**** backhoe's are expensive

[JerryK]

One man's monster backhoe is another man's toy. There is always someone that can dig out most of your back yard with one scoop. Tractor mounted hoes work great for the majority of us. Might take longer, and we are really out of the basement digging category, but there is something to be said to having an implement that you can use whenever you want, for what you want. I've dug out probably north of 50 stumps with mine since 2011. Some so big I had to dig down beside them and bury them in place... too heavy to move with my 8500 pound tractor. Neighbor has a CAT excavator with a two yard bucket, and he would not probably even raise a sweat doing what I have done thru the years with his machine. But there are lots of excavators out there that would make his look feeble in comparison. So, to each his own.... Mine was and is worth every penny I paid for it...

 

[kspring61]

Here's a backhoe for sale in PA and its mounted on a DK40se. I can get a PH# if you need me to.
.Backhoe for midsized Kioti tractor - Garden - Augustaville, Pennsylvania - Marketplace | Facebook

I would be interested in that. That's a good price and looks to be in good condition

I contacted them. Will be going up to look at it this weekend.

 

[prof fate]

Usually a machine will do 90% of what you need is a good machine. There will ALWAYS be a job it can't do - too big, too small, etc. rent if you can for those, or hire out.

Around the farm the CK3510 is great. Haven't run into anything so far that I can't do with it. OK, so I can't pick up 10 ton of fallen trees...I can pick up some and make more trips. I've moved a lot of dirt - again, can't go dig liked a tracked excavator - but then I didn't spend the kind of money that takes.

Our club is looking at expanding some gun ranges and need to clear an area the size of a foot ball field. My tractor can do the brush hog, leveling, gravel, berm building, etc. For the bigger stumps we'll rent a stump grinder.

The smaller ones - trees under say 3 or 4" diam, those are the ones that it would be nice to have a tracked excavator, bulldozer, or perhaps a hoe. May rent a small excavator..the cost to rent a cat 935 is $1400/day plus 400 delivery...3500 for a week plus the 400. The bucket is 2.4 yards instead of what, 1/3 or so - so it will get the work done faster. Still wont' take out the 2-3 foot diam stumps though. and the tracks may leave ground i'll need to smooth with the tractor. Bobcats/skid steers do well..are cheper to rent..not sure it will do the job needed though. Still planning.

But even $4k for a once in a 30 year project is way cheaper than buying a much bigger tractor and hoe. Just the hoe for my CK is 7500.

Main use for my tractor is brush hogging, snow removal and since we have it can do a lot of stuff we never would have spent the money on. $3600/yr in payments (and fuel) vs $3300 or so per year to pay for the snow/mowing. So will it 'pay' for itself..if my time has no value..maybe LOL.

 

[Diggin It]

One man's monster backhoe is another man's toy.

So, to each his own.... Mine was and is worth every penny I paid for it...

It may also come down to HOW you're paying for it. If I was paying cash, the extra 5 or 6 grand may have been a problem. But since I was financing, it's only another $20 or $30/month.

 

[4570Man]

It may also come down to HOW you're paying for it. If I was paying cash, the extra 5 or 6 grand may have been a problem. But since I was financing, it's only another $20 or $30/month.

So if you dig one hole a month it would be well worth it.

 

[ovrszd]

So if you dig one hole a month it would be well worth it.

For how many years?

 

[Oldoak]

It may also come down to HOW you're paying for it. If I was paying cash, the extra 5 or 6 grand may have been a problem. But since I was financing, it's only another $20 or $30/month.

So if you dig one hole a month it would be well worth it.

But would cost even more then the extra 5 or 6 grand unless it was purchased with "0" percent financing.

 

[Wilco]

I would be interested in that. That's a good price and looks to be in good condition

I contacted them. Will be going up to look at it this weekend.

Good Luck!

 

[3Ts]

So if you dig one hole a month it would be well worth it.

In my case it was one hole that took all of one day and a little of the second day and 300' of trench to equal the cost of the backhoe. YMMV

 

[4570Man]

For how many years?

I guess that depends on how much you value the hole digging cost. If you’re comparing against a several hundred dollar rental or a chiropractor bill after you dig it probably a year or 2. If you’re comparing against the $30 a month he’s paying it would be the length of the payment period.

 

[kspring61]

I guess that depends on how much you value the hole digging cost. If youæ±*e comparing against a several hundred dollar rental or a chiropractor bill after you dig it probably a year or 2. If youæ±*e comparing against the $30 a month heç—´ paying it would be the length of the payment period.

Well in my case I set a cost limit of around $6K. That was the pain threshold of buying versus renting. As said, if I can get one that cheap than it's there and ready to use anytime I need it. I still have some trees to clear, downspouts I want to run underground to get away from the pole building and house, water line from well, and propane line from tank to house. Plus all the other jobs once I get moved down there. I'll be paying cash so it really is just a matter of how much is it worth to me. Of course then there is the fun factor of having a back hoe just find things to do with it.

