loved to maintain things perfectly. The hoe has a mechanical quick release on it, the side shift is hydraulically operated, and the loader has a 4-in-1 (or 6-in-1, or whatever they are marketed as these days: here they are called clam-shell buckets). It is an amazing machine but it is a king's ranson and having to borrow that amount scares me.
So, I'm still considering the 50HX, which is 1/10 the price of the 434 but I'm scared of all the repairs the 50HX would require in conjunction with my mania about wanting to fix things that aren't in good shape.
Back to work right now. I'm currently restoring the inside of an older Canary Island house.
So, that's me.
I hope you all have a good day.
Dave
I appreciate the existence of this site and all the people who are on here. Over the past 3 years I have been studying and reading everything I can about backhoe loaders because I want one and because I have some sort of sickness in that I want to learning everything I can about, well, everything.
I was lucky to study Mechanical engineering when young and then I wound up working in varied jobs: mechanical engineering computer aided design in the early years, then commercial kitchen equipment repair, home construction (electrical, plumbing, structural carpentry, drywall, masonry, etc), automotive and motorcycle mechanic, domestic appliance repair, manager of a prefabricated cement products business, project manager for business intelligence, amongst other things. I've lived in a few countries (out of curiosity, not necessity). I was born and raised on the east coast of the USA and love many old British cars, specifically TR2 to TR6 models. I have a 1968 TR250 and a 1969 TR6, the latter of which I've owned since 1982.
In person I'm so direct that people find me terse. Mechanical engineers seem to have a sense of directness and honesty so strong that it overrides other traits like sensitivity. I fall into that category but try to be aware of it.
So, heavy machinery stuff: I started looking for a backhoe 3 years ago knowing that the first years would be a learning exxperience. Unfortunately, the prices have doubled in the past 1.5 years so I missed out on any good deals.
For the past many years I have been living in the Canary Islands, on one of the smaller islands. Most people here don't maintain their vehicules or machinery; it isn't part of the culture. Sadly, they use them until they are effectively useless and then they try to sell them or just let them rot.
The models I've previously looked at have been JCB 3CX and 4CX, Fiat 7B, FAI-Komatsu WB93R, Komatsu WB97S, Case 580SLE and 695, Caterpillar 428 and 434, New Holland NH95, and others. Most have had significant problems. And whenever I've actually come to a verbal agreement with a seller to buy a machine they then either stop communicating with me or come back and say they've sold it to someone else. It has happened too many times for it to be a coincidence. The culture here, sadly, is the worst part of living in the luxury of the sun.
I like fixing things but there are no quality heavy equipment machine shops here on island. They simply don't exist. So buying an old wreck has additional challenges.
I've read many posts here and I humbly feel thankful for everyone's interest and attempt to help others. I wish I'd have more to offer initially. But hopefully that might change once I find a machine. I do know how to do reasearch online and I'm pretty good at it (research was part of one one my jobs).
Right now there are two very different machines on the table. A Massey Ferguson 50HX without papers without serial number plate, in very worn out condition, which the seller has agreed to sell me (but I don't trust anything until it has actually occurred). Before looking at it I was told that it was old but in very good condition. From what I've seen on this forum, no one here would ever say it is in good condition, let alone in very good condition. I went and saw it and it had no battery. The battery cables were badly attached to the battery terminals. I took the battery out of my car. The engine oil was just below the LOW mark and blacker than I've ever seen. The seller said that he didn't change it, just added new oil when it was low (that it was his way of "changing the oil"). The engine started relatively quickly on my 55AH car battery, wiht some initial smoke, continuing smoke, and even more smoke more under any load. But it is a Perkins 4.236, so parts are available and "easy" to do. Zero brakes (later found out that they brake master cylinders weren't even installed - so much for very good condition). It went into gear both forward and back but I was too afraid to move it more than a 1/2 meter. There were children playing on the other side of a chain-link fence benind the machine and a large object in front. So, no testing the converter. I tried to lift the loader but the pump cavitated and moaned. Dangerously low hydraulic fluid. I stopped. I don't like those noises. I know what cavitation can do to the surfaces of metal. So, no testing the hydraulic pump when hot under load like people have told me. The biggest cylinder on the hoe, to the boom, wouldn't push the hoe down to dig. Everything else worke on the hoe. Best case scenario is that it is due to the low hydraulic fluid level. Worst case it is the distributor valves. Oh, and did I mention that, in my opinion, it'll need 1000€ or more in hoses immediately? The seller said that he would fix the brakes, the leak to the diesel fuel tank (which I didn't know about nor had he mentioned previously), the hyraulic tank leak (he also failed to mention that before I traveled to see it), and that he gave his word that he wouldn't sell it to anyone else until I returned (another inter-island trip with more money spent). I've heard that before; I'm not holding my breath.
The other machine is diametrically opposed to the first. A friend of mine who recently passed away from a cancer directly related to cigarette smoking had a Caterpillar 434E second version. It was bought as a left-over model after the F came out. It has 3500 hours on it and is in as close to perfect condition that a used machine can be. It has been sitting 1 year. I've gone a few times to start it for the wife, so that things get moved around. Besides me, he was the only other person I know here who loved to maintain things perfectly. The hoe has a mechanical quick release on it, the side shift is hydraulically operated, and the loader has a 4-in-1 (or 6-in-1, or whatever they are marketed as these days: here they are called clam-shell buckets). It is an amazing machine but it is a king's ranson and having to borrow that amount scares me.
So, I'm still considering the 50HX, which is 1/10 the price of the 434 but I'm scared of all the repairs the 50HX would require in conjunction with my mania about wanting to fix things that aren't in good shape.
Back to work right now. I'm currently restoring the inside of an older Canary Island house.
So, that's me.
I hope you all have a good day.
Dave
