Hi, new to the forum and have the chance to purchase a 2009 John deere 317 with 2300 hours on it. Looks like it was well used for construction but says it runs and operates well. Don't think the person selling it knows much about the history of it. I can also grab a 1985 New Holland L784 high lift gas motor skid steer with the Ford industrial 6cyl motor. Steer is in good shape was owned by the same person for 10+ years, has newer tires and maintenance done regularly with light home use. Has around 2500 hours also. I can get them for around the same price of 7500. I know the L784 is a purely mechanical machine that is not going to kill me with electrical goblins and I know it has a good engine and history. The Deere is a nice newer machine but I know parts are expensive and there is a lot of electricial stuff and resale would be better. I just want which one would be most reliable. Any thoughts? Thanks and looking forward to many posts when I get a skid steer.
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MY 2 cents, the older machine are getting harder and harder to find replacement parts when things fail, many are discontinued as well, meaning you cannot get parts for them at all!
leaving you searching scrap yards the world wide web and even then, my not find part, so unless your a guy that likes to modify things when parts are not available, , I say, go look at the JD, and do a GOOD once over, if you don't know what to look for, take someone that does
hours alone tend to mean little on older machines, its more about use and how well they were cared for or not
how far allowed to have worn parts on them, and how abusive or not the operator/s was to it!
so knowing what to look for on a machine , can many times be worth paying someone to come with you if you don;t know, , replacing worn parts can get costly FAST , and make what seemed like a good deal, turn into a nightmare!
leaving you searching scrap yards the world wide web and even then, my not find part, so unless your a guy that likes to modify things when parts are not available, , I say, go look at the JD, and do a GOOD once over, if you don't know what to look for, take someone that does
hours alone tend to mean little on older machines, its more about use and how well they were cared for or not
how far allowed to have worn parts on them, and how abusive or not the operator/s was to it!
so knowing what to look for on a machine , can many times be worth paying someone to come with you if you don;t know, , replacing worn parts can get costly FAST , and make what seemed like a good deal, turn into a nightmare!
Thanks for the reply! I hear you on the parts issues. I'm well versed on parts for relics. I own a bunch of 3 wheeled atvs lol. I don't have anyone to go with me to look at the deere. Cosmetically it's not the best looking. Paint is faded and rust scratched, cab took a small hit on top front it seems and the front enclosure door is missing. My concern is the engine. I keep reading that the deere 4024t engine was hit or miss. I don't know anything about it to know what it should be. Don't want to get a lemon. It has 2300 hrs on it. I've seen a lot of 317 models with 4-6000 hours on them. But $7500 is an amazing price for that skidsteer so the too good to be true factor kicks in. Guy I spoke with says he bought it to resell and had to replace some lines and the seat. Makes me think then what did he get it for and why. Says it runs well and operates. I am mechanically inclined but what can I really check for besides fluids and unusual noises.
I have a 2007 JD CT322. I am the 4th owner. The 2nd owner had a tree business and banged it up. The 3rd owner did not believe in maintenance. It took me a year learning the machine and fixing problems (water pump, A/C, leaking hydraulic lines). 4,00 hours and now it is a joy to use and a tank. No def or emissions to deal with. In my opinion better built then the new stuff
I would drive both, lift the cab and give both a good look. It sounds like you already know what to look for. Leaks, rattles and paint can be fixed. Check radiator for foam (oil) on top, open oil fill when running and look for bypass (blowing oil) Watch exhaust for blueish smoke, loud tapping from valves. Be smart and don't fall in love with it. Know how you are going to use it first and then make sure it will do it. Does it have auxiliary hydraulics for attachments and do they work? Mine were frozen from lack of use and the spool valves needed removed and cleaned.
I prefer to see them before they are cleaned up and filled with fresh fluids. Makes it harder to spot problems. Start them and run them at least 30 minutes. Shut down and look for leaks test the hydraulics. Can the lift the machine? Any leaks on the cylinders? (They are hard to find right know)
Good luck
I would drive both, lift the cab and give both a good look. It sounds like you already know what to look for. Leaks, rattles and paint can be fixed. Check radiator for foam (oil) on top, open oil fill when running and look for bypass (blowing oil) Watch exhaust for blueish smoke, loud tapping from valves. Be smart and don't fall in love with it. Know how you are going to use it first and then make sure it will do it. Does it have auxiliary hydraulics for attachments and do they work? Mine were frozen from lack of use and the spool valves needed removed and cleaned.
