Is a backhoe on a ck20s worth the price?

[Not Retired Yet]

For those that have a ck20s and backoe, do you feel you've gotten your money's worth from it? It looks like it will add $6k or more to the price. I'm just curious as I hope to purchase something this year. (I'll add a similar post in the Bobcat forum to get CT122 owner responses) thanks

 

[grsthegreat]

For those that have a ck20s and backoe, do you feel you've gotten your money's worth from it? It looks like it will add $6k or more to the price. I'm just curious as I hope to purchase something this year. (I'll add a similar post in the Bobcat forum to get CT122 owner responses) thanks

well, i dont have that particular tractor, but have used the backhoe on a john deere 870 (28HP) tractor. it was next to useless for the 5' deep tranches i needed. For small jobs (18-24" deep) it was ok.

since i can rent an excavator for $150/day here, i personally dont see spending 6 grand on a tractor mounted unit. unless you plan on running a hoe for 40 days.

i do alot of tranches, but the tractor mounted units are too slow for my taste. i can dig probably 4-5 times as fast with an excavator. and alot of the mini excavators even have extend-a-booms, making them even faster.

just a note. There was an auction here selling 1500 hour mini ex's for less than 10K.. i wish i went to it. but then the wife would have probably made me sleep in the tack room.\

 

[Mousefield]

I have one on my CK35 HST, it is a Woods 7 ft with mechanical thumb. I did buy it with the intention of using it a fair amount for moving smaller logs and lifting rounds onto my wood splitter. The back, shoulder and knees are not that good anymore. Have dug a few trenches and holes. It has been worth it for me, partly the convenience factor. I think for most people it may be cheaper to get a backhoe or excavator for specific jobs.

 

[Gittyup]

Renting is almost always more economical. I've read post after post from CK20 owners who claim to love the backhoe. For the tractor's size and cost, it's the best choice when compared to what the competition offers for the same money. Tractor is heavy with good hydraulics. I think it's quite capable.

I have a CK25 with a Rhino 7.5' hoe. It's been great. I've done so much with it. It'll easily dig a 5' trench, pull out stumps, or break down a bank for a retaining wall. I've also used it as a crain (though carefully).

These little hoes are very useful. Not quite like a purpose-built machine, and you likely won't do better than break even on the investment, but worth it when you want to do things your way, when you want to do them, and have it handy for whenever it might be needed (like burying your mother in law in the backyard).

 

[JoelD]

They will also greatly speed up resale

I use my backhoe a bunch I'd not buy a machine without one but then my intention is to dig

Joel

 

[Dmace]

I would buy my backhoe again in a heartbeat! There's always the "just rent an excavator, it's cheaper" comments on these "Should I buy a backhoe" threads. I thought about it long and hard before ordering my tractor and rented a Yanmar Vio27 min-ex plenty of times for work.

Say I wake up in the morning and decide to remove a few stumps or dig a drainage trench. Before my purchase, I would have to call the rental yard and ask if they had the mini-ex available (most of the time, NO), IF they did then I would have to wait until after 9am, get in the truck and get gas since it was 45 mins each way, drive to the rental yard, fill out 3 pages of paper work, copy my license, hook up the trailer, wait for them to load the mini-ex while my truck is getting thrown around because they're idiots, then re-strap it myself because they're idiots then finally drive home wasting more gas and time.
Once home, I would have to unstrap and unload, remove the stump(s), dig trench, etc... while watching the hour meter since I was charged and arm and a leg for anything over 8 hours. After completing the task, I would reload the mini-ex, strap it down, make sure there is no new scratches on it (not joking!), waste more time and gas driving it back to the rental yard, wait for an hour for a "tech" to unload it and check it over trying to find any new scratches (not joking) then proceed inside to read me over the 3 page contract and charge me $200 for the 8 hrs plus $50 per hour over 8. Finally, I leave and drive home with an empty gas tank and empty wallet for a couple of stumps or a trench.
Time spent: ALL DAY
Cost: Mini-ex-$250, Gas in truck-$50, Cost of my time lost driving around and dealing with "techs"-$300+

Fast forward to after my tractor purchase. I wake up in the morning deciding to remove a few stumps or dig a trench. Have my coffee, walk outside, start the tractor, remove the stump(s), put tractor away and go inside.
Time spent: 2-3 hours
Cost: $10 worth of diesel
Aggravation saved: PRICELESS!

If your going to actually use it and not just buying it for one or two small jobs then it's well worth the money. Especially come resale time.

 

[grsthegreat]

I would buy my backhoe again in a heartbeat! There's always the "just rent an excavator, it's cheaper" comments on these "Should I buy a backhoe" threads. I thought about it long and hard before ordering my tractor and rented a Yanmar Vio27 min-ex plenty of times for work.

Say I wake up in the morning and decide to remove a few stumps or dig a drainage trench. Before my purchase, I would have to call the rental yard and ask if they had the mini-ex available (most of the time, NO), IF they did then I would have to wait until after 9am, get in the truck and get gas since it was 45 mins each way, drive to the rental yard, fill out 3 pages of paper work, copy my license, hook up the trailer, wait for them to load the mini-ex while my truck is getting thrown around because they're idiots, then re-strap it myself because they're idiots then finally drive home wasting more gas and time.
Once home, I would have to unstrap and unload, remove the stump(s), dig trench, etc... while watching the hour meter since I was charged and arm and a leg for anything over 8 hours. After completing the task, I would reload the mini-ex, strap it down, make sure there is no new scratches on it (not joking!), waste more time and gas driving it back to the rental yard, wait for an hour for a "tech" to unload it and check it over trying to find any new scratches (not joking) then proceed inside to read me over the 3 page contract and charge me $200 for the 8 hrs plus $50 per hour over 8. Finally, I leave and drive home with an empty gas tank and empty wallet for a couple of stumps or a trench.
Time spent: ALL DAY
Cost: Mini-ex-$250, Gas in truck-$50, Cost of my time lost driving around and dealing with "techs"-$300+

Fast forward to after my tractor purchase. I wake up in the morning deciding to remove a few stumps or dig a trench. Have my coffee, walk outside, start the tractor, remove the stump(s), put tractor away and go inside.
Time spent: 2-3 hours
Cost: $10 worth of diesel
Aggravation saved: PRICELESS!

If your going to actually use it and not just buying it for one or two small jobs then it's well worth the money. Especially come resale time.

well im glad it works for you. in my line of work, i need to dig long, deep trenches, and these units are too slow.

around my house, ive rented a backhoe 4 days over 14 years. no way would it pay for itself. That being said, it all depends on how youd use it and how often.

 

[Not Retired Yet]

Thanks everyone - I keep going back and forth on it. I've got about 13 inherited acres of at least 20-30 years neglect that I spend what time I can spare cleaning up.

 

[rimshot]

This backhoe has just been too much for the past three years. I pretend it's work when it comes to digging garage foundations, removing dozens of stumps, digging drainage ditches or laying ground cable or even building roads but I'm just having a ball.

Warningon't bother paying six grand for a backhoe unless you want some fun in your life but beware of the shortcomings of putting too many hours on your CK-20 like did. For Pete's sake I have 750 hours on my little workaholic tractor. Some of that time was spent digging 5' ditches too.

Sure glad I sprung for a backhoe.

rimshot

 

[Scrambler82]

I can not say if the Kioti BH is a good one or not but I bought the CC-Y 2450 TLB and I have not regretted the purchased of the BH at all. A lot of digging has been done that would not have happened without it.

Buying the tractor with the BH is the best thing I have done in a long time.