Used 1985 843

[TheKnack]

I'm looking at a used 843. Seems to be in good shape; minor dents, dings, surface rust. Fires right up, idles and runs really smoothly, drove very well, bucket and arm worked great. Overall, I'd say it's in great shape. The owner did tell me that there is a hydraulic leak on the left side. He couldn't find the source so he just adds more fluid. Any ideas what this could be? Worst case? I'll be using this on a 1.5 acre bluff lot that has steep hill and lots of trees. I'll be clearing the trees, digging a basement and digging out a driveway. Also, the lot is 1.1 miles from my current house. Is there any reason I shouldn't drive the bobcat from my house to the lot. I'd really rather not leave the bobcat there and I don't have a trailer for the bobcat.

 

[frogfarmer]

My 843 has served me very well and I would purchase another if one was needed. They have excellent drive force and adequate lift capacity. Any machine that age will likely have a leak or had several fixed shouldn't be a big deal. Reservoir is on the left so could be the tank or a number of hoses. If the machine is in good shape a 25 or 30 minute ride back to the house should be fine. I would make sure you warm it up before you put it on the road at full throttle. Basements driveways and small trees are all within its capacity. My unit has the 2.5 Mazda diesel and has proven to be very well matched power wise. Good Luck.

 

[Tazza]

My 843 has served me very well and I would purchase another if one was needed. They have excellent drive force and adequate lift capacity. Any machine that age will likely have a leak or had several fixed shouldn't be a big deal. Reservoir is on the left so could be the tank or a number of hoses. If the machine is in good shape a 25 or 30 minute ride back to the house should be fine. I would make sure you warm it up before you put it on the road at full throttle. Basements driveways and small trees are all within its capacity. My unit has the 2.5 Mazda diesel and has proven to be very well matched power wise. Good Luck.

The only way to find the leak is to give it a good clean, it may take a few washes, but you will eventually find it.
All mechanical machine too, loads of power and simple to work on.

 

[Venom]

The only way to find the leak is to give it a good clean, it may take a few washes, but you will eventually find it.
All mechanical machine too, loads of power and simple to work on.

I have and 843 with the Isuzu diesel. I am very happy with the performance - using it mainly to remove snow and maintain my 5 acre property. I also have a minor hydraulic fluid leak on the auxillary connectors. I add less than a quart every few hours of run time.

 

[Chipperhead]

Greetings Knack: Before I bought my old 743 about 8 years ago, I used to watch others operate them. I just enjoyed watching them run. In all the time I did that, I don't ever recall seeing someone get in a machine and fasten the seat belt. When I got mine I jumped in, pulled the lap bar down and went to work. It didn't take me very long to get the feel of the machine and develop confidence. After that, it didn't take much longer to scare the daylights out of myself. Several times. Maybe you are already an experienced operator. I don't know. But if this is new to you, and especially working with trees on hills... Well, I just thought I'd bring that up. No offense intended. Good day to all, Marty