Help me understand the logic.

[Diggin It]

Wish I had half a dozen rear blades to sell.

Sounds like a business opportunity. You got the truck. Get a trailer, head east. Load up, head west. List as you go. You may have them all sold by time you get back home.

 

[Diggin It]

One thing no one has mentioned yet is that sometimes you can get a decent backhoe (tractor and all) for under 10k. I see them all the time on craigslist. Why spend 7-10k on a new attachment when someone can just get the whole thing for less than that....Just need to be ready to buy when the opportunity comes up. Having 2 tractors is way better than having just 1...

Mentioned all the time. And countered. You have another engine, drive train and hydraulic system to maintain. Older ones where parts may not be as readily available. Plus another machine to insure.

 

[bazman82]

Mentioned all the time. And countered. You have another engine, drive train and hydraulic system to maintain. Older ones where parts may not be as readily available. Plus another machine to insure.

That's roughly the same conversation I had with my wife when we were deciding if I would buy her gdpas backhoe. Being an older machine that I know has issues, it would not be worth it to me right now to buy it. In the future, I will keep an eye out for a used attachment but when I am looking for one of those, if I find a decent backhoe I may buy that. For as little as I would use it, maintaining it wouldn't be a huge inconvenience for myself. In the meantime, I have a Bobcat rental place about 1 mile down the road from me.

 

[ETD66SS]

Mentioned all the time. And countered. You have another engine, drive train and hydraulic system to maintain. Older ones where parts may not be as readily available. Plus another machine to insure.

I actually prefer separate machines. And a backhoe attachment seems like one of the worst to take on and off...

 

[bazman82]

Plus another machine to insure.

This is optional.

 

[bazman82]

I actually prefer separate machines. And a backhoe attachment seems like one of the worst to take on and off...

That is what I would worry about. With my luck, I would have everything planned out to use an attachment like that for a week or so and I bet something would come up to where I would have to take it off at least once or twice during that time. It happens all the time when I put my manure fork on and like 2 days later I need the bucket on again and without a quick attach its a pain.

 

[Diggin It]

My BH comes off in 10 minutes or less. On can take a bit longer getting things lined up, but over all a very simple task.

 

[searcyfarms]

full circle - unless you have time out the ying yang and a small budget this is moot debate, time/small budget = eat the elephant someday you will get there, otherwise, let someone else bear the maint/cost/repairs/wear n tear/ins = bigger budget and they do it and are gone

 

[bazman82]

I've already told my wife that when I can, a mini excavator is on my list of wants and I don't care if I only use it once or twice a year. I will enjoy it and the time I spend puttering around with it will be well spent in my opinion. I mean, they do have a place where anyone can go and "play" on the big boy toys to dig and move dirt. Digging USA I think its called..

 

[ETD66SS]

I've already told my wife that when I can, a mini excavator is on my list of wants and I don't care if I only use it once or twice a year. I will enjoy it and the time I spend puttering around with it will be well spent in my opinion. I mean, they do have a place where anyone can go and "play" on the big boy toys to dig and move dirt. Digging USA I think its called..

I will have one of those someday too with a ditching bucket. I need something with rubber tracks to drive around the perimeter of my ponds and extricate the unwanted weeds and willow trees. My 575D backhoe is to awkward for that job, and my CAT 225 would tear up the lawn, plus not fit all the way around the ponds now that I've got trees all planted where I want them.