Purchased 555A Ford TLB

[ovrszd]

Bought a backhoe couple weeks ago. It's a 1984 555A with 4n1 loader bucket, 15ft extendable, 24" heavy duty hoe bucket. Tach says 5242 hrs but if it's accurate they have been extremely hard hours.

The extendable dipper has been broken at the elbow joint. The repair appears rather old with no reoccurring cracks/breaks.

The hoe bucket has had cracks repaired. They too appear to be old and holding.

The 4n1 appears to have been used open at a high rate of speed. The dozer edge is bent backwards at each end.

I believe this use is how the subframe got cracked. It's cracked on both sides where the loader lift cylinders fasten. The repair is old and holding. Plated on the outside of the frame in addition to welding the cracks.

It appears the latest damage was getting a large rock or stump under the belly on the left side, near the battery box. This destroyed the torque convertor dump valve, bent the bracket holding the trans filter, then sheared the bolts that hold the brake linkage swivel shaft. This left the hoe without the ability to dump the torque converter, an oil leak at the dump valve and no brakes.

Had to put a kit in one of the loader lift cylinders and one of the 4n1 cylinders ($100). The boom cylinder and dipper cylinder seep but I'm gonna run em that way for awhile to see what else pops up.

Replaced the front axle kingpins ($300).

Repaired the brake linkage bracket.

Replaced the torque converter dump valve ($580).

Built a skid plate to protect the dump valve, trans filter and brake linkage.

The engine sounds good, starts right up, no abnormal exhaust smoke or blow-by. The trans/torque converter work great. Brakes work great. Diff lock works great. Hydraulics have very good power, appears pump has been replaced not too long ago. All the glass is in the cab. Heater works great. Rear tires are very good. Fronts are solid but old.

I paid $6500 for the machine. Have spent an additional $1300 so far. Will spend an addional $200 adding a block heater and replacing the hoe bucket teeth. Then I'm ready for warm weather to try it out.

 

[ovrszd]

Adding more pics.

 

[AzIron]

nice machine been around 2 of them on farms they seem to hold up to abuse really well

if i am not mistaken i think that is a digmore estick as far as i know they were the first ones to make an extendahoe they were pretty generic and would go on a couple different machines deere bought them out in the mid 80s

 

[crane operator]

Looks good for what you gave for it. They all need work at that age, and $6,500 gives you the ability to spend a little. If you spend $15,000 right off the bat, and then have to drop another 5 with it, it gets expensive in a hurry.

Better watch that back window, if the wind gets ahold of it, it could bust out all the rest of the glass in the cab, when it slams around.

Glad to see you got it and home safe, have fun!

 

[ovrszd]

Thanks for the comments guys.

I don't like the window/door situation. Definitely would lose the back window if it came unlatched.

I'll use it mostly in timber. Weather permitting, I'll remove the door, right side/front window and rear window. Maybe they'll survive that way.

I think with the repairs/improvements I've made I can make money on it as long as it doesn't suffer major mechanical failure. I'll try it out. If it fills my need I'll never sell it. That will be left to my two Sons to decide.

 

[jimg984]

that's not a extendahoe

 

[Shimmy1]

that's not a extendahoe

Most certainly is, unless you are referring to the term extendahoe, which is a Case term. The proper terminology is an "extendable dipperstick", but you probably already know that.

 

[jimg984]

you are correct, I have a 555AXL boom, got service manual its too large to upload,
can put on cd and mail if wanted, tach is cable driven off the engine called a flow meter takes 1675 rpms for an hour to make a clock hour I think my hours are showing low compared to clock hours 4750, bet that would be like 6000 clock hours they are very strong machines

 

[ovrszd]

I purchased a paper copy repair manual for $60 and an electronic owner's manual for $30. I always do my own repairs so manuals are a great asset.

Yep, mechanically driven hour meters are only accurate at one engine speed. On a hoe it might have a better chance of accuracy. On my 3910 it has no chance.

 

[cuttin edge]

We had 2 of them. They survived multiple operators, sometimes 2 or 3 different guys a day, which usually meant little to no grease unless someone stayed on it for the whole day or it started squeaking. Might have been a bit newer because it seems to me that they had the excavator style rear window. Anyway they were better built than the last models that New Holland built. Nice find.

 

[ovrszd]

We had 2 of them. They survived multiple operators, sometimes 2 or 3 different guys a day, which usually meant little to no grease unless someone stayed on it for the whole day or it started squeaking. Might have been a bit newer because it seems to me that they had the excavator style rear window. Anyway they were better built than the last models that New Holland built. Nice find.

Thanks. I think you described the history of this machine. Or an owner that didn't have a daily maintenance schedule. The Kingpin failure was obviously from lack of grease.

My Brother had a newer New Holland and had constant electrical problems. All shuttling and shifting was done electronically.

