DB 880 refurb

[TomO]

Hello, we have a 880 for feeding round our cattle. It has done 14k+hours and is in need of some love. The linkage is losing power and in the last few days the engine has developed a tapping noise. So my question to everyone is, how much would it cost to refurbish the engine and the hydraulics/linkage? Also what would it involve doing to it to get it into a usable condition for say 3k+ more hours? The cosmetics and electrics are in good enough order and wouldn't need anything doing.
Thanks everyone.
Tom

 

[Exfarmer]

I would be more worried about the gearbox and hydraulics.
The engine is probably big ends which are cheap enough to do. However if it is worse it may need reboring
DB hydraulics are notoriously tricky to sort , but if it has never been used for tipping trailers it may just need a new filter due to water having got in though the gear lever boots.
You can be certain the gear box linkage will be well worn having been on a scraper tractor and will if you are not lucky start jumping into 2 gears at once or at least you will lose the ability to change gear.
This can all be sorted if you can find the right man
while they are at it I would consider changing the trunnion pin bushes and front wheel bearings and seal.
Find someone who knows these tractors inside out as they are a great little machine for your job
I would have thought £3K in the right hands should see internals sorted provided nothing very serious is diagnosed such as a new crankshaft
Be careful where you source parts from, Vapourmatic have a very poor reputation for quality.
Barclay Williams is a good source and very helpful with advice.
I expect @John1594 may have something to say here to

 

[Thomas5060]

Yea @John 1594 and @Selectamatic will have a good idea and maybe @REStractorATION would know

 

[John 1594]

780 i had in for a full refurb (mechanical, not cosmetic)....had valves, rings, shells, hoses, new clutch, cleaned and flushed hydraulics, reset the valve chest to factory tolerances, new brake shoes, wiring loom, clocks, dials, other bits and bobs

about 2k inc labour

 

[Selectamatic]

880, the best tractor DB made.

Well worth sorting out.

 

[Exfarmer]

880, the best tractor DB made.

Well worth sorting out.

No sorry you cannot get away with that. The pinnacle of DB engineering was the 885

 

[Selectamatic]

No sorry you cannot get away with that. The pinnacle of DB engineering was the 885

Really? How did it beat the unbeatable 880?!

 

[Exfarmer]

The 880 was a clumsy tractor compared to the handling of the 885. All came to an end when they put those silly great cabs on them

 

[John 1594]

885 was mostly better than its counterparts.....135, 3000, 245, 474 etc....but it was always going to be a 7xx at the end of the day.....its design originating first in the 770, which then recieved the more powerful 880 engine to become the 780, then a 12 speed syncrho box to become the 885, it then gained a huge, huge cab to become the 1190/94, but the 770 parentage could still clearly be seen around the back end

The 800 was a kind of inbetweener...it had the back end of the 990, but a smaller engine. It cost nearly as much to build as a 990, but didnt sell in as large numbers as the price benefit over the larger tractor simply wasnt there, hence in 1971 it got pulled from the range, and the 885 took up the entire sub 50hp part of the range, as being based on the smaller 7xx frame, it could be built cheaper and sold better

The 3 pots are nice, the 7xxs being very nimble and a nice drive, without the elbow shattering wings of the massey, or the terrible clatter of the ford engine

But if its power and manouvaribilty, at the same time, it has to be a 990, they were not the best selling DB ever built without a good reason

 

[Exfarmer]

This is the difference between arable and livestock farming.
The 990 was the ploughing tractor, but for all else the 885 could run rings round all the opposition.

 

[John 1594]

This is the difference between arable and livestock farming.
The 990 was the ploughing tractor, but for all else the 885 could run rings round all the opposition.

providing it was on 32" wheels......ive said it before, the 32" wheels made both the 880 and the 885, especially when most of the others were standard on 28". That extra ground clearance and a bit more tyre on the floor meant they could keep gripping when other tractors got stuck

 

[Mr Charisma]

Afraid I can't feel the lurve for these old Daisy's ,,,,, used to do holiday cover on two dairy farms which ran red and early white Daisy's ,,,,,, I'm not going to dispute what they may or may not be able to do but I put them in the same camp as trailed sprayers ,,,,,,,,, best melted down !!!!!!!!

Horrid things !!!!!!!



Tin hat on

 

[Selectamatic]

 

[cfr1964]

Afraid I can't feel the lurve for these old Daisy's ,,,,, used to do holiday cover on two dairy farms which ran red and early white Daisy's ,,,,,, I'm not going to dispute what they may or may not be able to do but I put them in the same camp as trailed sprayers ,,,,,,,,, best melted down !!!!!!!!

Horrid things !!!!!!!



Tin hat on

 

[Thomas5060]

 

[Thomas5060]

Afraid I can't feel the lurve for these old Daisy's ,,,,, used to do holiday cover on two dairy farms which ran red and early white Daisy's ,,,,,, I'm not going to dispute what they may or may not be able to do but I put them in the same camp as trailed sprayers ,,,,,,,,, best melted down !!!!!!!!

Horrid things !!!!!!!



Tin hat on