Advice on Possible Purchase - New Holland B95

[Swetz]

Hello all,

As some that I have interacted with on this awesome forum know, I intend to purchase a TLB in the near future. Because of local dealers, I have been focused on New Holland and John Deere. Well, I came across this unit and I want some feedback. I am looking to purchase a TLB that will theoretically lase me a life time. I will be using this unit exclusively on my 43 acre piece of property in NE PA. Anyhow, this is what I came across, and intend to look at in the next couple of weeks. I would like any possible advice on what to look for (possible weaknesses of this particular make and model) for possible dealbreakers.
Thanks in advance!

2007 New Holland B95
Net Horsepower (HP): 89
Drive: 4WD
Max Dig Depth: 18'
Operating Weight: 15,000 Lbs
Hours: 1733
Extend-A-Hoe
EROPS
Heat
Suspension Seat
Switchable Backhoe Controls
Tilt Steering
Work Lights
Interior Lights

 

[Swetz]

More pics.

 

[Swetz]

The negatives that I see from the pics are:
- L/R tire looks about done
- One of the teeth is missing from the bucket
- Looks like the R/S engine cover could be cracked
- The cover for the HVAC filter is missing in the cab
- Blower ducts on the dash are missing diffusers
On the positive side:
- From the pictures it may really only have 1700 hours
- Seat not worn
- Pedals not worn
- Front loader cutting edge not worn really bad
- Rear bucket doesn't look like it is worn badly
- looks clean
- looks dry
- extend-a-hoe
- suspension seat

The owner is asking about 33K for this machine

 

[Swetz]

Anyone have any feedback on things that are a weak point on this model and year?

 

[Bls repair]

In the photo of the back of tractor where hoe mounts to tractor the bottom mount looks funky to me.

 

[Billrog]

If the price is right your not going to wear it out any time soon.

 

[cuttin edge]

We have a 110 and a 95. Both are solid machines and still in use. The broken engine cover is just Parr for the course. It's a poor design, and if the operator doesn't hook it right, it gets broken. They have the in cab pattern changer for back hoe or excavator pattern..

 

[Swetz]

Another angle...what looks wrong?

 

[Swetz]

Billrog, I think the price is ok...he is not giving it to me tho...I havent worked on the price yet.

cuttin edge, Thanks for the comment. Glad to hear you say they are solid. I saw a you tube video that showed the broken cover...It sucks that they didn't stay with the steel that they used in the 80's.

 

[Bls repair]

Looks ok now just light,shade and rust made it look funky

 

[fpgm04]

The New Hollands I have operated have been good machines. No major issues as long as they have been taken care of properly. Based on the pictures, it looks like the machine is in relatively good shape and should last a long time for private use on an acreage with proper maintenance. I would recommend you operate it in both loader and backhoe modes, as many functional issues will not be shown until a vehicle gets operated and hot.

A couple of observations/questions I would have on this machine from the pictures (beyond the points you already noted like needing tires), is why is the boom lock being positioned in the non-lock position in all of the pictures? It probably just that the boom has been fully pulled up via the hydraulics, but why is it not locked? I would make sure there is no surprises there.

Also, it looks like the machine might have auxiliary hydraulics on the backhoe. If so, that would likely mean the previous owner used the aux hydraulics for something, and that is typically a breaker which can cause the backhoe pin joints to wear faster. As with any brand of backhoe you are test driving, check for excessive slop/wear in the hoe.

 

[Swetz]

fpgm04, Thanks for the response! Your comments have been noted. I did not notice the aux. hydraulics for the backhoe. I will be sure to inspect for that when I test it.

 

[cuttin edge]

The New Hollands I have operated have been good machines. No major issues as long as they have been taken care of properly. Based on the pictures, it looks like the machine is in relatively good shape and should last a long time for private use on an acreage with proper maintenance. I would recommend you operate it in both loader and backhoe modes, as many functional issues will not be shown until a vehicle gets operated and hot.

A couple of observations/questions I would have on this machine from the pictures (beyond the points you already noted like needing tires), is why is the boom lock being positioned in the non-lock position in all of the pictures? It probably just that the boom has been fully pulled up via the hydraulics, but why is it not locked? I would make sure there is no surprises there.

Also, it looks like the machine might have auxiliary hydraulics on the backhoe. If so, that would likely mean the previous owner used the aux hydraulics for something, and that is typically a breaker which can cause the backhoe pin joints to wear faster. As with any brand of backhoe you are test driving, check for excessive slop/wear in the hoe.

