What can they do?

[Rustyiron]

Bigger is better. Get as big (heavy) a machine as your budget allows, with a thumb! "Reach" is a big plus that comes with a bigger machine & scratching around with only 10-12' of reach in your fence rows will leave you jockeying the machine around all the time.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Bigger is also more expensive to repair, burns more fuel, and is alot harder to get unstuck. For a homeowner I would want something I could still haul around just in case. You can do alot of work with a 12k lb mini, most of them have comparable or better specs than a full size backhoe.

 

[Avondale]

Thanks, I had planned to try before I decide but was looking for some idea of what these can do so did not waste time/money on the wrong size.

 

[LarJea]

As far as digging 20" diameter stumps go, I am now using a 6 ton excavator and think that is about as small as I would want to go. I will admit I am spoiled cause I use to have a 12 ton that I used for such work.
I used to have a 6 ton backhoe (Case 580) that I used for digging stumps (not as fun as an excavator) but if I had 137 acres of fence line to maintain I think I would go with a backhoe.

 

[mike69440]

As far as digging 20" diameter stumps go, I am now using a 6 ton excavator and think that is about as small as I would want to go. I will admit I am spoiled cause I use to have a 12 ton that I used for such work.
I used to have a 6 ton backhoe (Case 580) that I used for digging stumps (not as fun as an excavator) but if I had 137 acres of fence line to maintain I think I would go with a backhoe.

Excavator out digs a BH 3 to 1

I hate to say what follows:
My Excavator is mostly a yard ornament now the farm more or less is established. I went from putting 600 hours a year on it to 30 last year and this year maybe 20.
if you do mostly digging, get a digger, but a TLB is a much better Swiss Army Knife.