New toy (IH 340U with backhoe!)

Just picked up this little gem.

One of the rod bearings has spun, the previous owner had used it up to last spring and knew it had low oil pressure and just ran it anyway.

I had shopped a similar 300U-hoe locally except this had sat for ~5 years and the large ~6 foot long cylinder inside the main hoe-boom tube was bent like a banana (and possibly the boom tube was twisted?) Couldn't really tell due to woody trees growing up/thru/around that tractor. Kicker was the owner wanted nearly double the price I paid for the one above and wouldn't budge.

I figured the 340 was newer, the rod chroming looks perfect (instead of starting to flake) and the engine repair would be more straightforward. Should be interesting splitting this tractor!

I had an interesting trip, my ignition coil on the truck died after 205,000 miles (apparently original as it was still riveted into the mounting bracket), and then the water pump started leaking out the weep hole...had to stop every 100 miles and cool & refill the radiator with ~1 gallon. But limped it back home and will replace the pump today and get the hoe off the trailer. I used a lever chain hoist to lower the boom as I was worried about the ~13 foot overall height!

Maybe its not "correct" to gloat about new toys picked up on the cheap .

Here's a worthy question, though...does anyone know anything about the backhoe itself as far as a manufacturer? There's a faded sticker of some sort on the boom that could be an old bumper sticker for all I know, but too far gone to read. Really all that might be worthwhile would be sourcing seal kits for the hydraulic cylinders or spool valves...the rest seems pretty straightforward.

I could have used that today, and tomorrow for sure, on my 300u.

Very nice find, I always have been a fan of the utilitys, specially the 340. Specailly like the loader and backhoe you got with that one. My dad has a 340U that Ive been thinking Id like to mount a blade on the front someday for plowing snow and what not. Fun litle tractors if you ask me.