Backhoe Keep & repair or sell for parts or scrap yard

[dirttoys]

My late husband left his 74 ford 4500 backhoe in the woods. Since then it has seen 2 hurricanes. The boom shafts are slightly pitted, the battery dead, I have a new ignition, and starter, one outrigger down, front loader and rear hoe down. I know it will start with fresh battery as it sits bcuz it always has. My dilemma is the minute I engage hydraulics I am certain one or more hoses will pop. I cannot move it without lifting boom and the rest. If it pops how do I stop it from losing fluid? Clamp it or drain into bucket? Do I need to be concerned over booms pitted? My husband knew the secret jiggle on the key to start it but I got new and of course way to many wires. So my logic says just provide only the new wires to old wires and leave what's left alone on starter and ignition, right? If water seeped into one open cylinder wouldn't it also evap out, over a year ago? What would I look for it I suspected water inside? How long is diesel good to sit in tank, years? Now with all of that being the hard part, but worth it bcuz of sentimental reasons. However there's still good parts and it's a lot of heavy thick steel. Is it advantageous to part it, or scrap it. Bcuz I see work as parts, pulling, packing & shipping if not local. Scraping would be work taking apart piece by piece no way to haul it or load it. Then each piece in truck to yard. So really a lot of work and I will use it once a year maybe. I do have some extensive work on property needing to be done now. The reason I am trying to decide which way to approach it. Backhoe makes work load easier. Pulling up new growth trees 8-10 yrs. old around pond, pushing back over growth 30 ft., Moving 2 ton boulders, grading driveway, and whatever else. So any advice for this country girl widow would sure help me decide to spend my money and hard work for sentimental and occasionally use, or parts or scrap???

Sorry for the second note, I didn't see your location (sorry if I missed it) if you let us know, might be a member close that would lend a hand?

Best,

ed

 

[WranglerX]

MY first thoughts is to fire it up, see if hydraulics work minimally so boom and bucket and what ever clear the ground and get it out into open where it can be properly cleaned up and proper diagnosis can be made to determine what its future may be.... At the point were it sets now everything is speculation and probably not facts... As for parting it out or selling it off for scrap, it makes about and much since and dropping diamond rings down the garbage disposal... Get trusted neighbor or friend to help, some time two heads are better than one on how to precede...

 

[Sportsman762]

I believe the question you need to ask is "do I want to make the repairs that it will take to keep this machine running?" However if your not ready to take that adventure then I believe the answer is to sell the machine. I would try to get it running, as a running machine is worth more, however you might just take Spanner's advice.

I think the conditional history of the tractor makes it a mission for you and you'd be best to advertise it "As-is, Where-is" and get it gone.

On a side note, if a hose fails, all you need to do is release the hydraulic control for that hose and the flow will stop without draining the machine. There are some hoses that might drain the machine, but most of them are steel, so they are less likely to break.

Depending on how often you need a hoe, you might be better off waiting untill you get a list of projects and then renting one from a rental company. The machine will be newer, easier to operate, and if it breaks its not your problem.