Backhoe Backhoes--who has one? Would you buy again?

[fried1765]

Backhoe is like a Swiss Army knife!

"Backhoe is like a Swiss Army knife"
Most appropriate comment on this thread!

 

[GreenTime]

I'm the OP and have been following the conversation. Some good points were made both ways and I am now kind of leaning to rent or borrow a bigger backhoe or mini-ex if needed. Thanks to all--a great community!

 

[chas0218]

This is my first tractor with a backhoe but have operated and owned other tractors. I would definitely buy one again, it has been invaluable with the amount of stuff I have been able to do with it. Lifting, digging, trenching, anything I can utilize it for it gets put on and used. Putting it on takes about 5 minutes total. Mine is on a 35hp tractor, it has a shorter reach so I can't drive as far as you would with a mini-x when you're trenching but serves its purpose. Depending on the stump really depends on how long it takes. I dug out a stump that the trunk was 20" across and took a good hour. I will say it was my 1st time running the backhoe so there was a bit of a learning curve. After taking it off and on a few times I have gotten pretty good at it.

Would I buy again? Most definitely

Here are some things I would look/consider for when buying one:

Amount of use per year - if you can rent a mini-x for 2 days and accomplish all of your work it might not be worth it.
Soil type - this would dictate the size of the tractor
Reach of the unit - Like I said the longer the reach the better
Digging force - This is the amount of pressure the machine can exert into the ground
Bucket width - Smaller bucket will be easier to start on harder ground

 

[shooterdon]

Regrettably, very few respondents answered the OP question and, as normal, people need to justify what they use.

Birdlover, your decision to rent something is a good one. At least you will get a feel for what you need. Check around to see if your neighbors have a BH as well. Some of them may have the same tasks, and similar soil you have. They can be a great resource to get advice or get the job done. That is what worked for me. It was one of the guys I know a few miles form me that has a BH who talked me out of getting one. He came over, completed what I needed done, and it was a bargain. Plus I made a good friend.

Good luck!

 

[chas0218]

Tilling? Pull a trailer? Sprayer? Box blade? Snow plow? Landscape rake?

Y'all with unlimited budgets don't get how some of us have to combine resources and equipment.

This is exactly it. I get that digging holes and trenches are faster with a mini-x but for $30,000+ for a decent used one it isn't budget for many of us. If I could afford both I wouldn't have hesitated on buying a tractor without the BH and buy a mini-x. To me my time is free even if it is limited.

 

[Diggin It]

This is not something I could do without one, but not something that would justify the expense of a rental:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/422550-scutn-stumps.html#post5669692

Nothing like having one at your immediate disposal whenever the mood strikes you to take on a task.

 

[chas0218]

This small trench was to divert water away from the back of the house and down our hill. I would say this is roughly 200 yards long took about 2 hours including cutting out trees and pushing others over. Yes it was tight but wasn't horrible after I took the lower branches off the pines off with the chainsaw and took out a few smaller ones pushing them over.

 

[Tomtint]

I'm the OP and have been following the conversation. Some good points were made both ways and I am now kind of leaning to rent or borrow a bigger backhoe or mini-ex if needed. Thanks to all--a great community!

I have a BH for my L3700SU,...it sure beats the shovel but it's not particifast and the reach is limited, as is the rotation, and ability to move rocks or stumps side to side. I also have a KX121 mini x, so now I don't really see myself using the BH again.

 

[Jchonline]

If you have a whole lot of digging to do, a MiniEx makes sense. It will always be faster for these tasks. However if you really only want 1 machine a TLB is great. Granted the BHs on many cuts are really homeowner grade performance, they work if you have the time and patience. Just dont expect them to perform like commercial equipment. They lack speed and weight behind them for more efficient work.

Personally I like having it, but we are building a house so I have lots of uses for mine (trenching, buried propane tanks, etc). I also have 46 acres of rocks and trees so there is lots of opportunity.

I know lots of people get them for digging stumps....that is a mistake in my opinion. First of all it is very hard on a machine. Second with no real power it takes forever to dig them out. Larger trees take hours. If you have a sizable task I would save up a bunch of stumps then get a large excavator (contract or rent) to make quick work. Even with my machine I will do that.

 

[Hay Dude]

"Backhoe is like a Swiss Army knife"
Most appropriate comment on this thread!

Thank you :drink: