Looking at Bad Boy Tractors, thoughts?

[deezler]

^ for sure.

I know this, whenever I run my Kioti KB2475 backhoe hanging way off the back of my little CK3510 tractor, I am acutely aware of how much potential for damage there is. It's a light duty digging machine, as is any CUT backhoe.

My rule of thumb is, if you are jerking the rear of the tractor around, you are probably digging too hard. I wonder if OgT would like to tell us how hard he was truly running that poor backhoe.

 

[deezler]

The pictures he posted look to me like it was run hard and not greased on a regular basis either.

Good observation, there's no visible grease at all. My backhoe is covered in grease because I pump it well through every joint every 5-8 hours of digging work.

 

[IndyJay]

Good observation, there's no visible grease at all. My backhoe is covered in grease because I pump it well through every joint every 5-8 hours of digging work.

Odd place for a break... trying to reconcile the direction of forces to pull it apart there.

 

[5030]

One thing I've noticed with owners that have back hoes attached to the back end of their smaller tractors and that is, they use the stick and bucket to move the unit around which always places extreme stress on the backhoe components. They aren't meant to do that with in the first place. Way back when I had one, I was guilty of doing that myself and snapped a sway link off the tractor I had it on. It was a Kubota hoe. I sold it years ago and now if I require a trench dug, I rent a machine or call the guy down the road and have him bring his excavator up and dig it for me. To me, that is the ONE IMPLEMENT that really don't belong on and compact or sub compact tractor in the first place.

It seems the dealer I work at part time, every purchaser of a new unit, wants a backhoe. The owner always tries to discourage them from buying it but they buy it anyway, use it a couple times (maybe) and then take it off (which is always a PITA in the first place) and it sits, collecting dust on their barn or tarped up outside somewhere.

I look at them as an expensive attachment with limited use for most owners.

Easier to go rent one for a day or two and if you do break it from abuse, the onus of fixing it lies with the rental entity, not you.

Always nice to own (if you can afford it that is), but renting one absolves you of the cost of repair. Kind of similar to wood chippers and stump grinders. You grind all your stumps and the grinder sits in the corner or you chip up all your brush and that sits as well.

The implements I put on my tractors I use frequently which is why I own them. Have enough crap sitting in the barn as it is, like the snowblower I have not used in 3 years because there hasn't been enough snow to go through the hassle of putting it on.

My 2 cents, take it or leave it.

 

[North to Alaska]

One thing I've noticed with owners that have back hoes attached to the back end of their smaller tractors and that is, they use the stick and bucket to move the unit around which always places extreme stress on the backhoe components. They aren't meant to do that with in the first place. Way back when I had one, I was guilty of doing that myself and snapped a sway link off the tractor I had it on. It was a Kubota hoe. I sold it years ago and now if I require a trench dug, I rent a machine or call the guy down the road and have him bring his excavator up and dig it for me. To me, that is the ONE IMPLEMENT that really don't belong on and compact or sub compact tractor in the first place.

It seems the dealer I work at part time, every purchaser of a new unit, wants a backhoe. The owner always tries to discourage them from buying it but they buy it anyway, use it a couple times (maybe) and then take it off (which is always a PITA in the first place) and it sits, collecting dust on their barn or tarped up outside somewhere.

I look at them as an expensive attachment with limited use for most owners.

Easier to go rent one for a day or two and if you do break it from abuse, the onus of fixing it lies with the rental entity, not you.

Always nice to own (if you can afford it that is), but renting one absolves you of the cost of repair. Kind of similar to wood chippers and stump grinders. You grind all your stumps and the grinder sits in the corner or you chip up all your brush and that sits as well.

The implements I put on my tractors I use frequently which is why I own them. Have enough crap sitting in the barn as it is, like the snowblower I have not used in 3 years because there hasn't been enough snow to go through the hassle of putting it on.

My 2 cents, take it or leave it.

This exactly.
People tell me I should get a backhoe. I look at them like they were crazy. Last I look, a backhoe for mine cost $6k or $7k. I would never use it enough to justify that kind of expense. Rent one for a few hundred dollars for the couple of jobs i need done makes sense.

 

[D&D]

People tend to come on here and disparage something as a rule anyway. You see very few posts that praise anything. Kind of how our entire society is today actually. Of course no one is happy when something breaks but they need to look back and ascertain if that breakage was a result of their own doing or is it was a failure due to construction. I lean towards the former, not the latter myself. I've broken a few implements in my day and it's usually because I extended the limitations of that implement.

To play with big toys, you should know how to fix stuff or have a really good friend that does.

 

[deezler]

The only reason I have the Kioti backhoe for my tractor is because I bought a used package of tractor, backhoe, a few implements, and trailer. I would never have spent the $7k+ myself otherwise, because my feelings were confirmed when I first went to use it - pretty weak, too easy to drag the tractor around, and just a whole order of magnitude less effective then the rental Bobcat E35s I was used to.

Nonetheless! I have it, so I do use it. It typically rides on the tractor for 2-3 warmer months of the year when I try to focus on all my digging projects (mostly smaller tree felling and stump removal). I have the install/removal process down to about 30-40 minutes each way now. Definitely a chore though.

Mine came with the 16" bucket which is a nice balance overall, but a little too wide for the power it has. I want a ~10" bucket for better narrow trenching and stumping, but they are $1000 from Kioti! crazy.

