Case 580K

   / Case 580K #1  

llewellynsd

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2002
Messages
48
Location
Western Maryland
Tractor
Sath S-370
Looking for some advise from the knowledgeble folks here. I'm currently considering purchasing a 1991 Case 580K backhoe. It is 2WD with 4260 hrs showing on the gauge. The transmittion/shuttle is broke in this machine. It is owned by a government agency and appearently the operator while running it down the road heard a large bang and the back tires locked up. He was able to elevate the back tires and they broke free. Not sure of the rest of the story. The rest of the hoe appears to be in good condition. They did take it in to have it repaired but decided to just go and buy another 4WD hoe to replace it and get rid of this one. The shop had to cut a shaft in the transmittion since a barring was gauled to it. Then once the agency did not want to have it fixed I was told that the repair shop just threw the parts back in the case and sent it back to the agency.

Here is where you all can offer advise. I figure worst case I'd have about $6K in a new transmittion/shuttle. That is with a Case dealer doing the work. I was figuring offering maybe $3K to $4K to the owner as is.

What are your thoughts? I figured I have $10K in a decent shape 91 model hoe. This would be used on my property and would not be for business use unless the neighbor needed something done around their place.

Let me have it guys! Don't hold back. Is my mind on the right track with this thinking?
 
   / Case 580K #2  
Around here a 580K of that vintage is worth about 15-17k, so if I were you I would get a worst case scenario estimate from a local dealer so you know what you are dealing with.

You should be able to run the engine and operate the hoe and loader to make sure there are no leaks and everything operates properly
 
   / Case 580K #3  
If it truly is a 91 580K it is what is called a Series 3. This means that the shuttle shift and the transmission are all built into the rear transaxle housing. Figure about $8k -$9K (at least that is what I was told by a dealer) if you have to rebuild it.

Is the gear shift a short lever on the right console, or is it a long floor mounted stick? The Series 3 uses the console shift, and working on the transaxle requires removing it completely from under the tractor. Heck, you have to loosen the transaxle, raise the tractor and remove the axles just to replace the wet brake discs.

The early 580K's have the old style transmission with a separate shuttle shift mounted on the back of the engine, and externally mounted brakes that are easy to change/replace. 89 was the change over year, and both Series 1 and Series 3 were built that year (there are't any Series 2).

For an older machine, the Series 1 is probably the better option, as all machines from the 580C up to the Series 1 used the same shuttle shift and transmission. These transmissions are much cheaper to repair and much easier for the DIY mechanic to work on.

It would probably be cheaper to buy a rebuilt transaxle from a shop that specalizes in this then to rebuild this unit. At one time I oned a Series 3 580K, and I researched this just in case I ever needed it. As I recall, I think a rebuilt unit cost around $7.5K three years ago, plus you would need to pay the dealer to R&R it.

My guess is that you need to plan on spending around $10k-$12k to put it back in good working order. This is why they opted not to repair it, as it was getting too close to the value of the machine even if it was in good running order. It could be a good deal for someone, but I think it would need to be someone who could do a lot of the work himself to save the shops high labor rate.

I would strongly advise checking with the dealer as to their cost estimates for doing the necessary work, assuming worst case scenario, before you buy it. I think you will find that it will cost a good deal more then you were expecting.

It sounds like this unit may well be worth a good deal more for parts then anything else. The engine alone, assuming it runs good and has minimal blowby should be worth a couple grand. The loader and backhoe are also worth quite a bit as complete units or for their parts, so buying it for $3k would still probably be a good investment IF you have a way of parting it out, but generally this is better left to the yards that specalize in this type of thing.
 
 
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