# Oh crap . Maybe another wabbit hole to dig .



## mmcmdl (Apr 1, 2021)

Case 580 loader backhoe .






Not exactly sure what it needs , but my brother says his friend wants it gone .


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## Aukai (Apr 1, 2021)

Oh Lord....I thought you were in the basement...


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## Eddyde (Apr 1, 2021)

Get it!


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## RJSakowski (Apr 1, 2021)

So many tools, so little time!


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## Papa Charlie (Apr 1, 2021)

I would love to come across a Case 580 like you are describing. 

My vote is go for it!


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## rabler (Apr 1, 2021)

Grab it.  And keep an eye out for forks you can use, damn handy around a shop or anyplace


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## Papa Charlie (Apr 1, 2021)

One of my friends has converted his Case loader to universal attachment system. You can buy kits for most models. Now he can buy any attachment that you would use on a Skid Steer and change them out with one locking lever. Really slick upgrade for an old tractor.


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## tjb (Apr 1, 2021)

I have a Case 480.  Bought it used about 20 years ago.  It's been a GREAT piece of equipment.  Other than normal maintenance and rebuilding a couple of hydraulic cylinders, I've had zero issues with it.  It's a real workhorse.

Regards,
Terry


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## mmcmdl (Apr 1, 2021)

Off subject , but myself and my boss caught them in a little white lie this morning . I have witneeses now .


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## BGHansen (Apr 1, 2021)

I have a 580C, really nice digging machine.  Nice to be able to punch a 10' x 10' x 10' hole in about 10 minutes, then make stuff disappear.  Or bury a 250-gallon plastic chemical tank next to the shop with 20' of drain for a <$300 septic system.  If you pick it up, make sure you don't get a trailer or you're going to start getting calls like, "Hey buddy, can you help me out?".  Ask me how I know. . .

Bruce


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## Papa Charlie (Apr 1, 2021)

BGHansen said:


> I have a 580C, really nice digging machine.  Nice to be able to punch a 10' x 10' x 10' hole in about 10 minutes, then make stuff disappear.  Or bury a 250-gallon plastic chemical tank next to the shop with 20' of drain for a <$300 septic system.  If you pick it up, make sure you don't get a trailer or you're going to start getting calls like, "Hey buddy, can you help me out?".  Ask me how I know. . .
> 
> Bruce


I had a buddy that went though that. Eventually, he started a little side business doing work. He added some additional equipment and that led to him leaving his regular job and now he does it full time. Works for about 8 months a year and then takes the winter off.


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## rabler (Apr 1, 2021)

Papa Charlie said:


> I had a buddy that went though that. Eventually, he started a little side business doing work. He added some additional equipment and that led to him leaving his regular job and now he does it full time. Works for about 8 months a year and then takes the winter off.


Yeah, you just need to be careful about the DOT.  Not sure how much that Case weighs.  As soon as it becomes something for hire, any trailer over 10,000lbs gross weight is CDL territory.  I have a 21K gooseneck and a 14000lb excavator.  I can haul them around for my own personal use or for "farm use", but if someone is paying me I'd be nailed on a DOT check.  At least that's the excuse I use when friends ask


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## Eddyde (Apr 1, 2021)

Just imagine the look on your neighbors face when he tries to show off his new Kubota and you roll out in that piece of gear!


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## BGHansen (Apr 1, 2021)

rabler said:


> Yeah, you just need to be careful about the DOT.  Not sure how much that Case weighs.  As soon as it becomes something for hire, any trailer over 10,000lbs gross weight is CDL territory.  I have a 21K gooseneck and a 14000lb excavator.  I can haul them around for my own personal use or for "farm use", but if someone is paying me I'd be nailed on a DOT check.  At least that's the excuse I use when friends ask


The manual on my 580C says it weighs 14,000 lbs.  Mine has a 24" backhoe bucket, full ROPS cab, no extend-a-hoe.


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## Papa Charlie (Apr 1, 2021)

rabler said:


> Yeah, you just need to be careful about the DOT.  Not sure how much that Case weighs.  As soon as it becomes something for hire, any trailer over 10,000lbs gross weight is CDL territory.  I have a 21K gooseneck and a 14000lb excavator.  I can haul them around for my own personal use or for "farm use", but if someone is paying me I'd be nailed on a DOT check.  At least that's the excuse I use when friends ask



My friend actually started with a Ford Tractor with a loader on it and box blade for the 3 point. He used his pickup and trailer to go from job to job cleaning up driveways and the ditches along side them. Any rock he had delivered by the quarries. Eventually he moved up to a Case 580, which also led to his buying a larger equipment trailer and his own dump truck. Now he has a nice Kubota escalator and a Cat dozer. Not sure of the size of the dozer. 

You are right though, as he grew the legal compliance list grew as well. I can tell you this, going from a gentlemen rancher with an IT job to doing earth work, he is a much happier individual. 

I am glad for him. One of those type of people that will do anything for someone.


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## Norseman C.B. (Apr 2, 2021)

I sold my 680CK last year , kinda miss it but it was just too much machine for me to
justify keeping it.


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## Papa Charlie (Apr 2, 2021)

Norseman C.B. said:


> I sold my 680CK last year , kinda miss it but it was just too much machine for me to
> justify keeping it.



