I've got a JD318 with a front blade and rototiller. I have the opportunity to buy a JD400, which has a factory front loader, front snow blade and back-hoe. The tractor is rough, but I'm more interested in the power attachments. Will they mount on my JD318? I can't find any fitment info for those attachments.
You could get them on there, but it's not plug and play. That loader is actually a Johnson, sold through deere as the model 20 for the 400. I would do anything to get my hands on that backhoe though...
I would keep them on the 400, or find a different 400. Brantley built 2 different backhoes for deere, I forget the models now but one is a 6 foot and one is an 8 foot. The 400 likely has the bigger one, the smaller was for the 140 and 300 series. Like I said above, I'd kill for that setup exactly how it sits
Back hoes will drag tractors, even with the loader bucket cutting edge sunk into the ground. It takes a heavy platform (tractor) to use a hoe to best advantage. The 318 doesn't qualify, and a 400 is only a 140 pounds heavier but can be ballasted to better advantage.
i loved those 420/430`s back when they were new/newer.due to vintage mostly have you TESTED attathments for proper operation,damage,leaks,load-weight lift-dig ability etc......... availability of parts if need be? if it meets-passes your inspections perhaps your names on it. suggest also inspecting color-etc;...of hydraulic fluid.could be bigtime body saver for years.,having premium attachments plus there FUN!! if all intact treat yourself,bet you`ll think if your not worth it,who is..not to forget scales of justice;body busting-backbreaking or hydraulic control playtime. boys and there toys. please be aware ,not near performance of skidsteer.,loader-wise. test seller if like stuff,hes got less options than if that fit newer 700`s,lots of 400`s are deceased ,425,455`s etc likewise.i`d start with big wad of 100`s say show seller perhaps 32/33 see response , go from there, see how talented your negotiation skills are. what wants and gets could-might be different,even very different.certainly new fel/bh pkg more than 10000 less than 15000,however this pkg is decades old.did you ask seller what he "alleges" gets range of offers ......clearly declined......or no longer would still be available -correct- lots of probing questions to determine if seller won't accept less than the sun and the moon. at same qualifying self,happy with condition combined with cost.obviously not gone at sellers figure is your advantage. consider sellerTHE defendant ,your the prosecuting atty whom eloquently----cross examines attempting to get info you want the truth having a good time doing it too.fascinating sometimes old stuff valuable antique--boat anchor?? best wishes u load rig on trailer towing home with big smile.
In the first pic the tractor is missing a side tin and a screwdriver cleverly holding the trans in gear, so if you're buying just a backhoe and loader what condition are those in and what are they worth to you. I look at how much more money are you going to be into these before they are workable. The collectable side is there but it's like vintage cars, unless you can get it for a reasonable price the cost can run you over. Once you start looking at other machines for the same money you have into it, you start looking for a ripcord price and end up eating a lot of pride/money.
Unlike vintage cars, there is no money gobbling sheet metal or trim on loaders and back hoes. They are all thicker steel that is easily fashioned in a home workshop.
Between the loader and the hoe, there is over $3000 worth of hydraulics alone. The metal for the two attachments is another grand or two. If a person wants this equipment, it's worth the $4900 plus another $2000 to bring it up to snuff. I'd venture to say that most of that repair fund would go into the tractor, not the attachments. Back hoes are handy gadgets, but they don't accumulate a lot of hours per year like a FEL does, and things only wear when used.
Boss 429 mustangs are rare, but I've seen a lot more ads for them than for used GT sized back hoes over the past 40 years.
Some guys spend loads of money to support their hobbies like fishing and hunting. GTs and their attachments are cheap in comparison, and actually contribute to the work done around the home to a value higher than their cost in the long run.
both John Deere 300 series (300, 312 and 316K) and the 400 used the same LD6 backhoe. Mounts would have been different between the 300 and 400 tractors. The LD8, with 8' reach, was for larger tractors.
Edit: GT backhoes are rare, and if you have a use for it, are very handy and work saving. I homebuilt one on a 332, and enjoy using it. Beats a shovel by a long shot.
Down here in the South around Atlanta, 400's are not that rare but those attachments are. I have seen one FEL on a 400 and it had been re-welded so many times it looked homemade. The backhoe is like a unicorn around here. In fact, there is a greater chance of seeing a unicorn than a backhoe. If it were in my area I would buy it in a heartbeat. Father D is right about the condition of the tractor but that would be the least of my concerns because all of the parts are pretty easy to find. Try to find the other two pieces though and you will see what a witch hunt means. One area on each attachment to look at closely is the hydraulic ram extension rods. If you are lucky they will have been stored in the closed position and will still be nice and shiny. It does look like the stabilizer pads and arms are in the open or down position so that may be of some concern. This might be one of those opportunities that get by you and you will regret for years to come. Mine was a 1965 Shelby 427 SC Cobra for $10,000! Not only that but it was a racing model that was in pieces in a Santa Monica garage!:tango_face_grin:
ive probably seen a few unicorns and just didnt know it around here because garden tractors around here are RARE!
i was lucky to get my two. my Allis Chalmers 410 and my JD 214. I do know where two other 200 series JD's are and two sears suburbans, maybe a few JD 400 series and a few cub cadets
but over all for the size of this area garden tractors are few and far between...
IT SEEMS :tango_face_wink:
they may be a lot of them for all i really know :tango_face_grin:
I get we're talking rarity but I'll take a 429 Mustang or Cobra clone any day, no one will know the difference speeding by. If I saw it on Cl near by I would cringe at the price, stare at the pics for awhile and move on. It's not the deal of the year but if the OP wants to buy and restore I'll subscribe and give a bunch of thumbs up.
Aside from the piston arms on the blade, everything looks to be in reasonable shape. I say buy it. Like others said see what you can do negotiating. Good luck! Can't wait to hear how you make out.
Three words Buy It Now!!!!!!! if I had the cash I would be on a plane coming to look at it and purchase it and would pay to ship it home. If only Donald Trump would give me a small loan of a million dollars so I could buy that beast I let one slip out of my grip it was three miles from my house my friend owned it he sold it to a guy for $2000 boy I was ticked
If I had the cash I would of paid 6k for it those things are rare and I mean rare.
I bought it to landscape my place, which I may sell in 2018. I also have a septic tank/field giving problems and need to dig up some things. The backhoe was the attraction for me - besides how rare it is. I stumbled on the ad while looking for ideas to build or buy a front loader for my 318. I will sell the 318, because it's more 'garden' than 'tractor'.
This bad boy will pay for itself and save thousands more in what I would pay for contractors.
Photo of me about to drive off after loading it. It bent one of my ramps!
Congrats! The fact that you will be restoring this monster for your own use and not like me, to flip, will make it that much more satisfying. Good luck.
Sweet!!! Yep, Brantley backhoe, Johnson loader. That is the one Johnson that deere rebranded as the model 20, so you should be able to get info on it from deere.
Make sure you message me when your ready to sell it!!!!!
You can't have it Nick it's mine I want it! :tango_face_devil:
Ditto what Nick said about pictures and we want lots of them!
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