Talking about backhoes is like asking “what oil do you use” or “what tractor is best”. People either love them or puke at the sight of them it’s that bad. LOL
These are MY opinions/reasons for MY situations with MY property so YMMV.
Backhoes aren’t cheap, a little less if you order it with a new tractor, other wise add $2000 to the price if you get it afterwards.
There are a lot of post’s on Backhoe’s on these and other forums so you should probably take a look through them just to get a feel for what they can and can’t do. You-tube would be another one to check out. Or you can just buy a smaller excavator and have two machines to support. Or spend the same amount to rent a machine over the years for the same price of getting the BH. Just depends on how fast you want it done.
If you can’t find an OEM one online at one of the auction houses or private sales then your stuck with a 3 pt one. I would do a web search for your L2800 with backhoes and see if there is a problem with that model. But take it with a grain of salt as you don’t know the exact reason why it broke, driver abuse or factory defect. A 3pt mounts worst case problem is cracking at the tranny/engine mount or breaking the Top Link bracket at the tractor. There have also been a few OEM backhoes that have broken in the same places, so it is what it is. Most oem BH’s do have a brace under the tractor to help so that’s a huge plus.
For years people have speared a hay round on their 3 pt and also carry one on the front and drive across their fields so not sure where the argument is.
I’ve only got 5 acres and 2/3 is tree’s and for ME when I got my 3pt BH for my JD 770 I couldn’t find an OEM one and I looked A LOT online on issues with any tractor with a BH. It’s a risk I was ready to take. Working 60 hr work weeks, before the commute, I just couldn’t justify trying to set up a rental for the weekend weeks in advance because they’re busy and then have to work that weekend or the weather turned to crap. And I can use it anytime I want now.
I got my WoodMax -self contained- 3 pt BH with a few extra items 3 years ago for just under $5000 delivered. You can still find the really cheap Chinese ones for under $4000 or $7000 for a nice Chinese one. I looked at the features and quality/steel thickness for the price. I swapped it over to my new LS MT-235he last year and I’m still happy with the smaller BH. Patience is the key to using it. I’ve used the BH way more then I thought I would. (Get the hyd thumb) The 3pt BH is only a static mount, you are not lifting with the 3 pt in any way shape or form.