Priced a backhoe at the dealer yesterday...

[JeffinNB]

I priced a backhoe and frame mount at my local dealer for my 2016 Branson 2400h. He quoted me $9800 Canadian installed or $8900 not installed plus tax. Anyone have an idea what US dealers asking for these?

 

[Carl_NH]

Thats $7200 USD installed which is typically what they are here - also make sure if includes the subframe,

For the same or less money you can get a mini excavator 1-1.2 ton - gas, or for $3K more a 2 ton with a kubota or yanmar diesel. You will get more done and better utility with a mini excavator (as long as you dont travel long distances, as they move at walking speed).

Check out the posts here Chinese Diggers - there;s a few of them - good reading.

 

[houska]

Not quite a direct answer to your question, but in Eastern Ontario I sold my BH860 backhoe on consignment at the dealer for C$7,900 last summer. That's with subframe, larger model than whatever you're getting (mine was on a Branson 4225H), 4 years old, well-used with some dings. I bought it new for C$9500 in 2019. Given yours is smaller (K680?), and this annoying detail called inflation, the price you're being quoted is not unreasonable.

Check out the posts here Chinese Diggers - there;s a few of them - good reading.

Yeah, these Chinese mini-excavators, especially with good quality motors, are worth thinking about. We sold our backhoe since we got a Kubota KX-040 and having a dedicated mini-ex is the bees knees. Now the KX-040 is not a Chinese off-brand, of course, and it's a much larger machine (4 ton, so bucket breakout force about 2x our old BH860 and 4x a K680 ). It cost quite a bit more but also holds value pretty well. I'm still not wholly sold on the Chinese off-brands as good alternatives to a brand-name mini-ex, but definitely worth thinking hard about as an alternative to a backhoe attachment. Especially if you're handy and have access to a shop so you can maintain it, do mods, and fix problems down the road yourself.

 

[ericm979]

You might ask what installing the backhoe means. I bought my BH used and the only installation that was needed was some very minor hydraulic changes to add the backhoe loop, and then attaching the backhoe. Unless you plan to leave it attached all the time, you'll have to do that to put the backhoe on anyhow.

 

[5030]

I consider a tractor mounted backhoe one of the most useless and expensive attachments you can buy. It's something that you may use very infrequently and most times it will sit in a corner of your barn or shed and collect dust and loose value plus you have to remove it to use any implement on the rear of the tractor.

Much better off renting a dedicated unit where you have no responsibility for it except not abusing it and it's much cheaper in the long run or...

Buy a China digger or rent one or....

Give me the money and I'll blow it for you...

Terrible investment.

 

[steve158]

Not quite a direct answer to your question, but in Eastern Ontario I sold my BH860 backhoe on consignment at the dealer for C$7,900 last summer. That's with subframe, larger model than whatever you're getting (mine was on a Branson 4225H), 4 years old, well-used with some dings. I bought it new for C$9500 in 2019. Given yours is smaller (K680?), and this annoying detail called inflation, the price you're being quoted is not unreasonable.



Yeah, these Chinese mini-excavators, especially with good quality motors, are worth thinking about. We sold our backhoe since we got a Kubota KX-040 and having a dedicated mini-ex is the bees knees. Now the KX-040 is not a Chinese off-brand, of course, and it's a much larger machine (4 ton, so bucket breakout force about 2x our old BH860 and 4x a K680 ). It cost quite a bit more but also holds value pretty well. I'm still not wholly sold on the Chinese off-brands as good alternatives to a brand-name mini-ex, but definitely worth thinking hard about as an alternative to a backhoe attachment. Especially if you're handy and have access to a shop so you can maintain it, do mods, and fix problems down the road yourself.

I have a backhoe on my NH TC33DA and other posters are correct: huge PITA to hook up every time for small jobs and robs you of the rear implement whenever it is mounted. IMO, very tough on the tractor without the subframe. The weight really stresses the joint between the front and rear of the tractor. Sooooo, I opened my wallet and spent $7K USD for a new chinese mini-excavator with enclosed cab. I had a hard time initially with the idea that my excavator would run on a "lawn mower" engine, but all the engine does is run a hydraulic pump so I got over that. Works like a charm, built very sturdy. If I could do it again I think I would skip the enclosed cab. Makes maintenance harder unless you are small and have small hands. First oil/hydraulic change took 4 hours because I didn't have a funnel with a long bendable spout to snake around the build barriers to easier maintenance. Got it done with lessons learned. Easier after the first time. Not meant to pull huge stumps or boulders, but I love it to fire up and do a small job. Sneaks around buildings and in the woods easily with the small footprint. I use it way more than I thought I would just because it's so convenient to turn the key and work. All that said, be careful if you buy one. They are pretty powerful for their size and I can see someone without a lot of experience running this type of machine getting into trouble easily. Go out and dig some holes and pull some stones in a safe area to get the feel of the limits of the machine. On the plus side, parts and accessories (thumbs, buckets, motors) are "off the shelf" and most can be ordered on Amazon or EBayJust my two cents worth.

 

[ppeay]

When I got my branson I elected to not get the backhoe because I knew I would hate putting it on and off and probably would not use it much. I planed to get a small towable backhoe or chinese excavator instead. I finally got the excavator. Like the guy said above go out and practice digging holes and such with it and get use to it. It is almost too powerfully for its size. I like that I can have the tractor pull a trailer and dump limbs , dirt and whatever in it with excavator.

 

[DK35vince]

I disagree with some here.
I've done a huge amount of work with my tractor mounted backhoe over the past couple decades.
Available within minutes anytime I need to use it.
Takes me approximately 10 minutes or so to install it, a 5 minutes to remove it.
I have never once wished I had a mini ex to store and maintain instead of my tractor mounted backhoe.

 

[LouNY]

I have the little backhoe for my CK2620. I actually used it today for about an hour and about the same last week.
I almost didn't get it and had contemplated one of the little chinese units and I still haven't decided which would have been the smarter option. My big backhoe is down at this time with hydraulic issues and it is too big much of the time. A Dynahoe 190-4 is not exactly a delicate machine to work with, but I do miss her at times.

 

[ultrarunner]

My Deere 110 TLB is a great digger... the backhoe with creeper allows easy repositioning from backhoe and I can cover a lot of ground moving between locations by roading the mile or so.


I rented a mini backhoe and it did a fine job in tight access space

I took it into the woods and it kept locking up... golf ball to baseball sized rocks wedged between sprocket and track and spent a lot of time off the excavator clearing the rocks...

Is this common with small track diggers?

It would be a deal breaker if I was buying.