Comments on a 580 CK?

[W8KT]

I am thinking of purchasing this hoe. The owner doesn't know the year, but says it is a 580CK. Any comments or infor would be appreciated.

Bob

 

[W8KT]

New starter and 50% tires. Says it has no leaks and runs well.

Did they make a 580CK back then? I am confused by the Case model number system.

It has a 4 n 1 bucket that I would like to have for the land clearing I want to do. How much value does this add?

It has a 4 speed transmission, is this the one I want?

 

[youngoperator]

case did make a 580 CK from i think 1970 to 1975 i own a 74 580 CK( but no backhoe). they are a good solid backhoe. Yup they are a 4 speed with high and low range. From the pics it looks like the hoe is in good shape

 

[willie59]

is this the one I want?

Well, that's kinda' hard for us to say as you haven't told us "what you want". It's an old machine. I believe the CK was produced from the mid 1960's up through the '70s. Are you going to use it every day? I wouldn't. Occasional/personal use, yes, if the price is good. Don't ask me what a good price is, I have no idea. For occasional/personal use; if it starts/runs good, leaks are minimal, and can lift itself off the ground with front loader and backhoe, probably a decent buy. The bucket on the backhoe seems large for this size hoe. If your going to do "hard digging", your going to have to buy a smaller bucket. Remember this, though; being a "vintage machine", there will be repairs needed on various components, much more than a newer machine. If your OK with this and the price is good, have at it.

 

[TD-5]

W8, the 580Ck was the beginning of the series,1966 to 1971. I believe the backhoe is a model 32 or 33. i have the next one up a 1973 580B with the model 35 hoe. It was beat half way to death when I bought it, but I cant complain, It has done better than 500 hours work for us around the ranch. I have rebuilt much of the machine over the last year & half... swing tower, all cylinders, rad, water pump, front seal, brakes etc & unfortunately parts prices continue upward, but I still figure I'm ahead. I have been very fortunate as my machine has the shuttle transmission & it is very strong & given me no grief.... Knock on wood. These old 580's also had brakes that were less that great even when new, so don't expect to much in that department. The 4/1 bucket is a desirable option.
Try this site for serial info & aftermarket parts available
http://www.equipmentpartssource.com/onlinestore/580_series_serial_number_guide.htm

 

[W8KT]

I am looking for a hoe to work around my farm. I have a couple of old fence rows to take out and three old sheds to tear down. I need to dig a couple of nine by nine by six foot deep tower base holes for my other hobby amateur radio. I don't expect to work it every day but I do want something fairly reliable with reasonable parts availability.

My budget isn't much as I am a hobby farmer by todays ( or anydays)standards. I have looked at several pieces recently and most "owners" have just bought the machine at auction or sale. I would prefer to purchase something that someone has owned and operated for a while to get a better feel for the machine. Granted a sellers story is always bright and sunny, but a totally unknown machine is not what I am looking for. This machine has been in the same hands for over five years. Not alot, but something.

I realize the bucket is large and plan to put something smaller on for my use. The larger bucket may come in handy for keeping the saplings off the creek banks though. I have a large poulation of Locust rees in the area and it is a job to keep them under control. More than half of my property is bordered by creek.

I thought the 4 n 1 would be a help to me as I live alone and it would be nice not to jump in and out to chain materials for moving.

I have International tractors and looked at some International backhoes, but could not find much on the net or by talking to people. This to me means hard to find parts and extra downtime. It would seem that case parts are more plentiful and somewhat easier to find than other brands.

Comments welcome!

 

[accumac]

W8KT, It looks like a lot of blue smoke in the exhaust, I would be concerned about it being an oil burner. Burning a little oil isn't too bad, an older engine could be getting just good lubrication, however, I would be concerned about compression and cold starting. The blue smoke could be oil seeping past weak piston rings, so they might not hold the compression either. If it needs either to cold start then it could be a problem for you, if it always needs either to start then there is an overhaul in the future. Did he have it running or warmed up when you got there? Try to do a cold start and see how it starts for you.
The 4 in 1 clam bucket is very useful but they will exert more stress on the loader frame, and front axle pins and bushings. Watch for weld repairs or cracks especially around the cross bar in front of the front grill. Also look for repairs or cracks around the loader tower where the arms mount to the loader tower. The front axle spindles can also have a lot of play and may need re-pinned to keep the steering tight.
I have finished 1/2 of my article on my website about what I look for when I am inspecting loader backhoes you might find it helpful.
http://accuratemachinery.com/stories/Story.2006-06-11.3145
You will also find an article that I wrote about diesel engines that might help as well.
One more thing, values are way down, I don't know what you are paying for this backhoe but you might want to check the auction results of late, the later model machines values are way down from just 6 months ago. Accumac.

