I'm not talking about those of you who use your rig for your profession, I'm talking about homeowners. Somebody recently suggested it might not be worth buying a backhoe as it ends up mostly un-used, so I thought I would ask the esteemed panel of experts here. Is that true? Not worth it?
How often do you actually use your backhoe? (BX and B size)
- Thread starter Haff
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Peter 315
Super Member
Its better than a shovel but your not going to dig a foundation , you can plant trees and shrubs etc... add on cl Kubota BX BT602 Backhoe - $3500
This unit has been used only a couple times like new, How much is a new one and how much work do you need to do
This unit has been used only a couple times like new, How much is a new one and how much work do you need to do
ZTMAN
Silver Member
I have a BX2380, one neighbor has a 23s, another has a L3901 with the BH. Never seen them use the hoes.
I have a quick hitch on mine and transfer between the box blade, rotary mower and trailer hitch with ease. Can't think of a time where I wished I had a back hoe, but I know my neighbors which they had a quick hitch.
I have a quick hitch on mine and transfer between the box blade, rotary mower and trailer hitch with ease. Can't think of a time where I wished I had a back hoe, but I know my neighbors which they had a quick hitch.
rba901
Member
Welcome Haff,
I love the backhoe on my machine, seriously for my purposes the machine would only half or even less valuable if I did not have one.
Recent usages have included digging a 100 yard trench for running pipe work from water tanks to our house for bush fire protection (as you will have heard in Australia we've been hit heavily) We are in a vulnerable location so the pipes should be a couple of feet under the ground. We have been planting a number of trees, building new garden beds, all jobs where the backhoe was invaluable. Other applications have involved digging out the root balls of dead trees, again an impossible job unless you have hours of time and many helpers.
As my skill level has grown I find I can use it more and more.
Good luck
I love the backhoe on my machine, seriously for my purposes the machine would only half or even less valuable if I did not have one.
Recent usages have included digging a 100 yard trench for running pipe work from water tanks to our house for bush fire protection (as you will have heard in Australia we've been hit heavily) We are in a vulnerable location so the pipes should be a couple of feet under the ground. We have been planting a number of trees, building new garden beds, all jobs where the backhoe was invaluable. Other applications have involved digging out the root balls of dead trees, again an impossible job unless you have hours of time and many helpers.
As my skill level has grown I find I can use it more and more.
Good luck
4570Man
Super Star Member
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I don’t fit either one of your criteria’s but I use mine pretty much every time I start the machine.
Michael In Tennessee
Gold Member
I have a MX so the hoe is quite a bit more powerful. I use it often enough that I don't regret the $10k cost. But, each person's needs are unique and so should be their equipment choices. The hoe stays on the tractor more than any other attachment.
Tractor Seabee
Elite Member
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It is a "it depends" situation. What are you doing to need the tractor for? I have used my BX BH a lot, probably 30-40% of hours out of 1500. Renting a mini X can be a real pain and cost for intermittent work. I your project won't allow continuous operation the cost expands. Most of us with other jobs are commitments cannot take good advantage of rentals. I made the right decision on the BX or me. If you are not going to use it it is a waste of money.
Ron
Ron
rScotty
Super Member
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What do we use the Backhoe for? For digging.... not so much. Oh, it digs easy enough, but frankly we only dig holes or trenches a few times a year. In a year we might plant a few 8 foot trees bought from the tree farm. Or maybe cut down a few mature trees. When we cut one down, the hoe plus thumb holds the trunk out horizontally at the right height for chainsaw sectioning and limbing. Afterwards the bucket removes the stump.
For carrying 12 foot sections of tree trunk down a narrow six foot path there's not much that is better than a backhoe and thumb.
Maybe once or twice a year we will repair or put in an underground line that requires a trench. It's fun and easy to dig the trench in an hour, but frankly we could do the digging just as well by hand in a couple of days if the ground weren't so rocky and we were a bit younger. The backhoe simply makes it easy. But I wouldn't say the backhoe is a necessity. Before our first little used 3pt backhoe, we did exactly the same work with shovels, levers, and rockbars. My recollection is that the work was enjoyable. We never felt that we were being put upon. Nor did we miss the backhoe that we had never owned.