 

[Oldoak]

Well in my case I set a cost limit of around $6K. That was the pain threshold of buying versus renting. As said, if I can get one that cheap than it's there and ready to use anytime I need it. I still have some trees to clear, downspouts I want to run underground to get away from the pole building and house, water line from well, and propane line from tank to house. Plus all the other jobs once I get moved down there. I'll be paying cash so it really is just a matter of how much is it worth to me. Of course then there is the fun factor of having a back hoe just find things to do with it.

Yep, if I felt I had to justify the cost of everything I purchased, I would have made fewer purchases and have lot bigger bank account. It's not just cost verses rental , contracting out, etc, but also convenience.

And when owning various attachments and equipment I always find there is more I can find to make use of it than I originally had planned.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I always wanted a back hoe. Just to be able to know how to use one, appealed to me. Don't get me wrong, I love having one, but I don't use it as much as I thought I would. Yes, there have been projects that paid for it. I guess, when you live in boney ground, it's nice on the one hand, you can't stick a spade in the ground anywhere, but on the other side of the coin, there is always a lot of clean up after an excavation.

 

[xcgreene]

I always wanted a back hoe. Just to be able to know how to use one, appealed to me. Don't get me wrong, I love having one, but I don't use it as much as I thought I would. Yes, there have been projects that paid for it. I guess, when you live in boney ground, it's nice on the one hand, you can't stick a spade in the ground anywhere, but on the other side of the coin, there is always a lot of clean up after an excavation.

Perfect applicant to have a backhoe, as far as the discussion between dedicated trackhoe or backhoe, in my opinion. A backhoe means one less engine and aux systems to take care off. Basic corrosion protection maintenance and that's about it. Can sit for a long time before it comes to the rescue, ready for action. Much more difficult to utilize a dedicated excavator like that.

 

[Phantese]

They are expensive I've had two now, just bought a DK4210SE Cab with a KL2485, (had one on my Kubota as well), if your looking to get your moneys worth I don't think a Hoe's the answer, BUT they have got me unstuck about 12 times in 4 years, cause I don't care what's in front of me - I just go in, as long as I can reach something I'm never stuck for long. That peace of mind is worth something (how much is debatable) but I've had two machines and two hoe's and if I bought a third I'd by another hoe. I move stumps, dig french drains, put in culverts and drive through soupy mud. If you ever sell the tractor you'll get back some of the investment for the hoe, it's not a money maker but it really completes the machines I have. My Opinion only but I wouldn't own a machine under 50HP or so without one. Bigger machines are just more capable to uproot stumps and not get stuck. Hope this helps

 

[fried1765]

They are expensive I've had two now, just bought a DK4210SE Cab with a KL2485, (had one on my Kubota as well), if your looking to get your moneys worth I don't think a Hoe's the answer, BUT they have got me unstuck about 12 times in 4 years, cause I don't care what's in front of me - I just go in, as long as I can reach something I'm never stuck for long. That peace of mind is worth something (how much is debatable) but I've had two machines and two hoe's and if I bought a third I'd by another hoe. I move stumps, dig french drains, put in culverts and drive through soupy mud. If you ever sell the tractor you'll get back some of the investment for the hoe, it's not a money maker but it really completes the machines I have. My Opinion only but I wouldn't own a machine under 50HP or so without one. Bigger machines are just more capable to uproot stumps and not get stuck. Hope this helps
View attachment 599689

I have an older 48HP Ford (former cemetery machine) with a 10' hoe.
Am looking to upgrade to a newer Kubota 48HP with an 11' hoe.

 

[grsthegreat]

Im an electrical contractor and i ran the figures years ago to see if it was worth having one for my tractor..... nope. The times ive needed one i have always needed 100痴 of feet of trenching done and a tractor mounted hoe is too slow. A mini excavator can run circles around one. Every time ive needed one i simply rent one for about $200 A day. Ive dug 600 feet of trench in a day. In 10 years ive only needed to rent one maybe 12 times at most. It would of never paid for itself. Ive known plumbers that buy them all the time, they dig more than us electricians i guess. Around my property i needed hoe when i built, and 1 other time.... in 23 years.

 

[4570Man]

Locally it’s not $200 for a rental. I’ve never priced a tinker toy one but a 5 ton mini is about $450 plus tax plus $150 transport. That’s way out of my play around with a quick project budget. I think my tractor backhoe was a solid investment and my only regret was not buying a L48 or m59 instead of my tractor backhoe. In the end I recouped most of my money and got several years and 800 hours use from the tractor.

 

[Diggin It]

The rent it guys are starting to irritate me. Aside from the unrealistically low rates they often quote, they don't consider that many rural areas don't have rental places at all. If they do, they probably don't have a hoe of any kind for rent. On the off chance that a rural rental place does have one, you still have to schedule and transport it. Then who's to say it will be available when you need it? Or will you have to take time off from other projects to meet the rental schedule?

We're not talking about cutting thousands of feet of trench on a schedule. We're talking about a couple of hundred feet of water line or trench that we can do as wee feel like it.

 

[ovrszd]

So the guys that can and do rent hoes efficiently and effectively should just be quiet and not participate in this discussion.

I'm in a county of 8,500 people. Six miles from my farm I can rent a 10' hoe for $250 per day. Free haul if I do it.