Purchased 1984 Ford 555A 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.

 

[Billrog]

You'll have fun with that machine Richard good price and with a few bucks it will dig all the holes you'll ever need. I sure envy the nice shop you have to work on it in.

 

[TripleR]

Very nice Richard, "we" (Sam worked-I "supervised") a much older ratty back hoe back in the mid 90s as we were setting two modular homes and mine was being built. That ting sure paid for itself and now sitting in a shed beyond resurrection. We still talk about doing one like yours, but you know how that goes. Our neighbor has an excavator and nice back hoe, but I just cn't bring myself to borrow stuff.

 

[ovrszd]

You'll have fun with that machine Richard good price and with a few bucks it will dig all the holes you'll ever need. I sure envy the nice shop you have to work on it in.

Thanks Bill. I am truly Blessed.

 

[ovrszd]

Very nice Richard, "we" (Sam worked-I "supervised") a much older ratty back hoe back in the mid 90s as we were setting two modular homes and mine was being built. That ting sure paid for itself and now sitting in a shed beyond resurrection. We still talk about doing one like yours, but you know how that goes. Our neighbor has an excavator and nice back hoe, but I just cn't bring myself to borrow stuff.

I'm with you Larry. I have been borrowing a 3pt hoe mounted to a 4240 JD for the last 3 years. I've spent $1000 repairing the hoe. If it breaks under my use, I fix it. Have an opportunity to buy the hoe. But now realize how much stress they put on a tractor. Can't do that to the M9540. So this was the alternative. Hoping it works out okay. I'm considering building a house at the farm property. If I do that this hoe will earn it's keep quickly.

 

[MoPops]

I put in a septic tank last summer. I ended up renting a backhoe, and luckily my neighbor volunteered to run it. My dad used to tell me I could break an anvil with a ballpeen hammer. Your new backhoe looks good Richard. Looks to me like it's got a lot of life left in it. (As long as you don't loan it to someone like me. )
Looking forward to your house construction adventure. If, you decide to build.

 

[fried1765]

Thanks Bill. I am truly Blessed.

There is NOTHIN like a hoe!
I bought my Ford (a 48HP cemetery machine with 10' hoe) 31 years ago.
It was 16 years old.
Now has 1850 hours, and was refurbished 2 years ago.
It has always been for my personal use only.
We are both gettin old, and the hoe is in better condition than I am!
The hoe is now 47, I am now 77.
Never givin up my hoe!

 

[deranged]

What’s your rental rate for that fine looking machine?

 

[oldballs]

Richard, that looks like a good machine for the money... to me that is. And it must have looked that good to you. But darn it, your toys are bigger than my toys.

 

[TripleR]

Richard if you are building a house that will more than pay for itself. If our situation wasn't so scarce on time, we would do one; maybe someday. I want a dedicated machine rather than get one for one of our tractors.