Boy oh boy, did my post generate a lot of replies! Thanks Everyone!
I now have at least one more question. And some observations too. When using the Case 580 it is not very easy to turn the seat around. So when moving the machine short distances I usually use the hoe for this task. The hoe will pick up the rear wheels so even side to side movements are possible and I have done it often. But more than one person here has said I will need to climb off the hoe and back onto the tractor to move it every three feet. Why would this need to be done?
I have looked at the linkage for the Power Shift and have determined that I could, without too much trouble, hook up a shifter so I could go forward or backward while sitting in the backhoe seat. Since the Power Shift doesn't require clutching it would be sorta like using the shuttle shift on the Case.
Since I would be using a sub frame with the little hoe would it still be dangerous to the tractor to lift the rear and shift it sideways like I do with the Case? I did crawl under the tractor to see how a sub frame would fit because there is already the FEL frame. Using cardboard and cutting it to fit around stuff I can see that I can make a sub frame that will work and bolt into the existing channel frame at the front of the tractor and clamp around the rear axle housing. There are even a set of grooves on each side of the rear axle housings that appear to be there for just this purpose.
Most of the rocks I will need to pick up weigh less than 200 pounds so as long as the thumb will allow that I would be pretty happy. For heavier rocks I would still use the bucket as I do now.
I do understand that the little hoe will not dig like the Case but I don't expect it to. If the Case wasn't so big I would just use it for everything. And I could just rent a mini excavator except the nearest rental place is about 60 miles from me and I would need it delivered. Living on an island can have its drawbacks.
I'm gonna keep reading this thread before I make a purchase. Like I said I have looked for someone who would want to trade my big Case for a smaller machine. And I'll keep looking for that option too. If I could trade it for a mini excavator with a thumb I would be very happy. But that's not gonna happen.
Thanks,
Eric
Hey Eric, so the Case isn't something you would use much for anything other than backhoe work?
I ask because losing the Case altogether (to trade it for a mini ex) could leave you with a possible void?
We all have different needs though. For myself I mount and use the hoe about 1/15th of the time, mostly use the tractor for other things. mowing, fork lift for firewood totes, grapple/brush removal, and FEL work. But then again I fit a pretty homogenous need/use factor when it comes to a piece of equipment like a tractor.
I look at mini excavators, and really see the way they could substantially improve maybe 25% overall of what I'm doing around the homestead... based on my use patterns. I could even say up to 50% if I stretch it.
2 things:
I can't lose the FEL/mowing/,bucket/forklift capabilities of a tractor, and even though some of those capabilities can be added back to the right sized ex, speed/maneuverability of a tractor isn't something I can move away from.
It's really interesting comparing the functionality of todays very expandable ag tractors or even skid loaders and (excavators to a degree) to the personal computer. They are all the "Swiss Army knives" of their respective genre.
For $600/ month... I'm filling lots of needs here. After 2.5 years behind the wheel, I'm thoroughly impressed with the robustness and variability these machines offer the everyday needs of so many out there.
There are 3 top items for me here.
I wish I would have done this 5, 10, or even 15 years ago.
I'm glad I bought new over used.
The Cab is one of the most enjoyable features other than the backhoe and Grapple I could have ever added.
I'm so very lucky to have made the right choice for me... and at the right time as well! Prices have soared over the last two years, 20% or more over pre-pandemic rates. I doubt they will ever come back down.