Case 530CK 1968-69 Model

[GaryH530]

Greetings all,

I need a tractor for my off grid cabin, general use maintaining the 1/2 mile dirt road, doing a bit of digging and moving dirt around. Some heavy lifting, prep'n ground for a few small buildings. The cabin about 70 miles from a town for parts.
And about $1K to move to to the cabin.

I'm looking at buying a Case 530CK. First time buying one.
Gasoline eng. Seems to run fine. Basic eng.
I'm more worried about hydraulic cylinders leaking fluids. More then normal amount for an old tractor. It seems to me.
Pretty much all the hydraulic hoses need replacing.
Just old and the suns UV rays have did their work on them.
All the main pins seems fine. one of the rear wheels need replacing. I'm not sure of the cost of that.

Any thoughts on the matter, gents?
Not for a novice ?
Spend a more cash and buy some more well maintained.
I'll save & be safer in the long run.

The tractor about 9000 lbs, I can't haul that with my truck, and I don't have a trailer that can carry that weight.

So once it's at the cabin, it will probably stay there. Any maintenance that I can't do. I will have to bring in someone.
Or transport it @ $1k a trip.

I'm I slowly talk myself out of a mistake?? LOL

What's the old saying, Penny-wise, but pound foolish.

If I'm not wasting you time, and your having a slow Saturday, please add some wisdom to my day.

Thanks for your time in reading my post.

 

[centash]

Those tractors are good ones, but it's a heavy duty industrial model. You might be
better off with an ag tractor of the same size, but would be in somewhat better
condition for the same money, since most of your work is lighter duty. You could
drive it to your cabin with your truck in tow.....

Ben

 

[GaryH530]

Thanks for the quick response. I'm actually searching around what you suggested. And yes, you're it is a beefy beast. I can tow about 7000lbs , so something a little lighter, would be a better choice.
Thank-you.

 

[GaryH530]

And yes, you're " right" it is a beefy beast.
Sorry missed a word.

Gary

 

[Steve@Advance]

My advise, if the price is right, buy it! That is if you are capable of doing basic maintenance and repairs.

If you buy it, then go through everything with a note pad in hand, put it through the paces, work it, make note of every noise, leak, problem you find.

Being that it is 55-60 years old, expect the usual. Probably going to have a dirty or rusty gas tank, expect radiator problems, wiring is probably schety, wheels are probably rusted, but maybe repairable. Tires, especially rears are a big expense. Check the quality and level of the fluids.

Leaking cylinders are not difficult to repair IF they are rebuildable. If they are bent, the rods dinged, or grooved from hammering at the end, then they will need replacing. Aftermarkets can be found and adapted if you're handy with stuff like that.

Sun baked hoses are not always as bad as they look. If they are not leaking or the braiding frayed, they may go a long time without covers.

Point is, if you get it, be prepared to find problems. Address the problems before taking it off to the woods. I don't know about you, but I don't like surprises!

If you are not prepared to baby this thing back to reliable life, best find something newer and ready to go. The end result will be about the same, pay more for something ready to use, or be ready to invest in one to make it useful.

 

[moresmoke]

If you are capable and willing to work on it, go for it. If not, you
best save up and go to the green or orange dealer and buy a
tractor you can move, or dont have to.

Just for reference, I recently bought a later model loader
backhoe, 20 years old, cab heat/air. Its a really nice machine,
but I am looking at leaking cylinders and hoses that need
replaced. Not a big deal for me as I am a mechanic by trade,
and parts are readily available, but it would bankrupt the
average person.

 

[GaryH530]

Well......I was looking for some wisdom, and I believe I've read it.

Thank-you for taking the time to respond, you have helped me with my decission.

 

[GaryH530]

Thanks Steve. Most things I'm handy enough for. And I know enough, to know, when I don't know enough.

Thank-you for the advice.

 

[roaddevil49]

The cylinder glands on those old machines are pain to remove to repack even with proper
wrench,the Deere cylinders weren't much better.

 

[DIM]

I had a CASE 530 CK diesel tractor ran great. The backhoe not so. The swing on boom was so loose that you had to wait for it to stop swinging before you could drop it back into the hole. Most of the cylinders
leaked. The last time I used it It cost my 50 dollar in oil. My neighbor a mechanic bought 200 dollar worth of seal to put in the backhoe for me. That was eight years ago. I gave up and bought a new one. Not
rich or need of a big one just something better than a long handle shovel. So I bought A little Massey Ferguson GC 1723. It has a loader (pick up 600 #) and backhoe (dig 6 foot down). Not a lot of capacity
compared to the CASE but I don't have to work on it or pour oil into it.

 

[DR. EVIL]

I worked two summers for the Township road commisioner, They had a 530 Case Construction King tractor-
loader-backhoe. We had a heavy equipment trailer, pintle hook hitch and pulled it with a C-65 Chevy dump
truck, 366 V-8 and 5+2 trans. To give you an idea how to properly haul it. At their age, all
construction equipment leaks oil. We stripped the splines off the BIG crankshaft driven hyd pump that
ran the hoe and loader. The coupling was shot too, coupler was fairly cheap, pump I suspect cost more
than my 1st car, $1400. The Case dealer 30 miles away had both parts. We had plenty of oil, we bought by
the 55 gal drum. The Case was NOT our most complex piece of equipment. I could put almost 24,000# of
road chips in our spreader truck with the Case in 6 buckets and 4-5 minutes.
One suggestion, no matter WHAT you buy, do NOT LET IT SET UNPROTECTED OUTSIDE IN THE WEATHER. That's
the hardest thing on equipment.

 

[GaryH530]

Thanks for the advice, DIM
I'll checkout the GC 1723.

Thanks for this suggestion DR. EVIL
One suggestion, no matter WHAT you buy, do NOT LET IT SET UNPROTECTED OUTSIDE IN THE WEATHER. That's
the hardest thing on equipment.


One other thing that I thought of.
My cabin is at about a mile high, ( a little over )
Do I have to think, about the oxygen level for the engine?

I had to adjust my generator and chainsaw to run " better ",
at that altitude.

How " easy " is it to disconnect the backhoe off the 530CK ?
If I do remove it, and move some dirt around with the bucket.
Do I have to watch out about the balance. Because I no longer have the weight of the backhoe on the back.

Sorry if these are novice questions.

 

[bc]

I can tell you alot about my IH2606 with a case ck33 backhoe on it. Kind of a FORH. Fix Or Repair Hourly. Rebuilt the main cylinder, that was a bear and heavy. Swing cylinders leak and gear doesn't always want to stop where I want it which is the next project once I get the rebuilt engine all installed and running. Try digging with it and if it doesn't want to pull much in hard ground then the pump is about gone. I was looking for a case when I got this one.

I may take mine out to Colorado for a cabin I want to build one of these days. May have to have it hauled.

Is that Case a standard trans or a hydrostatic? Those hydrostatics can start to go bad and then you have some expense.

It really depends on how hard the ground is and if there is much rock as to how big of hoe you want to get. The smaller ones will act like trying to stab steel with a knife, just break the teeth and you don't have enough hydraulic power to move anything. When I tried to pull a stump I know the pump wasn't up to it.

If it will run and do the job you want, then carrying around an extra bucket of cheap hytran may be much cheaper than trying to replace a bunch of hoses and repairing cylinders. Then sell it as is when you are done with your cabin. Might break even or come out ahead or at least cost less than renting or hiring.

 

[GaryH530]

Thank-you for your thoughts. Good luck on the rebuild of your engine.
Colorado is a nice place. I spend some time there, 30 odd years ago. I hope you get to build your cabin.

Have a good one.