Buying Advice End Loader, Backhoe, or ???

[4570Man]

There’s a big difference in running second or way past second hand useable equipment and running scrap yard caliber junk. When your weekend starts off with 3 hours of wrenching plus money lost to parts or just spending more to start with who really got off cheaper? When I started looking for a backhoe I pretty quickly decided I was going to have to double my budget to get something that wasn’t junk. I hate working on equipment and it waste time and money. Sometimes the budget just doesn’t reflect reality.

 

[nards444]

There’s a big difference in running second or way past second hand useable equipment and running scrap yard caliber junk. When your weekend starts off with 3 hours of wrenching plus money lost to parts or just spending more to start with who really got off cheaper? When I started looking for a backhoe I pretty quickly decided I was going to have to double my budget to get something that wasn’t junk. I hate working on equipment and it waste time and money. Sometimes the budget just doesn’t reflect reality.

Thank you. Time is money. Funny thing is one guy will spend cash on his machine not have a payment but blow his stash on the tractor and then struggle doing anything else. The next guy will finance and spread his money around but eventually might struggle withe payment 5 years later. The last guy will buy junk in cash and save lots of money but might end up spending just as much money then the other guys on parts, time or eventually another machine. It takes all kinds i guess.


Me personally I take the balanced approach. I work hard and do pretty good, I dont want to spend my money on garbage and spend more time on keeping it going then the actual project.

 

[rScotty]

Thank you. Time is money. Funny thing is one guy will spend cash on his machine not have a payment but blow his stash on the tractor and then struggle doing anything else. The next guy will finance and spread his money around but eventually might struggle withe payment 5 years later. The last guy will buy junk in cash and save lots of money but might end up spending just as much money then the other guys on parts, time or eventually another machine. It takes all kinds i guess.


Me personally I take the balanced approach. I work hard and do pretty good, I dont want to spend my money on garbage and spend more time on keeping it going then the actual project.

I guess I'm the 4th kind of guy. I actually enjoy doing mechanical work, and if I wasn't working on my tractor I'd be working with my tractor so there's likely to be fun enoug to go around in both directions.
As for the time put into repairs, I'll get paid for those if & when I sell the tractor. Anything that is rebuilt to better than it was before adds to the value of the tractor. Years and hours don't matter nearly so much on the older used tractor market as does overall condition and maintenance records.

To be fair, the tractor work that I do is more landscaping, rock stacking, some tree work, and dirt moving. I don't do any crop work at all. so the time window isn't as critical for me as it is for a farmer. A farmer has a much greater need for an absolutely reliable tractor than I do.....that being so, he probably has a backup tractor.
rScotty

 

[nards444]

I also enjoy the "how to do it on a budget" type of post versus the "how to spend lots with financing" type. But that's a personal choice.

Just thinking out loud....Hasn't our buying decisions become sort of generational? In Colorado the population has soared in the last ten years and a majority of the people moving out of town onto small acreages are now older folks close to retirement who do tend to have more money to spend. Naturally enough they buy new compact and utility size 4wd tractors. In fact, many who fit that age description post here on TBN.

I say "generational" partly because although I am from that older group now, we came from a generation where the reverse movement was true. In my youth It was the young people moving to the county and the older people who were moving to the city.
Since we didn't have much money after buying land.....and the credit economy hadn't been invented yet.... we didn't even consider buying new. We just naturally bought older machinery and fixed it up. That isn't so popular today, but it is still a reasonable way to go. Gotta have more time than money, though.
My hat is off to anyone who figures out what they can afford and how to work within that budget.
rScotty

Things change I think people say generational, but there are usually environmental factors that make generations change. Take a tractor for instance a 40 hp tractor in 1985 probably wasnt much over 5-6k, today its probably at least 15k probably more. Yes COLA has helped keep up, but the fact remains wages havent kept up with cost. So with that all said it changes purchasing strategies. I can put down 5k on junk and work on it or forever or buy something new and pay a few bucks a months on it, kind of what it comes down to.

