Inherited a 1010. Now what?

[Penetty]

Well, I inherited my father's non-working crawler and I'm at a loss for what to do with it. Do I repair it, sell it, or scrap it?

It's a 1962 diesel JD 1010 crawler, with 810 loader and 50 backhoe. Something is wrong with the clutch because it supposedly can't steer. Dad pulled off the covers to the steering clutch housings but, I don't know how far he got in diagnosing or fixing the problem. Also, the backhoe was leaking hydraulic fluid so he detached the unit from the crawler. On top of that, it's been sitting in a barn for over a year and I'm sure it wasn't winterized. Luckily Dad bought the service manuals.

I'm not even going to try and start it until I've replaced the fluids and performed the 1,200 hour scheduled maintenance. If I can get it started, I can find and repair the hydraulic leak. Repair the leak and I can reattach the backhoe to the crawler. Then I can try to fix the clutch.

Do I want to do this? I been told that the parts for this crawler are very hard to find. Will this 50 year old crawler build me a road, or should I get out before it becomes a white elephant? In addition to all this, I have to figure out a value to put on it for estate tax purposes. What could I sell it for, as is? How much if it was fully repaired? How long will it take to find a buyer? How long will it take to farm out the parts? Will it be easier to sell the backhoe separately? Would scraping it be a waste?

The backhoe is still attached to the crawler by two hoses. What do I do if I wanted to completely detach it? Plug the outlet hose into the return on the crawler? Or do I need to buy some kind of hose caps? Can I attach a 50 to a later model tractor not listed in the book?

Thank you for your time.

[Lavoy]

I would not scrap it, but for the purpose of tax value, use whatever the local scrap rate is in your area minus hauling, that is the most accurate for a shot term deal.
If you have a need for it, the crawler otherwise looks to be in good shape, you can get it running, and more importantly it is your Dad's, I would fix it.
Some parts are hard to get, yes, steering clutches are not, I go through hundreds of those pieces a year.
If you take the hoe off, make sure to couple the hoses together so you don't deadhead your pump and break it.
That crawler with a hoe will do a lot of work, and nothing says if you get a later model crawler, it was not just drug out of a barn by someone else's son.
Lavoy

[Tigerhaze]

A couple thoughts to add to Lavoy's:

-One of the main issues on parts availability for a 1010 is the undercarriage, specifically the rails (track links). Based on the limited photos, it looks like your rail height is actually Ok but it appears that you are at the end of your track tension adjustment which usually means track link pins and bushing are shot. Pins and bushings are sporadically available aftermarket (Lavoy would be able to tell you) or from Deere but you also have to have a track shop install them. Lavoy does that too and can give you a quote.

-The diesel engines on these can be pricey to repair, so you want to be easy on them. One of the BIG no-no's is using ether to start it- don't do it. You can easily damage the engine doing so. If it doesn't start easily then it is usually a weak battery, weak starter, plugged filter set or tank outlet, or non-working glow plugs.

-As Lavoy mentioned, you want to connect the hoses on your crawler that lead to the backhoe because it is an open center hydraulic system- deadheading it leads to a blowout somewhere (usually the pump). FYI, you can run the crawler without the backhoe as long as you connect those hoses and not try to lift too much (as the hoe has a secondary function as the rear counterweight).

-Thus to answer your question about hooking the Model 50 hoe to another tractor, it has to be a tractor with open center hydraulics and have a hoe bracket that fits the Model 50. There is probably going to be a limited number of JD industrial wheel tractor models made from the late 50s to late 70s that meet those requirements. If anyone else knows which specific models I would also be curious- besides the 440s, 1010s, and 2010s I think the JD 300 model is one but not sure beyond that.

-A 1010 can build a road as long as you keep in mind that it is a small 50 year old crawler and you have to go slow and easy.

If your sole goal is to build a road quickly and then dump ithe crawler, then I would say don't put much money or effort into repairing or consider renting a crawler or skid steer. if you want to keep as a tribute to your dad or a fun project, then it doesn't sound too bad. You can still get a surprising number of parts for them even now (although many only from Deere) and the 1010s are sort of a neat crossover from the vintage 2-cylinder crawlers and the "new generation" crawlers that were based on industrial/ construction use. You just have decide what your overarching objectives are for it.

I would also echo what Lavoy said about scrapping- it's hard enough to find these crawlers out there so if you do decide to get rid of it at least consider giving others a chance to purchase for restoration or a parts machine first especially since you are likely to get more than scrap value for a running crawler with a hoe attachment. Parting out can make a little more money in long run but is time consuming and hassles than selling whole.

I hate to estimate value because I don't know the full condition of your crawler and your local market conditions but a typical running 1010 crawler loader with Model 50 hoe could be worth between $1500 (somewhere around scrap value) and $3500 with exceptional condition adding value. Yours does not appear to be in exceptional condition. The hoe alone, if working properly, could be worth between $750 and $1500. These prices are just examples so don't quote me on them.

Hope this helps.

[Penetty]

Thanks for the help. I was worried I was getting in over my head but your replies really addressed my concerns. So I'm going to take a crack at getting it running.