Backhoe
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Companies had been putting backhoes on farm tractors with loaders for some time, but the backhoes were
lightweight and the tractors were not intended to take the stress a hydraulic backhoe could dish out.
No one had made a wheel tractor specifically designed for the backhoe, and it was not until Case introduced
the Model 320 (industrial) Loader/Backhoe in February 1957 that such a unit became available. |
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Prior to 1957 Backhoes and Loader where sold as separate units.. The Davis Company Backhoe / Loader
demonstrate the attachment mindset. The company introduced such “firsts” as “step-in” loader design,
box frame construction and revolving backhoe seat.
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Introduced in 1957 with great fan fair the Case 320 backhoe consisted of the Case 300 agricultural tractor
chassis with a new torque converter designed in Racine, Case's agricultural-grade loader, and the American Tractor Company (ATC) backhoe.
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A 1958 Advertisement for the Davis backhoe and loader company, Despite being under Massey-Ferguson Industrial
Division umbrella the ad states “ For All Tractor Types”. In 1968 J.I. Case Co would purchase Davis Mfg. Co that same year Case purchased Drott Mfg. Co.
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Case Backhoe Beginnings
Mergers and buy outs continued into the 1950’s. At the time Case bought American Tractor Company (ATC) manufacturer
of construction equipment and the Terratrac crawler line, Ferguson had just merged with Massey
creating Massey Ferguson. These mergers often
left the farm equipment dealers worried that they would lose their franchises.
A number of dealers who sold American Tractor Company (ATC) Construction Equipment also sold Ferguson Farm Equipment
Many of these equipment dealers attended the big equipment show that was being held for the Case people in the
parking lot of American Tractor Company (ATC). The Case men brought their own equipment down to display for ATC.
At this show a group of ATC people were looking at a Case 300 tractor, and they decided the ATC backhoe would fit
well on it. That night they took the Case tractor into the shop and “jury rigged” by attaching the ATC backhoe to it.
Their idea was not greeted with enthusiasm. They were told they had “mangled” the Case tractor. The Case people
insisted that the Case 300 had never been built to withstand the strain a backhoe would put on it. When, the man
responsible for the conversation, was asked why he had done it he replied, “If you’re going to have a merger make
it a real merger and create an entire new line of products.
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Case center fold
of a 1957 sales
brochure. Case
also announced
the Case-o-matic
transmission Click on image to enlarge
In 1957 Case
Announced it's tractor line that boosted 12 power classes and 124 models.
Releasing the first
integrated backhoe loader promised the dealer a 12 months a year product line.
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A Star Is
Born Case
Construction
King
In 1960
Case introduced the 30 Series
Construction
King
and an extensive line of matching equipment. A very popular
machine was the 530 Utility tractor and a matching backhoe.
The usual practice at that time was to also include a heavy
duty front end loader, but these machines could be purchased
as a `backhoe special' model. Instead of the front
end loader, a special box-section frame terminated in a front
counterweight box. Production of the 430 and 530 models
ran from 1960 to 1967.
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