**** backhoe's are expensive

[shooterdon]

It really depends on your needs. In 6 years I have needed one twice and contracted the work....cost about $500. In those 6 years, I have wanted one maybe 20 or more times to make a job easier, but made do without. Then there is the hassle of putting it on and taking it off as most of my needs require use of the 3pt hitch.

I have less than $6,000 in my old JD with brush hog, York rake, back blade, FEL, rototiller, mower, boom and carry all. I can sell it and just about break even. So the real cost is zero.

Use the same thinking about getting a BH if you want one. Will the difference between buying and selling it after a few years make sense, or should you contract the work or rent?

Digging two trenches and pulling a few stumps over 6 years, does not compute.

 

[check]

Well, my BH was free, because it came with my Kubota BX 25. And I use it quite a bit, and I do jobs that I never would’ve even thought of if I didn’t have one. It is easy to take that off in the fall, when I put my rear blower on for the snow, and then in the spring when I take the blower off, and then I put my box blade on to maintain my driveways. Then, as soon as the driveways are stabilized, the backhoe goes back on. I would never be without one. Come to think of it, whenever I have thought of upgrading, I always priced out the bigger tractor including the backhoe.

The one time my tractor’s backhoe was not up to the job, I hired someone to dig a 5 foot trench a hundred feet long or so, through nasty Rocky Sandy soil. And that cost me about $250. Well worth it in that case!

 

[chuck172]

Repairing old TLB's are very expensive to repair. Parts are just incredibly high priced. They don't even make replacement parts for many. My old ford 4500 has been good to me but to tell the truth, I'm afraid to go near it. Seems like every time I use it now it breaks down. Then it's big bucks.
Once you get used to using a full size backhoe, I don't think you'd be content with an add on to a tractor. They are like toys.

 

[fried1765]

This may hold true to a point on certain machines but if you get lucky it settles out and they become more reliable. I bought my NH575E off ebay and of course it showed up not as advertised. I got it cheap enough I think I am still okay and haven't had to do much to it lately. (I know I just jinxed it) I was determined to have a cab and that is what I bought. Now that i have the 4WD, AC, and heat working it is a pure joy to operate. I may even spend the two grand to get the brakes fixed someday. (those were said to be working fine by the seller, NOT!)

I don't have to do anything on a schedule since it sits in the yard waiting for me to operate it. My original plan was to buy it, fix it up, use it for a few years, then sell it. The wife informed me the other day it has become part of the family and cannot be sold. Guess I will just have to keep it running and finding new uses for it.

VERY smart wife!

 

[fried1765]

Repairing old TLB's are very expensive to repair. Parts are just incredibly high priced. They don't even make replacement parts for many. My old ford 4500 has been good to me but to tell the truth, I'm afraid to go near it. Seems like every time I use it now it breaks down. Then it's big bucks.
Once you get used to using a full size backhoe, I don't think you'd be content with an add on to a tractor. They are like toys.

"They are like toys"

YUP....!

 

[Diggin It]

I think most of the people in the just rent one crowd don稚 actually have a backhoe. My tractor backhoe easily paid for itself. How often do you guys use the tractor you own for a task actually worth renting a machine for?

The best time to get a BH on your tractor is when you buy a new tractor with the BH in the deal. Costs twice as much afterward.

There is nothing like having it when you need it. No long range planning to maximize use of a rental or waiting till they get one in. My BH is on more than the 3 point. FEL has never been off. 1500 hrs later.

Ron

Additional items I have not seen mentioned about the rental option are location and availability. At my place in Mississippi it is an hours drive 1 way to the nearest rental place. NO drop off/pick up options for "short term" rentals. In Virginia I'm about 4 miles from the rental center. In Virginia it's worth it to me to rent tools for the "weekend at 1 day rate". And the tool needs to be available in good condition WHEN I want it.

So that adds up. To drive two trips (pick up and drop off) of two hours round trip adds up quick and does not lend itself to situations where the weather changes.

Those are my three key points, plus I don't have a truck or trailer to haul anything that heavy, so I'd be paying delivery charges. Sure has been nice to be able to go just hop on and dig when I've needed to so far.

 

[DK35vince]

All I can add is my I've had my tractor mounted backhoe for 15 years.
Done everything I have ever needed it to do. (Works quite well IMO). (Water lines and electric line ditch's, stump removal, covert pipes and ditching, drainage pipe, pole barn foundation, dug the rock for my road to pole barn, Etc. Etc.)
Easily paid for itself with the amount of work I have done with it over the years and ready to use any time I need it without the hassle of trying to get a rental machine every time a project comes up.
A excavator or commercial TLB may do it faster, but also comes with the expense ,maintenance and storage of another machine that I do not want or need.

 

[Agvg]

Once you get used to using a full size backhoe, I don't think you'd be content with an add on to a tractor. They are like toys.

And full-size backhoe is a toy vs a excavator of same weight.

 

[4570Man]

And full-size backhoe is a toy vs a excavator of same weight.

Not really. You’re going to need a skid steer to do everything the backhoe does. Moving the second machine since my backhoe maxes out my trailer add 2 hours or more to my day. 2 hours work in the backhoe is a lot of ground to make up on the mini. And you’re investment is twice as much. And there’s still jobs where a backhoe wins. I had to use my backhoe to load a truck box and then the trailer I brought the backhoe on now has a truck box on it so I drove the backhoe 2 miles to unload the box. It shouldn’t take more than a couple hours to make that trek with the mini... A mini is no doubt a more efficient tool but it’s not a one size fits all. Actually finding a mini of equal weight to a full size isn’t as easy as it seem. There’s not much in between the biggest rubber track machines at 5-6 tons and small steel track machines at 15 tons. If you do buy something in the middle of that size class it’s $$$.

 

[Richard]

I fall on the buy an industrial side. I bought a used JCB. Over the (nearing 20) years of ownership, it's paid for itself.

I DO agree though that when anything breaks on it, I cringe at the prospect of how much is it going to burn in my wallet....

But, I've only replaced tires (all 4), a front tire spindle (some idiot (ahem) forgot to tighten the lug nuts, tire fell off, snapped them and damaged the spindle)

Repacked all cylinders and MAN, those things can be heavy!!! (still managed to pull the main boom cylinder off the BH, get it into truck, fixed and reinstalled while at the same time, was recovering from rotator cuff surgery....so I basically did it one handed & some creativity!!)

Dad rented a small BH once when he wanted me to drive 7 hours to his house and use my skills. I suggested he get an industrial, he got a Terramite. Darn thing broke during use, rendering it useless.