I prefer to see them before they are cleaned up and filled with fresh fluids. Makes it harder to spot problems. Start them and run them at least 30 minutes. Shut down and look for leaks test the hydraulics. Can the lift the machine? Any leaks on the cylinders? (They are hard to find right know)
Good luck
I would also suggest inspecting all the moving joints, pins and bushings, for wear, and slop, , and or if they look like they have been greased often or not much during the yrs! old crusty grease means OLD and not greased often, bad sign, on care , lots of fresh grease means were greased more often! a good sign
I would check welds on arms and al over for what looks like NON OEM welds, folks that abuse machines , tend to break welds (all the more so on weaker spots, like lift arms, and likes) broken repaired welds, tends to show signs of harder or abused use!
I would check fluids, for a few things, one, if NEW fluids,good and bad, , as keep in mind the last many yrs we had a LOT of floods all over the USA, and that could mean a machine was under water, water in fluid, can be spotted, but harder once a person changes it
when machine get water in they typically get dirt with that water, and that means longer it runs after fresh fluids, the more wear and tear happens, at a faster rate
ain't no way to drain fluids and remove dirt that got in once water took it there, complete tear downs and cleaning are the only way to resolve flooded motors and likes!
now, NOT saying they were flooded, but just keep that in mind, pending where your located and the machines were!
visually inspect ALL hoses, hydraulic hoses are not cheap and they can add up to a bunch of $$ fast, and as stated, watch for smoke on exhaust, leaks,
run machine, lift front tires up,with bucket, and leave it there a bit to see how fast or slow it leaks down, or if it holds things up at all
check tires for dry rot, all the same size ? , look at filters(oil, fuel, hydraulic
lots of folks when replacing mark date on them as to when changed last,
but folks trying to scam buyers , tend to know this and stick new ones on trying to show new fluids been done ,(or they are honest and just changed them, goes both ways) but we do live in a world where a persons word is not as reliable as it used to be and a lot of scammers out there any more IMO
I would check welds on arms and al over for what looks like NON OEM welds, folks that abuse machines , tend to break welds (all the more so on weaker spots, like lift arms, and likes) broken repaired welds, tends to show signs of harder or abused use!
I would check fluids, for a few things, one, if NEW fluids,good and bad, , as keep in mind the last many yrs we had a LOT of floods all over the USA, and that could mean a machine was under water, water in fluid, can be spotted, but harder once a person changes it
when machine get water in they typically get dirt with that water, and that means longer it runs after fresh fluids, the more wear and tear happens, at a faster rate
ain't no way to drain fluids and remove dirt that got in once water took it there, complete tear downs and cleaning are the only way to resolve flooded motors and likes!
now, NOT saying they were flooded, but just keep that in mind, pending where your located and the machines were!
visually inspect ALL hoses, hydraulic hoses are not cheap and they can add up to a bunch of $$ fast, and as stated, watch for smoke on exhaust, leaks,
run machine, lift front tires up,with bucket, and leave it there a bit to see how fast or slow it leaks down, or if it holds things up at all
check tires for dry rot, all the same size ? , look at filters(oil, fuel, hydraulic
lots of folks when replacing mark date on them as to when changed last,
but folks trying to scam buyers , tend to know this and stick new ones on trying to show new fluids been done ,(or they are honest and just changed them, goes both ways) but we do live in a world where a persons word is not as reliable as it used to be and a lot of scammers out there any more IMO
Thanks guys. The John Deere was a wreck in my opinion. Guy wanted $7500 but it was a gamble. Looked as if it was never maintained. Had some stuff missing, roof was caved in a bit. When I raised the bucked it creeped. Solid Tires were blown to bits. Looked better in the pics. Much better. The older new Holland was nice but just too big of a machine for what I need. May look for a smaller Deere or even a bobcat. I don't need much capacity although it's nice to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. It sucks driving around in a V10 Ram with a trailer to look at these machines but I'm glad I did. Seeing the different ones is helping me realize what I need.
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