DR Power Equipment Backhoe

[DerekF]

I am looking to see what people think of the DR Backhoe. It has really good reviews on their website. I know a lot of people have a "hunch" that these things are expensive toys as I have seen it put before, but I want people with real experience with the DR specifically or really any towable backhoe for that matter, to tell me what they think. Thanks in advanced.

 

[Diggin It]

The DR shows at $6300 plus extras.

The HF unit is $2800. Is the DR better? Maybe. Is it $3500 better?

I paid less than the DR for my BH, but of course I had to buy the tractor too, so ...

 

[MossRoad]

1:18 promotional video on their website shows about 15 seconds of digging. The rest of it shows it being towed around and some guy carrying a shovel. I wish manufacturers would do better videos showing their machines working, rather than some guy talking.

$6300 seems pretty salty compared to the harbor freight at half that price.

I'd look at youtube videos of both and start comparing.

 

[Diggin It]

Remember that neither is a backhoe. At best they're trenchers or motorized shovels. They simply do not have the weight necessary to do bigger work. Even the tractor mounted units like mine have serious limitations.

 

[DerekF]

Remember that neither is a backhoe. At best they're trenchers or motorized shovels. They simply do not have the weight necessary to do bigger work. Even the tractor mounted units like mine have serious limitations.

I certainly understand that. I swear I watched a YouTube video on some guy digging a septic tank hole with his HF Trencher. I am not comparing these things to commercial equipment. But it seems like if you have the time they can do some serious work. I honestly cant find any Youtube videos on the DR outside of the DR youtube channels that I feel like almost do nothing for the machine like MossRoad said, and then one other guys really old videos that aren't super helpful either. In the future I am wanting to do a good sized garden, a pig pen and chicken coop, and then a small orchard. This will require a lot of trenching and digging and I am thinking it would be worth it to get something like this. I just have seen to many bad reviews on the harbor freight to feel comfortable getting that one. The buckets break, the square tubing the feet mount into splits, so on and so forth. I do weld and weld fine to keep something like that up, I just don't know if it will be worth it if I am doing that all the time.

 

[/pine]

Check the local market for used Ditch Witch etc. trenchers...I see them all the time in good running condition with backhoe attachments for less than $6K

 

[MossRoad]

Check the local market for used Ditch Witch etc. trenchers...I see them all the time in good running condition with backhoe attachments for less than $6K

That would be a good find!

 

[slus]

I have one that I bought used. It's actually a powerful little thing, I used it for a couple projects hooked to the hitch of my crew cab F350 and it would drag all 4 wheels (locked in 4x4, in gear, brake set) when I was using it to pull out 2-3 foot rocks. It digs really well. I have no clue how people use it for heavy jobs hooked to an ATV. The biggest pain is the non hydraulic stabilizers. To get the right leverage, you have to use the bucket to lift up the whole thing, drop the outriggers, pick them up until you find one of the 3 holes for the pin, then drop it back down and dig. If you don't get it right, it will just drag your tow vehicle around. So every 6-8 feet I'd be lifting the trencher with the bucket, pulling the pins and positioning the outriggers to the "up" position, getting in the truck, starting it, driving 6-8 feet, getting out of the truck, lifting up the trencher with the bucket, dropping the outriggers, lifting them back up to the nearest hole, getting back on the trencher, rinse and repeat. That and the mobility issue of getting a truck AND a trencher in the right location in the first place.

Is it better than a shovel? **** yes.

My father in law picked up the same tractor as me, and got a backhoe for it. I'm going to sell the DR, put the subframe mount on my tractor, and just borrow his backhoe for projects. I won't be sorry to see the DR go after using the BH on the B2301, it's way more time efficient.

 

[davepg1]

I have been using one of the HF trenchers for a couple of seasons putting in drain tile and various other digging projects. For what it is, it is impressive. The DR just was not worth the additional money for a machine with the same capability. I will be adding a thumb to the HF trencher this spring to make it easier for digging out large rocks. In my book, it sure beats a shovel!

 

[DerekF]

I have been using one of the HF trenchers for a couple of seasons putting in drain tile and various other digging projects. For what it is, it is impressive. The DR just was not worth the additional money for a machine with the same capability. I will be adding a thumb to the HF trencher this spring to make it easier for digging out large rocks. In my book, it sure beats a shovel!

Good to know. The DR just looks better engineered and like it might be a little better. I’m sure they are both made in China but thanks for the opinion!

 

[Coyote machine]

I've used and owned a fair amount of Dr. Equipment over the last 25 or so years, most is listed in my signature.
I'd ask you to say how many hours a week or month you expect to use it and how fast you estimate getting your projects completed. I think the price is high for what it looks like it can do. Resale might be worth considering, and possibly look for a 'slightly used' newer one- which ought to go for 1/2 or less vs. new.

I started with a bolt on 'tooth' on my 1st, 35HP diesel tractor, with factory supplied and branded hoe; which I hardly used due to the inconvenience of setting it up to do whatever I needed it to grab. Sold it to a guy on TBN and bought a hydraulic thumb, but it needed a different strength piston, so that one was pretzled during it's first test run! Same manufacturer built a H. Duty model soon after with a beefier piston, and that gets the job done nicely. I kept the original hoe and it fit my new Kioti 40HP Tractor.

