Toolslinger wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2024 8:35 am Huh... And just like that, a NOS unit hit my Ebay search...
Should have it in hand in a week or two.
That factory paint is going to look out of place on this tired old warrior...
On a lark, I checked to see if I could get the plastic spacer that is associated with it, and to my absolute amazement it too was available. I would suspect that failed at some point due to age, and the use of a hydraulic breaker on the machine. It was never replaced, and with that line loose, either a branch got under it, or the hose got caught on something and pulled it back. Ordered one of those as well. The associated hose clamp that supports it all is not an issue, I've got those (just not painted a pretty yellow).
Next up is figuring out the backhoe bucket mess. The 12" that is mounted is not a JD unit. I really wouldn't care, except it wobbles around on the pins enough that it might become an issue. Also, when they put the mounting ears on (it was a QD unit) they got some geometry wrong, and the bucket can't curl in as far as it should. I'm not loading dump trucks, so that doesn't matter, but that also means the teeth can hit the boom bottom, and that isn't right. It's in good shape otherwise, so I imagine I will add some bushings to fix the wobble, and keep it for small trenching.
The 24" bucket is beat pretty bad. I expect that was on the machine for the majority of it's life when not running a breaker. The two outer shanks are worn down to nubs, and will not hold a tooth. I had the same on the 646 buckets, but my welding can hold up to that machine. I don't think I could get a tooth to stay on either of these via weld. So, either I have to do shanks, and likely the cutting edge, as well as possibly some patching on the sheet metal, or I have to pick up another 24". My feeling is the 24" is what I'd want to have on for most applications, and since I have to have the specs on hand before I order the Amulet HoeClamp, making those decisions is going to be high on the list as I'd really like to get that thumb on there to deal with another project in the near term rather than years down the road.
The 36" bucket also has badly worn shanks, and cutting edge. I might just cut the shanks off, and put a straight edge on there. If I ever use a 36", it would be to do some dredging in the ponds. I don't need teeth for that operation, and probably would be better off without to keep a smooth bottom. The machine really isn't heavy enough to be digging with a 36 unless it was silt, sand, or loose gravel. I have silt in the ponds, but everything else here is rock, and high clay content. Smaller buckets will work, just take a little longer. 36 is at the bottom of the list, and will likely just get set in the woodline for a future year.
Finally will need to get some more hydraulic lines for the loader. I should have pulled them with the last batch, but I was thinking of a quick turnaround then. They're a little harder to get to, and in a horribly filthy area under the machine. I had hoped to powerwash it, and then get after them, but the delay in hoses means the water lines out to the fields have been drained, and winterized. I don't want to wash this thing right in front of the house, so I either have to haul a tank of water out to a field on a nice day, or wait on that until spring comes around in lateish April when I turn on the water.
Finding that NOS line was lucky. I was surprised at what you can still get from John Deere as well. I couldn’t believe they still had the wood pitman are for my sickle mower from the 1950s! Although I think It’s probably about the last one around.
Sounds like that backhoe has done a heck of a lot of work in its life. My 648 came with 3 buckets as well. None of them show much wear. It spent most of its life digging for swimming pools so I bet it was a lot of fairy easy digging.