I need a 4wd backhoe to use on 45 acres of land I'm building a house on. I need to work on some roadways, clean out some drainage ditches, clear some trees. The plan is to get the land the way I want it and then pick up a 30ish HP smaller frame tractor with a loader to maintain it.
I'm having a hard time finding a 4wd backhoe in decent condition for under 20K. I found a 1991 4wd cat 416 with around 3k hours. It is supposedly ready to go, with no major issues. I think the asking price is a little high at over $13K, these units don't seem to sell for nearly as much as the 555's or 580's. It looks rough on the exterior, has likely been sitting outdoors at least a decade. But, I can't find a 4wd unit for even close to my price range that appears in decent condition.
Is this a bad idea for a first backhoe? Can anyone suggest things to look for or check for? I'm supposed to be going to check it out in person tomorrow. Should I wait and get a different unit? My budget is 15K.
I'm having a hard time finding a 4wd backhoe in decent condition for under 20K. I found a 1991 4wd cat 416 with around 3k hours. It is supposedly ready to go, with no major issues. I think the asking price is a little high at over $13K, these units don't seem to sell for nearly as much as the 555's or 580's. It looks rough on the exterior, has likely been sitting outdoors at least a decade. But, I can't find a 4wd unit for even close to my price range that appears in decent condition.
Is this a bad idea for a first backhoe? Can anyone suggest things to look for or check for? I'm supposed to be going to check it out in person tomorrow. Should I wait and get a different unit? My budget is 15K.