LaSalle County approves $156,000 John Deere backhoe after transmission failure

LaSalle County approved the purchase of a John Deere 410 backhoe for $156,000 for the Highway Department during its May 21 meeting.

County Highway Department staff said the department’s current backhoe experienced a transmission failure and that repairing it would cost about $30,000 while the machine’s resale value previously had been about $22,000. “Our transmission, our current backhoe went out,” the Highway Department staff member said, and the county moved to replace rather than repair the unit.

The staff member presented the department’s capital spending to date for the year, listing prior purchases (mini excavator $92,000; tractor $55,800; another tractor $9,200; truck $86,000; pickup $37,000; two bat wings $40,000; row widener $55,000) and reported $371,000 spent so far. Net sales through Ritchie Brothers totaled $47,592, the staff member said, leaving roughly $220,000 available in the capital line before buying the backhoe and related equipment. The staff member said the county would also buy thousand‑foot auger boxes for the new truck, which would reduce available capital to about $160,000.

The staff member said the county sought bids from multiple manufacturers but received a price only from John Deere; Caterpillar did not supply a quote. The selected machine was described as having a 118‑horsepower engine, a 1.5‑cubic‑yard bucket and an articulating “wrist” on the excavator portion to help shape ditches. “It’s got a 118 horse motor, 1.5 cubic yard bucket, and it’s got the wrist to twist on the excavator portion,” the Highway Department staff member said.

A motion to purchase the John Deere backhoe was made and seconded; the motion carried.

County officials said procurement will proceed with the local dealer that provided the quote; no additional financing sources were proposed at the meeting.