Cat 416 Backhoe/Loader looking to downsize.

[P180]

Hi guys/gals.

New to the forum with, sorry to say, little knowledge on tractors to offer.

I own a Cat 416 that I bought used when I bought a piece of land. Got alot of use out of the Cat when building my home but now find it too large for my needs. I thought of trading it on a compact size backhoe/loader but when the one dealership that I approached with the idea offered me, what I considered, a ridiculously low offer, I decided to keep the Cat and look for a used compact tractor to buy without a trade.

I like the Cat, t's paid for, and I'm sure that I will occasionally have need for it's greater capacity.

Seems to me that this forum would be the best place to start for someone that knows little about the comparative attributes of the various tractors on the market.

So... any thoughts on which manufacturer I should consider when looking for a compact. I'm more interested in quality than looks. Good strong machine that doesn't need pampering.

 

[Muhammad]

Welcome to TBN.

 

[Rustyiron]

After having the 416, I think after a few minutes on a compact TLB you'll feel like putting on a dress! Every machine has it's purpose, and most guys (me incuded) just have to make do with what covers your primary needs. In this economy heavy equip. is going dirt cheap, hold on to it and find a (smaller) tractor with a loader that suits you, skip the BH, ride out this economy (hopefully until 2012) until we can get an adult in the WH and then see if you can do without the 416. Good luck.

And welcome here!

 

[Briana03]

Hello & WELCOME to TractorByNet.com!

I have moved your thread to the Attachments Forum. You'll get a better response there.

 

[P180]

Thanks for the resonse RustyIron.

I agree with your opinion on keeping the Cat. Pretty much decided to go that route after I got the low offer from the kubota dealer when I considered trading it.

Thought I'd look for a compact loader/backhoe to have in addition to the Cat. Do need the hoe also though so settling for just a loader isn't an option.

Don't agree with your opinion about the man in the Whitehouse but I'm okay with that. Makes life interesting.

 

[Stonehaller]

Rustyiron said it right. There is no comparison to a CUT with a backhoe and something like a 416. You give up a lot power and reach. My needs changed a while back and I needed a smaller TLB with three point hitch capability. I also wanted to able to haul it with a 3/4 ton pickup instead of hiring someone. I ended up getting a Kubota L39 TLB. It is an engineered TLB with more digging power than the typical CUT, but no where near the 416. John Deere makes a 110 TLB which is very similar. Kubota now has the L45 TLB which replaced the L39, the smaller B26 and the larger L59 TLB. These tractors are all engineered TLBs and anyone of them would make the transition down from the 416 at little easier. They all have 3 point hitches available and it is pretty easy to take the hoe on and off, but you cannot remove the loader as is typical for a CUT. That is a problem for some who do a lot of mowing and want the loader off for maneuverability. And they are expensive. Since you say you are going to keep the 416, a CUT with an add on backhoe may serve your needs at less cost since you would still have the 416 for larger jobs.

 

[P180]

Pretty clear that I'm new here. Sorry, I'll try to catch up.

I do realize that the compact tractors won't have the digging power of the CAT 416. I'm looking for a compact L/BH for smaller jobs around my property which is only 11 acres.

The CAT was great when digging the foundation for my home and for larger jobs on the property immediately afterward. However, I pretty much destroyed the 200' of the 400' newly completed gravel driveway with it shortly after the gravel was spread over the fabric.

I like the CAT and like having it too much to be rid of it but it's just too heavy and too large to be driving on the driveway as much as I would need to to access the areas that I need to around the house and the rest of the property. This is why I've decided to look for a compact.

Now to expose more of my ignorance... What's a "CUT"?

 

[Tomtint]

Compact Utility Tractor

 

[PoorMansCat]

I would love to have a 416 just laying around for my personal use!!!...
Lots of tractor dealers arent interested in getting into the full sized construction equipment....so dont feel bad about the low ball bid...
Its almost as bad as trying to get an ATV dealership to take one in on trade.