A buddy has an old Deere 310. It's worn beyond repair- bushings and pins completely trashed. Most cylinders leak and have the threaded locknut stripped. It was beaten like a rented mule by the previous owner. But it's still operational and does good work, faster than farm equipment and stronger as well. I think he picked it up for $6k Canadian. He's done probably 1000 hrs of work with it. Replaced a couple of hoses and lots of fluid. Still worth what he paid maybe more in the new world now.
Rationalizing the purchase of a backhoe
- Thread starter ArtisanFarms
- Start date
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
I wonder if i could use this defense on my HOA? lol
I have a JD 410E backhoe (approx 100 hp) and while powerful, useful it’s been a maintenance hog - engine not so much, but hydraulics constantly. I’ve rebuilt the 125 lb loader valve TWICE, one stabilizer, and backhoe valves just in the last year.
Dumping all JD equipment because of their RTR restrictions - just keeping 5075E and 5055E tractors with four way buckets. Looking at a mini excavator (very useful) and a larger one to replace the hoe - definitely not JD products, prefer USA (CAT) made but may have to go SK (Doosan) or elsewhere, but NEVER Chinese.
Dumping all JD equipment because of their RTR restrictions - just keeping 5075E and 5055E tractors with four way buckets. Looking at a mini excavator (very useful) and a larger one to replace the hoe - definitely not JD products, prefer USA (CAT) made but may have to go SK (Doosan) or elsewhere, but NEVER Chinese.
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Duke74
Well-known member
I bought a Caterpillar mini excavator in 2011 and I have never regretted it. There are a million and one uses for it. I will never be without one now.
Ton ton
Well-known member
Somebody is installing tile.I mean who doesn’t love a good hoe or two. Backhoe gets the most hours for generally versatility, but also travel speed in field is very important in our tiling operation. A mini would need a truck and tilttrailer to move it around the property
zkdiesel
Well-known member
Yes. I also have a problem with skidsteers
red61cj5
Well-known member
I have a 1968 Dynahoe. 8 tons. Use it about 5 times a year. Godawful noisy, leaks everything but diesel. I love it.
03ranger
Well-known member
Many things I buy have to have a Return on Investment (ROI) or I need to know the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) prior to purchasing the item. Then there are items I buy because I need/ want them, the ROI and TCO on those itmes is the enjoyment and pleasure of using the item. If you want and can afford a Backhoe, then do it. If you don’t, somewhere down the road it going to be should of, would have, but I didn’t.
Ton ton
Well-known member
Well said.
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
If you can buy a decent machine for a good price you’ll never lose your investment, clean it up use it then sell it or keep it. Most equipment is a solid investment, even looking at new with zero financing can be a good investment, low up front maintenance costs. Only you can decide what fits your needs and budget.
sjvicker
Well-known member
I have a Kubota L2501 with the BH77 backhoe. It sounds like you have a smaller BX tractor. On mine you dont remove the subframe when you remove the backhoe so now that I've done it a few times I can remove the backhoe and have the 3pt hitch on faster than I can connect to an implement and level it. The key was having exactly the tools I needed in the toolbox.
As much as I really want a mini-ex I know it would be a used machine and be one more thing for maintenance that I didn't want to deal with so I do everything I can with the Kubota and plan to rent when appropriate. I've even done a significant amount of trenching with it and its not too bad. My wife sits up front with a beverage and moves it forward a few feet at a time for me. It's not as fast as an excavator but gets the job done.
A Kubota MX with a hydraulic thumb on the BH was the dream tractor but financially it didn't make sense.
As much as I really want a mini-ex I know it would be a used machine and be one more thing for maintenance that I didn't want to deal with so I do everything I can with the Kubota and plan to rent when appropriate. I've even done a significant amount of trenching with it and its not too bad. My wife sits up front with a beverage and moves it forward a few feet at a time for me. It's not as fast as an excavator but gets the job done.
A Kubota MX with a hydraulic thumb on the BH was the dream tractor but financially it didn't make sense.
bbxlr8
Well-known member
I have the same set up and it was the "goldilocks" size for my property and jobs. I have rock/timber and grading jobs and it's perfect for my needs - I added a grapple for firewood and brush and have done more in a year than I did over the previous 12. Use the BH a LOT and only removed it a few times to run a box blade. As stated above, removing it is not a big deal on this model.
Nice & shiny on delivery day and been in use ever since...
