When Looking at a Used Machine...How Many Hours are Too Many

[joeeye59]

I just learned a bunch of good information! thanks !

 

[aighead]

Swetz, I can tell you, sadly first hand, that full EROPS and the woods sometimes do not mix. I'll say that I WAS doing something ill-advised, but I broke the crap out of my back window while it was open and I was pushing a tree over. A big limb from presumably about 50 feet up broke off the tree and crashed through the window. It was not very cool. Now the window is plexiglass and debatably less safe than it was but I don't have the budget for a new piece of glass in there right now.

 

[Swetz]

joeeye and John C,

Thanks for the info...something else to look for. I have seen plenty of vehicles that went under in Sandy. I even tried to fix some before my company decided to just write them off as a loss. Anyhow, I did notice that every one had a sandy silty coating on things like computer brains. May have to remove a cover, but it would be worth a look to see if it was under. As stated, many of our backhoes were unaffected because the vitals were above the water line.

 

[Swetz]

aighead,
If you were buying all over again, would you still buy with a cab?

 

[Tinkerer]

Tinkerer,

I have read the same comments on here, but I have also read comments by others saying they don't want a cab and how the glass would be broken in the woods.

I can safely say there are many people alive today because a cab prevented a tree branch from injuring or killing them.
I have worked many times through the years and saw the power a bent tree branch can release after clearing my cab.
You have to see to believe how dangerous a dead tree branch can be when it breaks off over your head. You don't / won't know it happened until it hits the cab roof.
A broken window glass is cheap insurance to prevent being struck.

 

[Welder Dave]

I have a track loader but the ROPS has saved me a couple times. There's a reason forestry machines have heavy mesh in front of the windows. Tree's are unpredictable.

 

[Swetz]

Tinkerer & Welder Dave,

You make some excellent points & my application is a piece of property that is 99% wooded...So, at this point I would agree that a cab goes on the list of must haves.

Thanks!

 

[aighead]

I would get another closed cab. There are a few drawbacks but I think the benefits outweigh them. My FIL advised an open ROPS mentioning it's a pain, particularly when getting in and out a lot, to have to open doors to get out and I understand that but it's not that big of a pain. I think a major benefit is it extends the usage season also, even if heat and a/c doesn't work it's much more reasonable to use when it starts getting cold out. I did notice, over this summer, that it'd be nice to hard wire a fan in (or maybe plug one into the cig. lighter hole that I think mine has) as even though you can open it up well sometimes the wind doesn't blow through that nicely and it gets sweaty. The only other drawback I see is keeping windows clean. The open cab does indeed get you more in tune with the machine and the work but I think you can adjust well with glass around.

Also, I totally agree with Tinkerer that you won't know a branch above you fell until it hits. Similar to a sonic boom you don't expect... For me, in this instance, I saw the wooden rain of small dead tree parts, which I expected, then next thing I knew I hear a boom and I'm covered in glass. Uh, for what it's worth safety glass is nice and shatters well but will still slice you up, especially if it goes down a couple layers of shirt and jackets...

 

[Nige]

Most machines working in the woods around these parts have external mesh or something similar to protect glass from all but the largest impacts from falling vegetation.
Sometimes a pain to clean windows, etc, with them fitted but if they prevent a glass breakage I guess they've paid for themselves.

 

[AzIron]

As far as backhoes hours go I have a cat 416 c with 12 thousand hours and everything is pretty well factory the only thing that has been a big repair was beefing up the boom where it had a crack but that was a chronic problem of the c series

A friend of mine has a 420 d with 10500 on it and the overall machine is in half the mechanical condition for multiple reasons

Another friend has a 416 b with 30000 hours still original components like motor trans and boom the loader has had some cracks but I wont count that against it

Know of a 410 j upwards of 13000 another with 9000

A backhoe is completely rebuild able as long as the frame is ok booms are easier to source than one would think even the swing tower is replaceable so you have to asses it on a case by case basis and you better learn what was the weak points of each series

 

[Swetz]

aighead,

Thanks for the feedback! I have fitted many fans in off road equipment over the years. They are no big deal. My biggest problem with them is that they generally rattle over time. They do have a cooling effect tho. The good news is that it usually doesn't get that hot in NE PA in the summer, especially in the woods.

 

[Swetz]

Nige,

After reading your comment I immediately googled bolt on protectors. I instantly saw what you were talking about, although the ones that popped up were for excavators. I am sure tho, with diligence I could find them for backhoes. I did get a visual of what you were talking about. That is something that can wait tho till I purchase my backhoe. At this point I am not sure of what brand or model I will choose.

Thanks for some more learning!

 

[Swetz]

AzIron,

Thanks for your post...I am learning that these things really do last! It is hard to believe that we can put together a machine that holds together with all the abuse for 10s of thousands of hours...I am not unhappy about this mind u...perhaps the one I purchase will outlast me (a good thing).

 

[Nige]

Anything lasts if it is treated the right way when it is operated, is operated within its designed limits, and is maintained correctly and in a timely fashion.
As per AzIron's post #50 above I would imagine that the difference in machine condition between his 1st/3rd examples and the 2nd one is directly related to standards of operation & maintenance.

 

[Swetz]

Nige,
Trust me, I do get that some operators objective is to destroy equipment...I have been the guy that had to fix that stuff. The machine that I will eventually purchase will enjoy a great life. I have no reason to push the machine and I will definitely maintain it well. Hopefully it will last me a lifetime!

 

[AzIron]

Operator abuse has a lot do with anything but timely maintenance seems to be the deciding factor and it starts as simple as grease a machine that is not greased religiously gets sloppy and the slop creates slack to hammer on pins or on rods or cause booms to crak
While a tight machine can break and wear just the same sloppy machines accelerate wear even with good operators