 

[Junguda]

Ok.... rScotty... point taken... so when you read the OP and his subsequent details... Do you see a “Type 4”... who enjoys working on older equipment until it’s better than new... or worth more when he goes to sell it...?

 

[4570Man]

You’re going to buy a $5,000 backhoe and fix it up better than new? Good luck on that. You’d be way cheaper to just buy a 40k one to start with.

 

[LibraryMark]

You know, I don't think I have ever been on a more hateful forum than this one. Some of you guys are really over the top. 17 acres of scrap? Never helping a neighbor, church member or relative? Not knowing what a loader can and can’t do?

Wow. Just wow.

But back to my original issue, I found this loader near Fort Wayne, IN:



I drove down to see it - it starts and runs well. Everything works. Engine runs strong and it can really dig dirt. Comes with forks. At $5750, a little more than my $5k budget but not by much. Now, I just need to get it home.

 

[LibraryMark]

Hi,

New to the forum and don't know anyone in here. I'm really surprised about all the assumptions being made here and folks getting nasty with each other. Some of you obviously have a chip on your shoulder.

Who is the moderator for this forum?

I agree, and I am really surprised. I thought people who dealt with tractors would be a tad nicer. Not so much I guess.

 

[Junguda]

Is this the correct post...?

https://www.machinerytrader.com/lis...060/wheel-loaders/manufacturer/case/model/w7g

 

[rScotty]

Hi,
New to the forum and don't know anyone in here. I'm really surprised about all the assumptions being made here and folks getting nasty with each other. Some of you obviously have a chip on your shoulder.

I agree, and I am really surprised. I thought people who dealt with tractors would be a tad nicer. Not so much I guess.

Well, they usually are nicer. What you are seeing this time is not usually the case. I've now been back over this compete series of posts twice, and still cannot figure out where it went wrong.
And in particular I cannot find any comments in any of the posts by the OP that people could take offense at.....yet some did.

It's a mystery to me.
rScotty

 

[LibraryMark]

Is this the correct post...?

https://www.machinerytrader.com/lis...060/wheel-loaders/manufacturer/case/model/w7g

That's the one.

 

[LibraryMark]

I don稚 think it was an assumption. He said he had $5000 to spend not 5000 to spend plus a other 5000 to spend for repairs. Repairs add up quick on old machines quick. I wouldn稚 doubt if the tire on the OPs loader would cost more than the loader did.

Sure, I could have replaced the tires. But the Detroit 4-71 in it is tired, and at 24,000 lbs it's just plain too big for me now. The new loader is half as big. The guy I sold the old loader to had to have a service truck come and replace the one tire that had a big gash in the sidewall (the reason I stopped using it), and it was a major pita. The 5-piece rim was very rusted and needed a lot of sledge hammer work. Overall, I got my money's worth out of it and then some. It always started, was very strong, and the only thing I had to do to it was air the tires up when I wanted to use it. My only real expense with it was replacing the batteries occasionally. Oh, and one $100 hydraulic hose.

Guys - While I am far from destitute, I have much more time than money - I don't mind starting my day spending a little time repairing things. I don't make money with my equipment - maybe that's the source of confusion for some here wondering why on earth I thought I could find something cheap to do what I wanted.

My thanks to all for the great suggestions and constructive comments.

 

[nards444]

I guess I'm the 4th kind of guy. I actually enjoy doing mechanical work, and if I wasn't working on my tractor I'd be working with my tractor so there's likely to be fun enoug to go around in both directions.
As for the time put into repairs, I'll get paid for those if & when I sell the tractor. Anything that is rebuilt to better than it was before adds to the value of the tractor. Years and hours don't matter nearly so much on the older used tractor market as does overall condition and maintenance records.

To be fair, the tractor work that I do is more landscaping, rock stacking, some tree work, and dirt moving. I don't do any crop work at all. so the time window isn't as critical for me as it is for a farmer. A farmer has a much greater need for an absolutely reliable tractor than I do.....that being so, he probably has a backup tractor.
rScotty

Like I said there's lots of ways to skin a cat. In all four situations the end game of money spent often times equals the same tbh, just depends on what kind of pain you want to endure.