For price comparison, in 2009, with my first Kioti 35HP, 3 cylinder diesel I paid around $8K for the model 2485-BH, their biggest model all hydraulic hoe, and when I see the Dr. priced around $6K I shake my head that anyone will spend that amount for what it is. I'm NOT slamming it- I just think that is a LOT of money for that hoe's size, capability, etc.

I could be wrong, by my experience tells me not likely, in this instance. I'd rate it a C at best, IF you are willing to do a lot of prep work and maneuvering around with it to get done what you need done- and if there is no real time crunch to accomplish the tasks.

I get it, not everyone can afford a serious tractor to 'drive' a fairly serious tractor based hoe. I'd love to have a skid steer and a mini Ex. Neither will likely ever be in my budget, but I sure could justify all day to my wife why I could do so much more with either or both, but then I'd need extra outbuildings, etc.
It never ends, well not until you die! :confused3:

Dr. may have a 6 months trial basis, but you're far from their factory so I don't know- but you could ask. They sometimes offer better deals on refurbished units- again I don't know if they do on the item in question- you can always ask....

You could buy and 'try' the HF unit and if it seemed to do the job beat on it 'till it worthless, and then get another one and money probably saved on the purchase of one Dr. Any number of options around, depends on how many rocks to dig, # of trenches and how long/wide and biggest factor: your time- what's it worth to you vs. doing something else which could make you more money over the time you lay out using an implement a step above a shovel?

Good luck! Let us know outcome/decision.

 

[TractorGuy]

I know you want info on the DR but I'm thinking the lack of videos on that unit reflect the lack of buyers.

You can find a decent used full size backhoe for about twice what the DR unit sells for. A full size backhoe will do in 15 minutes what you would do in 3 or 4 or hours on one of these rinky dink things.

This guy does some great video presentations on the HF unit.

Unpacking
Unpacking My Harbor Freight 62365 Trencher - YouTube

Assembly
Assembling My Harbor Freight 62365 Trencher - YouTube

Using
Harbor Freight 62365 Trencher Removing a Stump - YouTube

He does some other stuff like making a thumb and adapting the DR ripper to it. He is a **** of a fabricator machinist.

 

[DerekF]

I know you want info on the DR but I'm thinking the lack of videos on that unit reflect the lack of buyers.

You can find a decent used full size backhoe for about twice what the DR unit sells for. A full size backhoe will do in 15 minutes what you would do in 3 or 4 or hours on one of these rinky dink things.

This guy does some great video presentations on the HF unit.

He does some other stuff like making a thumb and adapting the DR ripper to it. He is a **** of a fabricator machinist.

I have watched all of the Unemployed Redneck Hillbilly videos on the HF machine. The guy is AWESOME, been subscribed to him for years! I have pretty much completely decided against the DR. I went and looked at trenchers as someone suggested on local classifieds and I found a Ditch Witch with a front blade and the rear trencher (no digging arm) for only $3000 in the Phoenix area about 3 hrs south west of me.. That is what it will cost to get the Harbor Freight to me. I am not ready to buy now. I am more trying to get educated and research so I know my decision when the time comes and I have had a lot of time to think about it. I think I would still consider the HF machine but when the time comes I will keep my eyes peeled for a Ditch Witch in under $5000 with the backhoe attachment. If it never shows, then I may just pull the trigger on the HF.

I definitely get what JD855 is saying about getting a real FS backhoe for twice as much a the DR. But with that being said I do just have to offer a few points of why I wouldn't consider that. The number one reason being that the cost of Ownership would be next to nothing for the DR. 2-3 quart oil changes, probably 3-5 gallons of hydraulic fluid. Simple carburetor single cylinder gas motor that I am perfectly capable and equipped to work on myself. Also when it comes time to buy new tires for a FS backhoe to replace all 4 tires I will spend half as much as the DR trencher costs (All of what the HF cost). New tires for the DR will come at probably $120 - $200 all together. Its a very simple machine and to just get little projects done here and there. I am not going into business with it so speed is less of my concern where the economical choice is more. I guess in short, I am not just looking for a less expensive alternative when it comes to the up front cost but also what it costs me to own, maintain, and fix it. Which is less than pretty much any "real" piece of equipment. The ultimate goal is to have a compact tractor someday, But I read its a PAIN to switch the backhoe attachment out to other implements. Which is why the separate unit is appealing to me.

With all that being said I think I would go for a gas powered Ditch Witch trencher with a digging arm (backhoe?) attachment. It seems like a good middle of the road option! Not to mention it has a back fill blade and its a self contained machine where the HF trencher will always need a friend to hold it down and move it around. But again, I also think the little HF trencher would suffice If I cannot find the DW with a back hoe on it. Especially going back to the cost of ownership aspect.

Again, thanks for all the food for thought guys. Its all been helpful.

 

[fried1765]

I know you want info on the DR but I'm thinking the lack of videos on that unit reflect the lack of buyers.

You can find a decent used full size backhoe for about twice what the DR unit sells for. A full size backhoe will do in 15 minutes what you would do in 3 or 4 or hours on one of these rinky dink things.

This guy does some great video presentations on the HF unit.

Unpacking
Unpacking My Harbor Freight 62365 Trencher - YouTube

Assembly
Assembling My Harbor Freight 62365 Trencher - YouTube

Using
Harbor Freight 62365 Trencher Removing a Stump - YouTube

He does some other stuff like making a thumb and adapting the DR ripper to it. He is a **** of a fabricator machinist.

^^^^ What he said!