L4150 TLB 12K ?

[AGM84CPO]

Hello all. First time poster, long time reader. Newbie tractor guy. I know there are a few of you that have posted that seem to be real L3 gurus, so I thought I would ask for some advice. I have just looked at an L4150 w/BF-900 FEL & 4540 Hoe. From some of the older posts I see that this is a really good set up, and seems to be a perfect for my needs. (landscaping, trenching, road maint., snow removal etc.) Here's the issues. Currently a remodeling co. owns it, and it looks like they used it pretty hard. Looks rough so she won't be in any parades. I was told by the guy who maintained it that it was serviced properly and regularly. Filters and fluids appear to support that claim. Meter shows 1402 hrs. but was told it may have been replaced. Hardly any smoke on start up. Idles and runs smooth. Both loader and hoe seem to operate smoothly. FEL is for some reason offset to the right 2-3 inches. (bent at some time?) No obvious damage and operates well. Starter has been replaced but sometimes still will not start when warmed up. Some lights work, some don't. Fuses okay. Seats are shot. Shuttle seems to shift well. Is there anything I should be looking at? Asking 12K for pkg. Thanks.

 

[curtisfarmer]

Bent loader, yikes! I would look at all the bushing on hoe and loader, check oil vent, look at seals where tranny meets rear end, seals on front axel, and look carefully to see if any major repairs have been done. Bent loader would make me wonder though............

 

[rbargeron]

I have been a big L3 fan forever - (not a guru). I had a L4150 with BF900 for a few years - it was a great machine - smooth as silk and lots of poopa. It didn't have a backhoe so I upgraded to a L5450 that already had one.

The L4150 was made starting in the early '80s - many of them are getting to the point of not looking very good - the original orange paint is losing the battle with the sun and the upholstery has been awol for years. But mechanically many are still fine. They start getting tired after 4000 hours but under 2000 isn't bad at all. As far as what to look for, the air cleaner should be intact with no breaks in inner or outer elements, all housings and joints should be dry, oil clean and hopefully translucent. A little smoke at start is common for the 2803 engine - but it should go away on warmup. Rev-up form idle should be smooth, no thumps, knocks, etc.
A 4150 I looked at recently had weak hydraulics - the FEL wouldn't lift the front end and the power steering was weak too. This would be one result of dirt in the hydraulic oil - the pump internals get worn out. Is the shuttle hydraulic, the kind that changes direction without using the clutch pedal? If so, try shifting into forward or reverse at low engine speed to verify the hydraulic clutch pack engages without chatter. If it is noisey it could mean an expensive repair coming up. There is a fusible link - a short loop of heavy red wire in a plug above the starter. This thing can get corroded and interfere with starting. Eventually it won't work at all. The bent loader frame may have been caused by another machine running into it from the side - look for small cracks in the paint at the welded joints. The welds would not necessarily be cracked since the frame is made of soft ductile steel - but there may be some cracks that need to be ground out and repaired. It would be no fun to discover that the hard way with a heavy load up high. The 3-inch offset by itself may not have much affect on loader function except that it looks goofy, and the pins are probably tight. Is the bucket still level? Does the arm hit the side frame as it comes down? As always, prompt cheerful refund of all money if advice is bogus. Take care, Dick B

 

[AGM84CPO]

Thank you gentleman. The loader doesn't seem to be effected at all. It moves freely and in fact a couple of the guys that have used it say it actually helps them scrape along foundations, curbs etc. Go figure! The fuseable link has been replaced. Didn't fix the problem. The hydra-shuttle worked real well, as did the MFWD, however I only operated it w/all wheels off the ground. As rough as it seems to be it still looks like it would fit the bill. I think I will offer 10k and see what happens. That way I won't get hurt to bad if I need to, and I'm sure I will, put some money in to it. BTW can anyone run the Ser.# for me. It is L4150DT-51138. Thanks bunches.

 

[rbargeron]

Here are a couple quick tests of the condition of the backhoe:
(1) With the front bucket on the ground (not floating) see if the stabilizers lift the back of the tractor ok - if hydraulics are weak, they may struggle unless the FEL is raised. (2) extend the boom & dipper and suspend the bucket a few inches above the ground. Shut off the machine and see how long it takes to settle down to the ground. (worn pistons, valves or seals will let it move 1" or 2" per second - good seals would be maybe 1/4" per second or less. Leak-down of front bucket is harder to assess - empty it should take at least a half hour to drop an inch.

If the link didn't affect it, I'd still suspect corroded connections somewhere - maybe the wires at the starter & solenoid ? Let uis know if you buy this rig. I can lend you my special tool for adjusting the speed of engagement of the hydraulic shuttle. There's an orifice valve inside the cowl with three settings for cold, medium, and hot climates. I had to change mine so I didn't do so many face plants in the steering wheel shifting to reverse