backhoe attachment vs a separate machine

[4570Man]

I used to have a tractor backhoe. It was good at the time, I used it a lot and did a lot of work I couldn’t have done without it. I have a mini x now though and there’s a world of difference in the 2.

 

[pokey1416]

If I had to give up my tractor mounted backhoe there would be no use in owning the tractor. I put the backhoe on in June or earlier and don’t take it off until October. I would guess that almost half of my 400 hrs in the last 1-1/2 yrs has been on the backhoe.

 

[Gord Baker]

Remember the 3 "F's". If it Flies, Floats or .......... Lease it. How often will you really need a Backhoe, Excavator, Mini anything? Cost efficient? No. Fun? Yes.

 

[4570Man]

Remember the 3 "F's". If it Flies, Floats or .......... Lease it. How often will you really need a Backhoe, Excavator, Mini anything? Cost efficient? No. Fun? Yes.

If you find a good deal you can sell an older backhoe and recoup all of your money. I’d call that a pretty cost effective solution.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

It may have alread been said; but I considered adding a backhoe to my tractor, which has a FEL. It would have run about 6500 bucks. I can rent a mini excavator, delivered, for about 500 for a weekend. One weekend a year is 13 years worth of a better machine, and ZERO in upkeep and storage issues.

 

[DK35vince]

It may have alread been said; but I considered adding a backhoe to my tractor, which has a FEL. It would have run about 6500 bucks. I can rent a mini excavator, delivered, for about 500 for a weekend. One weekend a year is 13 years worth of a better machine, and ZERO in upkeep and storage issues.

Thats one way to look at it.
I look at it as I can put my tractor mounted backhoe on any time I want to use it within minutes, without the hustle of scheduling/hauling and cost of renting a machine.
I paid $5200 for my 8 1/2' tractor mounted backhoe 20 years ago and have done a lot of work with it. I'm guessing I could still sell it for several thousand $$ today.
(8 1/2' digging depth, 11' reach)
So it lost around $2500 or so in value over the last 2 decades, available to me anytime year round and I'll still have and use it for years to come.
Thats a far cry from your $500 per weekend rental cost.

 

[Richard]

I agree in general that only you can decide if it makes sense. I started with an industrial backhoe/loader....then got a tractor so for me, I didn't need to debate the question. Someone said the industrials will make shorter work of something and that's true (I've never worked on an excavator so can't comment)

Years ago, my father asked if he could hire me....wanted me to drive 7 hours to visit him for the weekend. He wanted a row of shrubs dug up and was going to rent a backhoe/loader. Wanted me to visit for the weekend BUT, do the work since I had a machine.

I said no problem....but that an industrial would probably be the best thing to get. Well....he got a Terramite. This was better than using a shovel but literally, still took all day (actually two days) to get the job done. It had nowhere near the power my machine has (we're talking gasoline engine with ?? HP verses around 90 HP on the JCB) What really killed me though was the reach. I'm used to being able to reach out roughly 20 feet and this thing would maybe only go 8-9 feet outward (not down).

After I got the job done, after the Terrimite's backhoe controls broke on me (bolt holding wobble stick stripped out) I realized that had he listened to me, the job that took 12/14 hours to do with the Terrimite would have probably taken me 4-5 hours with a machine like mine.

Put me in the camp of two machines are better than one. ALSO, if you have a DUFAS moment like I've had....not once.....but twice.....where you do something stupid.... for example having an area where you KNOW there is running water. You KNOW it's muddy. You KNOW that your tractor will sink into the mud if you get too close and you KNOW that if you get the tractor there you're stuck because the tractor has a 15' flexwing mower behind it and will pack with mud to get no traction..... it's very nice to have a second machine to pull it out. It's nice when that second machine has a long reaching backhoe to allow you to keep IT clear of the muck so you can flex the backhoe to pull the tractor and flexwing out of the muck.

I'm just reporting this for a friend....ignore the pictures, it's someone's attempt to frame me I'm sure.

 

[mkendrix]

I have an old IH with a loader on a small farm with livestock. When a horse… dies, it’s a day off work and $100 for a friend to dig a hole and burry it. After 11 large animals dying, I finally found a used backhoe to adapt the subframe to my tractor. Now I can dig holes, trench water lines… at my convenience. No scheduling, trip/delivery charges or days off work for projects that should take hours. I can use it for digging a foundation for a new house and if it rains 4 out of 5 days, I’m not paying for it to sit. Sure, renting a dedicated machine would be better/faster but then I’d HAVE to use it on a schedule. It cost me $2500 and about $500 to make a self contained pto power unit. $3,000 for someone to dig a foundation.

 

[Joel/ak]

Wish we would have gone bigger on both....lol

I'll take it though. Sure beats a shovel

 

[Joel/ak]

Paid 13k for the mini with 1400 hours on it. Been flawless for the last couple of years. Cheaper ways to get both? Sure but everything has their place