bobcat 743b worth 7900?

[inthebush]

hey everyone, first real post here and probably the most important one. I'm able to get a 1993 bobcat 743b with 2741 hrs, new tires and a bucket for the sum of 7900.00cad. is it worth it? the machine has never really done much work other than cleaning out stalls. would it fall into the category of fair price/good deal/not worth the money any advice would help thanks

 

[Kermode]

Doesn't sound like too bad of a deal. The new tires are worth a thousand bucks right there.

 

[skid632]

Doesn't sound like too bad of a deal. The new tires are worth a thousand bucks right there.

I would say fair price...Make sure you check it over real good.

 

[inthebush]

I would say fair price...Make sure you check it over real good.

hey thanks for the advice, thought the same about the tires. still open to thoughts about what might need to be checked though. I'll try to go over it the best I can but as with the "used market" you never really know. thanks again

 

[OldMachinist]

hey thanks for the advice, thought the same about the tires. still open to thoughts about what might need to be checked though. I'll try to go over it the best I can but as with the "used market" you never really know. thanks again

Here's a few things to check.
Raise the bucket a about 18" , get out and lift the front edge and see how much play the pivot pins have.
Pull the plug on the front of the chaincase, oil should be level with hole and not milky. If oil is milky it will need to be changed(it holds 8 gals.). If oil is clear but way over full then one or both of the motor seals are leaking.
Check the hydraulic fluid to make sure its clear and isn't foamy after working it.
Lift cab and look for any fresh oil that may be leaking from hoses or the control valve. If everything has been recently cleaned do this after running it.
Drive it up to a solid object like a large tree and see if it will spin the tires in dirt.
If it has a BobTach make sure its working and the bucket will come off.
If they allow do a compression check on the engine. If you can't do that see how easy it starts cold.
Jack the machine up, hold one tire and rotate the other back and forth to see how much play the drive chains have and if both sides are about the same.
Have a look around the axle flanges for leaking axle seals.

 

[inthebush]

Here's a few things to check.
Raise the bucket a about 18" , get out and lift the front edge and see how much play the pivot pins have.
Pull the plug on the front of the chaincase, oil should be level with hole and not milky. If oil is milky it will need to be changed(it holds 8 gals.). If oil is clear but way over full then one or both of the motor seals are leaking.
Check the hydraulic fluid to make sure its clear and isn't foamy after working it.
Lift cab and look for any fresh oil that may be leaking from hoses or the control valve. If everything has been recently cleaned do this after running it.
Drive it up to a solid object like a large tree and see if it will spin the tires in dirt.
If it has a BobTach make sure its working and the bucket will come off.
If they allow do a compression check on the engine. If you can't do that see how easy it starts cold.
Jack the machine up, hold one tire and rotate the other back and forth to see how much play the drive chains have and if both sides are about the same.
Have a look around the axle flanges for leaking axle seals.

Old Machinist, you my friend are the man!!! thank you for the great list. Wouldn't have thought about a couple of those until it would have been probably too late. This is a great service you guys provide. THANKS

 

[skid632]

Old Machinist, you my friend are the man!!! thank you for the great list. Wouldn't have thought about a couple of those until it would have been probably too late. This is a great service you guys provide. THANKS

Old Machinist...Where were you when I bought mine!!! LOL!! Great tips!! I love my skid!! Can't be without one ever again!!

 

[bobbie-g]

Old Machinist...Where were you when I bought mine!!! LOL!! Great tips!! I love my skid!! Can't be without one ever again!!

Good list, Old Machinist! I just bought an 863, had a dealer run through most everything on OM's list, plus a couple others. I had them check the aux hydraulics pressure and flow, and make sure all zerks took grease (I think there should be 12 on the 743). The zerk on either side that lube the bobtach pins are almost hidden. Check the lift arms as they come down and contact the stops to see if the arms are twisted (the sides should bottom out at almost the same time). Lift the arms up a bit near a visual reference point, then wait 2-3 minutes to see if they drift down. Same with the bucket, see if it droops down in a few minutes. Does it creep when it's idling (probably not a big deal, but something to check). Pull the air filters and look for dust on the innermost parts past the filters - if it's dusty, this is a really bad sign (don't ask me how I know this), but it'll probably have compression in the 300psi range (too low) or worse. When you have the cab lifted (remove the 3/4" nuts on either side of the cab, just forward of your knees), look for about 5" of dirt below the hydraulic lines in the bottom of the central compartment. If the hyd fittings are sitting in wet dirt, they'll be rusted and really tough to loosen up if you ever have to work on them. Just my ideas. I usually buy someone else's problems, and I'm a slow learner: I've gleaned these ideas from my poor judgement. ---RC

 

[inthebush]

Good list, Old Machinist! I just bought an 863, had a dealer run through most everything on OM's list, plus a couple others. I had them check the aux hydraulics pressure and flow, and make sure all zerks took grease (I think there should be 12 on the 743). The zerk on either side that lube the bobtach pins are almost hidden. Check the lift arms as they come down and contact the stops to see if the arms are twisted (the sides should bottom out at almost the same time). Lift the arms up a bit near a visual reference point, then wait 2-3 minutes to see if they drift down. Same with the bucket, see if it droops down in a few minutes. Does it creep when it's idling (probably not a big deal, but something to check). Pull the air filters and look for dust on the innermost parts past the filters - if it's dusty, this is a really bad sign (don't ask me how I know this), but it'll probably have compression in the 300psi range (too low) or worse. When you have the cab lifted (remove the 3/4" nuts on either side of the cab, just forward of your knees), look for about 5" of dirt below the hydraulic lines in the bottom of the central compartment. If the hyd fittings are sitting in wet dirt, they'll be rusted and really tough to loosen up if you ever have to work on them. Just my ideas. I usually buy someone else's problems, and I'm a slow learner: I've gleaned these ideas from my poor judgement. ---RC

Bobbie-g, thank you. Once again many a thing I wouldn't have thought of when I should of.

 

[newy1234]

Bobbie-g, thank you. Once again many a thing I wouldn't have thought of when I should of.

Which part of the world are you in?

 

[inthebush]

Which part of the world are you in?

I'm in Ontario, Canada.

 

[newy1234]

I'm in Ontario, Canada.

Ok, no probs. If you were in Aussie you would be looking at 10 to 11K.