tow behind small backhoe

Soundguy · May 1, 2011

at a local estate auction coming up is a little? tow behind backhoe.. lookslike something the size that if it was a tractor hoe, might bemounted on a 20 or 30hp machine.

is a self contained trailer unit with a gass 'lawnmower engine'.. self contained hyds.. etc.

looks like it might be something that was northern tool ( nortrac ) or harbor freight. still new, with some strapping and pallate.

are these things worth it? can they actrually dig a hole?

soundguy

Ductape · May 1, 2011

$3,000 brandy new at HF.

Used...... dunno.

http://www.harborfreight.com/towable-ride-on-trencher-65162.html

Farmwithjunk · May 1, 2011

A good friend has one identical to what you describe, 'cept it was a "build-it-yourself" kit. I wouldn't trade my 580 Case for it, but that little thing is HANDY at times. And it sure beats the daylights outta a shovel.

PILOON · May 1, 2011

I had one made in Canada called a Cricket.
It had a 5 hp briggs engine which provided all the muscle needed.
I have dug 4 ft deep trenches, excavated barrel sized rocks etc with ease.
4 ft deep by about 35 ft long took me all of about 1.5 hours, so they are fairly productive.
Being non power drive takes a bit of practice but you get used to it fairly fast.
Origionally I had planned to mount it on my Mitsubishi 3 point but found it so stable on steep wooded slopes that I never did so.
I have dug pump trench lines down mountain sides that the tractor could never negotiate.
They aptly named it a 'Cricket' as it hops around as its namesake, twisting around trees and rocks like no tomorrow.
Fun to use. Main downside is the lack of weight for stump work.When you hook on a root the whole machine gets jacked off of the ground.
I'd say a worthy machine for limited production.
I gather they were very popular for trenching for hedges and sprinkler lined B4 the advent of mini excavators.
Paid $1000. and sold it 10 yrs later for same price.

JoelD · May 1, 2011

I owned a caddigger with 5 hp

That thing was strong

I frame mounted to my little kubota and it was awesome

Joel

Brad_Blazer · May 1, 2011

There are 23 user reviews on the HF link above and 6 for the Northern Trencherman.
NorthStar Trencherman Backhoe  270cc Honda GX Engine | Backhoes | Northern Tool + Equipment
Most give them high marks.

crazyal · May 1, 2011

Like anything if the price is right it's worth it. Like Farmwithjunk said, I wouldn't trade my 580k for it but I also wouldn't mind one for the odd jobs like putting in some drainage pipe or conduit, things that don't need to be 6 feet down or need a 2 foot or wider trench. Plus being light has advantages too.

Soundguy · May 2, 2011

I've been looking for a while for a 3pt hoe for one of my tractors.. but for some reason down here. they just don't come up.

a while back looked at some ford industrials too.. but everything under 10000$ was clapped out and barely ran with the pins and bushing beat out of the hoe and the tractor on it's last breath.

these small towable units, look to me, like I could weld a few tabs on the back and make then 3pt mountable for one of my larger tractors.. say the 4600, 5000, or 7610s.

will have to go take a closer look.. could only see from the roadside and couldn't tell who made it.. deffinately looks like either the northern or harbor freight unit.. IE.. chinese.. but heck.. if I can get it for a good price, since my budget is limited.. it might be nice.

I will eventually be burrying some horses

and the wife wants a small pond one day.. and loaders don't dig..

soundguy

pat32rf · May 2, 2011

If the price is right I'd go for it. Even if you used it a few times then stripped it for the cylinders, pump and valves.
Around here with all the roots and rocks it wouldn't replace a small tractor mounted hoe, but it might be handy to use for filling a FEL bucket while pond (small) digging, and it will fit into places that a bigger unit won't.