seeking opinions on ford 3400 TLB

[Masstractor]

Hello all, would appreciate any help you can give. I am looking to purchase a backhoe for work in my fairly tight yard. We have a lot of rock in this area and mature trees around our yard so I want a fairly strong machine, but small enough to get into some tighter areas. I'm currently looking at and add for a ford 3400 TLB quite rusty but listed as runs and functions 3213hrs being sold by a dealer and listed as is. price is $5000 which seems reasonable to me if it dose not need any immediate repairs. would a 3400 seem to be a good fit for my need and hows does the price look.
The dealer is almost 60 miles away about 1hr 15min drive. I am wondering if i might get delivery included or how dealers usaly charge for delivery when required.

this is the listing:

TRACTOR-LOADER-BACKHOE, FORD 3400

kahntractor.com

 

[TractorTech]

Welcome to TBN!

Wow, looks rough, but paint isn't everything. Hours don't mean anything as the hourmeters don't usually last. The year can be found out easily, but again not an issue for purchasing.
No leaks? Good. Steering, clutch good and engine good are the main issues. If you go in person, lift the back end with the backhoe and then front end with the loader. First, can it do and hold on each function. When youdo these functions, listen to the pump to see if it makes any unusual whining. Look at the hydraulic oil on the dipstick for any milkyness.

All in all, if nothing major appears, I agree, it is a fair price. You can try to get the dealer to throw in delivery, but don't hold your breath.
They have to charge roundtrip plus load and unload, so I would think a fair price for delivery is around $300-400.

Strong tractor, but small enough to get around...for the price.

 

[Sportsman762]

My first question is how mechanically inclined are you? If your not mechanically inclined then i would not advise this machine as with most old equipment they are a roll of the dice. The 3400 uses lots of common parts that are easily available. This makes it a very affordable machine to repair. The equipment of that era is very simple and easy to repair.

This 3400 is equipped with the 8 (8x2) speed and lacks a shuttle shift making loader work more cumbersome. The 730 loader was the lightest loader offered on the 3400 with a 2,240 lift to full height. It will weight about 8600 lbs as a base tractor loader backhoe (the wheel weights add weight) and will have a 10' dig depth. I cannot find how long the unit is but its 71.5" from loader lip to front axle and about 6' from rear axle to backhoe in transport position, and the wheelbase is about a 6.5' for about 18-19' length and 6.5' wide. If your yard is hilly be aware that 2wd machines can be hazardous to operate if your not familiar with the machine or equipment operation. Also this unit does not have ROPS so a mistake involving a rollover is more likely to be fatal.

The price on the backhoe appears to be good.

However it will most likely require repairs as this is the nature of old equipment. There is a weld repair on the boom and on the loader frame arms.

 

[TractorTech]

My first question is how mechanically inclined are you? If your not mechanically inclined then i would not advise this machine as with most old equipment they are a roll of the dice. The 3400 uses lots of common parts that are easily available. This makes it a very affordable machine to repair. The equipment of that era is very simple and easy to repair.

This 3400 is equipped with the 8 (8x2) speed and lacks a shuttle shift making loader work more cumbersome. The 730 loader was the lightest loader offered on the 3400 with a 2,240 lift to full height. It will weight about 8600 lbs as a base tractor loader backhoe (the wheel weights add weight) and will have a 10' dig depth. I cannot find how long the unit is but its 71.5" from loader lip to front axle and about 6' from rear axle to backhoe in transport position, and the wheelbase is about a 6.5' for about 18-19' length and 6.5' wide. If your yard is hilly be aware that 2wd machines can be hazardous to operate if your not familiar with the machine or equipment operation. Also this unit does not have ROPS so a mistake involving a rollover is more likely to be fatal.

The price on the backhoe appears to be good.

However it will most likely require repairs as this is the nature of old equipment. There is a weld repair on the boom and on the loader frame arms.

Only comment that I differ on with you @Sportsman762 is that I believe it has a 6FX4R manual shuttle transmission. It still requires clutching, but not as clunky as an 8Fx2R transmission.

I do agree with OP needs to be mechanically inclined. This machine is a very mechanic friendly machine. The lighter loader and smaller backhoe would be a good choice for the price vs any more recent machine.

 

[Carl_NH]

Yes it looks a bit rough but if you dont mind working on things it's a decent deal. if on the other hand you can find decent backhoe's for 15-20K that are newer and have 4WD and power steering. Here's on in MA 登录 Facebook

 

[Harry in Ky]

Yes it looks a bit rough but if you dont mind working on things it's a decent deal. if on the other hand you can find decent backhoe's for 15-20K that are newer and have 4WD and power steering. Here's on in MA 登录 Facebook

Tinkertoy tractor/backhoes have their share of problems too. And I doubt this one will still be running/working when it's fifty years old..

