Buying Advice Pricing an older backhoe

[Soundguy]

look a backhoe over good. I've een in the market for a cheap one..and anything I cn afford leaks soo bad and is sooo sloppy and welded up that I pass onit..

soundguy

 

[Giles]

I know very little about a Ford backhoe. Over the years, I have owned an IH 3400 series A that was used on construction. I worked on it a while and used it a while. Owned it for about three years and sold it for a $3k profit. Probably saved 4K with the work I did.
I now own a Case 480D (standard backhoe) with 2,200 hours. I paid 9.5K and have done about $3K of work with it. I have sepent about $300.00 in repair. I have it sold for $11K when I get through with it--which will be this spring.
Everything works--lights---gauges and even the back-up warning horn.
I said all this to suggest you get the best machine you can afford. If you can do the work yourself, that is a blessing.
Without a major breakdown, you should be able to get all your money back and maybe a profit if you are lucky!
Just realise that an older machine has already depreciated a great amount, and should hold ther current value for quite some time.
Of course that is the reasion for your post--you don't want to pay too much:thumbsup:

 

[JoelD]

Thing to keep in mind with these full size machines is that when they break it is a full sized break

I purchased a John Deere 310 dozer I paid what it thought was a great price at 7k or so got it home and within three weeks had to replace the reverser at 3k then the brake bands started to go later that year etc

If you loose a clutch or Main seal or injector pump or crank bearing or or or you can quickly spend huge money

Another thing to keep in mind Is that you need special tools or another piece of big equipment to split a full size hoe should something go wrong

Just want to be the devil's advocate

Not always I buy for 5k do 50k of work and spend 5 dollars on repairs and then sell for 10k

Not saying it can't be done

Joel

 

[Ford tractor]

Real hard to price without a detailed inspection. You will probably be well served to check out machinery trader dot com and search there.

You can get a 555 ford with less hours for 10k I saw a 420 with under 2000 hours for 6900.


After you find one, pay a skilled heavy equipment tech to inspect it for you.