Mini Excavator ,or Small Backhoe

[kenmac]

I'm looking to buy either a small backhoe ,or small mini excavator to use around the farm.
I'm leaning toward a mini ex.

Pros of mini ex: more powerful hydraulics , can lift more, spin 360 deg., can add thumb as it is plumbed with aux hydraulics
cons; only moves at a snail's pace about 3 mph.


small backhoe pros.. can move around the farm much faster, also has front bucket
cons; weaker hydraulics, can't lift as much, can't dig as deep as mini ex, not plumbed with aux hydraulics

What are your thoughts ?

 

[bdog]

I recently got a Deere 35G mini ex. I love the thing. I had a full size backhoe prior to this and for what I do the mini runs circles around the backhoe. They fit anywhere, are very maneuverable, and being able to rotate 360 is amazing. They do move slow but I can get anywhere on my property in 15 minutes with it so not too bad.

With my backhoe it was a pain getting it in the right spot and setting the outriggers and then most the time I couldn’t get the dirt where I wanted due to the limited swing so I ended up moving it twice.

Just today I was digging right along and parallel to a fence. I was able to swing the boom and have the bucket digging a couple inches from the fence. No way I could have done that with a backhoe. I went crazy with buckets too I have a 12”, 18”, 24”, 34” no teeth and 48” no teeth. The smooth buckets are awesome for grading and moving loose material.

 

[kenmac]

I recently got a Deere 35G mini ex.

Got my eye on a Terex TC35

 

[4570Man]

It seems like you understand the pros and cons of both machines. Would you rather have the better digger or the more versatile machine. I’ve dug about a 300 yard ditch with a mini and mucked a small pond with a mini and that’s about the extent of my experience with one. I think I could have finished the ditch faster with a comparable strength backhoe. The mini would have no doubt dug the ditch faster, but I’d have made up the lost time filling it back in. The excavator is the only practical way to muck a pond so it’s the clear winner there.

 

[cabinhollow]

I got a Kubota KH90, 2 1/2 years ago. Older mini, with cab. The engine had been replaced with a low hour, 39 hp one.
One of my best buys. I have a tractor with a FEL, so I use them together.

 

[kevin37b]

Mini x all the way .

 

[fried1765]

I'm looking to buy either a small backhoe ,or small mini excavator to use around the farm.
I'm leaning toward a mini ex.

Pros of mini ex: more powerful hydraulics , can lift more, spin 360 deg., can add thumb as it is plumbed with aux hydraulics
cons; only moves at a snail's pace about 3 mph.


small backhoe pros.. can move around the farm much faster, also has front bucket
cons; weaker hydraulics, can't lift as much, can't dig as deep as mini ex, not plumbed with aux hydraulics

What are your thoughts ?

It really depends on your individual situation.

I have a medium size Ford TLB with turf tires.
I can go anywhere on my (12 ac.) property, including the lawn, and not make a mess.
The TLB also has a (5/8 cu Yd.?) bucket, and forks.
I actually use the forks at least as much as the bucket.
I have a manual thumb, but never use it.
I do have another Ford FEL, but for the versatility, I would never surrender my TLB.
If your projected projects are not huge, a TLB is the way to go.
If the projects are big, a mini will likely be too small anyway.

 

[Langanobob]

I have both, a mini excavator and a SCUT TLB. You pretty much nailed it in your original post. For trenching the only mini excavator drawback I can think of is they are painfully slow moving around, at least mine is. If your mini ex has a small pusher blade that’s also very useful.

If I had to choose betwen the two for general purpose use I’d pick the TLB due to the loader bucket and ease and speed of moving around.

 

[bdog]

As much as I love my mini x I wouldn’t get one unless you had something else with a FEL. A FEL is about the most useful thing to have around the place. My skid steer has been tied up all week holding up something over an area we poured concrete on and I am waiting on it to cure before we can lower it and use the skid steer. We had to get by this week working with only the mini x. I welded a hook on one of the buckets and used it to carry around the engine drive welder, I used the 48” bucket to move 3yards of dirt about 150’, etc.

Having owned many machines including a Kubota M59 TLB and a Deere 310 backhoe and now the mini I have a pretty good grasp on what each will do. A backhoe will do pretty much everything but is not the best at it. A skid steer will run circles around a backhoe for loader work and an excavator will outperform a backhoe for digging. If you can only have one machine though a backhoe will do most things for you. My biggest complaint with my backhoes was getting them in tight places with the backhoe in the right position to be able to dig.

