buying advice?

[old bubblehead]

Also an old bubblehead, i get the reference. My backhoe suggestion is to be very deliberate matching components. I bought a green machine bc it could do everything I needed at the time in 1 machine. Mower, loader, tiller and was simple for my kids to operate the mower. Then I bought a 3 pt bushhog backhoe. They do NOT play well together. I think I damaged my hydraulic pump bc with the backhoe attached I'm pumping to a dead head. Took it to 2 dealers and had 20 year old kids tell me "is fine, it's supposed to sound like that". I'm working on separating the backhoe with a pto hydraulic pump but they're not easy to find anymore.
BLUF: quality dealer support is critical

Hey shipmate! The "three point backhoes" are, based on everything I've heard/read, a breakdown waiting for a place to happen.
I want one that mounts on frame rails bolted the length of the body. Yes, it lowers ground clearance slightly. No biggie in my neck of the woods. What it doesn't do, is torque your whole tractor to the point where you can't use your three point.
(In God we trust, all others we track.)

 

[JimR]

Hey shipmate! The "three point backhoes" are, based on everything I've heard/read, a breakdown waiting for a place to happen.
I want one that mounts on frame rails bolted the length of the body. Yes, it lowers ground clearance slightly. No biggie in my neck of the woods. What it doesn't do, is torque your whole tractor to the point where you can't use your three point.
(In God we trust, all others we track.)

My Kioti manual warns about using a 3pth backhoe without an undercarriage. It will damage the 3pth.

 

[jyoutz]

My Kioti manual warns about using a 3pth backhoe without an undercarriage. It will damage the 3pth.

It will damage much more than the 3ph.

 

[JimR]

It will damage much more than the 3ph.

I would guess that the lower 3pth mounts would break off. I have an active top mount and that would be destroyed.

 

[dusty3030]

You don’t want to hear this but scratch hay production off your list for the amount of tillable acres you have. At least for now. Rotational grazing and buying hay when needed will be more successful. Put your efforts and resources in improving your soil and forage quality and you can cut your hay needs to little or none for the number of animals you need to be self sufficient on the acreage you have. Research rotational grazing before you make equipment choices. Also do soil testing and get as much help as you can from your county extension office and nrcs. Without a good idea what shape your soil is how are you going to know what it’s capable of?

Advice in this thread to get an older bigger backhoe for your land projects is solid. Mini ex a good choice too. 75hp or bigger backhoe would probably be more versatile. One with a clamshell bucket and extend a hoe and or a thumb would be the grail. A full sized construction hoe or a 7,000 to 8,500 pound class mini ex can do more than a tractor mounted backhoe by far. Loader work too as well as traction to actually do the heavy work compared to a tractor mounted loader as well.

 

[EddieWalker]

Given your list of things that you need to dig means that you need two tractors. Hoping to get all that done in your lifetime with just one tractor that is using a three-point backhoe isn't going to happen. They are not practical for that type of work.

I bought an old 1998 New Holland open station backhoe for $18,000 twenty years ago and it's still running today. I've put over 6,000 hours on it, and hope to get a few thousand more out of it. An excavator is better for digging, but terrible at moving stuff. An excavator will out dig my backhoe, but it's more money and limited uses.

Buy the most hp that you can afford, and then some. It's fun when you start these projects, but once things start breaking, you will wish you had more power. More power means more strength, and ability.

It took me 20 years to finally get a cab tractor. The cost was just too much to justify when first starting out. A cab tractor will cost a lot more money than open station. Suffering through the heat and cold will allow you to buy more HP and a second tractor. Buying used will also free up more money for more HP and a second tractor.

 

[Hay Dude]

92HP Terex backhoe with Cab, AC, front loader bucket with flip down forks and a 19.5’ extendahoe 4K hours, with excellent tires and NO rust for $17,000!!!

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That’s just a little more than a backhoe 3pt attachment and can do 10 times as much work. Flip down forks on the bucket are great for logs.

I oughta buy the damn thing!!! lol

 

[Carl_NH]

HD - why don't you? I know you just got the excavator, but this could open up more opportunities potentially, and in 3-5 years, sell it and you won't lose much if anything.

I understand you can only run one machine at a time tho too!

 

[4570Man]

92HP Terex backhoe with Cab, AC, front loader bucket with flip down forks and a 19.5’ extendahoe 4K hours, with excellent tires and NO rust for $17,000!!!

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That’s just a little more than a backhoe 3pt attachment and can do 10 times as much work. Flip down forks on the bucket are great for logs.

I oughta buy the damn thing!!! lol

The first machine I had was a 310j. I sold it and got a skid steer and mini x. Then I impulse bought a 410d for $17,000. Then I quickly realized why I sold the first backhoe and sold it too. The skid steer and mini is just so much better. If the backhoe had a quick attach bucket and forks I would be more inclined to keep it around but backhoes that have quick attach frames usually aren’t $17,000.

