John Deere 710D opinion needed!

[workshoprat92]

Hey guys whats your thoughts and opinions on a Deere 710D? I am looking at one on an online auction. I made the 360 mile drive to go look at it. The machine has 9800hrs on it. Its set up with all that I want 4X4, extendahoe, 2 stick control, cab with heat. Only thing missing is an air conditioner but I think it can be added by using a red dot or carrier aftermarket kit so no biggie there. The transmission works through all the gears and pulls good and strong. The engine does not have a wiff of blowby when ya pull the filler cap which is incredibly suprising considering the hours. It was a county machine and they say they did oil changes every 200 hrs. Brakes all work good and will lock wheel no problem. Now for the bad. The hydraulics are weak. All the functions run and work but do not work with power. for example when you lower the outriggers they touch the ground lift the machine a slight little bit then quit. when you hold the controll and bottom a function the engine does not bog down or do you hear a relief blowing by. I figure the pump to be worn out or the destroking valve on the pump not working properly. also the swing pins have plenty of slop and really need to be reworked. Not sure how hard it is to do the main boom swing pins and swing cylinder pins? I also noted the hyd fluid level was so low you could not see it on the stick. You can see oil in the resivoir so its not so low it would cause the weak hyd issue. Also the trans fluid was so low it would not show on the stick. The bucket leveler does not work, it wont disengage from 4 wheel drive and the pivot point where the front axle mounts needs to be shimmed to get rid of a clunk clunk when you go from fwd to rev or vice versa as it slides forward or rearward on that shaft.

Ok so given all this it is probably the normal amount of problems for a machine with 9800 hrs on it. I think all can be dealt with and fixed. Only thing is I now know what I need to get it at to be able to fix he problems and not have more in it than the machine is worth. For the kind of work I do I am really sold on the size of this machine.

I have never owned any Deere equipment or ran them. Just wondering what your thoughts and opinions are on this model of machine????

 

[El Hombre]

JD parts are some of the most expensive on the market, you might want to find out what a new pump costs.

The pins and bushings most likely will need a mobile guy to come out and machine and reweld to new dimensions. Then you install OEM pins and bushings. Lots cheaper than transporting a 13 ton hoe to the shop in most cases....and back.

700 series hoes can do a lot more work/damage than the smaller ones, sounds like you know that.

How much for this beast?

 

[workshoprat92]

JD parts are some of the most expensive on the market, you might want to find out what a new pump costs.

The pins and bushings most likely will need a mobile guy to come out and machine and reweld to new dimensions. Then you install OEM pins and bushings. Lots cheaper than transporting a 13 ton hoe to the shop in most cases....and back.

700 series hoes can do a lot more work/damage than the smaller ones, sounds like you know that.

How much for this beast?

A new pump is $5200 from deere. I found a place that can do rebuild exchange for $2600.

As far as price of machine the auction hasent ended yet.

 

[lantraxco]

I've never seen one of those Deere pumps that wouldn't make pressure though theoretically I suppose it's possible. Usually they either work or they're grenaded. So yeah, should be stroke control valve, priority valve, lack of charge, which by the way it looks like the charge pump is belt driven on that model, also something I've never seen before, lol. The hydraulic filter is a three port with one to tank so that also might be an issue if it's plugged up or the charge relief is stuck open.

The rest of it just sounds like work, nothing too major or technical I don't think. They're an absolute moose, you can bull through just about anything with a machine that size. What, about 24,000 pounds and 18 foot digging depth? Crazy.

 

[workshoprat92]

Thats good to hear on the pump. I figure i would have to get the manual and follow the troublshooting on the hydraulics before getting new pump. Worst case senerio being bad pump at $2600. I do demolition so the size of the machine would be real good for my application.

 

[Delmer]

I don't think there is a "worst case scenario" with heavy equipment. It sounds like it fits what you need to do, so maybe it's worth the risk. The WORSE case scenario is that you put the new pump on it, then it still doesn't work, etc. etc.

Too bad it's not closer, or you had that info before the big trip, there are some simple ways to narrow down the pump issue, like, where is the heat going? Being a closed center system, with any hydraulic function stalled, the fluid should be stalled and the pump should be at maximum pressure, so in this case the pump is not at max pressure judging by the force, so is it leaking somewhere else in the system? or is the pump leaking internally? or what?