 

[Masstractor]

Thank you all for your opinions. Sportsman to answers your question, yes I am mechanically inclined, I have been working on machinery for many years, but this will be my first tractor so i'm sure I will be looking for repair questions help in the future. Am very pleased to hear that parts are available and machine is easier to repair. My plans are more toward backhoe use so repeated loader use is not a big issue, though I do expect it to be used, the 1 ton lift is pretty much minimum I was looking for but I think it will suffice for my needs. I should have mentioned that our limit price was $7500 which rules out most of the 4x4 equipment available. I do plan to ask which transmission This machine has. Thanks for your help everyone.

My first question is how mechanically inclined are you? If your not mechanically inclined then i would not advise this machine as with most old equipment they are a roll of the dice. The 3400 uses lots of common parts that are easily available. This makes it a very affordable machine to repair. The equipment of that era is very simple and easy to repair.

This 3400 is equipped with the 8 (8x2) speed and lacks a shuttle shift making loader work more cumbersome. The 730 loader was the lightest loader offered on the 3400 with a 2,240 lift to full height. It will weight about 8600 lbs as a base tractor loader backhoe (the wheel weights add weight) and will have a 10' dig depth. I cannot find how long the unit is but its 71.5" from loader lip to front axle and about 6' from rear axle to backhoe in transport position, and the wheelbase is about a 6.5' for about 18-19' length and 6.5' wide. If your yard is hilly be aware that 2wd machines can be hazardous to operate if your not familiar with the machine or equipment operation. Also this unit does not have ROPS so a mistake involving a rollover is more likely to be fatal.

The price on the backhoe appears to be good.

However it will most likely require repairs as this is the nature of old equipment. There is a weld repair on the boom and on the loader frame arms.

My first question is how mechanically inclined are you? If your not mechanically inclined then i would not advise this machine as with most old equipment they are a roll of the dice. The 3400 uses lots of common parts that are easily available. This makes it a very affordable machine to repair. The equipment of that era is very simple and easy to repair.

This 3400 is equipped with the 8 (8x2) speed and lacks a shuttle shift making loader work more cumbersome. The 730 loader was the lightest loader offered on the 3400 with a 2,240 lift to full height. It will weight about 8600 lbs as a base tractor loader backhoe (the wheel weights add weight) and will have a 10' dig depth. I cannot find how long the unit is but its 71.5" from loader lip to front axle and about 6' from rear axle to backhoe in transport position, and the wheelbase is about a 6.5' for about 18-19' length and 6.5' wide. If your yard is hilly be aware that 2wd machines can be hazardous to operate if your not familiar with the machine or equipment operation. Also this unit does not have ROPS so a mistake involving a rollover is more likely to be fatal.

The price on the backhoe appears to be good.

However it will most likely require repairs as this is the nature of old equipment. There is a weld repair on the boom and on the loader frame arms.

 

[Sportsman762]

Only comment that I differ on with you @Sportsman762 is that I believe it has a 6FX4R manual shuttle transmission. It still requires clutching, but not as clunky as an 8Fx2R transmission.

I do agree with OP needs to be mechanically inclined. This machine is a very mechanic friendly machine. The lighter loader and smaller backhoe would be a good choice for the price vs any more recent machine.

Good catch on the transmission. The decal that Messicks lists for the 3400 with 6x4 transmission sure looks like what is on the tractor. Sure is an odd transmission. I am use to having a separate lever for the reverser. Looks like a bit of a pain to use but much less than the 8x2 transmission I thought it had.

Here is a snip of the sales flier I have.

My plans are more toward backhoe use so repeated loader use is not a big issue, though I do expect it to be used, the 1 ton lift is pretty much minimum I was looking for but I think it will suffice for my needs. I should have mentioned that our limit price was $7500 which rules out most of the 4x4 equipment available. I do plan to ask which transmission This machine has. Thanks for your help everyone.

I would caution you that if you have hills the lift capacity cannot always be utilized as the rear wheels might not have enough traction to propel you and in some cases the front wheels turn into skates until you can set the bucket down. I have a Massey 20C which is equivalent to the Ford 3400 and just have to be cognoscente of the limits as I have hills that can create challenges.

If your mechanically inclined this backhoe seems reasonable. It is going to be hard to find something lower priced that is not ready for the scrap heap.

 

[Masstractor]

I do have a hill on each side of our home which I expect to only travel straight up and down. I am hoping the backhoe will give me enough traction to climb the grassy side, the other is paved. But I appreciate your point about weight balance when using the loader, I will have to remember to pay attention to that if climbing the slope. And thanks for pointing out the transmission decal plate, I would have never noticed that.

 

[kneedeep]

Looks to me like it is a barn find machine.
If it runs, all the hoses will fail in time under normal use.
There is no evidence of grease on any of the normal greasy places. Even pressure washing still leaves a greasy spot.

Definitely a shop project.