 

[laurencen]

when I purchased the CK20 I also got the backhoe with 9 and 12 inch bucket, after I tried to put a electrical line to my workshop using the backhoe it took forever and little bit at a time I picked up a backhoe for the Bobcat, way better but getting on and off plus moving it around I bit the bullet anf got the Bobcat 430 mini, no cab and I must say it made short work of trenching, tree and root removal.

last year I upgraded to the Bobcat E32 with cab, slow moving but when it gets to the worksite its a beast

 

[kenmac]

FEL is not an issue. I have 2 tractors. both have FEL's.
I just don't want to buy a mini ex and wish I had bought the small backhoe instead.

I posted my questions because, I'm sure there are those here that either own both, or have owned both and have a good idea of which they like the best.

I appreciate the opinions

 

[bdog]

How far do you usually roam when doing work? I have 25 acres and moving the mini around is no issue. If you had 250 acres it might be a problem unless you wanted to trailer it places.

If you have other things with FEL's I say for sure go with the mini unless you routinely travel long distances. Even then I would consider it. While they are slow moving it isn't a huge deal unless you do it all the time. I have another rubber tracked machine that goes 6 MPH. I have moved it 8 miles one way and back before. Yes it took over an hour but I don't do it every day.

Think of it like this. A TLB is like a Swiss army knife. Yes you could butcher a deer with it, cut tree limbs with the little saw, even build things with the screwdriver. However a butcher knife, regular saw and regular screwdriver would each be way better at their individual tasks.

 

[bspeedy]

If you have trails to make and ditches to dig, you will not regret getting the mini ex. I had a Kubota U25 (6k lb) and now have a Takeuchi TB135 (8K lbs with a cab) and I've also owned 3 pt backhoes on a couple of different tractors. I grew up with subframe mounted hoes on compact machines. In my opinion, a mini ex is the perfect tool for digging / trenching / light excavation. I also have a hydraulic mowing head for it and that extends it's versatility quite a bit.

I do not miss the frustration of needing 'just a little more reach' or swing radius. Moving a backhoe takes a couple minutes and some up and down from the tractor or seat at least. Moving the mini takes a couple seconds. Raise boom, raise blade, move, lower blade, dig. And the 360 swing radius is absolutely something I could not live without now. Don't get me started on the cab...

 

[Budweiser John]

Yet another opinion. I own a sub frame mount back hoe for my New Holland TC45 Tractor. This unit beats a shovel hands down but is a PITA to install on the tractor and the constant need to get on and off the tractor for moving the unit gets really old.
I rented a mini excavator to install a septic tank and drain field recently and yes, those critters are worth their weight in gold.
B. John

 

[Agvg]

On flat, open spaces and on dry ground a backhoe may work, if you must climb or have wet ground they are very limited and a excavator is much easier when you have limited space.

Don't think I have seen a traditional backhoe in commercial work for the last 30 years. When the 6t to 8t excavator came the backhoe was totally dead.

 

[terryknight]

if your only con for a mini ex is slow speed, how far/often do you need to move? there is a local guy with a 20 ton ex on his farm he has a large 20 ton trailer. he loads the ex on the trailer, doesn't chain it down, and tows it behind his large 4wd john deere tractor around his farm. it's much faster than driving it. maybe you could do the same if needed

 

[Steppenwolfe]

You are trying to compare apples and kryptonite... Mini ex can't be beat. Trail busting, stump busting, hole busting... Only way to go.

View attachment 537335

 

[Code54]

I noticed you have a MX5100 same as I do. Now add a mini and you are set. I very often have our KX91 and MX5100 working together and they really compliment each other very well. The mini is 10x better than a backhoe except for moving it around. A lot of my work a backhoe just wouldn't have the side swing to dump the dirt where I need it. As for travel speed - I found that if you go less than a mile it really is not a big deal. A mile takes about 20 minutes in "rabbit" mode.
Not sure how far you need to go but a mini with the a hitch hooked to the blade can pull a small trailer with an ATV. This way if you go out to the far side of 150+ acres you just leave the mini and ride the ATV back for lunch and such....

 

[PILOON]

I have operated both.
Sure the mini EX is faster and tracks can handle rougher terrain but you really need a lot of work to justify one.
I have dug many a trench with a CUT backhoe as well.
Somewhat slower but gets the job done and it moves about a lot faster than an EX.

Consider the 3rd option, rent a mini EX for those specific jobs and add a BH on your tractor for maintenance chores.

Mini EX are $$'y plus another machine to maintain.
BH can also be removed to allow other attachments making your tractor all the more versatile.

Hey, if the $$'s are not the issue by all means go for that new 'toy', uh tool.
A mini EX is lots of fun.
Just be sure it has a pusher blade as that is a real advantage, great for leveling, backfilling and adds stability when digging especially on hilly terrain.

 

[edgarrian]

In my honest opinion backhoes are some what of a outdated piece of equipment. Excavators can work circles around them. If you don't have a tractor with a front end load then you might consider a backhoe just for having all ur bases covered. But if you already of a tractor with FEL then an excavator is the way to go.