 

[lantraxco]

Delmer's correct about the heat or lack thereof. These machines flow fifty gallons a minute plus, so if there was enough of a leak to reduce the maximum pressure significantly I would think that not only would the engine load down but there should be LOTS of heat, yeah? The other two options are that either the pump is cutting out at too low a pressure, or the charge pump system is not working and the pump can't get enough oil to push out? Oh, third thing that silly priority valve Deere uses in these systems.

 

[Shimmy1]

What are you going to be using this machine for? If you are determined to have a machine of this size, I would strongly consider a Case 780D. If you are going to do a fair bit of loader work, I believe you will be disappointed in how the machine handles itself, they are extremely clumsy. If the price is right, though, you might be able to live with it.

 

[workshoprat92]

Well i do excavating and demolition. A machine this size would be a plus for me as i do not do the small back yard patio and sewer dig kind of work where weightt and confined space are an issue. For me moving large mass as quick as possible is where its at. I appreciate the info on performance. I know it can be fixed. Thats just time money and cussing. I just want to know if i dump money in this in the end is it still gona be a pig?

 

[workshoprat92]

Well this machine hit $14,500 today on the on the online auction and with a 10 percent buyers premium and then tax added onto that then this puts this machine at $17,300 total. The auction has two weeks to go. Someone is gona get bit on this machine as it is missrepresented and the hydraulic deficiency is not disclosed in the auction description. Whoever buys this machine is going to have more in it than the machine is worth after they make repairs to bring it up to usable.

 

[oilslick]

Auctions are bringing retail on deere or case backhoes every time I see them. Too bad for buyer but they should have looked,probably company checkbook or farmers new toy. Good luck with your search.

 

[Catsparky1]

I was running a 710 a few years ago . It was slower than death could not get out of it's own way . We were digging foundations the hoe took forever to line up with the trench and the stick would bounce all over . I told the owner to have it looked at and he laughed at me . Then he says when he bought they were lifting it up to the top of a 7 story parking garage to start the demo . Some how the crane let go and dropped to the ground . He told me deere had it for 6 months fixing it and they only use it with a hammer or to push broken concrete . After that week I kinda liked that rig . That was one bad old girl !!!

 

[workshoprat92]

There are two others that have now popped up on ritchie bros. Both machines do not have aux hyd to the back which to my way of thinking is bad cause now I would have to add it. And it is good cause you know it never ran a hammer. I may have to go to this auction. Neither machine has air but again I think it can be added with a red dot unit.

 

[lantraxco]

Nice thing about those Deere constant pressure systems, the aux plumbing is a couple tees if there aren't already plugged ports installed, and an off/on solenoid valve, if you want fancy include a flow control.

 

[workshoprat92]

That does not sound hard at all lol. I figure if i get a deere or a case i will restack the valves and swap the hoses to make it the cat excavator pattern. I just cannot run the deere pattern and i cannot afford a machine new enough with a patern changer.

 

[hammertime]

Deere 410k is working down the street from me. It dwarfs the case 580 parked next to it.

 

[workshoprat92]

Well the machine sold today for $15,500 by the time they pay purple wave 10% and then 8.5 sales tax on the total of that there in it for $18.500. Man what a beating on a machine that has such a serious deficency. Needles to say I dont think I think to much of purple wave auctions. It looks to me like you shouldnt buy anything from them unless you can go look at it and asses the machine condition.

Oh well there are two more possibilities that popped up at ritchie bros in next months auctions. ROAD TRIP !!!!!! LOL

 

[El Hombre]

Auctions are tough; if a seller has a dozen machines, only the turds are going to the auction. The good stuff stays with him.

It's when they're selling the whole fleet do I feel better about an auction, then the good and bad both are out there.

 

[workshoprat92]

well i got one week to go and I will be in ft worth bidding on two 710d machines. looks like a fleet sell off. they got 7 of them but id only bid on two of them as they only have two with cabs. there will be 65 hoes there. not sure if thats good or bad. guess i will see!!!

 

[Delmer]

when they're selling the whole fleet do I feel better about an auction

Take a look at all of the machines from that fleet, it will give you a rough idea of their philosophy of maintenance. Do they have records with the machines, oil samples?