Looking at LX865 Turbo. Approx value? Known problems?

[Arby]

Hi, I may have a chance to buy a LX865 Turbo for around $5000. Supposedly, it has a little more than 1600 hours...but it looks fairly rough in the photos (I have not seen it in person). The tires look mostly bald and it has no bucket. I grew up driving tractors and loaders on our family farm. Never operated a skid steer though and know very little about them. I'm just a homeowner, building on 1 acre and would like to use it in the construction of my house, moving rocks, and general landscaping type projects. Wouldn't be used heavily or often. Might even sell it after construction is done. Budget is tight. As far as skid steers go, is this a model worth considering for around $5000...considering the balding tires and no bucket? Is it a reliable machine...or does it have known issues? Thanks, Arby

 

[tech.35058]

hi Arby ... i just happen to own an LX865. i "bought it broke" , running, but with hydraulic valve problems. also has worn out & weather cracked tires.it came with general purpose bucket, pallet forks & grapple bucket. i paid $7000. after i got to know the machine, i realized what a rag it is. i work'ed on engines in a heavy equipment dealership, got one of the hydraulic shop guys to cleanup the valve issue for me. that was free. then i blew the seals in the tilt cylinders, so i resealed all of them. the parts were $300, with me doing the work. the pumps are currently leaking past the shaft seals, which the seal kits i think were $300 each. if i just hired it all done, probably a $5 to $7k job. but fortunatly, before i retired, i got kicked out of the engine shop into the hydraulic pump shop. its pretty scary tho, so many times the customer would send his pumps in for a re-seal, h they would be disintegrated inside. this machine has a lift capacity of 2000-2500 lbs. with pallet forks, it will handle a lot. but, it is really too big for yard work. i was forever backing into stuff in my yard. the key words here are "it looks rough", well it probably is rough. its 25 years old, and you will probably be rebuilding it, a little at a time. are you prepared for this? attachments, bucket, pallet forks generally start at $400 to $600 each, more if it has hydraulics to it . if you have to pay labor for repairs, expect $100/hour. this machine has an "(electronic/computerised )" instrument panel which can be replaced($800?) but generally not repaired. this computer is required for the machine to operate. there is a rocker switch on the righthand side near the roof labeled "run/service" i think. be sure to check it out in "run mode". "service mode" by passes a lot of stuff.

 

[Arby]

hi Arby ... i just happen to own an LX865. i "bought it broke" , running, but with hydraulic valve problems. also has worn out & weather cracked tires.it came with general purpose bucket, pallet forks & grapple bucket. i paid $7000. after i got to know the machine, i realized what a rag it is. i work'ed on engines in a heavy equipment dealership, got one of the hydraulic shop guys to cleanup the valve issue for me. that was free. then i blew the seals in the tilt cylinders, so i resealed all of them. the parts were $300, with me doing the work. the pumps are currently leaking past the shaft seals, which the seal kits i think were $300 each. if i just hired it all done, probably a $5 to $7k job. but fortunatly, before i retired, i got kicked out of the engine shop into the hydraulic pump shop. its pretty scary tho, so many times the customer would send his pumps in for a re-seal, h they would be disintegrated inside. this machine has a lift capacity of 2000-2500 lbs. with pallet forks, it will handle a lot. but, it is really too big for yard work. i was forever backing into stuff in my yard. the key words here are "it looks rough", well it probably is rough. its 25 years old, and you will probably be rebuilding it, a little at a time. are you prepared for this? attachments, bucket, pallet forks generally start at $400 to $600 each, more if it has hydraulics to it . if you have to pay labor for repairs, expect $100/hour. this machine has an "(electronic/computerised )" instrument panel which can be replaced($800?) but generally not repaired. this computer is required for the machine to operate. there is a rocker switch on the righthand side near the roof labeled "run/service" i think. be sure to check it out in "run mode". "service mode" by passes a lot of stuff.

Thanks for the info! After posting, I ended up getting in touch with the owner. He didn't instill a lot confidence in me. I then took a peek at it in person and it was even rougher than what it looked like in the pics I saw. I then called the local implement dealer who wanted $1400 for a bucket. That was pretty much enough for me to stop considering it. I watched the auction for a bit after and the last time I checked, it was bid up to $7000+. Glad I didn't get it.

 

[mrbb]

Thanks for the info! After posting, I ended up getting in touch with the owner. He didn't instill a lot confidence in me. I then took a peek at it in person and it was even rougher than what it looked like in the pics I saw. I then called the local implement dealer who wanted $1400 for a bucket. That was pretty much enough for me to stop considering it. I watched the auction for a bit after and the last time I checked, it was bid up to $7000+. Glad I didn't get it.

well just to add any machine can have issues and be a money pit but I also own a LX 865 ,a 1999 yr model one and its been a pretty solid machine, , lots of power, pretty stable on slopes and over all very happy with it the hour meter stopped working on it at about 1500 hours, so, I think this is a common issue with this model, as a few others I know with them, also had meter stop or start working oddly! so them hours showing might be wrong and why it looks as bad as it does a 1500 hour machine really shouldn;'t be beat up all that bad even if older unless used or should say abused for them hours and in that case any make model abused will need more to fix up and possibly be a problem for ever with repairs from the damages the abuse did as time passes and they show up! BUT IMO< there is nothing wrong with the LX 865 , it was a LONG running model in its day, sort of proving it was a decent machine! as time passed it showed its dated features and newer machines became more user friendly on service(easier to tilt cab being a main one IMO )