Backhoe Are small backhoes worth the $??

[Ken45101]

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.

Useful? Definitely. Although I did eventually get a mini excavator and now the bh very rarely gets used..

It probably won't get a whole lot of hours because it does the job quickly. I have several attachments which get very little use because in 15 minutes they do what would take hours without them.

For what the OP is considering, make sure you understand how easy or hard it is to put it on and off.

Ken

[caver]

I had the 6.5 Rhino on my old Kioti and loved it. I kinda miss it now for the small jobs. I went bigger to have more reach and oomph to pull out large rocks. Like others in this thread I think I want a mini ex now to replace the 580K.

[BroBro]

Let me play the devils adv. for a moment.
It seems that all the people that have answered this thread own a small hoe and are trying to justify there hoe setting out behind the barn rusting just waiting on something to dig so they can justify the cost.
The way I have it figured is if you pay let's say $7000.00 for a small hoe for your tractor and I can rent a midsize hoe for $600.00 a week delivered I would need to work my tractor hoe at least 3 mounth's stright every day to justify the price ( Let alone bending the arm, breaking the teeth off, busting a hydro hose and don't forget the deprecation for age also the strange look's from the wife and kid's when you tell them you can not afford more than one tooth brush).
Renting a hoe mean's when I'm done it goes back to the owner I don't need to store it, service it, work on it, watch it rust while my wife say's are you ever going to use that ugly thing setting out there in the way.
Your right when you need one they are real handy but keep in mind that is what we all said about our wive's.
Just giveing you all something to think about the next time your out there in the snow and mud mashing your finger's hooking up those handy tractorhoe's that your dealer said " there easy to hook up anybody can do it".
Hey you'all have a good day !!!!!
Remember PT Barnum said "THERE'S ONE BORNED EVERY DAY"

[Ductape]

Let me play the devils adv. for a moment.
It seems that all the people that have answered this thread own a small hoe and are trying to justify there hoe setting out behind the barn rusting just waiting on something to dig so they can justify the cost.
The way I have it figured is if you pay let's say $7000.00 for a small hoe for your tractor and I can rent a midsize hoe for $600.00 a week delivered I would need to work my tractor hoe at least 3 mounth's stright every day to justify the price ( Let alone bending the arm, breaking the teeth off, busting a hydro hose and don't forget the deprecation for age also the strange look's from the wife and kid's when you tell them you can not afford more than one tooth brush).
Renting a hoe mean's when I'm done it goes back to the owner I don't need to store it, service it, work on it, watch it rust while my wife say's are you ever going to use that ugly thing setting out there in the way.
Your right when you need one they are real handy but keep in mind that is what we all said about our wive's.
Just giveing you all something to think about the next time your out there in the snow and mud mashing your finger's hooking up those handy tractorhoe's that your dealer said " there easy to hook up anybody can do it".
Hey you'all have a good day !!!!!
Remember PT Barnum said "THERE'S ONE BORNED EVERY DAY"

You've rented a mini excavator ...... spending seven grand in rental fees to do all that work around your place.

I spent seven grand buying a backhoe to do the work around my place (on my schedule, not the schedule of the rental yard), but when I'm done, it is still worth five grand if I decide to sell it.

Just a different perspective, I reckon.

A backhoe transforms my tractor into a totally different animal, with a whole bunch of new capabilities. After having one (well, actually two), I would have a really tough time being without one.

[cowpatty]

I am in the same category as CurlyDave and JDFire....now that I have the backhoe, it would be sweet to have a small dump truck to complement it.

But then again, a skid steer/mini x/dumptruck combo would be pretty sweet...maybe one day my ship will come in..

[bigballer]

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.

.

i know that feeling. i looked at mini-ex's before i bought my hoe, the 3x price tag killed the deal for me..

[Locoweed]

Having a backhoe will increase you popularity with your neighbors a bunch.

[HunterWare]

I've quite honestly used my BH a couple times a month for the last two years. A foundation, drain pipes, ditches, culverts, holes for plants, stumps, roots, rocks, logs (love the thumb)... you name it. With the limited FEL digging ability of smaller/lighter tractors I also find that the fastest way to dig what/where I want is often to dig with the BH and then carry off the spoils with the FEL.

I dug the foundation and built this shed with a 2305 TLB. I wish I had taken one good picture of the hole before I poured the slab, but these are all I have. On the low side I dug through the topsoil, on the high side I dug about 4.5' deep, and the pad is 20'x20' (plus another area almost equal in size for the gravel parking in front). I guess I'm trying to show that the BH is not only a great swiss-army knife addition to a CU,T but also can be used to do substantial work with a little time. I'd guess this took me 2 solid days of digging. The thing is, I didn't have 2 solid days with my work schedule so I did it in partial days over several weekends... As others have pointed out, this is one way owning really shines over renting.

As you can see from the picture, I have since upgraded from the 2305 TLB to a 1026R + 260BH (I really needed the position control), but honestly I think of the 1026R as the 2305 mark II. *grin* Getting another backhoe with the 1026R was a no brainer for me.

I think the BH is easily the next handiest thing on my tractor after the FEL (w/ Artillian's forks) and it gets almost as much usage/time as the rest of the implements combined. That said, the land plane is a miracle on my gravel drive. I really had no idea at first what I was getting into with 1800' of drive. =)

my 2c...

[LD1]

I'll play devils advocate in a different direction

And this is just my opinion and what I decided to do:

For starters, I wanted a BH. Several reasons. First, I have probabally 60 or so white pines around the house that are past their prime and slowly dying and bolwing down. When they are down, I want the stumps out.

Second, a 1/2 or so acre pond is in my near future and I wanted something to maintain it with once I get it dug. (NOT digging it with the BH), just want to maintain once dug.

Third, I have gotten into a bunch of stuff where the FEL on the little Kubota just wasnt strong enough, or didnt lift high enough.

So I was faced with a choice. Spend ~7k on a backhoe attachment for the tractor, or just buy a backhoe. (oldie but goodie).

I choose to but a complete unit. Sure it is more upkeep, more maintenance, can get into tight areas ,and you have to be mechanically inclined, BUT...for the same money, I got a hoe that will do 10x's the work. And a FEL that will lift over 2 TONS

A lot of the decision was made easy after dad got a Ford 4500 w/15ft BH. And getting to run that, just digging some holes to burry old cement blocks and stuff, I realized that there was no way I'd be happy with anything smaller or less reach. So I went one model bigger.

And another good thing about having a huge BH that is over 9 tons, I cant trailer it. So that rules out "buddies" wanting "favors"

[blueriver]

I had never owned or operated one until my recent John deere purchase from my neighbor ... it came with a JD 49 BH ... I thought I've got no use for it ... I even advertised it for sale ... BOY WAS I WRONG !!!!

I have found more use for it than one can imagine ... Thanks Dave for not making an offer !!!!

And thanks to my wife ... she said to keep it.