448 Backhoe for my John Deere 4520

The new backhoe has arrived! It was actually delivered last week (for Valentine's Day, thanks Sweetie!!!). I still haven't taken any pictures, but I will soon and post them back here on this entry. I spent some time digging holes in some soft dirt, but since it has been so cold lately, it doesn't do that great on frozen ground. Maybe it would do better if I knew what I was doing! I need to get some quality hands-on instruction before I pull myself into a hole! We've got a list of 10 projects around the farm where the backhoe will come in handy. Cross Brothers did have to move my rear tires out to the farthest position for stability, which makes the tractor's stance a lot wider. That may be a challenge when it comes time to do some mowing around the house, but it will work great for the super heavy 9 foot 350 sickle bar that I use for cutting hay.

Thanks for your support!

Wow, what a great turnout at the Randolph Township Fire Department pancake benefit! We had good crowds with a total of 700+ served! That's pretty good given the size of our community. We also had visits from state senator Bill Brady and state representative Bill Mitchell. Representative Mitchell also brought us an American flag that flew over the state capital. It was good to visit with these gentlemen and also all of the great people in the Heyworth area.

Randolph Township/Heyworth Fire Benefit

The Randolph Township Fire Department will hold its 47th Annual Pancake & Sausage Day
on Saturday February 23rd at the Heyworth High School. The event takes place from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. Tickets may be purchased in advance by contacting any fire department member (LIKE ME!!!). Ticket prices for advanced tickets are children $3.00, adults $5.00. At the door ticket prices are children $3.50 and adults $5.50. Whole pork sausage may also be bought by contacting a fire department member or the day of the event: Patties $3.00 lb, Bulk $2.75 lb, Ribs $2.50 lb.

Tired of flooding? Get a new tool!

It's all about timing. This has been a wacky weather start to the year. In January, we had a rain storm that dumped 1.5" in about an hour. That flooded the back of the barn, one of the stalls, and some of the front of the barn. This week we had another storm that gave us 0.81" in about 30 minutes, and about the same thing happen. The second time, the stall was saved, but not anything else.

Well, my loving wife has had enough. The back lot of the barn is a mess because the water isn't draining right. Some serious tile work is needed. I've actually got about 7 jobs around the farm that need a backhoe right now. So she said yes, and here comes a backhoe for my John Deere 4520 tractor!

I actually had a new backhoe attachment quoted by Doug Cross at Cross Brothers last year. It was going to be $8300 for a new 448 backhoe, installed on my 4520. That was way too much. But this week I did some shopping and I found that Doug had a 2007 448 with a 24" bucket for $5500. After some negotiating and some part lookups, Doug gave me a great price - $6500 installed, including the subframe, power beyond hydraulic kit, and transporting the tractor the 20 miles to and from the installation.

I went and looked at the backhoe today, and so here are some pictures. I'll post the completed package when it gets installed. Doug called later today and they think they can get it all put together by the end of next week.

So need any digging done in the Heyworth area? Drop me a line!