Well i ended up picking up a backhoe. Its an old ford 4500. I got a pretty good deal on it, its a machine that came off a cemetary over near youngstown ohio. It was the only machine out of maybe a dozen that was willing to start by just cranking it over. The day i looked at it the temps were about 5 degrees and it fired up inside of a minute or so after sitting for a few weeks. Its been stored indoors all its life and has maintenance records going back to the early 70s when the cemetary bought it and shows about 3000 hrs on the meter. By the way it started in the cold i dont think it could be 13000 hrs. All the joints are pretty tight and its got plenty of power. Ive done some work around the house with it and while the 4 stick isnt as easy as joysticks, it gets the job done. Ill sure say this thing beats the pants off a shovel, it wouldve taken me months to get done what ive been able to accomplish in about 8 hrs. It came with a bunch of sales literature, an operators manual, and a service manual for the tractor. Its got alot of original paint on it, but it does need a good pressure wash and most of the hoses have been replaced except a couple for the lift arms. It does do some pretty wild wheelies up the one hill, but ill just be careful there. Thanks to everyone for the advice given in my other thread.
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Bought a backhoe
- Thread starter Jshopes81
- Start date
hosspuller
Senior Member
Good for you. The machine likely had only a few operators over the years. Digging dirt and placing vaults. Way different than a machine run by a string of people indifferent to machine abuse.
Thats part of what went into the decision making process. I was also going to look at a deere 310 that was about 30 minutes away with way more hours but the owner cancelled due to weather. He said there was no way hed be able to get it running due to the temperature. I just decided i was done messing with abused junk and called back about the ford and struck a deal. i had wanted an old case but every one i looked at was abused neglected junk. This machine looks to have been well cared for, itll do what i need it to do, and parts seem to have decent availability. I do need to replace the oil pressure switch after a bit of a scare with the light acting like the oil pressure went low after i got it home, but i threw a manual guage on it and even hot it only got down to just under 60psi at idle. Apparently the switch that was in it was activating the light at 60 psi or so, not 7ish. After that near heart attack, i think its good to go.
Sounds like a good start. Be aware that an old electric gauge will go to zero with no connection, and full scale if the sensor wire is shorted to ground, so what you're seeing with the gauge going to zero could just be a loose connection. or it could be a worn out pressure sensor.
Check Break
Senior Member
x2. How many graves have been dug since it was purchased in the 70-s. If it doesn't have a ROPS, look around and find one. Many of those came without. Not much chance of a roll over in a cemetery like there is every where else.
Yeah, you guys do have a pretty valid point. I did find a full sims cab on marketplace a few hrs from the house, ive seen their garden tractor cabs, but this cab from a 4500 looks pretty heavy duty with some heavy square tubing at the front and rear. Do the sims hard cabs double as rops?
Tinkerer
Senior Member
My Case 680CK has a Simms cab and it is ROPS.
Ill get some more pictures tomorow. It hasnt seen a pressure washer yet, and the backhoe and near side lift arm have been painted at some point. Im almost positive the rest is original paint. Both seats look to be original and in good condition.