Ford 555B Backhoe

xp190 · May 21, 2014

Hi guys

I have an opportunity to get a hold of a Ford 555B backhoe. Currently it belongs to a family friend who has been using it on his property to do a bit of landscaping, and since he's almost done, he told me he will want to get rid of it. I always wanted a backhoe for my property, although I don't have a lot of landscaping to do anymore, I am looking at buying it from him for hobby and a bit of work reasons.

From what I know, the backhoe has been used by the city, had the engine replaced, and came into our family friends possession. He started it up for me, and it cranked right over, no smoke, sounded very nice at idle. He says everything works on it, but the rubber hydraulics lines may need some attention in the future. It's beat up for sure, and looks like was partially painted due to rust, but the working parts of it seemed in good condition overall. I'm not looking to put this thing to heavy duty work, I enjoy restoring machines like that and using them for maintenance, besides, there is never a backhoe around when you need one, all my neighbors agree

I don't know what year it is, he doesn't either, it has a diesel engine (big plus), extend-a-hoe, looks like MFWD, power steering (it leaks a bit), full cabin, it used to have a/c (not that it matters to me) the gauges are broken but it looks like it's around 4K hours or so, and I should be able to fix them right up, tires are decent, cabin was partially restored as it had birds living in it at some point.

I'll post a few pictures. Since I never owned anything like this, and don't have much of an idea as to what to look for when pricing one out, I'd appreciate any pointers and input on what this backhoe is worth. I know he bought it for 10K, and fixed up a few things here and there, he told me to make him an offer.

Appreciate your input guys.

xp

ME83 · May 23, 2014

I am not a Ford expert, so I cannot tell you if there were any common issues with the 555B. The 555B was made in the mid 80s, you can look it up easily online. I can tell you that it is 2wd, not mfwd. As far as price, it depends how worn out it is. The things to check are the pins, if you operate it you can tell by how much play and how smooth it operates. Hydraulic leaks, which are evident if it is parked in one spot for a length of time and by oil dirt buildup in areas. You said it didn't smoke so that is a good sign. I also look at the oil dipstick to see if it smells like diesel or signs of coolant, also look into the radiator. Check each brake and other common items. $10k is a decent price if everything is decent, if very worn and beat then I would say closer to $7k. I would search some of the online heavy equipment forums for any common problems.

RickB · May 23, 2014

Not much grass growing under the swing post. Leaky old girl has been parked right there for a while.

skyhook · May 26, 2014

I noticed a few "score" marks on the swing post cylinder, (they will leak there at that point)
in that condition, I would not pay more than 5K for it (top's), offer him 3K.
Keep in mind, these machines are "heavy" so make sure your property can handle the weight.
Figure on putting 2 grand in it for oil, hoses and possibly a few cylinder repairs. IMO
Drive it and see how it moves, let it run for 1/2 hour, then see if it smokes.

xp190 · May 26, 2014

Thanks a lot guys for the input.

I did some research on this machine and although overall solid, when worn out it loses value quickly and repairs are not all that cheap. Next time I'm up there I'll check oil levels, and see if there is any contamination present. I'll also try to drive it around and see how everything operates. The owner is a reasonable guy and he got this backhoe mostly as a toy, I'll be doing the same really, but I do have some things it would help me a lot with, and I don't want it just sitting around contaminating my property so I will be fixing any leaks I find first.

My property in only 2.5 acres, but I have access to a nice piece of forest that I'm building some trails through, and that's where I will be keeping it.
I'll keep you posted if anything changes, but in the meantime would anyone happen to know if I can find any manuals for this backhoe? They would help a great deal.

Thank you all again

xp