With that said I would disagree with fixing stuff means adding value, holding value maybe. An old piece of equipment worth 5k is probably always going to be worth 5k or less dont matter what you do it. Getting your money back is one thing, making money is unlikely.

 

[finn1]

The problem with older equipment is that it breaks down on its schedule, not your schedule. Inevitably the failures happen in the middle of a project that has to be done, just as the weather window is closing in.

Parts availability, in a timely manner, is another frustration.

Buy the best you can afford, with the best support network.

Nobody enjoys having to tear into failed equipment out in the field in mid January.

 

[crashz]

Don't forget - everyone reading on the forum will interpret the comment a little differently form the next guy. And of course, expression and sometimes intent is lost in the posts. There are a lot of opinions here and all come from unique sources. Its no wonder why one person will find a thread full of info and very helpful while another might find it offensive. Nature of the beast I suppose.

OP - Glad you found a machine. Looks very well cared for (decent tires, newer hoses, etc) and should serve you well.

 

[mred2]

I just sold my old 680c case backhoe for $1200. Scrap metal price. Tires were all really good. Hoses leaking , Sheet metal really bad. But I had run it over 20 years. Man that got it was happy. He works on tractors for a living. It started right up and the motor was ok. Without his labor I am sure he now has over twice the money into it. I purchased a new tractor with backhoe. I don't want to work on anything anymore and it was leaking so bad i had to put oil in it every time I used it.
I don't people are trying to talk bad, it is just that there are so many people that buy old equipment and spend more on repairs and never gets the right piece of equipment needed for their job.

 

[LibraryMark]

...The OPs mind was already made up when he started this thread. ...

No, not really. I was giving serious thought to a backhoe and wanted to know people's thoughts on the matter. After looking for one (since the start of this thread) I realized that there is so much more to go wrong on one and finding one in as good a state of repair as a small loader for the same money was not going to happen. And I get FWD, which is important with the mud we get here.

As for someone else commenting on getting my money back on resale, I never expect that. Heck - I was just trying to figure out how I was going to get rid of my old loader out of my yard without it costing me too much when a local neighborhood scrapper came by and said he'd been eyeing it for a long time. If I can sell my new loader for anything after I am done with it I am OK with that.

 

[ovrszd]

Youæ±*e going to buy a $5,000 backhoe and fix it up better than new? Good luck on that. You壇 be way cheaper to just buy a 40k one to start with.

I agree.

Only buy a $5000 backhoe if that level of machine satisfies your needs/wants.

 

[Junguda]

You know, I don't think I have ever been on a more hateful forum than this one. Some of you guys are really over the top. 17 acres of scrap? Never helping a neighbor, church member or relative? Not knowing what a loader can and can’t do?

Wow. Just wow.

But back to my original issue, I found this loader near Fort Wayne, IN:

View attachment 608971

I drove down to see it - it starts and runs well. Everything works. Engine runs strong and it can really dig dirt. Comes with forks. At $5750, a little more than my $5k budget but not by much. Now, I just need to get it home.

We’ll Mark... it’s great to see you listened to us.... we all said $5k was too low... and you sobered up and listened... sure $5,750 isn’t much... but baby steps...

Sure... we had to spank you around... but it got you to listen.... we thought we’d lost you.... but those tears of pain have turned to joy... as we welcome our newest member of the “affluent crowd”...

You finally helped your neighbor (The scrapper)... but it might be too early for us to take credit for your new found generosity...

Keep us posted on the total cost of ownership... and you should thank our moderator (Cat Driver) for keeping it all constructive and helpful... That’s just what we do...

Keep listening and learning...

...

 

[Junguda]

Are you still crying about that.... Man up and bring it in for a group hug.... Remember... it’s only mean... if it isn’t true... now does anybody know the words to Kum-bay-ya....