 

[willie59]

I am looking for a hoe to work around my farm. I have a couple of old fence rows to take out and three old sheds to tear down. I need to dig a couple of nine by nine by six foot deep tower base holes for my other hobby amateur radio. I don't expect to work it every day but I do want something fairly reliable with reasonable parts availability.

My budget isn't much as I am a hobby farmer by todays ( or anydays)standards. I have looked at several pieces recently and most "owners" have just bought the machine at auction or sale. I would prefer to purchase something that someone has owned and operated for a while to get a better feel for the machine. Granted a sellers story is always bright and sunny, but a totally unknown machine is not what I am looking for. This machine has been in the same hands for over five years. Not alot, but something.

I realize the bucket is large and plan to put something smaller on for my use. The larger bucket may come in handy for keeping the saplings off the creek banks though. I have a large poulation of Locust rees in the area and it is a job to keep them under control. More than half of my property is bordered by creek.

I thought the 4 n 1 would be a help to me as I live alone and it would be nice not to jump in and out to chain materials for moving.

I have International tractors and looked at some International backhoes, but could not find much on the net or by talking to people. This to me means hard to find parts and extra downtime. It would seem that case parts are more plentiful and somewhat easier to find than other brands.

Comments welcome!

It sounds like this machine would fit your needs. And, yes, it probably would be a good idea to have two different size digging buckets for different digging applications. And your right about the parts; in my humble opinion, Case has a top notch parts system. A machine this old is going to need some parts. And I would look closely at the engine like accumac said, rebuilding get's expensive.

 

[Jerry]

Case Serial # to year conversion is available here:
http://www.equipmentpartssource.com/onlinestore/serial_number_guide_index.htm

 

[coopers]

Wow, don't see the CK's around too much. That is an old machine. These were the earlier models as someone mentioned because they came out before the B's.

 

[W8KT]

Well, the CK turned out to be a dud. The owners description of good maintenance and mine did not match. It had a major repair on the loader frame and the entire frame was tweeked to one side. You had that one nailed Accumac! The hydraulics seemed weak also.

SO, there a couple of JD's not too far away. There is a 300 and a 310 I may go have a look at them later this week. I like the looks of the 310, but I have never seen one in person. The weights listed on the net have me thinking it might be a little big for my use.

Thanks for all the comments!! This is a good forum!!

 

[willie59]

Well, the CK turned out to be a dud. The owners description of good maintenance and mine did not match. It had a major repair on the loader frame and the entire frame was tweeked to one side. You had that one nailed Accumac! The hydraulics seemed weak also.

SO, there a couple of JD's not too far away. There is a 300 and a 310 I may go have a look at them later this week. I like the looks of the 310, but I have never seen one in person. The weights listed on the net have me thinking it might be a little big for my use.

Thanks for all the comments!! This is a good forum!!

Hey, you did the smart thing. Keep looking, there's plenty of equipment out there right now. But that Case CK is about as light as it gets in a loader/backhoe. Anything else you look at is either going to be much smaller (like a Terramite), or a heavier hoe than the Case CK. I'd take an old Deere 310 in a heartbeat, like a C model. Or even a Case 580D in decent shape (I'll admit I'm a little partial to Case). But they are going to be heavier. But, heavy is good when your digging. Keep looking and send us some pics of the next prospect.

 

[samk]

you were bang on. i made the mistake of buying someones problems and am still paying for it sam

 

[skidoomanott]

what year?

By looking at the picture, can anyone help me figure out what year this is? Thanks

 

[accumac]

If it is a 430ck or 530 ck, Case made them from 1962 to 1966, the 480 and 580 from 1966 to 1971, the 480B and 580B from 1971 to 1976. I think it will fall into one of those models, not positive. Hope that helps. Ken

 

[skidoomanott]

580 construction king

The decals have been painted over but it is definitely a 580 construction king. When looking for a manual, do I have to be specific to year and/or model? Thanks It is what I believe to be a 188 diesel.

 

[accumac]

Case called their machines construction king for many years, my s/n guide says the 580, 580B and 580CK all used the 188D engine, that spans 1966 to 1976. you should try to find the s/n, sometimes when Case added a cab it covered the s/n plate. Located on the left front panel beside the steering column. Newer Cases have the s/n stamped in the frame just under the left side floor board. Not sure about the model you have. Ken

 

[MMH]

Nice post - helpful to me as I am in the market for a 530/580 machine.