In looking to our future retirement home on acreage, I am torn between a Case backhoe and a tractor with loader that I can connect a brush hog to the 3pt hitch. 

Had a friend that converted his case to quick change bucket and uses a brush cutter that would normally fit on a skid steer, but he admits it isn't the easiest to operate and the Case is a little big for the application of working around the property.


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## rabler (Apr 2, 2021)

Papa Charlie said:


> In looking to our future retirement home on acreage, I am torn between a Case backhoe and a tractor with loader that I can connect a brush hog to the 3pt hitch.
> 
> Had a friend that converted his case to quick change bucket and uses a brush cutter that would normally fit on a skid steer, but he admits it isn't the easiest to operate and the Case is a little big for the application of working around the property.


About 40 acres.  I ended up with the tractor w/ loader plus an excavator.   Fairly good FWD size tractor (85HP).  I can hook a 8 ft brush hog, manure spreader, or a tiller, a 3pt hitch to move the gooseneck trailers, fertilizer spreader, drag blade, .....  Bought a smaller backhoe (45hp) to go with it, didn't like it, traded that for the excavator.  Obviously more $$ and maintenance time for two machines.


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## Papa Charlie (Apr 2, 2021)

rabler said:


> About 40 acres.  I ended up with the tractor w/ loader plus an excavator.   Fairly good FWD size tractor (85HP).  I can hook a 8 ft brush hog, manure spreader, or a tiller, a 3pt hitch to move the gooseneck trailers, fertilizer spreader, drag blade, .....  Bought a smaller backhoe (45hp) to go with it, didn't like it, traded that for the excavator.  Obviously more $$ and maintenance time for two machines.



Would love to have an excavator and a tractor, but I am looking at about 5 acres in comparison. More would be nice, but more than 10 will not be in the cards. Most of the land will be in trees not fields/pasture. Expecting, hoping for a long gravel (private) driveway. So maintenance will be on road and the acreage.

Won't be able to afford $25k for an excavator. But maybe will find a project that fits. Who knows. Many years ago, I was a heavy equipment mechanic before I moved into the office.


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## rabler (Apr 2, 2021)

Papa Charlie said:


> Would love to have an excavator and a tractor, but I am looking at about 5 acres in comparison. More would be nice, but more than 10 will not be in the cards. Most of the land will be in trees not fields/pasture. Expecting, hoping for a long gravel (private) driveway. So maintenance will be on road and the acreage.
> 
> Won't be able to afford $25k for an excavator. But maybe will find a project that fits. Who knows. Many years ago, I was a heavy equipment mechanic before I moved into the office.


There are small loader-tractors that have a 3 pt hitch plus a frame to mount a backhoe.  That's how the one I traded out was set up.  Compromise solution, but if you only need to dig occasionally, it does the job.  Or buy the regular backhoe plus a zero-turn mower?


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## mmcmdl (Jan 28, 2022)

This subject came back up today with a phone call from my brother . If I could move it , I could have it . I'm not sure about this one though , not a lathe or mill you can just throw on a trailer and jam it in the garage . I would like to look at it and talk to the guy first as to what is wrong with it . I know he's up there in age and wanting to sell his place soon . IDK , if this followed me home , me and the dogs would most likely be looking for new places to sleep . The wife wants no more projects for me , unless they're her projects .


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## rabler (Jan 28, 2022)

mmcmdl said:


> This subject came back up today with a phone call from my brother . If I could move it , I could have it . I'm not sure about this one though , not a lathe or mill you can just throw on a trailer and jam it in the garage . I would like to look at it and talk to the guy first as to what is wrong with it . I know he's up there in age and wanting to sell his place soon . IDK , if this followed me home , me and the dogs would most likely be looking for new places to sleep . The wife wants no more projects for me , unless they're her projects .


But you need something to get your mind off the taste of beer.

That is pretty much how I ended up with a backhoe, which got trade off for an excavator.


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## Alcap (Jan 28, 2022)

You might want to look at , though take off any “ rose colored glasses “ when you do , like I listen to that lol . It might be a cream puff machine that was stored inside .  You seem like you would be able to do any repairs but old hoses to be replaced add up quick unless you have access to them cheap . We had an old. 580 or 590K at work for the line school students I think it was a 1994 . A few seeping cylinders aren’t too bad even to rebuild you should be able to do yourself Parts from what I’ve found for that were still easy to get right from Case . Good Luck !


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## Aukai (Jan 28, 2022)

Who said that the dogs would follow


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## mmcmdl (Jan 28, 2022)

The hoses don't scare me as I have the full set of Weatherhead crimp dies and connections . It's the size of this monster , and I'm already out of space . If I could haul it up to New York it wouldn't be an issue .


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## Alcap (Jan 28, 2022)

Know what you mean by getting it hauled being maybe an issue . The neighbor built his house last year , after the foundation was in he still needed much grading  , his FIL has a machine like the size your looking at ,  he didn’t know anyone personally that he could make a deal without get it here  . Even though it was around 15 miles away he was getting quotes of a grand each way !!! It would have been nice having it but he found a guy who did excavating and masonry on the side that had a good size skid steer . I don’t think he would have saved much especially if he was using his FIL machine and something broke . I went over with the little Kubota to do little things .


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