Buying Advice 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor

   / 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor #1  

T Dew

Bronze Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Messages
91
Location
Culpeper, VA
Tractor
John Deere
I need a backhoe, and I was thinking of adding the backhoe to a 5075M tractor. Now I have the option of buying a 110TLB with about 800 hours on it. The tractor will cost me about $5000 more than adding the backhoe to a 5075M, but I get another toy for that $5K. From the research I have done it seems everyone loves their 110TLB. Does anyone know how the 110TLB compares to the 595 backhoe when it comes to the digging capabilities and reach. I believe it can dig a little deeper, but I am not really planning on digging a 10' deep hole on the farm anytime soon. Is one of them stronger when it comes to removing heavy stones and plants that need to be uprooted? I'm a newbie when it comes to the dedicated backhoes, so any guidance on what I should do is appreciated. I do not know a lot about the specifics of the 110, but I am going to see it this weekend. Anything I should be looking for specifically that would be deal breakers? Other than anything obviously mechanically wrong. I meant lack of this, that, or the other thing. Thanks again for all the help!
 
   / 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor #2  
I just got off my 110 this evening after laying 620' of 12" irrigation pipe and as always it did a great job with it. I feel after 8 years of use that it has served me very well.

AKfish has both a 5075M and a 110 so his opinion is the one I would seek in this case. I am sure you will hear from him soon. If the 110 you are considering is in decent shape I would give that the nod over the attachment. My reason for this is I prefer having a separate tractor for 3ph work and a tlb with the 3ph for backup. So my 110 and 4520 work well for me.
 
   / 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor #3  
The Deere 310C BH is a lightyear ahead of my 5200 tractor. The BH will lift more and is stronger in every way. Two units are very handy to have. That's a ton of fertilizer I didn't have to shovel by hand. :D

DSCN1420.JPG
 
   / 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor #4  
My (limited with the 110) experience with the choice says go with the 110. It suprised me when I used one, that in every way it is just a scaled down "full size" tlb. Good power & well thought out and way ahead of an "attachment" that you'd have on your tractor. Having a 2nd machine in my experience is a big plus as well. I love the "creep" feature that allows you to move the machine without climbing back around to the seat to move it. $5k is a CHEAP price for another (4x4) tractor & fel!!
 
   / 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor #5  
guestimating with the numbers here, a 10ft backhoe for your tractor should be around 9k new, so are you looking at the 110 for 14k? if so.. and it looks good and the hours are reasonable, thats a bargin. 110's are discontinued, so they are not as desirable as they had been... but its still a good tractor.
 
   / 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor
  • Thread Starter
#6  
I'm not 100% sure what the guy will finally take at the end of the day for the tractor, but I am thinking it might be closer to 20k when all is said and done. That makes it is a bit more than the $5k I was originally thinking, but it is still a tempting offer. It's also nice having something used for a lot of the clean up work I have to do. It makes those first scratches a few easier to take. I will admit that the creep function is a huge selling point for me, since my other tractor has a cab. That makes repositioning a much bigger pain in the butt. If I had to lay 600' of pipe that would make the money worth it alone; that's a lot of getting down, getting in the cab, moving, and getting back on the backhoe. The more I think about it the more it seems it is a worthwhile investment. If it turns out that he actually wants closer to 20k is it still worth it for a discontinued tractor?
 
   / 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor #7  
T Dew,
800 hours is not that much, I have 1025 on mine and it is in very good condition. Lots of models of machines have come and gone but the 110 hasn't been out of production for much more than a year and is well supported by Deere.

The creeper function works very well. I could use the hoe today to reach over the trench and pull dirt back over the pipe and use the front fel with a chain to pickup the 12" pipe and turn it around and set the pipe all from the rear seat position. Had one man on the ground using gasketed pipe and used the hoe to push the joints together.

The 110 had several hydraulic options that would vary the cost of it considerably including the topntilt hitch, front and rear triple outlets and 7 function hoe (with auxillary outlet on dipper stick). I have a Laurin cab on mine so being in the cab for all uses is ideal imo.

I should also add that most have a full length skid plate which I consider a "must have" for clean up work. you might want to check tractorhouse.com and machinery trader to get some comps but you need to know what options are on the tractor you are considering.
 
   / 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor #8  
The Deere 310C BH is a lightyear ahead of my 5200 tractor. The BH will lift more and is stronger in every way. Two units are very handy to have. That's a ton of fertilizer I didn't have to shovel by hand. :D

View attachment 308398

I used my 110 to unload and reload 22 of those bags last Spring during the local hay-Coop fertilizer delivery. With the eHydro, I could creep and reposition to fit those bags between the fender wells of pickup truck beds and a handful of car haulers, too.

Very, very handy piece of equipment - IMO.

The decision would be a no-brainer for me.. get the 110. As jenkinsph mentioned, it is really nice to have one tractor all setup to work with any of your 3pt implements and having another with a hoe and loader is icing on the cake.

The 5075M is a good sized utility tractor. My 5075 as it's currently set up is around 10,500lbs. Both backhoes have nearly identical specs (except the 595 does not have a thumb option). At least, that's what I recall from researching the details when buying the 5075. So, why not have a tractor that's more than a ton less weight and is able to inch around foundations and across open trenches versus a tractor that will lurch around the edge of a dig and cave off the bank! No comparison in my book!

That said, I'd like to find another 110 (with all the options that my 110 has) with only 800 hours for $20K! I'd buy it in a New York minute - and sell mine! :thumbsup:

AKfish
 
   / 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor #9  
Why did Deere drop the 110? They seem pretty popular around here.
 
   / 110TLB vs. backhoe for tractor #10  
I will admit that the creep function is a huge selling point for me, since my other tractor has a cab. That makes repositioning a much bigger pain in the butt. If I had to lay 600' of pipe that would make the money worth it alone; that's a lot of getting down, getting in the cab, moving, and getting back on the backhoe.

In my opinion, just about any 110 for 20 grand is a good deal, even discontinued, unless of course it's completely beat, or the engine is seized or something, which it doesn't sound the case at all. Go for the 110!

Also, (I have to admit, I have never used a 110 nor a "creep" function, so this may be worthless :laughing:)
I believe the creep function to be highly over rated. It seems like it would be something great for a beginner to help re-position the tractor, however, you do not need to have a "creep" function to move the tractor.
I have a 410 with no creep function, it is a dedicated backhoe so all I need to do is swivel the seat to operate the controls, pretty easy really, however, I almost NEVER do this. Any time I need to "creep" to a new position, I just raise the outriggers up, and use the backhoe itself to move the tractor forward, backward, or even side to side. All backhoes have this "creep" function built in, you just use the backhoe to move around.

Obviously since I have no experience with the 110, I'm just talking out of my ***, but it is something to think about. I wouldn't purchase one backhoe over another just because of the creep function. I'm sure all of you with creep, will disagree, and I respect that. :thumbsup:
 
 
Top