 

[EddieWalker]

I welded on a Quick Attach plate to my bucket and had created the attachment for it on my loader. I can switch my backhoe front bucket to pallet forks, hay spear or grapple in just a few minutes. It really was life changing to be able to dig up a tree with the hoe, cut it into 20 foot lengths, and then pick up each log and carry it to the burn pile!!!

Something else to mention is how much stronger the loader is on a backhoe than a farm tractor. I can lift 6,000 pounds with it and carry a full yard of dirt.

 

[rScotty]

I welded on a Quick Attach plate to my bucket and had created the attachment for it on my loader. I can switch my backhoe front bucket to pallet forks, hay spear or grapple in just a few minutes. It really was life changing to be able to dig up a tree with the hoe, cut it into 20 foot lengths, and then pick up each log and carry it to the burn pile!!!

Something else to mention is how much stronger the loader is on a backhoe than a farm tractor. I can lift 6,000 pounds with it and carry a full yard of dirt.

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Gotta agree with all those who buy old commercial backhoes. They last forever and parts are cheap. Old style pre-emission machnes, almost unbreakable & easily maintained. There are a lot of them out there and just no buyer market for them at all - particularly the older open station ones. So they just sit.

My buddy bought his old JD310 for $9000 ten years ago, put tires on it, built two ponds, and still uses it today. BTW, new sharp tires are the secret to using a 2wd backhoe in the mud & snow.
I know of two more locally that cost under $15K each... and one is 4wd. They will all lift and carry close to 3 tons in the bucket.

Our own old JD310 has a mere 6500 hours. Probably good for thousands more. It mostly just sits now that the big digging chores are done, but it's a keeper.

For anyone who is a wanna be homesteader, consider an old commercial backhoe. Either a JD or Case.
Start looking by asking around at small town municipal or school district maintenance shops.
rScotty

 

[rScotty]

It will damage much more than the 3ph.

I would guess that the lower 3pth mounts would break off. I have an active top mount and that would be destroyed.

I had a little 3pt backhoe that I used for years on our larger tractor with a category II 3pt. I figured that little PTO driven hoe couldn't possibly damage that big tractor's 3pt or frame, so I used it quite a bit for small digging chores. Even put in a septic with it. No problems.....

Then one day I hooked up the little hoe to the tractor for some job, but forgot to turn off the automatic draft control on the big tractor.
No sooner did I put the hoe bucket in the ground than the tractors 3pt draft control auto-engaged and folded the hoe into a ball of mangled metal....and nearly folded me into the wreckage as well. I bailed out sideways with inches to spare. The whole disaster took less than 5 seconds start to finish.

Be careful with those 3pt hoes.
rScotty

 

[airbiscuit]

... It's going to get old fast taking that backhoe attachment on and off. I would look for a small used mini ex if you nee to do any digging. I bought a small (235-2) Takeuchi for pretty cheap last yr

Or buy an older Industrial tractor/backhoe for the price of a backhoe attachment

---

Everyone thinks having a backhoe is sexy. Taking it on and off isn't

Step 1. Go to your dealer and mount a backhoe. Then pretend you want to use a rough cut mower and take it off. Repeat...

Step 2. buy an older Industrial tractor/backhoe for the price of a backhoe attachment

 

[old bubblehead]

Given your list of things that you need to dig means that you need two tractors. Hoping to get all that done in your lifetime with just one tractor that is using a three-point backhoe isn't going to happen. They are not practical for that type of work.

I bought an old 1998 New Holland open station backhoe for $18,000 twenty years ago and it's still running today. I've put over 6,000 hours on it, and hope to get a few thousand more out of it. An excavator is better for digging, but terrible at moving stuff. An excavator will out dig my backhoe, but it's more money and limited uses.

Buy the most hp that you can afford, and then some. It's fun when you start these projects, but once things start breaking, you will wish you had more power. More power means more strength, and ability.

It took me 20 years to finally get a cab tractor. The cost was just too much to justify when first starting out. A cab tractor will cost a lot more money than open station. Suffering through the heat and cold will allow you to buy more HP and a second tractor. Buying used will also free up more money for more HP and a second tractor.

Eddy, are you aware that there are backhoes that don't go on the three point system? They mount a set of frames under the length of the tractor, and the hoe goes to those. That's what I'm getting. I appreciate your input on "suffering through" but sir, I am 63 years old, I got all my suffering done a long time ago. And I probably don't have another twenty years left, so if it's all the same to you I'll buy one now.
I'm really getting tired of explaining that I don't want a stand alone hoe. Again, I appreciate your position, but NO, thank you.