 

[CPTKILLER]

I noticed an interesting twist when I spoke to a Bad Boy Dealer in the Austin area. This is the policy that they described to me.

Buy from them

1. Maintenance on their customer’s equipment is prioritized over other dealer’s equipment
2. Labor rates are $40/hour higher on repairs for equipment not bought from them

 

[rScotty]

I noticed an interesting twist when I spoke to a Bad Boy Dealer in the Austin area. This is the policy that they described to me.

Buy from them

1. Maintenance on their customer’s equipment is prioritized over other dealer’s equipment
2. Labor rates are $40/hour higher on repairs for equipment not bought from them

Both of those policies would tend to make me avoid that dealer. In my opinion both are signs of a beginner mechanic without much general experience. That is not a professional attitude at all - focused on money rather than the job.
But I've got old fashioned values....now out of date....and curious what others think....
rScotty

 

[Gord Baker]

Everything seems to be a Rip-off these days. Over $1,000 for a new dishwasher and you pay an extra $40 for a cheapo elbow and hose. The only manual is on-line and is a whole 2 pages of little help.

 

[KennyG]

I noticed an interesting twist when I spoke to a Bad Boy Dealer in the Austin area. This is the policy that they described to me.

Buy from them

1. Maintenance on their customer’s equipment is prioritized over other dealer’s equipment
2. Labor rates are $40/hour higher on repairs for equipment not bought from them

I think Item 1 makes some sense. I think Item 2 would make me run the other way.

 

[2manyrocks]

IMO, that is at odds with branding. Have also seen a dealer for chinese mini ex post they only stock parts for their customers.

 

[BigBlue1]

I noticed an interesting twist when I spoke to a Bad Boy Dealer in the Austin area. This is the policy that they described to me.

Buy from them

1. Maintenance on their customer’s equipment is prioritized over other dealer’s equipment
2. Labor rates are $40/hour higher on repairs for equipment not bought from them

I've always hated dealers that show favoritism like that. One way or the other the customer is paying them for a service and putting someone behind another customer because of where they bought is just a dick move. Most car dealers, at least those I know about here in MN, have moved away from that concept long ago.

 

[2manyrocks]

My thinking is to avoid both that dealer and the brand that the dealer is servicing.

 

[5030]

Both of those policies would tend to make me avoid that dealer. In my opinion both are signs of a beginner mechanic without much general experience. That is not a professional attitude at all - focused on money rather than the job.
But I've got old fashioned values....now out of date....and curious what others think....
rScotty

Have no issue with part A. In fact my long established Kubota dealer works on that very principle.

Not part B. My Kubota dealer charges the same labor rate for everyone and anyone but I get a discounted labor rate because I work there part time. I actually told him to increase his base labor rate last year as he wasn't charging enough and he did and passed on the difference to his employees. He will remain nameless but suffice to say he was charging 80 bucks an hour and got him to bump it up to 100 bucks an hour. He didn't sacrifice any business either. He's always busy, winter and summer, probably because his technicians know what they are doing and rarely are there any 'comebacks' plus he sells a ton of new Kubota tractors and implements. I know, I buy everything farm related implement wise from him.

Heck, the Western Star dealership I retired from over 10 years ago, at that time was at $125.00 per hour for heavy trucks and $150 per for diesel powered RV's. I wondered about that and Tom, the service manager who I also hunt with told me that working on diesel pusher RV's like Prevost's are a royal PITA so they charged accordingly and they had no shortage of customers either because Tom ran a tight ship and no BS.

In a way, I kind of miss it and in a way I don't. Retirement is pretty good for me and the wife.

 

[Tony H]

I noticed an interesting twist when I spoke to a Bad Boy Dealer in the Austin area. This is the policy that they described to me.

Buy from them

1. Maintenance on their customer’s equipment is prioritized over other dealer’s equipment
2. Labor rates are $40/hour higher on repairs for equipment not bought from them

DESCRIMINATION
$40 higher? What do they charge per hour for equipment bought from them? $5?

 

[LouNY]

DESCRIMINATION
$40 higher? What do they charge per hour for equipment bought from them? $5?

Have you checked out the hourly service rate for equipment dealers in your area, or even worse the new car dealerships.

 

[CPTKILLER]

https://www.reddit.com/r/DieselTechs/comments/1hqiwh5/labor_rate_in_texas

Shop rates will take your breath away. It makes doing your own maintenance very cost effective.

 

[D&D]

Both of those policies would tend to make me avoid that dealer. In my opinion both are signs of a beginner mechanic without much general experience. That is not a professional attitude at all - focused on money rather than the job.
But I've got old fashioned values....now out of date....and curious what others think....
rScotty

Not number one, you have to prioritize your own customers first. Same with a "fleet" customer, you pretty much drop what you're doing and see if you can get them back on the road in a hurry.

As for charging more, that would be a hard NO

 

[deezler]

Eh, up to that shop to decide their labor rates. Essentially by charging more for equipment bought elsewhere, they are telling those prospective customers that they are simply not interested in doing that work. Maybe they are fully busy as is with their own brands and customers work already. $40 difference is pretty big, though.

A well trained/experience mechanic or technician should be making near or around $100k salary these days. Add in a benefit plan, shop overhead (energy, equipment, maintenance, taxes, etc) and a little profit margin and you are at $120+/hr to charge your customers.