Backhoe sizing

[jrclark]

I've been keeping an eye out for a backhoe to adorn my DS3510 with. My main question is, what would be the best size for my particular uses and for the tractor? We have 5 entirely wooded acres, save for a half acre where the house is. I want a machine that can effectively navigate the natural perfection that surrounds us, so a full sized machine like a Deere 210 is out. Wife and I are building a house as well, so the budget isn't really there for buying another machine. That said, I'll keep the DS and get a 3pt or subframe hoe.

I plan to do a fair amount of stump pulling, probably nothing more than 24" at the base. Most of the clearing will be the smaller saplings in between the mature hardwoods. The soil is a sandy loam, so not overly compacted. I'll need it for occasional trenching, mostly for managing runoff from the top of the hill. It would probably be useful for prepping our future patio and future pole barn locations. We have rocks - a lot of rocks - some are quite large. I'D like to move some of the modestly sized rocks for naturescaping and yard clearing, etc.

I'm not particularly interested in renting machines for the work needed. The backhoe can be new or used. From my perspective, size should be my first concern. Is there a reason to consider something other than a 7' hoe? I'll probably opt for a PTO pump instead of running rear remotes. The whole assembly ahould be relatively easy to put on and take off. What other items should I be considering for this purchase?

 

[VictorW]

Your tractor as far as specs, weight, fel, 3pt, is very similar to my CK30hst. Kioti shows a KB2475, 7.5ft, as recommended for yours. I have the KB2375, sub-frame mount, that works well with my tractor. A few members here I believe have a Woods 8x for their tractors our size. A pto pump model will cost more. A 3pt bh is a little tough on the tractor attachment points and Kioti may not warrant anything damaged by a 3pt bh. I know you said sandy soil but if you use the full force of the bh, it will move the tractor around. Mine will drag mine around depending on what I'm digging and I wouldn't want that force put on the 3pt mounts. If a 7ft will do what you want, then no need to consider bigger. Extra reach is always nice and usually, the bigger the bh the bigger the cylinders and the more force you'll get.

 

[o2batsea]

Honestly, the backhoe pretty much sucks as a stump remover. Particularly a small one like one that would fit your tractor. Just sayin.

 

[Gil Case]

I agree with o2batsea, backhoes that size are not great at removing stumps unless you have a lot time to spend nibbling around and around that stump taking out one root at a time ad having to chop a few of the bigger ones.

 

[oldpilgrim]

Honestly, the backhoe pretty much sucks as a stump remover. Particularly a small one like one that would fit your tractor. Just sayin.

It works a heck of a lot better than a shovel and an ax.

I've removed dozens of stumps with mine. Sure, it might take a while on the bigger ones but I'm not doing it for a business where time is money.

I've never used an ax or saw when working on a stump either. If the root is too big to break, either tear at it and splinter away the meat of the root with the teeth or move out further where the root is smaller. They always come out.

It's a very satisfying feeling to see that sucker come up out of the ground.

 

[jrclark]

It works a heck of a lot better than a shovel and an ax. I've removed dozens of stumps with mine. Sure, it might take a while on the bigger ones but I'm not doing it for a business where time is money. I've never used an ax or saw when working on a stump either. If the root is too big to break, either tear at it and splinter away the meat of the root with the teeth or move out further where the root is smaller. They always come out. It's a very satisfying feeling to see that sucker come up out of the ground.

Thanks for the responses so far. Pilgrim is correct, I'm not doing this for a living so time is not necessarily a deterrent. Fact is, most of the clearing out back of our house will likely be smaller in stature. Some of those will have tap roots, but noting too extreme. I'm leaving the ginormous hardwoods in place

I do understand that a subframe mounted backhoe distributes the force more evenly. My intentions were to have a subframe mount fabricated for the 3pt at some point, should I purchase one.

Price is a concern at this point, unfortunately. We're halfway through our home building process now, so diverting funds toward a backhoe will be difficult. That's why I'm looking into the used market first. Is it even possible to spend less than 5k for a decent new 7ft backhoe? I'm not interested in Titan's Chinese junk either, fwiw.

 

[George2615]

I do understand that a subframe mounted backhoe distributes the force more evenly. My intentions were to have a subframe mount fabricated for the 3pt at some point, should I purchase one.

Price is a concern at this point, unfortunately. We're halfway through our home building process now, so diverting funds toward a backhoe will be difficult. That's why I'm looking into the used market first. Is it even possible to spend less than 5k for a decent new 7ft backhoe? I'm not interested in Titan's Chinese junk either, fwiw.

Have you searched Ebay for backhoe attachments. Lots of new BH's in your price range. Most are probably made in china but there are some heavy duty looking ones. I think Woodmaxx is made in Italy. I was going to buy one of the Italy made BH's on Ebay but found a used Woods BH750 practically in my back yard. Mine came with a subframe and I made brackets to attach that sub frame to my tractor.

 

[jrclark]

Have you searched Ebay for backhoe attachments. Lots of new BH's in your price range. Most are probably made in china but there are some heavy duty looking ones. I think Woodmaxx is made in Italy. I was going to buy one of the Italy made BH's on Ebay but found a used Woods BH750 practically in my back yard. Mine came with a subframe and I made brackets to attach that sub frame to my tractor.

I have my eye on the Woodmaxx 7' and occasionally drop by eBay and Craigslist to see what's available. If I had to buy new, the Woodmaxx is likely where I would start. There's still the hope that a perfect backhoe deal pops up close to me.

 

[o2batsea]

Hm, well for my money the best stump removal tool is an iPhone. You can get a LOT of stumps out for the same coin as buying the attachment. YMMV

 

[JerryK]

I removed dozens of stumps with my hoe... Some so big and heavy that I had to dig a hole and bury them next to where they grew. Like the above posts, if you are in a hurry and clearing land, a tractor mounted hoe is not the answer... but sure is fun to dig them out if you have the time and enjoy stuff like that.. [ like me ] That's one of the reasons I bought a new tractor in the first place....