Bretny
Well-known member
They do alot more than trench better. In fact I would say that a backhoe would trench just about as good. They cut hills and dig stumps better. Anything where you need to move alot when that movement isnt linear line trenching.
I thought your backhoe was bigger looking at the other pictures you have posted. How many horse is it ?Not once.
Bought a demo with 37 hours on it. Now have 470 hours and everyone of them was not only fun but productive. Made clearing 2 Acres easy for the new shop.
I still use it monthly or so now that the shop is done. I will never sell it.
4 FN 27
ALLIANCE MEMBER
37 HP I think? It does what I need it to do...but being a die hard American I could see myself with a bigger one...LOL...
99% of what I really need it for is done. The other 1% is for fun and working smarter as I age. I'll never sell it.
I did have an old Case. Every time I pulled it out to use it I had to fix something. It came with the property so I sold it to the nephew of the gentleman that I bought the property from. He and his brother restored it (rattle can rebuild). It was an animal.
The new owner with his beast...
I took the plunge a few years ago.
I went with a TLB. There are compromises...I need it for big jobs now, but in a year or two I'll likely just be diddling around with it with summer mowing and winter snoe removal. So I have a machine that is a little smaller than I need now. It does things, but more slowly. But later when my larger jobs are done, it'll be right-sized.
With a TLB, the FEL is great for material moving and back-blading. The backhoe, mine is small so I am repositioning it more than someone with a larger tractor. But I knew that going in.
The good? It's not huge. I can put a mowing deck on it and mow my yard without the weight of a full-sized tractor compacting the heck out of my turf. In the winter I put a snowblower on the front and clear snow from my 900' long driveway. I have retaining walls for several hundred feet on each side of the driveway, so snow blowing is most efficient. Then the pallet forks. You'll use them for moving everything. Sometimes even stuff on pallets.
Takes about 30 seconds to swap the front bucket for the pallet forks with the quick-tach. About 2 minutes to take off or put back on the FEL. About 3-4 minutes to remove or install the frame mounted backhoe. Probably 5 minutes for the mower deck because I have to reach under to hook up the PTO shaft. Doing the mower deck is my least favorite.
So I have a small tractor. Front-end loader, frame mounted backhoe, mid-mount mowing deck, front mounted snow blower, and pallet forks. Quick-tach on the front.
No regrets. I've run a mini-ex. Nice, they do dig better than a small backhoe like mine. But I'll take the versatility of my LS MT-125 over a mini-ex for the things I do.
Good luck deciding.
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Mr_fixit
Well-known member
You might regret it if you buy a POS backhoe. so buy a nice one. And get ready for a whole new bunch of friends.
Ton ton
Well-known member
Well said, Mr.fixit.
acer66
Well-known member
I split the costs of a small tractor with a bucket and backhoe with a friend.
I am on only 1.6 a and even less without all the easements and this thing is so helpful it is not even funny.
I am more the I can do this myself with my hands type of guy but age and the wisdom that sometimes comes with that catches up with me and I use it more and more for all kinds of stuff.
One of those why did I wait that long to get this purchases.
I am on only 1.6 a and even less without all the easements and this thing is so helpful it is not even funny.
I am more the I can do this myself with my hands type of guy but age and the wisdom that sometimes comes with that catches up with me and I use it more and more for all kinds of stuff.
One of those why did I wait that long to get this purchases.
37 horse, figured it looked about the size of a JD series 2 or 3. That hp rating reflect that.37 HP I think? It does what I need it to do...but being a die hard American I could see myself with a bigger one...LOL...
99% of what I really need it for is done. The other 1% is for fun and working smarter as I age. I'll never sell it.
I did have an old Case. Every time I pulled it out to use it I had to fix something. It came with the property so I sold it to the nephew of the gentleman that I bought the property from. He and his brother restored it (rattle can rebuild). It was an animal.
The new owner with his beast...
The nephew almost looks like a guy was in the Marines with in Japan. I think his name was Dempsey.
crazylunker
Well-known member
cat is now chinese
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That is a gross overstatement
Like basically every global company, they have some manufacturing in China, where they also sell a lot of equipment . That does not make them chinese
Ton ton
Well-known member
Caterpillar has factories all over the world. I would say Cat is multinational.
dcg9381
Well-known member
I just rented a BX25 this weekend. For 24 hours, it ran about $400 after all the **** fees. I could use it because I knew what I was digging up and it was fairly soft (as I've dug it up before).