I'm up to $7995 today. I'm going to stop improvements until the machine proves itself. By the end of Summer I'll know whether it's worthy of "tightening".

 

[Tinkerer]

I would suggest that if you are going to be working in timber without windows that you should consider putting some heavy screen in their place. You would be amazed how fast a small live tree branch can slap you inside the cab. I swear those things move faster than a bolt of lightning.

 

[ovrszd]

I would suggest that if you are going to be working in timber without windows that you should consider putting some heavy screen in their place. You would be amazed how fast a small live tree branch can slap you inside the cab. I swear those things move faster than a bolt of lightning.

And make me instantly mad...... Good idea!!!!

 

[Grady]

It's your call but I'd consider leaving the windows in if you aren't out in the sun and it gets too hot. If they are just flat glass they are cheap to replace if necessary. You can just cut them out of flat safety glass. The curved stuff is expensive and not DIY. At my place, the windows have an even better chance of getting broken if they are out of the machine and leaning against the wall somewhere. Nice machine. Have fun.

 

[Willie B]

When I was first shopping for my first backhoe I was 200 miles from home on vacation when I saw an ad in a local paper. It was an old guy, said he bought the 555A to replace a Case, but couldn't get the hang of joystick controls after a lifetime of Case machines. The tractor in 1996 was advertised for $8000. with 800 hours. I agreed to buy, when his son threw a tantrum, said it wasn't his father's to sell. I walked away.

I have friends who've always had Ford Backhoes. Their triple nickel is spanked!

 

[ovrszd]

It's your call but I'd consider leaving the windows in if you aren't out in the sun and it gets too hot. If they are just flat glass they are cheap to replace if necessary. You can just cut them out of flat safety glass. The curved stuff is expensive and not DIY. At my place, the windows have an even better chance of getting broken if they are out of the machine and leaning against the wall somewhere. Nice machine. Have fun.

I thought I was the only one that broke things I was trying to "save".

Yeah, even as small town as my area is, I have a shop 13 miles away that will cut me flat safety glass pretty cheap.

My concern for the windows that open and the door that opens is that I'll be too hot in the cab so will be operating with them open. Dramatically increases the chances of snagging them on tree limbs in the timber.

Thanks for the compliment.

 

[ovrszd]

When I was first shopping for my first backhoe I was 200 miles from home on vacation when I saw an ad in a local paper. It was an old guy, said he bought the 555A to replace a Case, but couldn't get the hang of joystick controls after a lifetime of Case machines. The tractor in 1996 was advertised for $8000. with 800 hours. I agreed to buy, when his son threw a tantrum, said it wasn't his father's to sell. I walked away.

I have friends who've always had Ford Backhoes. Their triple nickel is spanked!

I think Case makes a great backhoe. And I don't say this to slander them. I can't get the hang of foot swing...... I also expect to move the boom with my left hand...... When I was shopping I ignored Case hoes that weren't joystick.

Interesting dialect. Explain to me what "Their triple nickel is spanked" means?

 

[Willie B]

555 or triple nickle is slang for this model. Spanked might be compared to "beat", my father would have described it as rode hard, and put away wet. It is used by a family operation. The recently deceased old man cared deeply about caring for his machinery. He wasn't a super mechanic, but preventive maintenance was something he understood very well. His much younger brother is now 75. The rest of the users are a younger generation, or two. His nephew is a Hell of a fine mechanic with a work load about triple his capacity. The 555 is now not considered to be a part of the first string of machines. In a reorganization following the bosses death, the boss's son now owns the 555 as his personal property. He'd need triple A to change a flat tire, and does not spend money, EVER! It won't improve.

 

[Willie B]

I think Case makes a great backhoe. And I don't say this to slander them. I can't get the hang of foot swing...... I also expect to move the boom with my left hand...... When I was shopping I ignored Case hoes that weren't joystick.

Interesting dialect. Explain to me what "Their triple nickel is spanked" means?

I have a Case 580K with foot swing. At the time I bought it, I had another 580K with joysticks, and Extend-a-hoe. As one tractor was in much nicer condition, and most of the extend a hoe had been rebuilt, I switched dipper, and control tower before selling the tired old hoe. I am very adept with "John Deere" controls, but can't do well with Case three lever. My present 580K was almost unusable, as I found the foot swing terrifying. Nothing was worn, but lubrication wouldn't ease the force needed to end a swing. Having to use one foot as a brake to stop a swing initiated by the other seemed counter intuitive. I kept wanting to use heel to stop motion. I'll sum it up that it took twice as long for me to dig a ditch with Case controls. Cat controls take an hour before I'm on my game, but I'm not stumped as I am with Case controls.

 

[Tinkerer]

Willie; I don't know if this helps you with that swing problem, but it is adjustable. I took this screen shot out of the 580K service manual.