 

[old bubblehead]

92HP Terex backhoe with Cab, AC, front loader bucket with flip down forks and a 19.5’ extendahoe 4K hours, with excellent tires and NO rust for $17,000!!!

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That’s just a little more than a backhoe 3pt attachment and can do 10 times as much work. Flip down forks on the bucket are great for logs.

I oughta buy the damn thing!!! lol

maybe you should. It's in NEW JERSEY. that's hell and gone from Tennessee. and it's 8000 more than I'm going to be paying for the hoe that goes on frames on a TYM, I can buy several attachments for that price.

 

[Torvy]

I think Eddie is well aware of the backhoe connected to a sub-frame. I think most of us use the shorthand to call any backhoe connected to a tractor a "3pt" backhoe. The backhoe on a sub-frame, or not, still makes the 3pt hitch unusable unless you detach it. Changing any implement takes some effort. Backhoe changes take more than most. They are heavy and unwieldy.

I would definitely look into local rentals for an excavator.

 

[Hay Dude]

Eddy, are you aware that there are backhoes that don't go on the three point system? They mount a set of frames under the length of the tractor, and the hoe goes to those. That's what I'm getting. I appreciate your input on "suffering through" but sir, I am 63 years old, I got all my suffering done a long time ago. And I probably don't have another twenty years left, so if it's all the same to you I'll buy one now.
I'm really getting tired of explaining that I don't want a stand alone hoe. Again, I appreciate your position, but NO, thank you.

maybe you should. It's in NEW JERSEY. that's hell and gone from Tennessee.

Bro, I just picked up a farm tractor last month from KANSAS. 1,000 miles away. Cost me $3,200 to ship, but it was cheaper than anything in my area. People buy machinery from all over the country and have them shipped. Heck some people bring farm machinery over from Europe!

and it's 8000 more than I'm going to be paying for the hoe that goes on frames on a TYM, I can buy several attachments for that price.

I already have an excavator, so I’m all set. I actually wasted a few minutes this morning finding that for you. It would cost about $2,000 to have hauled to you in TN.

Anyway, I got you man. You were asking for suggestions, and we are giving them to you based on many, many years of experience. I can tell you that long ago I had a tractor with a 9’ subframe backhoe. I’d say it was below average to average for any kind of heavy digging. Some of the guys giving you their input have been here on TBN for 10+ years sharing very specific experiences in the field.

The reason I, and some others are suggesting a farm tractor and a 2nd machine being a backhoe, is because it’s not easy to swap off a backhoe for farming attachments. Especially since you state your age to be 63. Swapping implements is not an older man’s game.

Unfortunately, you are going to soon find out the misery of doing a lot of attachment swapping with just one tractor. I was in your shoes 20+ years ago and had 2 tractors. I was quickly “educated” in the knuckle busting, back breaking and time consuming process of swapping baler, rake, tedder, spreader, bush hog, etc.

In fact, it is such a PITA, I now own 4 tractors. I could get by with 3, but 4 makes attachment swapping pretty much something in the past. I also have a 9 ton excavator….. Thank the Lord…..

 

[sd455dan]

Deleted my response. but agree with others never going to be without a full sized TLB Hoe in addition to tractors.

 

[old bubblehead]

Bro, I just picked up a farm tractor last month from KANSAS. 1,000 miles away. Cost me $3,200 to ship, but it was cheaper than anything in my area. People buy machinery from all over the country and have them shipped. Heck some people bring farm machinery over from Europe!


I already have an excavator, so I’m all set. I actually wasted a few minutes this morning finding that for you. It would cost about $2,000 to have hauled to you in TN.

Anyway, I got you man. You were asking for suggestions, and we are giving them to you based on many, many years of experience. I can tell you that long ago I had a tractor with a 9’ subframe backhoe. I’d say it was below average to average for any kind of heavy digging. Some of the guys giving you their input have been here on TBN for 10+ years sharing very specific experiences in the field.

The reason I, and some others are suggesting a farm tractor and a 2nd machine being a backhoe, is because it’s not easy to swap off a backhoe for farming attachments. Especially since you state your age to be 63. Swapping implements is not an older man’s game.

Unfortunately, you are going to soon find out the misery of doing a lot of attachment swapping with just one tractor. I was in your shoes 20+ years ago and had 2 tractors. I was quickly “educated” in the knuckle busting, back breaking and time consuming process of swapping baler, rake, tedder, spreader, bush hog, etc.

In fact, it is such a PITA, I now own 4 tractors. I could get by with 3, but 4 makes attachment swapping pretty much something in the past. I also have a 9 ton excavator….. Thank the Lord…..

well, and when I can afford it, and sell the partners on it, I may do the same. For right now, it's strictly one tractor, until everyone decides that it's too painful. The other couple involved has some rather special ideas some times. It's best to let them learn by peeing on the fence.

 

[airbiscuit]