Advice on buying a 440 ICD?

[michaelkittrell]

I know basically nothing about tractors, loaders, backhoes etc other than what I've read on the internet.

I'm finalizing a deal to buy a 440 ICD for $2,500 that used to have a hoe on it (before it was stolen) and would like advice. I have .75 acres that i want to put a cement block fence up around (750 lf, 7' tall so I will be moving 3500 lb pallets of block). Plus I need to regrade near the house. I will also be planning on building a 50x50 shop / house extension so I need to dig out a foundation and move a lot of gravel. Plus I may regrade the back half of the driveway since it slopes back towards the house.

It seems to run fine (he was at full throttle the whole time though but I believe thats normal no?). Not smoky, the rams look straight and unpitted. There was some oil on one of the rams so there may be a leak there. There is some re-welds on the left arm near the seat (a tree fell on it) 5 years ago. The bucket fully elevated held position for at least 10m. Much later after he did some stuff, he put it up again but it started slipping down (no idea why, maybe it wasn't fully closed off or maybe it leaks after use I assume this was fine since the first test held).

Its been converted to 12v and I think he said the carb and engine had been rebuilt. A lot of the engineish parts have been rebuilt. The tracks and sprockets look good with lots of life and the central bar on the outside front (which I assume is the tensioner, goes 3-4" past the slide).

He ran it for 16 hours straight 2 weeks ago moving gravel and landscaping so theoretically it has been worked hard in the recent past. He scraped 6" of soft AZ dirt for me and well there isn't anything to say about that.

He is selling it because his GF's that he's moving in with their HOA won't allow him to have it. My spidey senses say he's genuine and trustworthy and motivated. It's been in his family for 50 years.

I would like to put a backhoe on it at a later date. It used to have one (and was stolen while they were making fire breaks on a mountain) so I assume it can handle it and they weren't just being easy on it.

Also he thought it weighed 4k... but I assume it weighs closer to 10k based on my reading. Yes the fact he doesn't know the weight accurately is somewhat concerning, but he told me about all the parts he rebuilt on it and had print outs from where he ordered parts etc. I know enough about engines I know he wasn't making it (all) up.

Any advice on the purchase or my intended uses would be appreciated. I'm not renting, I have a day job and I'm not going to pay $400 a day to rent something and then not be able to quit when I get tired because I still have hours on the meter. If I end up with 5k into it after 3 years due to repairs, I think that'll be fine.

Intend to pick it up tomorrow night / Sunday (9/25/2015)


Also there is a Ditch Witch model R60 with a backhoe attachment that I was thinking of buying for $1k and trying to have it fabbed to fit. The witch itself is junk, but the backhoe is theoretically good. Going to look at it today, but I assume the hoses will all need replaced and it'll cost me $300 - 400 to have a plate fabbed.

Thanks in advance.

michael

[jtrichard]

FIRST thing a 440 ICD is a diesel you talked about a carb???? Ditch Witch hoe should work out fine for a 440

[michaelkittrell]

Thanks for the reply.

I guess I don't know that much about engines.

I went and looked at that backhoe. Its a ditchwitch A210. It looks like a never ending disaster to me starting with loading. He cut the trencher off so now its front heavy (ie tips over). It doesn't run and now it won't roll because 2 of the tires popped when he aired them up. The control levers are all on the far right so you'd basically have to get off in order to access them. The hoses need to be replaced, but the rams look good.

The mounting I really don't know about, the hoe is integrated with what is basically a fill/blade and its huge and heavy. I like the size of the hoe (sans blade), but I don't know if its worth $1,000 + all new hoses + the fab work. I'm thinking a pristine 3pt hoe for $2,500 is a better buy

[shinnery]

It is 440 Industrial Crawler Diesel (ICD) and they were 12 volt from birth. A 440IC may have been 6 volt when new?
Bryce

[pop pop]

welcome to the board Michael. we're relatively close.
i dont think you'll go wrong at 2500.
as for a hoe, many hoes can be fitted to work.