I have a family member that owns heavy equipment, including a backhoe. He's done well with them, but has a much larger property.
The pandemic has run up prices on everything. I monitor prices, I can get a BX25 for $11-15k - but it's really too small for the type of soil we have here. Larger rigs, I've seen them with 3k hours selling for over $32k.
Tractors - even the Kubota 60 are not match for a backhoe or even a moderately powered skid steer... So it really depends on your dirt!
Good things about buying 'em used:
You're probably not going to lose your shirt on resale.
I have two issues with owning a larger one:
- They take up a LOT of room to store
- If you need to move it off you lot, hope you have a 1-ton truck and a trailer that can carry about 16,000 lbs.
Uh...this is GJ....EVERYONE owns a hundred acres, a one ton and a 26k trailer!! Don't they?
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Wait until you have to start replacing hoses ! $$$$ !!
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
MeanGene427
Member
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2022
- Messages
- 23
OK, well I retired 3 yrs ago, many years as a foreman/estimator/project manager and heavy equipment operator. I have spent considerable time on pretty much any excavation/grading machines, finish grader to D9, 345 excavator etc. Track loaders were the digging/ demo rigs for a long time before excavators took over, you can throw a lot of dirt with a 345, and great for training truck drivers- you can really rock their world to get their attention lol... I always have a few tractors around, and still have my Case 680E that I traded a wrecked pickup for, the only reason I have it- Case stands for Can't Afford Something Else. They sold thousands of them by offering great financing, but they have always been a little light on durability. Later Deeres have the advantage of an electrical/gear parking brake, so you can engage the 4x4 and lock the brakes, and it will let you dig hard without the machine moving. If you ever get the chance to use a Deere 710, they are beasts, like a small excavator on wheels. CAT BHLs have also become very good units, and the 210 skiploaders are unbeatable, and are the industry standard for large contractors. One thing about buying an older unit, if you get lucky enough to find a privately owned rig that was pampered, kept inside etc., that's great. If you have a kinda tobacco road rig, they are like a boat, when they sit around, things go wrong, and the longer it sits, the more you will have to work on it, and a single major component failure can cost more than it's worth to fix.. The newer track skid steers and mini-excavators are extremely handy, but not cheap to purchase a good one, you can easily spend $40-$50K for a clean one, plus attachments. Being handy and able to diagnose and make repairs can greatly improve your buying power. One can also get fairly new stuff from rental company sales, but look 'em over very carefully, they don't get treated very well lol... BTW, I once dug for a septic tank with one of those Massey add-on backhoe rigs, a 205 Diesel- man, it took a while, but I did get it done
HoosierBuddy
Well-known member
The backhoe is going the way of the steam shovel.
Mini excavators are so much handier and more productive for excavation work. We've hung onto all of our backhoe/loaders because they are paid for, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say we'll never buy another one. You couldn't justify the purchase for the low number of hours they get used every year.
To the OP...if you can get a backhoe cheap....might be great for your purposes. If you're using it around your own property it would still be a capable machine. Just not as capable as a mini.
crazylunker
Well-known member
Ton ton
Well-known member
I like classic equipment anyhow. I just wanted to say thank you to the OP for starting this thread.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
So? I even acknowledged that they manufacture in China in my post
I wouldn't say the way of the steam shovel, atleast not just yet. A lot of the farmers around here are buying decent backhoes used and just keeping them around. Having a backhoe, keeps them from having a old 3pt hitch back hoe and smaller tractor with a FEL on it.
When you can buy something decent on places like Govdeals that have had all the maintenance work done to it and not worked hard for a decent price, it makes them more attractive.
crazylunker
Well-known member
The way I read your original post I thought it said never Chinese, I believe since 2015 or 16 some of the caterpillar mini excavators are completely built in China and shipped to the US. I believe possibly even in the same factory where the Sany excavator is manufactured.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
You read it wrong . They have been Making stuff in China for a while. Some for the Chinese market, some for elsewhere . That doesn't make them a Chinese company.
Manufacturing in China is a simple reality. And lots of good stuff comes out of there
crazylunker
Well-known member
I took it a little too seriously I thought you meant you would not buy anything from China, I myself was surprised that caterpillar was allowing the excavator to be completely built in China and shipped the to the United States I know the 307 mini is completely built there I’m not sure about the others. I know a couple people running the Sany machines and they say they are a little rough around the edges but pretty reliable. I have a Yanmar and I have no complaints.