backhoe vs skid steer hoe?

Tractornewb · Nov 29, 2018

Is there something I'm missing regarding backhoes and skid steer hoes?

Why would anybody order and pay $6000-8000+ on a back of the tractor mounted backhoe with a frame, when you can get a skid steer quick attach for a front loader and get a skid steer attachment hoe for about $2000?

Like this New Backhoe Skid Steer - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Why the absolutely humongous difference in price???

DK35vince · Nov 30, 2018

With the pictured skid steer hoe you would need swing the entire tractor around to dump and reset with the ditch again every bucketful.
No thanks, I'll stick with my tractor mounted backhoe.

ruffdog · Nov 30, 2018

Tractornewb said:
Is there something I'm missing regarding backhoes and skid steer hoes?

Why would anybody order and pay $6000-8000+ on a back of the tractor mounted backhoe with a frame, when you can get a skid steer quick attach for a front loader and get a skid steer attachment hoe for about $2000?

Like this New Backhoe Skid Steer - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Why the absolutely humongous difference in price???

For the loader of a tractor? Normally, a QA on a FEL sticks out a few more inches which lessens lift/curl capacities. The QA weighs 100lbs that takes away from lift capacity. Then you add a 550-750lb attachment that sticks way out that relies on lots of capacity. I would think you would need a substantial sized tractor to muscle it through the ground and a big tractor doesn't maneuver around too good.

mikester · Nov 30, 2018

Tractornewb said:
Is there something I'm missing regarding backhoes and skid steer hoes?

Why would anybody order and pay $6000-8000+ on a back of the tractor mounted backhoe with a frame, when you can get a skid steer quick attach for a front loader and get a skid steer attachment hoe for about $2000?

Like this New Backhoe Skid Steer - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Why the absolutely humongous difference in price???

If you have to ask then you've already answered the question.

google Caveat Emptor

DieselBound · Nov 30, 2018

If you really need to dig there's nothing that compares to an excavator. Yes, they're costly, but one need not buy one, just rent one. And if you have a LOT of digging then just buy one (resell when done). I do understand, however, that there are some cases where a tractor mounted backhoe makes sense (cost is justifiable). As others point out, a front-mounted backhoe on a tractor is a bad idea.

4570Man · Nov 30, 2018

Those aren’t equal attachments. And those suck. They’re really not useable on a tractor anyway. The make better skid steer backhoes but they’re not 2k.

Rustyiron · Nov 30, 2018

Tractornewb said:
Is there something I'm missing regarding backhoes and skid steer hoes?

Why would anybody order and pay $6000-8000+ on a back of the tractor mounted backhoe with a frame, when you can get a skid steer quick attach for a front loader and get a skid steer attachment hoe for about $2000?

For one, there's zero visibility with/of that on the front of a tractor, secondly on a SS you can pivot in place to dump your bucket, then just pivot back to dig. I'd rather just rent an excavator for a day.:drink:

Sysop · Nov 30, 2018

Tractornewb said:
Is there something I'm missing regarding backhoes and skid steer hoes?

Why would anybody order and pay $6000-8000+ on a back of the tractor mounted backhoe with a frame, when you can get a skid steer quick attach for a front loader and get a skid steer attachment hoe for about $2000?

Like this New Backhoe Skid Steer - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Why the absolutely humongous difference in price???

What you have listed there isn't nearly the same thing as a standard backhoe. What you have there is a rigid arm and the only movement it would provide is a curling bucket on the end. All other mobility of it would be dependent on your skidsteer (no compact tractor loader would ever be able to withstand such a unit).

A backhoe swings the entire boom side to side, raises and lowers the entire boom, it can extend and retract the main arm, and it can curl the bucket. There is a lot more "action" provided by a backhoe.

As mentioned above, there are skidsteer mounted backhoes that provide full backhoe mobility, and most of those are the same ones used on the back of the smaller tractors. Rather than a tractor mount subframe, or three point hitch, they're mounted to a SSQA plate for use on a skidsteer, but they're the same thing with the same sorta cost.

You can't bring up a tractor backhoe without folk mentioning excavators. I hate to see what having single-jointed SSQA-hoes on the market does to future conversations...