Asking for advice on machine to landscape my yard

[ning]

I’ve found a local 2006 New Holland TC29 that has a heavy duty bucket with cutting teeth & a lift hook and also comes with a 3pt finish mower for $8500. Hydrostatic, 4wd, 1600 hours and appears well cared for and was recently serviced and has no issues. Looks like I could find a backhoe for another 3-4k if I wish tho I’m not sure it is needed. Lift capacity of the loader looks like 875#.

I feel like this is a good deal and would do the job. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Re: Backhoe
If you're not already jonesing for a backhoe, I wouldn't go looking for excuses to buy one.
Myself, I have a backhoe, and I appreciate it, but it was actually one of the raisons d'etre for my buying a tractor in the first place - digging here on my land is unfortunately both common and especially difficult much of the year. If I wasn't already bemoaning the lack of a backhoe, I wouldn't want the expense of buying and maintaining it.
I suspect that the TC29 size tractor would be perfect for what you've talked about, and $8500 sounds pretty amazing!

 

[2manyrocks]

If you aren't actually planning to do much digging, I tend to think a back hoe attachment would be a pain to take on and off. You could move rocks around in the FEL bucket. Install a couple of bucket hooks, and you could have a place for lifting chains and/or lifting straps. Or use the 3pt with a boom pole.

One issue with any used equipment is whether it needs any expensive repairs.

 

[Elemento1991]

Considering you already have a tractor you could always look for the older skid steer you mentioned and out perform the FEL on the tractor by a long shot. If I didn’t need a backhoe and have concerns with ground damage I would be skid steer shopping for sure. Since I don’t already have a tractor and am looking to dig as well I am looking at TLBs. Skid steers have operating loads listed on their specs, but this is 35% of the tipping load if I remember correctly. Skid steers hydraulics and breakout forces are miles different from an FEL. They might not be able to carry 6000lbs because of their balance but the hydraulics will move it and won’t stall like a tractor FEL does.

A skid steer is a machine built around a bucket, a FEL is a bucket built around a machine. 10k might be hard to find a skid steer in good working order though. Also for myself I hate foot controls, however some guys like them. The older ones might be harder to find joystick controls. The old New Hollands seen popular around my area.

However lastly if you don’t want to work on it and just move some stuff around the property a simple FEL would do fine, especially if you plan to sell when you’re done. If you plan to keep you just have a lot more power IF you need it with the skid steer. My friend has a stand on skid steer and its power is awesome for such a small footprint however they are pricey. Just my $.02

 

[Shrew_Gardens]

Thank you for your replies.

It looks to me like a skid steer, such as a 20 hp bobcat, would be a great, focused piece of equipment, but more expensive and harder to justify.

I have to admit that I want a backhoe about 10 times as much as I need one. I see using for 1-2 years as I improve the property then not having much to do with it.

One other issue is that I have 100+ acres of woodland that is used for firewood harvesting (family use) and is accessed by a class 4 “road” that is not maintained. My dad used to keep the road open with constant attention but I don’t have the time and it is deteriorating. I could see the tractor with backhoe being useful there and do not see a skid steer having the same utility.

Shockingly my wife is giving me the go-ahead!

 

[the old grind]

Get the TC29(DA) and don't look back. My TC33(DA) is its twin with a few more hp and it's a lot of tractor. Honestly, the deal sounds unbeatable, and IMO nothing could be easier to resell. (to me?)

 

[WM75Guy]

The TC series are good tractors. Buy the TC29DA for daily work and your projects. If you need to dig, rent a mini-x for the weekend. It will do much more work than a backhoe in the same amount of time.

 

[Shrew_Gardens]

Thank you all for the advice! I did arrange to buy the TC29 though won’t take delivery for a while.

I have to admit that in spite of some obviously good advice from you guys I’ll be looking for the backhoe to fit. I can’t resist making work for myself.

 

[2manyrocks]

Some backhoes also require subframes. A few stories of broken tractor axles running backhoes kept me from buying one.

 

[the old grind]

And stories of CUTs with BH & subframe breaking anyway. Work to attach/remove for mowing or to use 3PH. Safe storage (weather) when not in use. Some plumbing there too. Not many used ones out there specific to X make/model.

Converting 14LA FEL to SSQA was expensive enough by the time I bought a tree/stump bucket & added a 3rd function (DIY) for my grapples. (worth it)

btw, I've had my Terramite Mini-BH for 18 years and while it's very handy I don't use it every year. Don't use the custom ripper tooth and haven't installed the thumb yet. Stumps are ground flush for the mower to pass over them vs ever digging up another. BTDT so there's that lesson learned.

 

[D'oh]

Thank you Milo. I will look more at the loader capacity going forward.

Too many rocks, I have considered a mini excavator -I think it would be extremely well suited (and super fun) -but I wouldn’t buy a new Chinese machine, based on principle, and am not seeing them for sale used in my area right now. There are a few Japanese or Korean ones around but they mostly command a high price and I’m worried that I will sink an lot of $ into something that I cannot turn over easily or that becomes a mechanical boondoggle. (I am assuming that they are mechanically complex relative to a tractor with FEL?)

You would invest Maybe $5000 into a Mini Chinese Hoe, Why worry about Resale?

Besides, once you have one, you won't sell it. For Investment and ease of up keep, you will have it for life of smaller jobs here and there.