So that's about it for digging. We actually use the backhoe more for lifting, placing heavy things carefully, or as a small mobile crane and grapple. In that mode we use it all the time. With the thumb the hoe is like a precision grapple that has a wider range of motion.
A lot of what we do looks a lot like landscaping, and it can involve rocks. I'd say that the ability to lift and place or flip and roll rocks around is another whole reason to have a hoe. And like craning, it doesn't have much to do with digging.
Something that only you can decide is how you like to do projects. I'm impulsive. When a day comes along without outside obligations, and I feel like doing a project then then being able to fire up the tractor complete with backhoe and thumb means I can immediatelybegin to enjoy the work. Being able to do that on the spur of the moment is worth a lot to me. It's worth far more than the price of the hoe.
If on the other hand you are the kind of person who has a lot of control over your time and who likes to plan every detail of a project including the renting and fetching and returning of equipment one day so you can work the next.... Well, if you get your pleasure from working that way then there's no reason to own a backhoe. Or in fact to own a tractor at all. You can just rent. Nothing wrong with that, either.
As to the cost of the hoe. It doesn't have to end up costing much because it is an investment.
I like to buy tractors new and implements used. A good used 3 point backhoe bought for a fair price won't cost a thing to own. They are just about bulletproof and easy to sell used. We've had three, and always found that I could get most or all of what they cost just about anytime we wanted.
A shorter answer to your question about backhoes is that as we get older we use it a lot more. It enables us to do the same work we could when young.
rScotty
For carrying 12 foot sections of tree trunk down a narrow six foot path there's not much that is better than a backhoe and thumb.
Maybe once or twice a year we will repair or put in an underground line that requires a trench. It's fun and easy to dig the trench in an hour, but frankly we could do the digging just as well by hand in a couple of days if the ground weren't so rocky and we were a bit younger. The backhoe simply makes it easy. But I wouldn't say the backhoe is a necessity. Before our first little used 3pt backhoe, we did exactly the same work with shovels, levers, and rockbars. My recollection is that the work was enjoyable. We never felt that we were being put upon. Nor did we miss the backhoe that we had never owned.
So that's about it for digging. We actually use the backhoe more for lifting, placing heavy things carefully, or as a small mobile crane and grapple. In that mode we use it all the time. With the thumb the hoe is like a precision grapple that has a wider range of motion.
A lot of what we do looks a lot like landscaping, and it can involve rocks. I'd say that the ability to lift and place or flip and roll rocks around is another whole reason to have a hoe. And like craning, it doesn't have much to do with digging.
Something that only you can decide is how you like to do projects. I'm impulsive. When a day comes along without outside obligations, and I feel like doing a project then then being able to fire up the tractor complete with backhoe and thumb means I can immediatelybegin to enjoy the work. Being able to do that on the spur of the moment is worth a lot to me. It's worth far more than the price of the hoe.
If on the other hand you are the kind of person who has a lot of control over your time and who likes to plan every detail of a project including the renting and fetching and returning of equipment one day so you can work the next.... Well, if you get your pleasure from working that way then there's no reason to own a backhoe. Or in fact to own a tractor at all. You can just rent. Nothing wrong with that, either.
As to the cost of the hoe. It doesn't have to end up costing much because it is an investment.
I like to buy tractors new and implements used. A good used 3 point backhoe bought for a fair price won't cost a thing to own. They are just about bulletproof and easy to sell used. We've had three, and always found that I could get most or all of what they cost just about anytime we wanted.
A shorter answer to your question about backhoes is that as we get older we use it a lot more. It enables us to do the same work we could when young.
rScotty
oosik
Epic Contributor
I live on 80 acres with a mile long gravel driveway. I have, honestly, never wished for a backhoe attachment. I have never had the need for one. I have a couple other implements sitting out on pallets that are used only a couple times a year. Don't need another.
I also choose to have an open station tractor. Being retired, I can choose the time to go out and use the tractor.
If I ever do need a backhoe - my neighbor has a big, commercial unit that would do any job I could dream up.
I also choose to have an open station tractor. Being retired, I can choose the time to go out and use the tractor.
If I ever do need a backhoe - my neighbor has a big, commercial unit that would do any job I could dream up.