????from the new guy????

[rayray]

looking to purchase my first loader after renting many bobcats. i have located a 2000 nh lx865 but unsure of the total hours on the machine. the now owner says he doesn't know how many hours are on the unit but the hour meter reads around 350 and that the hour meter does work. its a 10 yr old machine i would think it to have more hours than that, his reply was the previous owner may have changed out the hour meter. so can you reset the hour meter or change them out easily? i use the one on my farm tractor for all oil changes and maintenance an accurate hr. reading is important to me as a buyer. it mileage on an auto and hours on a tractor.. thanks in advance

 

[Ambassador of Asphalt]

Have you heard it run? Other then maintenance and billable hours an hour meter is useless. It's a diesel motor. Check out the oil on the dipstick for color, pull the air filter and shake it, wipe your finger on the outside of the oil and fuel filter. If you get enough build up on your fingers from the filters to freak you out stay away. If the oil on the dip stick is more black then coal stay away. If the air filter has dead animals falling out of it stay away. Good luck.

 

[busted_knuckles]

Have you got a picture of it, has it been painted. Ive seen/operated enough small equipment, that by eyeball, can ball park wether to follow up or run. Is it for sale on the interent where we could see it ? Safe to say that it doesnt have 300hrs, although my neighbor just sold his case with under 100hrs on it. It still had the nubs on the tires. So like new machines do come up for sale, but this one, for instance was only a couple years old, and only used "around the house". Ive got a '99 Lx885 model, similar to what your looking at, but mine has a 2 speed and I think the auxillary hydraulics, and maybe some other nick nacks, but othewise the same machine. Im happy with mine, but if I was going to do it again, Id probably buy a 1998 or older, with the "non-emission" engine, they have a different fuel injection pump. Or at least from memory, I believe its 98 or older. The newer lucas/delphi pump, much like newer stuff, is intolerante of moisture in the fuel, and they get a nice used car price to rebuild the pump.
I also would not buy a machine without a 2 speed, but I do allot of "driving" and loading/unloading, not so much digging or stationary work. So it gets allot of "driving time".
If you run that machine, at idle, not moving, there should be no loud pump whine, and only minor pump whine when moving and lifting or working the bucket. I looked at several before buying mine, and the all whined rather loudly, mine is pretty quiet, which had allot to do with buying that particular unit. I was also owned buy a guy that was a mechanical engineer, and it showed.
Hope some of that helps, happy hunting, Bill