Backhoe Are small backhoes worth the $??

[El Wood]

I'm currently in the process of purchasing a JD 2000 series tractor and was thinking about getting a backhoe. I would use it to maintain the area around a one acre pond and plant some trees. My dealer says their about $5,000. Are these small backhoes worth the money? Anybody have one?

[ultrarunner]

I have one of the smallest... it's a BX23 and the Backhoe is one of the reasons I bought my Kubota...

It has proven to be very useful... both for digging and moving items... especially with the thumb.

Getting a full size hoe to some of the locations would not have been possible.

That said... a small bucket does have limitations.... it will pack if the adobe soil is to moist and can have a hard time when it sets like concrete in the summer...

If your use is one time... might be better off renting the biggest hoe for the job.

[Don87]

I'm currently in the process of purchasing a JD 2000 series tractor and was thinking about getting a backhoe. I would use it to maintain the area around a one acre pond and plant some trees. My dealer says their about $5,000. Are these small backhoes worth the money? Anybody have one?

The short answer is yes.

Although you can rent one...........do that on a Saturday afternoon at 5 pm when your sewer backs up. If you have your own, your set.

Want to plant trees on a sunday morning......after the wife decides on saturday afternoon...........that she wants that particular tree or shrub.

If you can afford the luxury....get it now.

I couldn't but wish I could have. I'm currently having septic problems, and a french drain around my house would help immensly. I've already used my FEL for jobs that were more suited to a small hoe.

[Combustix]

I got one with my b2710, and by now it has paid for itself. I have had numerous drainage jobs around the house and garage, when my culvert was overflowing two years ago at 2 AM I was able to dig a ditch across the drive way to get the water back into the creek, saving my house from flooding. Removed stumps and dug holes for pet burials. I removed half a hill for fill in my back yard. I have a 12 inch bucket with no thumb (wish I had one). I don't use it often the last two years but it is ready to go every winter in case my culverts back up

[glkingar]

I have Bradco on a New Holland TC33D and I use a lot around our property. It gets used for removing stumps and transplanting trees and and other plants. I am about to dig a 800' trench for water and power to the house I am building. The choice to buy this particular tractor was because it had a backhoe with it. So far I am loving it.

[CurlyDave]

Mine is more in the "medium small" category, but it is a wonderful tool to have at my disposal.

The only problem is that now I want a mini excavator, a 5 to 10 yard dump truck, and a lot of other things that DW says are not going to be on my Christmas list.

[newbury]

I'm currently in the process of purchasing a JD 2000 series tractor and was thinking about getting a backhoe. I would use it to maintain the area around a one acre pond and plant some trees. My dealer says their about $5,000. Are these small backhoes worth the money? Anybody have one?

If your getting a tractor to maintain the area AROUND a 1 acre pond and plant SOME trees than you obviously have money to get good toys.

My Woods BH70X backhoe ran about $8K with all bells, whistles, taxes etc.. My Kubota was about the same or less. I've only got a 1/4 acre lot, where it's parked. However I still have big plans to play with it on several hundred acres I've got in Mississippi. But I convinced myself I had the money for the toy.

My friends at work were buying motorcycles and boats I bought a tractor and backhoe. SWMBO doesn't like boats, and I've got motorcycles.

Was it WORTH the money? I probably could have gotten about 7 acres of land for the same $$, or 100 dinners at Outback for my family.

Looking at the JD site the 46 BH is about $7K and seems comparable to my BH70X. Go for it.

[jdfire]

I use mine quite a bit. It's probably on the tractor more than any other attachment. But now I have the same problem as CurlyDave.

The only problem is that now I want a mini excavator, a 5 to 10 yard dump truck, and a lot of other things that DW says are not going to be on my Christmas list.

[DieselMonk]

I wouldn't wanna be without a backhoe of some sort. Too much trees rocks and french ditches to do.

[dlauffenburger]

I have been looking for a BH for my JD and it is pretty hard to find a used unit so if you have the option to buy with a tractor I would highly recommend you get it now.

A lot of people of said that i should look at a used Mini Excavator so i have been looking around but if you find one that doesn't need a lot of work you are looking at 15K of better so a BH attachment for the intermittent user makes sense to me and my check book.

I talked to one contractor who is selling his and he told me that the mini's work good if you are going to be working on fairly hard surfaces but he has found that if you take it onto soft or muddy soils the track systems are severely underpowered and tend to get stuck, hence the reason he is selling. I would be using it on the farm to dig ditches etc so his comments were a big eye opener and turn off for me.

Hopefully this helps,
Dave