I don't see any auxiliary hydraulics. No plumbing on the booms, and while there is no picture of the right side of the machine to show the external fittings in front of the hydraulic tank, the switch on both our machines came from the factory above the 4x4 switch.

 

[cuttin edge]

Oh and the boom lock on that machine might be linkage. Our 675s were electric and worked well. The 110 and 95 were manual and would jam. It is a black handle lever with a red knob on top. Not a big deal if it doesn't work, just remember to set the rear bucket on the ground when parking overnight.

 

[Swetz]

Cutting edge, Thanks for the post. For me, (on my CUT that has a loader and backhoe) the boom lock is handy to keep the hoe from drifting down while doing loader work. Otherwise, it is really not an issue. I normally lower the boom to the floor when parking in the garage.

 

[cuttin edge]

Cutting edge, Thanks for the post. For me, (on my CUT that has a loader and backhoe) the boom lock is handy to keep the hoe from drifting down while doing loader work. Otherwise, it is really not an issue. I normally lower the boom to the floor when parking in the garage.

Just referring to previous post that said there might be an issue with the boom lock as it is not engaged. Ours tend to jam and that might be why that one isn't locked. It probably works but you just have to jiggle the Handel.

 

[aighead]

That looks very similar to my lb75b, but in much better shape, and the hoe has pilot controls? I think I'd try to run it for a bit to see if the hour meter is working properly, the inside makes it look like 1700 hours is probably correct but tire wear tells me otherwise (except I don't know how long a tire should really last). I'm just guessing but isn't the manual boom lock maybe one of the easiest fixes on this machine? There doesn't seem to be much to it if it goes bad... For context I paid about $10-11k less for about 2700 more hours. I wish my seat looked that nice. Is the rear wheel lock pedal supposed to be that dang high? That sits like 4-6 inches higher than mine from the look of it!

 

[Swetz]

hey aighead, Thanks for the response. Sounds to me like you got a real good deal! Yes, it has pilot controls. I did ask in the forum about problems with them, and really didn't have anyone condemn them. I personally have never used them, but something tells me they are nice and smooth. I plan on running it for a while, not only to see if the meter works, but also to see if any of the warm fluid problems, like a slipping trans show up. The unit overall does look clean. As far as the tires, I am not sure that the original tires are worn out. Something tells me that the L/R tire was damaged and a good used tire was put on. I will look closely when I actually look at the unit, but, to me, it seems odd that only tire is worn out...the other 3 tires seem to be worn about the same...that is another reason why I feel the bald one was a replacement. I called the guy and asked about history on the machine, and he said he had none, and this machine was on his lot on consignment...I wish I could see some service records! I really didn't notice the differential lock pedal being sooo high...you are correct, that doesn't look right. I will also be looking at the boom lock when I actually go to look at the unit...Personally, if it doesn't work, it is not a deal breaker, but it could be a bargaining chip.

 

[Tinkerer]

If the machine is on consignment ask if you can talk to the owner. The seller certainly knows who it is.
City owned machines very often have worn out tire from so much pavement mileage.
If the boom is leaking down so much that it is a problem when using the loader it prolly time to reseal the boom cylinder. Unless there is leakage in the valve section that controls it.

 

[Willie B]

I don't believe it matters. A good machine at a fair price sells first day. A lemon at a unrealistically low price is a scam, or cautious buyers shied away cause they saw something you didn't.

Run it long before buying. Find a way to try it. Try every feature. Leaks are to be questioned. Where does it leak from? What will it take to fix?

If anything won't work, think about it.

I drove 9 hour round trip to look at a backhoe at a good price. I asked the seller 30 questions before I agreed to go look. I agonized whether to drive the big truck & trailer, or look first.

He had it inside a heated building on a miserable day. He had a battery charger on it at the time. He started it, let it run a while. One leak from a damaged hose on a stabilizer cylinder. Massive rust on hood, floor & inner fenders, I could handle, price reflected rust. I asked if I could take it outside. He suddenly went stone deaf, couldn't hear me. I have a voice that can drown out a train. He couldn't hear me.

My son & I opened the door & proceeded to move it. The brakes didn't work. His deafness disappeared!!!! Over the diesel engine he reassured me: "Brakes are not needed on a backhoe."

Outside, it wouldn't move. Stabilizers would not lift the wheels off the ground, nor would the front bucket move the front wheels. Steering was sluggish. The hoe was utterly non functional.

Warning lights with Hieroglyphic symbols were flashing. He went deaf again.

Ultimately, I left without buying.