Backhoe looking to purchase TLB for 30 acre homested

[RodSerling]

A $15k 4x4 TLB will become a $25k TLB in short order. Spend another $10k-$15k and you can get a nice machine that will last you a long time. My money would be on a nice 580 Super L or M.

 

[rScotty]

A $15k 4x4 TLB will become a $25k TLB in short order. Spend another $10k-$15k and you can get a nice machine that will last you a long time. My money would be on a nice 580 Super L or M.

That would be my advice as well. Case 580s are excellent machines, and somewhat less expensive than Deeres. I like 'em - in fact that was what I was looking for when our JD happened.
Also it may be that an older 100 to 150 hp 2WD 1960/70s vintage Ag tractor with loader and chains for the tires would work too. Lots of those around still good and not much market for them.

I'm thinking that since this is a compact tractor forum, some of our members may not know what it is that the OPis looking for. He says he is looking for something the size of a John Deere 410, 510 or 710.

Well, for comparison and to give an idea of the size we are talking about, ours is the smaller John Deere 310. Photo below. But it still weighs 9 tons and has nearly 100 hp. I believe the front loader is rated at over 3 tons of lift. The machines the OP is looking for are larger.

Does he need that much machine? Maybe he does.... or would a compact work?
rScotty

 

[majorwager]

Wish list TLBView attachment 553546

 

[ofenback]

I don't want to be discouraging, but realistically.... a functional 4x4, TLB for 15K? I don't know if I've ever seen such an animal.
After years of looking, my buddy finally found a decent JD310D 65hp 2WD with gear tranny & high hours but no real problems for $18K. Cab, heater not working, and bent doors. Engine & tranny sound, brakes marginal. There were lots of people in line if he didn't buy it.

He had to buy new tires - the old ones were not only flat but clear bald, batteries, hoses, replace oil and filters that looked original, and all the pins and bushings were sloppy from no maintenance as well. Most needed bushing. Some got pins as well. It's been a few years getting it into decent shape, but worth the effort. Does all the work himself and probably has $25K+ into it by now. And it's been a darn good machine. Engine was strong to start with and still is. Brakes are still marginal.

So I guess my point is for 15K realistically there is going to be some fixing to do. What kind of mechanics are you up to doing?
A big old farm tractor like the 1970s vintage JD4020 wide front with a loader and tire chains might be found in that price range as well. Would that work for your chores?
rScotty

yeah.. I read ya loud and clear. and I'm not too surprised to hear you say that. none of the good looking machines I've seen for sale on machinery trader, eBay or craigslist are in my price range. there are a few close but who knows what they'l need. I was originally thinking that a 2wd machine would work for me because I'm not using it for snow removal. I will have some woods work to do with it but I can easily stay out of the mud. since I'm on a hill things tend to dry out quickly.

I guess I was swayed by advice to get into a 4x4 but I am realizing that I'd need to get real lucky to be able to afford one in my range.

I'm up for some fixing but I probably don't have the experience or tools necessary to make big repairs. I'm handy and I'm happy to spend time on the machine if it means saving $ and making sure something is done right but I'm certainly no diesel mechanic. I've done a bunch of work on my F250 but not tearing apart a motor. the 4020 is a bit more of an AG tractor then I'm looking for. I need stump pulling power and digging force similar to the Kubota U-55. in 3 years time that would be a great machine, perhaps even more then I need but for now I really need a hoe.

thanks again for the advice

 

[rScotty]

yeah.. I read ya loud and clear. and I'm not too surprised to hear you say that. none of the good looking machines I've seen for sale on machinery trader, eBay or craigslist are in my price range. there are a few close but who knows what they'l need. I was originally thinking that a 2wd machine would work for me because I'm not using it for snow removal. I will have some woods work to do with it but I can easily stay out of the mud. since I'm on a hill things tend to dry out quickly.

I guess I was swayed by advice to get into a 4x4 but I am realizing that I'd need to get real lucky to be able to afford one in my range.

I'm up for some fixing but I probably don't have the experience or tools necessary to make big repairs. I'm handy and I'm happy to spend time on the machine if it means saving $ and making sure something is done right but I'm certainly no diesel mechanic. I've done a bunch of work on my F250 but not tearing apart a motor. the 4020 is a bit more of an AG tractor then I'm looking for. I need stump pulling power and digging force similar to the Kubota U-55. in 3 years time that would be a great machine, perhaps even more then I need but for now I really need a hoe.

thanks again for the advice

Ofenback, you sound realistic enough to get the job done. It's just going to take looking in some unconventional & different places. You've got the land & that's the important thing.
Shucks, I'd like a Kubota U-55 myself. An excavator beats the pants off of any TLB for digging. But like you say, it isn't going to happen in most budgets.

When we had just bought our land and needed a machine but had not much cash money we started looking at ads 100 miles away in farm country and bought an old Ag tractor with a loader. It ran fine, but everything was worn. The corn farmer we got it from was using it as a stationary power source to drive a PTO-powered irrigation pump. He had parked it for that duty basically because it needed tires, & he had a newer tractor for field work. 2WD was OK because all those Ag tractors have massive traction at low speed. After all, traction in sloppy soil is what an Ag tractor is all about. Even the 2wd ones are scary impressive.

The tractor was $4K & tires & a battery another grand. I found a big heavy 3-way 3pt back blade at a local used implement dealer for another 2 thou. That was a score. My friend's 33 hp compact tractor couldn't even lift that blade on his 3pt, much less drag it in the ground. By contrast, our funky old ag tractor barely even noticed that blade was back there.

Then came the backhoe. In not much time we found several to choose from in the 2 to 4K range. We ended up with a medium small Bradco brand 3pt hoe - which turned out to be big enough.

In farming country there are always used 3pt hitch-mounted hoes on the market as well as a ready market for used ones. The trick there is that it takes something with the weight and beef of an Ag tractor to handle even a smallish real hoe on a 3pt hitch. And you have to be willing to put up with the inconvenience of the tractor and hoe not really being made to to complement each other. For example, ag tractor seats don't spin around and wouldn't do any good even if they did. You have to position the tractor, set the brakes, and climb down off the tractor.....walk around to the backhoe (which has it's own seat) - and then climb up on it, lower the stabilizers....dig for 5 minutes and then undo & repeat the whole operation in reverse to advance a few feet. But it sure beats a shovel.....

We used that Ag tractor with the blade and hoe for 15 years & got a lot of work done. Downsides are that it is a big old awkward tractor that took a dozen different arm and foot motions to get turned around. Working it was a workout in itself. This wasn't a machine made to be convenient. But the power & reliability were awesome. We eventually saved enough money to buy the machine of our dreams...a compact Kubota TLB M59.

So there are options. It's just that those farm oriented Ag tractors and their heavy implements aren't part of the 4wd compact tractor world. But they are common enough at rural farming communitiy tractor dealers and in rural newspaper ads.

My advice if you go the unconventional route is to choose the smallest and most rugged 3pt backhoe of the ones that find. And BE SURE TO TURN THE AUTOMATIC DRAFT CONTROL to OFF! when using a 3pt hoe.
Luck,
rScotty

 

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